It is a new era for Sales & Marketing in the Hospitality industry. Uncertain future demand, new customer demographics, reduced base business, new venue restrictions and many similar factors are likely to impact how Sales & Marketing teams perform business during these times. It is imperative to consider all tactics and strategies that will deliver optimum results, as well as pushing them into fruition in order to redefine success. Old methods and customary approaches must be reimagined, and teams must be resilient in order to reinvent themselves and their hotels in order to gain a larger share of the smaller market. READ MORE

During this pandemic and for many years to come, there will be significant analysis on lessons learned. And there will be innovations and new ways of thinking and doing business. The thoughtful hotelier has already determined that life is irreversibly altered and our understanding of hotels has forever changed. Deloitte Consulting has provided a leadership framework that breaks down this process: Respond. Recover. Thrive. It is how that process is managed that is the key. And one can argue that, at the heart, is marketing. READ MORE

In preparing for this story I spoke with sales and operations people including general managers from the hotel side – small and large. Some are privately owned and flagged, some are independently owned and operated, some have management companies and others are part of the larger branded organizations. I spoke with customers – those with corporate travel programs, those who book individual travel, those who organize corporate meetings and events and those who contract with hotels to then resell the rooms to the public either directly or through another company. I also spoke to guests. And one thing we can all agree on is that some big changes are coming… READ MORE

The hotel industry was hit hard by the COVID virus earlier on in 2020 and may be the last to completely recover. Cancellations have outpaced bookings by a 3 to 1 margin at third-party reservation websites and recovering lost revenue will be a serious hardship hotel companies may not be able to withstand. In the face of this monumental and unprecedented medical malaise, only those lodging companies that can adapt and adopt to providing guest-conscious safety and prevention measures will be the ones to see a light at the end of the tunnel so as to stave off catastrophic losses and/or bankruptcy. READ MORE

COVID-19 has truly exposed weaknesses in the foundation upon which our social and economic systems depend. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) recently reported that since the US public health issue began escalating in mid-February, hotels have already lost more than $21 billion in room revenue. As a purpose-driven hospitality company, Legacy Vacation Resorts knew they had to navigate the crisis with the utmost care for people and the planet while maintaining a values-aligned approach to business. Their commitment to employees, customers, the environment and local communities guided each decision made as well as the development of new programs to best benefit all those impacted. READ MORE