Group items tagged

This article looks at the ways that companies can use to remain ahead of the curve in technology. Such ways include being receptive and adaptive to change, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their teams, responding to change quickly, as well as being disruptive and agile. The article also encourages businesses to pay attention to innovation, and to be proactive and innovative, instead of reactive.

This article was very interesting and informative. It is eye-opening to the business owner because it mentions ways in which companies can be steps ahead from the competition. This is important for a company because as things change and evolve, a company needs to be able to adapt to the circumstances to be able to survive and not be replaced by another company.

the article explains how companies can stay ahead of the curve in technology and outdo their competitors

In the article, "Green and Eco-Friendly Hotel Amenities" it talks about how many different hotels are doing their part and keeping the planet green. The first place that the article talks about is the Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, it uses no motorized vehicles instead the guests can use electric golf carts or electric boats to ride around on the nine miles of canal. "Each resort also has an onsite biologist to lead educational boat tours through the lagoons." At the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago they built a rooftop garden to provide fresh vegetables and herbs for the hotel's restaurant, they are also considering making space to put several beehives, this will lead to a natural approach of producing honey. One of the most interesting and easy ways to stay green was at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley; they have sheep that eat the grass replacing all lawnmowers and on top on that, their manure helps fertilize the soil. It's a win, win solution! In New York they have a restaurant called Habana Outpost and you really have to work for your food, literally. At this restaurant you have ride a bike that powers the eatery blender and if they generate up to 100 watts of energy, they will earn a free meal, such an amazing and creative idea! This "is part of the hotel's larger commitment to eco-friendliness, which includes a CO2-neutral building, solar panels, and groundwater-based heating and cooling systems." At Jicaro Island lodge in Nicaragua, they used all of they wood from trees that were knocked down in Hurricane Felix and they also use a good majority of their wastewater that is recycled to irrigate the trees and plants. Before reading this article, I never knew that so many hotels were doing their part at staying green and I'm surprised by all the new and unique ways that they have come up with, it gives me hope for the future!

As mobile devices become more advanced, particularly cell phones and tablet devices, more pressure to keep up with mobile and social trends is placed on the hospitality industry. People are using their mobile devices more now than they have in the past. So much so, that "two thirds of Americans sleep with their mobile device in range, something we cannot say about desktops". A world of information is at your fingertips because of the capability of mobile devices. Information that can help us make decisions about anything. Even last-minute decisions about hotels and food. More people are using their mobile devices to book rooms and many of the people that do this, are booking a hotel for the same night. The fact most of the people who do this are under 30 means that it is very likely that this trend will increase. People are expecting the technology to be there so that they can pick a hotel and a restaurant to go to if they are unfamiliar with a city. They are expecting a hotel chain to have a mobile site or better yet an "app" that will not only allow them to book a room, but, one that will give them directions from where they are to the hotel. The same can be said for restaurants. Potential customers want to be able to look over the menu and determine if they want to come to the restaurant, all from their mobile device. Mobile guests are also using customer review sites to determine where they will lodge or dine. They are using sites like TripAdvisor which allows you to post comments about your stay. The sight even allows the guests to post pictures. "Customer reviews are also important to the hotel industry, but the jury is still out on exactly how hotels should react with people who post reviews." It is always great when a guest posts a positive review of the hotel, but imagine how one bad stay could tarnish a hotels reputation. And what if there are cleanliness issues that the guest can photograph and upload to the site? Exactly what to do in this type of e

This article very much relates to what we discussed in class on Monday and what ebusiness' are doing these days to stay afloat. The internet is taking over the travel industry since everyone likes to do things on their own these days. Travel agents are trying to find ways around this growing trend. The two main tips for travel agents in this article are staying close with your existing customers while gaining new ones. This will alter the way your business will run. Once your existing customers realize you are loyal, easy to work with and focused them they will start spreading the world about the work you have done. The new customers will see the customer base you have and will more than likely choose you over t.agent 2 with only a few existing customers and no new clients in years. Once you complete a job, it is a must that you follow up. After everything is said and done, send them a quick email & maybe offer them a better package deal next time. Yes, the internet is putting a damper on the travel industry but at the same time agents are finding ways to work around this highly growing trend.

Hotels going green is being appreaciated by the guests

go green is important not only for the industry but also for the whole earth, because pollution is one of the biggest issue for every countries' government. in this article, it also talk about the major concerns in hotel industry, AC system and water conservation. go green not only save hotels' money, but also increase profit margin. Go green is a important step for hotel to go, and it have to go green for the future step for hotels.

I realy like this article because it talks about hotels that are trying to go green and customers like it and contribute to this cause. The hotels are trying to reduce the use of water, energy and waste, and they give the option to the customer to do it or not. For example to "reuse your towel" or turn off the A/C when you are not in the room. This helps the hotels to save money and increased their profit margin. Some hotels beleive this is costly for them, but in the long-run it will help. People are more conscious now and like that hotels are more environmentally responsible.

E-marketing is not unfamiliar for us and it has become a powerful tool for hotels to promote themselves. Hotels can make profit from it if it is applied in a proper way. This article introduces a successful example that IHG focuses on developing apps and mobil features to engage with guests throughout their journey and the monthly revenue from mobile booking reaches over $20 million. IHG's mobile strategy focuses on connecting with guests at all touch points throughout their travel planning and stay experience not just on the first step of room booking. IHG will continue their mobil strategy with launch of the Priority Club Rewards app for iPad that can help guests easily find and book rooms, check rates and increase flexibility to manage their reservation and view member details. This provides guests great convince and leaves them great feeling about this brand. Some new features, functions and offers will be customized for different category of guests such as corporate guests and leisure guests in IHG's e-marketing plan. So the efficiency in targeting the right market is increased. IHG benefit a lot from e-marketing and is multiplying more methods in this area to keep up with the trend. Success of IHG in e-marketing can be a good example for other hoteliers.

This article talks about technology can significantly reduce the amount of time and sweat you invest in delivering a seamless, successful event. Definitely . the planners will always be perfectionists and no matter what tools they have at their disposal, they will always suffer from a last minute panic attack about the seating plan. There are many benefits from effectively using technology to events By using software to help you manage your event, you can ensure that it runs smoothly and that nothing is forgotten.Taking advantage of event planning technology will save you both time and money in the long run. Staying below budget is an important concept to keep in mind when planning any event. You can save a lot of money by managing your budget with software programs that allow you to keep track of all your expenses in one central location. By using technology to manage attendee registration, you can track variables such as fees, food orders and send marketing emails to your list of attendees.Staying organized is probably the single most important aspect of planning a successful event, and the use of technology can alleviate a lot of stress from an organizational standpoint. The events your company puts on are a direct reflection its value, so you will want it to be the best that it can be

I totally agree with you that with the assistance of technology, event planning has become easier than ever before. It can help people stay organized, keep track of details, and make sure no stone is left unturned. Technology can also help people plan, analyze and budget for an event accurately and effectively.

This article demonstrates how easy it is to check in and out of your hotel as well use the services that feature at the property. There is no longer a need for room keys or itemized receipts to be printed. All the agents have to do is scan the mobile app and all charges can be seen from your smart phone. Asides from all charges being posted, yourphone will be unlocking most doors including your guest room, spa, and. fitness center. You don't have to worry about misplacing your room key and having to take it out everytime you want to use the elevator or get into your room. This type of technology has been produced in France and has been adopted by Comfort Xpress in Oslo, Norway. I don't think it will be long before the US adopts this policy. All they would have to do is create or purchase the software and hardware from Ariane Systems and Openways or create there own verison. Personally, I would love to be able to use something like this, I always misplace or forget my room key but never my phone. I also don't have to wory about putting change in my pocket and having the room key be defunct. My only question would be how many mobile apps could I have? If I was traveling with a guest or partner, could they get a mobile app as well at no additional costs?

Many of the individual elements of the tech-led hotel are in place, but a hotel in Norway has joined all the dots together, creating a completely human-free experience. Combining check-in/out and guest management software from France-based Ariane Systems with room door technology from OpenWays, visitors to the Comfort Xpress Hotel in Oslo will soon be able to complete their entire stay without ever speaking to a member of staff.

In today's society, being green is very important to many consumers but not all. The green conscious consumers have come to expect that the companies they do business with have the same beliefs. A companies green initiatives could be the deciding factor for some whether or not they frequent a business. Hospitality businesses must be aware of these green expectations from their consumers. They also must know how to communicate specifically to their green consumers explaining their specific green practices.. The article supports this when it states: "Green consumers are reasonably distinct in terms of identifiable characteristics and behavior patterns. Targeting specific marketing strategies to potential green consumers is likely to be more effective than directing these strategies to the entire population by assuming that all members of the population are potential green consumers," Unfortunately, it sometimes can be rather difficult to target green guests. It is much harder to identify these types of guests in comparison to non-green conscious guests. Also about 75% of green conscious guests aren't willing to really impact the comfort level of their stay to save the environment. Green guests may be green conscious but studies have shown they aren't really willing to give up the comforts such as daily housekeeping, high-pressure showers and fresh linens instead of reusing sheets during an extended visit. The article supports this when it states: "Although industry research has shown that a significant percentage of hotel guests would prefer to stay in a hotel that cares about the environment, guests are not always that predictable. Barber noted that a study by a major national hotel operation opposite findings: 75 percent of their guest respondents said they would not give up daily hotel room service activities." This is why green initiatives specifically targeted at green consumers are essential. The green consumer even though they may no

This article is about the current rise in the use of the GDS system again. This rise has been seen primarily with corporate travelers, but has also been used by the leisure traveler. While GDS usage percents dropped from 98% in 1999 to 79% in 2009, it has slightly started to increase again. Sabre one of the larger GDS companies has seen a 7% increase in use of the system in 2012. Hotels have tried to give companies better rates to their consumers, for example as more corporate travelers are extending their stays from a business trip and then turning it into a leisure trip for a few more days. This gives the traveler a lower rate a night at the hotel, as they are staying for more nights. Overall, while there was a decline in the use of GDS because of the OTA, there is now a slight increase, bringing life back to the GDS system.

This article gives an in depth explanation of the importance of GDS's in the hotel industry and the increased usage of the GDS due to the rising travel demand. The American Society of Travel Agents conducted a study in 2009 and found the percentage of member travel agencies that used the GDS declined from 98% in 1999 to 79% in 2009. A significant portion of the decrease was due to the economic downturn, but regardless hoteliers and travels still found value is the GDS channel. According to Sabre Travel Network, there was an increase of more than 7% in GDS bookings during the first quarter of 2012 over the same period last year. The demand for corporate travel is the main reason for the increase. Many people that are traveling for business want to extend their trips for leisure. This allows hotels the opportunity to adjust their pricing strategies by putting travel promotions for leisure for the business travels as well. Many people utilize the GDS to find the most affordable prices, but it is also beneficial to hoteliers as well. Elaine Kennedy, one of the two interviewed in the article, stated the pricing model provides corporations with a lower rate when demand decreases but also gives hoteliers the opportunity to achieve higher rates when demand increases, which ultimately is a win-win for both sides. The GDS also provides many opportunities for hotels to cut costs. Robert Cole, the other person interviewed in this article, stated "The GDS also provides enhanced marketing support….immediately when you use the GDS to put your product, your service, your room, your rate, you're getting it in front of an audience without using your own marketing budget." According to Robert Cole, the GDS is not going away any time soon because of the unique solutions it provides for hotels and travelers alike. I believe this article was very informative on how the GDS is currently being utilized and where it is going in the future. It basically helped answer question 3

"Despite the challenges unfolding at a regional level in the Middle East and North Africa, hoteliers were still able to raise rates enough in February to achieve average rate growth worldwide and capture more bookings than last year. "Consumers are not only traveling, but they are also willing to spend more. Additionally, the corporate market is booking more groups and meetings business from corporations of all sizes as February bookings, rate and revenue growth was coupled with increases in length of stay and booking lead time. Even though at the time, hoteliers continue to raise rates, but people are still continuing to travel and spend money. The traveling public understands that their leisure time is valuable and are willing to pay for peace of mind. Also, bookings made through online channels provide a perfect virtual marketplace for travel inventory sellers.

This article post on the year of 2011, it said that the global GDS hotel bookings grew substantially by 23.5%, which driving revenue up by 36.8% in two years. And the monthly growth of more than 20% through July in 2010 to now. At the same time, the length of stay and booking lead time are also expanded. Compared with the booking rates in 2010, the business travel rates rose about 7% and rates paid by leisure travelers for hotel rooms increased 3.6%. The booking mostly through the ADS or online channels were all declined due to varieties of factors such as regional unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. Despite these challenges, the hotel managers still tried to achieve the high booking rates and capture more bookings than last year. Consumers are not only travelling , but they are also willing to spend more. People are tend to travel by groups in business or meetings, this will increase the length of stay and booking lead time. GDS bookings represent the mostly corporate market, despite of all the problems which could influence the travel rates, bookings made through online channels like GDS made growth rates keep increasing both in tourist on or off season.

This article speaks about, for the most part, how bookings done through systems are now only at an all time high, but continue to grow substantially.  ADS's on the other hand, declined from January's levels declined due a variety of factors including regional unrest, etc. However, growth bounced back in February and even set a new record for North America. Also, despite all the challenges throughout the middle east and north Africa, average rate growth was still achieved throughout the month of February and even outperform last years bookings for that month.

This article is about customers' satisfaction related with quality of internet service during the hotel staying. Internet usage during a hotel stay continues to steadily increas, it remains a top problem. Among guests who report complaints, 31% had an issue with their Internet serivce in terms of connection and speed. However, despite all these complaints about Internet issues, hotel guests are satisfied with their hotels than last year. According to 2013 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index study, overall guests satisfaction arose 20 points from 2012, it averages 777 on a 1,000-point scale.

It can be very difficult for hotels to practice an Eco-friendly stay for travelers with water, energy , and waste being consumed 24/7. However, some hotels are taking initiates in following the green program and some travelers are right on board with the cause. It has been surveyed that 47% of travelers said it is important for them to stay in green-certified hotels. Another few reasons why hotels are starting to implement these practices are government regulations, saving money, and respect for the environment and the natural surrounding. This article explains the three crucial areas (water, energy, and waste)that can be turned into environmental friendly practices.

The Seagate Hotel&Spa in Delray has implemented advanced hotel environmental technology which ensures not only guests can enjoy their comfortable stay, but also hotel uses less energy than before. Seagate installed Honeywell's INNCOM guestroom energy management system solutions in OCT 2009. And it turns out that their energy used is almost 20% lower than similar properties. The INNCOM system would lowers the temperature to conserve energy, and also will detect guests' entry and reinstates the previous temperature. The reason why this system can conserve energy is the vast majority of guests do not adjust the thermostat temperature during their stay. Besides, there are also other room automation controls such as Bell System, lighting controls and so on.

This article focuses on new hotel apps, focusing on Recharge, that let you rent upscale hotel rooms by the minute/hour. As the article states, this is not a new concept and has been offered in the pass usually at motels. This app looks to change the demographic of those looking to rent hotels for a small amount of time. The app is already active in popular cities around the world, they aim to only work with 3-5 star hotels. I downloaded the app and thought the pricing was a little concerning, but it goes back to the demographic the app is targeting. Recharge aims to appeal to travelers with long layovers, business people looking for a quiet spot in between meeting, sight seers that may need a nap, and even mothers looking for a safe place t publicly breastfeed. Their pricing is right in line with their target demographic as the cheapest price is usually around $30 per hour, and there is always a service fee; the author of the article talks about staying in a hotel for 15 minutes and paying $65 dollars. Personally the pricing is a huge setback, but business wise it makes sense. You are covering the cost of housekeeping having to go in and reset the room, and front desk reprogramming the keys/ handling check in and check out. While I think the system could create a bit of a challenge for hotels in terms of making if something is ready and clean or not, it is another opportunity to increase revenues. This app especially during the slow season for hotels, could help them fill their less desired rooms, if only for an hour. It is similar to a restaurant way of thinking "How many times can we flip this table (room) in peak hours". I may not use the app, but if I was traveling with friends and splitting the cost, I would definitely take the opportunity to pay a few bucks to nap in a 5 star resort.

This article talks about how Airbnb has become more appealing to travelers than hotels. Airbnb has become one of the largest hospitality networks offering cheaper stays and more authentic experiences than hotels. However, hotels are not liking this as people are more likely to turn to Airbnb's. There have been many regulations that hotels are forced to face while Airbnb's have close to no regulations, making it easier to earn an income without any specific regulations. Airbnb's have caused hotels to turn to different methods of gaining more customers while competing against such a strong competition.

Its interesting that hotels and hotel chains have spent so much time effort and money on implementing standards and standardization over the past decade. AirBNB has limited standards other than the provision of accommodation. Standards were introduced as a tactical approach to consumer market by providing standardized and recognizable brand standards so that a traveler will know they staying in a Marriott for example. AirBNB success has turn that assumption on its head as travelers embrace differentiated product more related to finding a personalized choice that suits their personal tastes based on a more varied product offering. Hotel have been discussing personalization as a high level topic for many years now, more related to services and experience. Could it be that the success of AirBNB is actually an oversight of the hotel industry (perhaps explaining the significant increase in "Brands" by the largest hotel companies.) on the desire for travelers for personal spaces that are closer to the desires of the consumer.

This article is about AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its impact in the hospitality industry. Although innovations in voice recognition, biometrics, and AR (augmented reality) are not expected to replace human contact, AI technology will revolutionize the industry by taking over mundane, simple, and routine work. Since these ordinary tasks could be time consuming, AI will allow hospitality personnel to focus on more meaningful and complex transactions. AR, for instance, was already implemented by Holiday Inn during the 2012 Olympics to provide realistic thematic and virtual representations. Biometric technology allows customers to authenticate their purchase without a wallet or human interaction. Nevertheless, the article also touches on an interesting concept called 'tech detox.' Some hotels already have promotions for guests willing to stay disconnected in order to be aware of their surrounding environment. In my opinion, AR is the best innovation, especially in a hotel. From TV programming, internet access, interactive city maps, hotel information, restaurant menu, and room service, this technology has endless opportunities to make any hotel experience unique.

I believe the article glosses over many of the potential implications of AI in the industry. For one, to date, technology advances have actually increased the workload of the more highly skilled management personel. A General Manager in a hotel now has to have degrees of knowledge in pricing system logic and demand economics, knowledge of systems and system implementation and the skill sets of individuals required to implement and sustain these systems. As AI and AI logic does begin to invade the Hospitality Industry, it is going to require our leaders to become far more cognizant of the uses, and maintenance costs involved in these technologies. This is not to say that this is necessarily a negative, however the implications for the skills sets required in the industry are a necessary talking point when citing that this technology wont replace jobs. Those mundane tasks which the article refers to are deemed as simple processes, but when discussing the already complex process of an agent reserving a guest in a Forbes rated property (as an example), this is going to get even more complicated in how we leverage these technologies, how we approach to market with the consumer.

Technology is continuing to revolutionize daily. All industries are experiencing such change but the hospitality industry will not completely take away is human employees. In fact, tech revolution will simply take away from mundane tasks simultaneously assisting with efficiency and customer satisfaction. With the advent of augmented reality (AR) guests are now able to electronically visualize themselves at the location. Technology cannot outperformance the warmth of guest service reps. yet, the future of hospitality will integrate both the advances of electronics and human interactions.

This article discusses CRMs and how to make use of data to support a strong CRM system. Batchbook for example is a tool that allows businesses to learn about their clients in one place and build relationships with them. Emails on the other hand can be used to maintain awareness and generate bookings and location excitement . It's an important factor for noticing patterns and touch points related to pre-trip, in-stay and post-trip data.

The article describes how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of technology for many people and how it shifted the needs of people looking for short-term/hotel stays. Companies that thrived during the pandemic were the ones that offered things that began trending as people needed to stay away from others and inside for large periods of time: contact-less experiences and apartment settings rather than traditional hotel rooms. As we move forward from the pandemic and travel begins again, hoteliers will need to re-evaluate their technology and invest in guest experience software tools so their hotels can compete with the new trends in hospitality spaces.

Facial recognition technology has played a big role in hotel stay, and it makes guest stay more convenient and faster. However, the privacy protection of guests and the personalized and humanized services that guests need also need attention. In the process of digital transformation, hotels should also pay attention to the different needs of guests.