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peacejj22

Why sustainability is key for the future of the hospitality industry - 0 views

  • Why sustainability is key for the future of the hospitality industry
  • In addition, other business concerns, such as rising costs, increased government pressures and competitors’ actions have only motivated hoteliers to embrace sustainability and make it an integral part of the corporate agenda.
  • In simple words, sustainability means that natural ecosystems can continue to support life and provide resources to meet the needs of the present and future generations. Evidently, the hotel sector puts increased pressure on the environment and is demanding on the natural resources. However, the industry also relies on the same natural environment – unspoilt landscapes, sandy beaches, turquoise waters, glaciers, waterfalls, coral reefs and fresh air; all of which serve as great tourist attractions. Therefore, there is an inherent danger that the we might harm the very basis on which hospitality is built. 
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  • The hospitality industry has historically had a dramatic environmental impact on the environment through energy and water consumption, and use of consumable goods. With sustainability now being the issue on everyone’s mind, previous course leader of our course leader BA (Hons) Hotel and Hospitality Management, Gaurav Chawla, discusses how the industry is responding, and why it’s a key focus on the course.
  • Green House Hotel in Bournemouth
  • Social concerns such as inclusivity, promoting work-life balance, promoting employees’ health and wellbeing, sourcing supplies locally and stimulating entrepreneurship are all part of the sustainability agenda. 
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    this article is about why sustainability is key to our industry.
djohn304

Importance of a Security Department in Hotel Front Office Management Tutorial 10 Octobe... - 0 views

  • The front office is a hotel’s communication center; it is the vital link between the hotel management and the guest.
  • The security department staff must react with speed and efficiency to serve the guest.
  • The security department is often regarded as a passive department, reacting only when called on.
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  • it is a very active department, setting policies, organizing programs, and delivering training programs to promote guest and employee safety.
  • Hotel Security report article by Patrick M. Murphy, CPP, director of loss prevention services at Marriott International, Inc., Washington, D.C., who reports on Marriott International’s adoption of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) in its chain of 1,900 owned and managed properties worldwide: CPTED is part of a total security package.
  • Guestrooms :- These [electronic locking systems] create an environment where keys are automatically changed when a new guest checks in; locks also can be interrogated to determine the last person to enter the room.
  • protecting the interior, lobby, and guestrooms; exterior and parking area; and the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Building entrances :- When reviewing a property we look to see that all entrances are inviting, brightly lit with no obstructing shrubbery. At night, side entrances should be restricted by use of card readers so that non - registered guests must pass through the lobby and past the main check - in desk.
  • Hotel lobbies :- They should be designed to be visually open, with minimal blind spots for front desk employees. Lobbies also should be designed so that persons walking through the front door must pass the front desk to reach the guestroom corridors or elevators.
  • presence of security or loss prevention officers
  • Guest amenities :- Marriott designs its new properties with glass doors and walls to allow for maximum witness potential when providing swimming pools, exercise rooms, vending areas, and laundry facilities. Adding house phones in these areas makes it possible for guests to call for help if they feel uncomfortable or threatened by anyone.
  • Exterior of the property :- CPTED principles call for bright lighting at walkways and entrances. Traffic should be directed to the front of the hotel property to make would - be criminals as visible as possible. Entrances to the hotel grounds should be limited. Landscaping, such as hedges and shrubbery, can also create aesthetically pleasing barriers to promote the desired traffic and pedestrian flow.
  • Parking :- The preferred lighting is metal halide. High - pressure sodium should be avoided because it casts a harsh yellow light. The optimal parking lot or garage has one entrance and exit with well - marked routes of travel for both cars and pedestrians. Garages need to be as open as possible, encouraging clear lines of sight. Elevators and stairwells that lead from the garage into the hotel should terminate at the lobby level, where a transfer of elevators or a different set of stairs should be required to reach guestroom floors. Other CPTED features in the garage should include CCTV (closed - circuit television) cameras, installation of emergency call boxes, and painting the walls white to increase the luminosity of light fixtures while creating an atmosphere that is appealing to the eye.1
  • The cost of a human life lost because of negligence or the financial loss due to a fire far outweighs the expense incurred in operating a security department.
  • Perhaps the most significant [of high - visibility hotel crimes] was the 1974 rape of singer / actress Connie Francis in a Westbury, N.Y. hotel, which resulted in a much publicized trial culminating in a multimillion - dollar verdict against the hotel. The case is still considered the industry’s “wake - up call” in terms of legal liability.
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    This article gives the general basis of why it is important to have a security department for your front office. The front office is the communication center for the hotel. Therefore it is an area that breeds a healthy amount of human interaction for which you must have a secure, safe plan in the event of an emergency. In my opinion, I agree that front office associates deal with a lot of people on their job and having the appropriate knowledge for the appropriate situation is important.
llibe010

5 ways AI and robots will affect future travel | Flash Pack - 1 views

  • We accepted driverless trains very easily – London’s DLR, for example, has been trundling around without drivers since 1987. Driverless cars we’ve been more sceptical about, but seem to have made peace with their inevitability (aids for human drivers like lane assist are pretty much standard in every new car). But if either of those concepts blows your mind and/or has you feeling a little uneasy in the pant department, just wait until you board a pilotless aeroplane! That’ll feel completely fine, right? But it will almost certainly happen – it kind of does now, to an extent
  • The Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas uses two robot ‘butlers’ to deliver room service. This Chinese company claims to have created an AI receptionist. Even hotel mega-giants Hilton experimented with a Watson-powered robot concierge called Connie
  • an omnipresent army of artificially intelligent travel agents who can find the perfect holiday for you, powered by deep learning and a vast collective knowledge of everything travel-related except what it feels like to get sunburnt
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  • recognition, be it facial or cornea or fingerprint, could soon be your way through passport control: it’s already being trialled at Changi airport in Singapore
  • You might have heard of smart cities. Super-connected, intelligently-planned urban conurbations aimed at making life an absolute dream, both now and in the future, through the use of technology
  • And while ‘more planes’ doesn’t sound very environmentally friendly, that AI technology can be used to make all kinds of transport more efficient. Fewer empty planes and trains, less stacking over airports, more intelligent planning of onboard catering (no more fish dishes = less food waste IMO – who eats them?) – it all helps the goal of green tourism
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    The article discusses 5 potential use cases of artificial intelligence with a focus on travel and hospitality. The first example is of driverless vehicles and airplanes and the second speaks of AI receptionists and robot concierges. Other examples include AI-powered travel agents that use deep learning and create customized holiday packages for guests in the future. Biometric recognition as a replacement for passports has also been discussed along with using AI for green tourism. In general, the article highlights the role of AI technologies in improving travel efficiency and sustainability while acknowledging that there are pitfalls and that these technologies still require years of development.
earagon22

What is RFID Technology? (+Use Cases in the Hotel Industry) - 2 views

  • It’s no surprise that hospitality businesses want to take advantage of RFID technology too, especially when it offers speed, security, and a high-tech touch.
  • Seeing an opportunity to meet all of these objectives, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival rolled out an RFID wristband solution that allows faster entry into the festival and eliminates the risk of counterfeiting.
    • jblan183
       
      Coachella took the RFID wristband one step further than smart cards by placing the chips on wristbands, issuing RFID chips with unique identifiers to festival-goers. Instead of security scrutinizing every paper ticket upon entry, attendees simply scan their wristbands at RFID readers at the festival entrances to gain access, allowing them to get to their favorite stages faster.
  • One of the most popular use cases for RFID technology is guestroom entry. Compared to a traditional keycard, RFID-equipped cards offer hoteliers more control over security. Front desk staff can activate and deactivate cards remotely and review logs to see where and when a card was used.
    • jblan183
       
      Con: Keeping them near phones, wallets, or purses will demagnetize the cards, especially inconvenient should a hotel not have a complimentary card holder.
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  • If guests have RFID-enabled keycard that contain payment information or room-charge information, guests can simply pay with their keycard
  • Besides granting entry to guestrooms, hoteliers can also use RFID technology to control access to amenities, parking, event spaces, and more
  • RFID tags on minibar items can alert hotel staff to low stock rather than tasking housekeeping staff with monitoring stock levels.
  • Most hoteliers have a line item in their budget to account for replacement of stolen items like pillows, hair dryers, and dishes. RFID chips on these frequent “souvenirs” can tell hotel staff when an item has left the building and give them the opportunity to recover the stolen item.
  • An RFID system is simply a cost- effective technology that uses radio waves to send a signal from a chip to a receiver.  RFID stands for radio-frequency identification, and this type of wireless technology involves two parts: a tag and a receiver.
  • Tags can be either passive (no battery, activated by the receiver) or active RFID tags (battery-power source, emits a signal that the receiver picks up).
  • RFID is a key component for IOT (internet of things) connectivity.
  • The tag contains a microchip with a unique code, and the receiver contains components to process the signal transmitted by the tag.
  • There are different types of RFID tags writes the RFID journal, "In general, low-frequency and high-frequency range tags are read from within three feet (1 meter) and UHF RFID tags (ultra-high frequency) are read from 10 to 20 feet. Readers with phased array antennas can increase the read range of semi-passive RFID tags to 60 feet or more."  Read range can also vary depending on environmental factors that effect the strength of radio signals.
  • its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years as the technology became cheaper and more applications were developed.
  •  Hotel and travel businesses usually begin by leveraging technologies like RFID for access control systems and asset tracking.  Due to the pandemic, contactless guest journeys have increased uptake of RFID, Bluetooth and NFC (nearfield communication) technology.
  • Paper tickets for Disneyland are a thing of the past thanks to the RFID-powered “MagicBand” system that Disney rolled out in 2013.
  • Besides pure functionality, Disney also turned the MagicBand into a marketing vehicle; Disney fans can purchase MagicBands in their favorite color or emblazoned with their favorite animated character.
  • RFID wristbands at Coachella
  • Festival-goers are issued wristbands embedded with RFID chips that each have a unique identifier, meaning that it’s essentially impossible to copy them. Instead of security staff scrutinizing every paper ticket upon entry, attendees simply scan their wristbands at RFID readers at the festival entrances to gain nearly instantaneous access.
  • Due to its relatively low cost, ease of use, and potential for operational efficiency, RFID technology can be an attractive solution for hoteliers looking to elevate their guest experience.
  • Door locks
  • RFID cards can also be more cost-effective in the long term as they don't get demagnetized.
    • earagon22
       
      My property uses RFID tech for room keys and it is so convenient as the wristbands don't get demagnetized when placed by phones or credit cards.
  • Controlled amenity access:
  • On-site payments
  • Outlets like restaurants, bars, and spas can use RFID technology to streamline the payment process.
  • Inventory management
  • Theft prevention
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    Radio Frequency Identification or RFID continues to appeal to leaders in the hospitality industry as it allows for so many opportunities. RFID is a cost-effective technology. It utilizes radio waves to send signals from a chip to a receiver somewhere. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RFID technology usage has increased because of the consumers' desire to have contactless options. This article provides quite a few great examples of RFID technology in the industry. It mentions Disney and Coachella as they have switched to using RFID wristbands. Hotels, as mentioned in this article, can use RFID technology for a multitude of things. Some examples include: for door locks, on-site payments, controlled amenity access, inventory management, and theft prevention.
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    The RFID is a very interesting and powerful system. Many industries have been using such system for a long period of time. In the aviation industry, the RFID helps to track and sort checked baggage at the airport by reading several inlays at one. Airlines that use such system has a higher customer satisfaction rate.
sydneywolfson

What Does LEED Certification Mean to the Hotel Industry - 0 views

  • LEED certification is a growing trend and concern among hotel developers, architects, hotel brands and consumers.
  • To earn LEED certification, a building is awarded points for satisfying certain green requirements in six categories- Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation in Design.
  • istorically it was believed that there is a cost associated in building a LEED-certified hotel; however, it is arguable if this cost differential exists in today’s construction market. The USGBC reports that as of 2007, the cost to develop a green hotel, if any, is only one to two percent above that of a conventional hotel’s cost
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  • In addition to selling more room nights at potentially higher rates, LEED-certified buildings typically save 30-50 percent in energy usage, 35 percent in carbon emissions, 40 percent in water emissions, and 70 percent in solid waste.
  • Currently there are only eight hotels in the U.S. that are LEED-certified, but over 100 more hotels have made their intentions known to become LEED-certified.
  • Green hotels offer recycling options, water-efficient toilets and faucets, energy-saving lighting, and recycled paper goods; many hotels have even begun to clean guestrooms and public space with non-toxic cleansers.
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    This article talks about how LEED certification is increasing in the hotel industry. Buildings who are LEED certified save a lot more energy and offer recycling options.
Danaisy Abascal-Yero

Cloud Computing: Travel and Tourism Trends - 0 views

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    This article describes the various cloud computing trends in travel and tourism and how they could be beneficial for all travel companies to adopt. It further goes into detail on how cloud computing is becoming utilized by approximately 81% of the travel & tourism companies and how it creates a positive impact on the industry. It mentions the advantages that cloud computing brings to the table like a personalized experience for users as it facilitates data synchronization between channels, is more reliable than holding one singular framework so it lessens the security risks, is being more widely utilized on a global scale, provides scalability and flexibility throughout the peak season and low seasons, saves the company potential expenses that would have otherwise been spent on other infrastructures, software, systems, etc., and benefits tourism on a socio-economic degree which helps fight environmental degradation.
shineal

Sustainable Hospitality Technology Made Possible - CiHMS - 1 views

  • Sustainable Hospitality Technology Made Possible
  • the tourism sector can be harmful to the local environment due to the excessive tourist demands resulting in a large number of plastics & food wastes, overuse of water and energy supplies, and the social life of the local communities.
  • The fast-paced technology development has eased hospitality in making strides to becoming eco-friendly without leveraging the heavy financial burden. In order to transform into a green industry, hospitality has been gradually tapping into certain tactics to keep up with the sustainable bandwagon:
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  • Forgoing daily cleaning
  • With the integration of a motion and temperature camera detector, the central AC system automatically adjusts the hotel’s overall temperature to maintain at a certain level instead of manually setting your AC temperature to a specific degree permanently.
  • Smart energy and water-saving management.
  • Acknowledging your guest in opting out of the daily cleaning properly by rewarding incentive loyalty points or discount vouchers to other hotel facilities would lead to massive cost savings and environmental benefits.
  • Digitize the use of paper
  • Eliminating all menus, reservations, program flyers, and other hotels in-room compendiums and replacing them with a digital guest room tablet or a large touch screen interactive monitor at lobby area would dramatically reduce the number of paper, cardboard, and plastic waste in hotels operations.
  • Effective food waste management
  • The recent technology helps the kitchen come up with an ultimate menu that achieves wasting food supply by tracking records on kitchen waste on a daily basis.
  • Receiving centralized reports to keep you in check for multiple properties in real-time, accessible from anywhere anytime, and trouble-free integration with other hospitality software via Open API are the benefits of a cloud-based hospitality management solution.
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    This article on "Sustainable Hospitality Technology Made Possible" gives detailed tactics on how properties can lower their energy and consumption costs, and reduce waste which ultimately leads to protecting the environment. As explained in the article, this sustainability shift did not occur overnight, but rather through a progressive process that encompasses corporate social responsibilities and consumer sentiment.
Juan Franco

High Tech Green Computing - 5 Signs the Computer Industry Is Going Green - The Daily Green - 2 views

  • It's about time. Our ever-shrinking world is abuzz with activity attempting to address the manmade rise of greenhouse gases. Eco-visionary James Lovelock published a radical idea in Nature to increase ocean uptake of CO2 through giant ocean tubes. New Zealand has kicked off an ambitious plan to get 90% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. JC Penney, Office Depot and Kohl's have announced green building plans. In May, General Electric said it had doubled sales from environmentally friendly products, to $12 billion over, in two years .
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    due to people are able to buy more computer or devices the consumption or energy has increased dramatically affecting the global warming and companies are implementing new technology or methods to minimize the negative impact in our habitat.
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    I completely agree. More and more companies are turning to Eco-friendly operations, especially since this is a global trend nowadays. It is greatly beneficial to our environment and technology will always keep advancing into that direction. The best example is the USB 3.0 ports mentioned in the article. Companies are striving to have the cutting-edge not only in their going-green emphasis, but also toward their competitors.
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    Seems like going green is on its way to becom a trend. Business going green not only for protecting our environment and limited resource, but also one of the ways of competing with competitors.
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    I love this article and I am so glad to be told that something is changing to being green in high-tech sector. Going green is always a serious issue and all industries should pay attention to it. I am happy to see that computer industry realize that they need to focus on green things and they are really doing something to be green.
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