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Contents contributed and discussions participated by djohn304

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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.
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Social Media Marketing in the Hospitality Industry Following COVID-19 | SevenRooms - 0 views

  • As of January 2020, there are over 3 billion people around the globe actively using social media,
  • It’s projected that by 2023, the number of users will rise to about 3.43 billion.
  • The most popular social media platform is Facebook, with over 2 billion active users. Other popular social media outlets include Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
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  • Simply put, social media is here to stay and it appeals to a wide variety of audiences. In the hospitality industry, where it’s so important to connect with people and to help them feel comfortable,
  • If your restaurant has incredible-looking dishes, one quick search on Instagram, and you might find that hundreds of people have posted photos of your food
  • Social media is affordable, connects you to a large audience, can be done instantly, and allows for interaction with customers and potential customers in a way that traditional advertising and marketing doesn’t.
  • 63% of customers note discounts and promotions factor highly in how they choose which restaurants to patronize.
  • Once you have your goals in mind, do your research to determine your target audience. Who are you marketing to?
  • Better lead generation Increased efficiency More organized data Content tailored to your target audience
  • People in the U.S. are inundated with anywhere from 4,000-10,000 advertisements each day,
  • Take followers on a virtual tour of your restaurant Showcase your cleaning and health & safety procedures via video to put customers at ease Create a “behind-the-scenes” video of the kitchen staff preparing meals Interview employees and share their experiences Hold a live stream Q&A session with followers
  • Additionally, answer people’s questions on social media platforms and respond to reviews — especially the negative ones!
  • By taking the time to put a positive spin on negative attention, you’re showing others that you care about their input and want the customer experience to be flawless every time.
  • there has been a significant amount of fearmongering in relation to COVID-19.
  • No matter which area of the hospitality industry you’re in, a social media strategy needs to be an integral part of your marketing plan along with things like SEO, digital ads, and traditional forms of advertising.
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    This article discusses how COVID-19 has highlighted the necessity of social media for hospitality industry players. As it is contactless and gets to virtually everybody's device, it is one of the best forms of advertising a business can use. There are various things a company must do in order to be successful in their social media use. This would be to figure out their target audience, their most preferred platform, and schedule specific and relatable content for your viewership. This form of advertising is extremely cost effective and is proven to work. In my opinion, social media has achieved more than its intended purpose. Platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Instagram, etc have allowed for people all over the world to have access to information about restaurants, hotels, reviews, etc and it is extremely helpful.
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How Proximity Marketing Can Aid Businesses - Forbytes - 0 views

  • The aim of proximity marketing is to deliver marketing campaigns to consumers in close proximity to retailers, restaurants, or other locations of interest to the target audience.
  • method of location-based marketing via a company’s use of their customers’ location is a foundation for a proximity marketing strategy.
  • as long as they’re physically near to the business. It makes ads more practical and efficient, as well as more personal.
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  • Near field communication (NFC) proximity marketing is a marketing tactic in which retailers put a chip on the product that works as a transmitter and connect to in-store visitors’ mobiles to send them various info about certain products.
  • designed to identify the customer profile and send the message directly to the person.
  • n the form of coupons or discount cards, advertisement banners in the store, or a personalized advertisement on a store companion website.
  • this is done by utilizing mobile location tech technologies, such as GPS. But technologies such as Bluetooth and WiFi also serve this type of marketing.
  • A hyper-local sales campaign is one in which a local retailer maximizes their geographic location to house a specific sales event and makes use of the surrounding local culture to generate interest.
  • WiFi proximity marketing is integrated with in-store marketing to provide guests with personalized, customer-activated content based on their proximity.
  • Using proximity marketing technology, the ad campaigns reach a more personal level with their audience, adding a more engaging and personalized touch.
  • One such method is radio-frequency identification (RFID) proximity marketing. It allows companies to embed a unique identifier on their product, insert it into the RFID proximity marketing imaging system, and then automatically customize their targeting.
  • granting you a valuable asset: consumer data. When a customer wants to log in to your WiFi network, ask them to provide their email first so you can reach out to them later and send personalized offers.
  • meaningful data points like demographic, location/geography, platform, and time.
  • GPS-based proximity marketing. Also called geo-targeting and geo-marketing, this tactic lets companies identify and engage customers based on their location. It is mainly used in retail, services, and real estate.
  • Those locations – your local grocery store, fitness club, a particular bar- can leverage that information to send you exclusive offers and promotions.
  • Beacons, easily installed in every store and retail space, use an electrical signal to identify customer location and transmit data to them through Bluetooth.
  • calculate daily traffic patterns and broadcast promotional messages to individuals nearby, making product recommendations or simply notifying them of discounts and beneficial deals.
  • Modern business owners rely on digital marketing channels for both growth and retention.
  • Beacons can create interactive experiences and offer valuable information (such as displaying discounts) to smartphone users as they walk near to encourage them to stay or shop longer or make a purchase.
  • However, this technology is still considered to be one of the most expensive ones for marketing purposes.
  • There are less expensive proximity marketing solutions for budget ad campaigns. For instance, QR (Quick Response) Codes are a powerful tool that allows companies to create digital proximity marketing opportunities by simply creating one and hanging it on the wall in the store.
  • mobile browser detection. When visitors arrive at your website, many factors are taken into account, including their IP address, browser, and device. Every time a visitor to your website activates their mobile phone or pulls up your page on their laptop browser, you have a chance to reach out and, potentially, monetize them.
  • Enhanced customer experience: The use of a proximity marketing strategy enables your company to personalize the customer experience in a way that varies your offerings based on the customer’s past, present, or future location and behavior. App utilization: The use of proximity ads to provide valuable info and offers can improve user interaction with a business’s app, which can be a place for users to read regular updates, withdraw discounts, etc. Cost-effectiveness: Mobile proximity marketing is a cost-efficient way to target ads to the desired audience. Customer relationship boost: Proximity ads help businesses better understand the needs of their customers. This allows them to meet these needs to enhance relationships and interactions.
  • hotel visitors can receive information about the hotel and the various offers it has. Also, as guests are looking for the best cafes or restaurants for a good price, hotels can partner with local bars and restaurants and inform the guests of the deals they could get.
  • Businesses are uncovering the benefits of marketing to clients in their proximity.
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    Proximity marketing is a mode of location based marketing that uses the customers location to their advantage when distributing advertisements for their business. There are several different types of proximity marketing solutions that can and are currently being used by the most popular brands right now. There is wifi proximity marketing, radio frequency identification proximity marketing (RFID), near field communication proximity marketing (NFC), GPS based, beacon based, and QR codes. Using these methods of marketing hold benefits including enhanced customer experience, app utilization, cost effectiveness, and customer relation boost. There is an option for everyone in terms of cost and many industries are using them more and more, inclusive of the hospitality/tourism industry. In my opinion, the previous ways of advertising are becoming obsolete and the market for competition is growing and growing and growing. We all have likely encountered one or more forms of this type of marketing, and we likely will continue to in the future.
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The Impact of AI on the Hotel Industry - 2 views

  • AI – artificial intelligence – is everywhere these days. It’s baked into your smartphone, your desktop and laptop, your virtual assistant, your smartwatch
  • They’re bits of code that live in the technology we use every day.
  • The term “AI” doesn’t have to refer to an autonomous robot that handles the cleaning in your home. It can just as easily refer to the algorithm used to personalize the marketing emails you receive.
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  • An AI-powered phone system can intelligently route calls. Chatbots can answer basic questions online. AI-connected remote check-in systems can allow guests to check into their rooms remotely via a smartphone app and never need to stop at the front desk to begin with.
  • Without AI, it would be impossible for your team to deliver the level and quality of service that you expect and your guests deserve.
  • AI is vital to being able to maximize your revenue while automating mundane tasks and reducing the amount of human effort required (and the number of errors caused by humans, as well).
  • Chances are good that you use a property management system (PMS), as well as a point of sale (POS) system. Both of these are powered by artificial intelligence, which is how they can help you manage bookings, sell add-ons, add them to guests’ bills, and more.
  • Room rate optimization Dynamic room pricing based on occupancy Updating your rates across multiple channels and OTAs in real-time Comparing your performance and rating to other hotels in the surrounding area
  • AI is enabling personalization on a much deeper level – one that affects the very core of the guest experience.
  • Artificial intelligence embedded in the software you use every day, such as your PMS and POS, enables better efficiency, a deeper connection with your guests, and, ultimately, more success for your hotel.
  • For instance, an AI chatbot added to your Facebook Messenger can answer guests’ questions and take basic information and add it to your database. That can then be used to personalize further interactions with the guest. You might make special offers that speak to their unique needs, such as child-friendly rooms, all-inclusive stays, or experiences that include a room at the hotel, but also tickets to events or shows in the surrounding area.
  • AI allows you to personalize every aspect of a guest’s stay.
  • offer unique amenities and services
  • make informed suggestions from the travel/concierge desk
  • n fact, data is considered more valuable than any other business asset, including cash.
  • To put the information you have in hand to use on your hotel’s behalf, you must sort, organize, cleanse, parse, and then transform it into something usable by human beings.
  • automating all these processes and ensuring that you’re able to surface key insights that speak directly to your ability to reach and engage with guests while staying abreast of current trends in the industry.
  • to live up to today’s guest expectations, such as less human interaction and more automation (both of which are important for health and safety protocols).
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    AI exists in all functions of our modern lives. It has fundamentally allowed for more processes to happen, while exhausting less human labor. It has created more efficiency and accuracy in the hospitality industry.
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    The article simply describes the ways in which AI is apart of our everyday lives and how it has not only impacted us as individuals but in the hospitality industry. Years ago, when we thought of AI we would think of big robots but now AI is as small as a chip in an iPhone, or as intangible as data on a software. AI has enabled a deeper level of personalization to guest experience as well as added close to maximum efficiency in the data and intelligence realm. It allows for multiple processes to be happening at the click of a button, lessening the potential exhaustion of our human resources in these businesses. In my opinion, AI has brought exponential convenience to our everyday lives and although sometimes intrusive, it makes life easier. Being able to rely on a piece of technology to remember certain patterns and trends is convenient and efficient.
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Benefits of Global Distribution System | GDS Booking System - 0 views

  • a central reservation system that allows travel agencies and their clients to access travel knowledge, buy and compare reservations choices and book travel
  • connects the travel service suppliers or vendors to the travel agencies in real-time, by providing a centralized service that covers the bookings of airline tickets and more.
  • The leading global distribution systems are Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, and Worldspan.
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  • Travel Agencies have historically relied on GDS for services, products & rates to produce travel-related services to end customers.
  • The GDS system is one of the most necessary tools for the travel business
  • OTA (Online Travel Agent) can access the inventory of airlines in real-time. Users can book and process the travel offers that best work their needs.
  • Amadeus GDS helps to distribute the services in order that the audience or clients may get the specified result out of it. In the world of travel, Amadeus API Integration is one of the ancient and trusted technologies.
  • Galileo is one of the global suppliers of travel product within the world and that they currently provide the Galileo Global Distribution system. Galileo is an application program interface (API) that permits customers to make an interface like a website, connected to the Galileo.
  • Sabre Global Distribution System is one of the leading suppliers of travel reservation systems with over 55000 travel agencies. Sabre is an efficient and cost-effective distribution channel that helps airlines and travel corporations to extend their market reach to leisure and corporate traveler.
  • travel agents to search, price, book, and ticket travel services provided by airlines and tour operators. Sabre provides users with schedules, availability, pricing, policies, and rules, yet as reservation and ticketing capability for travel suppliers.
  • Travelport is a leading Global Distribution System, that operates in 170 countries including globally accepted and allows Worldspan and Galileo GDS platforms. The Travelport network consists of 400 Airline partners serving to travel corporations increase revenue, lower value and efficiency reach leisure and company travelers globally in each continent and channel.
  • Worldspan GDS System provides data-rich solutions that offer travel buyers and suppliers distinctive insights into their operations that facilitate to manage your travel business, reducing prices and improving revenues. Worldspan travel software acts as a single source for providing travel deals and information all over the globe.
  • he integration of Worldspan travel software permits the travel agents to boost the client's expertise by providing information like rates, inventory, discount and description that is finished on a real-time
  • market your latest sales message, special offers, and discounts directly to travel agents. 
  • A single global travel distribution system is connected through B2B, B2C, B2E and B2B2C websites.
  • OTAs have greatly improved the travel shopping experience & convenience for consumers and have increased pricing transparency.
  • GDS systems deliver worldwide data, rates, inventory, offers, real-time availability of airlines, hotel rooms, car rental, bus tickets, and many more to make the travel industry more informatics and sophisticated.
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    Global distribution systems work by connecting travel companies (airlines, car rentals, cruise lines) to travel agencies (online or human) who then connect with the interested traveler. By this chain, the travel agent is able to offer real time availability from the companies to the traveller. The benefits of this system are the ability to deliver tons of information direct from the relevant companies, it is convenient for those that use them and easy to track travelling trends and interests. To me, it works like a mass marketing strategy. The content is generated by the owners and instead of enlisting their own man power, they utilize the efficiency and convenience of remote technology to mass distribute. The intended consumer receives the information without ever having to think where it's coming from, but inevitably trusts its reliability. The productivity of this system is something that those in the hospitality industry cannot ignore because this represents moments of the first interaction between the interested consumer and your operation. In order for the information to reach them in a convenient medium. In summary, GDS's help information get from the travel company to the consumer everyday in real time via global networks.
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Adoption_of_Cloud_Computing_002_.pdf - 0 views

shared by djohn304 on 30 Aug 22 - No Cached
  • The core requirements for a hotel to be successful were to be aliated to a hotel group and to have a good quality product in terms of rooms and facilities before the age of computer networks and cloud services
  • o ering comfortable home-like environment
  • data about customer habits, desires and preferences
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  • This is key to the success of a hotel group in a market where 1) mobile booking on travel websites are increasing at a faster rate (20% annually) than desktop bookings (2% annually), 2) 21% of bookings are originating from smart phones and tablets, and 3) 12% of mobile bookings are implemented by Apps
  • Cloud computing has been used for tourism management, for example to rank popular tourism destinations in cities
  • Cloud computing is a technology that allows the provision and utilization of resources over the internet in lieu of installations on a desktop computer
  • cloud computing de nition: Private, Public, Community and Hybrid clouds.
  • After the 2008 recession, when lowering costs was a key objective for hotels, PAR Springer-Miller, introduced ATRIO as the Next Generation Hospitality Management Software 3 into the market.
  • The cloud related challenges that have stood out from the hotel groups responses were a) the increase in Opex (OPerating EXpense), b) restricted access to the environments and c) concerns about information security.
  • traditional telephone system to a cloud based VoIP solution which is integrated to their SaaS hotel management system solution provided by Protel (16).
  • OPERA property management system cloud application in over 850 of their hotels. The hotel management system is no longer maintained on the hotel premises and storage of their data is outsourced (MICROS Systems Inc., 2013).
  • InterContinental Hotels Group were able to eliminate hardware infrastructure costs and centralize management activities such as updating prices, at the touch of a button across sixty one of their UK properties by adopting a cloud solution for their restaurant point of sale systems called SIMPHONY
  • Cloud computing is the only way forward for hospitality.
  • The distribution of the usage of cloud information system (IS) or on-premise IS in the studied hotel groups shows that the majority of IS used by hotel groups were running on the cloud, and that the smallest (in terms of number of rooms) hotel groups' (group 2) level of cloud adoption is equivalent to that of the largest (group 4).
  • The most common two bene ts identi ed are: 1) solving the problem of lack of hardware on site, and 2)transferring the risk relating to security and PCI / PA-DSS requirements to the cloud service suppliers.
  • how a Quality of Service (QoS) ranking mechanism enables cloud applications such as airline ticketing systems, hotel booking services and car rental services to interact with each other to deliver services to their customers.
  • Alternatively, it could be due to the change in process experienced by IT Managers and now having to depend on a third party for issues which previously could be quickly checked and resolved with servers being on site.
  • The challenge which received the highest average rank (12.38 points) by the participants was the Dependency on bandwidth whilst that of least signi cance was the issue of Software licensing (3.38 points)
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    This article investigates the adoption of cloud computing in the hospitality industry across the world. While identifying the benefits and challenges of this system, the findings suggest that cloud computing is utilized in hotel groups today, more often than not. The article is not an opinion piece but rather an investigation searching for evidence to support the theory that cloud computing is growing in the hospitality industry. It bases its arguments from the observances that in order to operate a hotel group on todays scale, you have to be willing to fall in line with the trends of today- technology + convenience. It also is described how operating systems that streamline property management in terms of reservations, billing, ticketing, etc aren't exactly inventions of right now, but have been developed and corrected more and more as time has gone on and necessity has demanded of them. Four hotel groups, across 2-3 regions were involved in the study where participants were all senior IT directors and managers, across hotels with varying levels of rooms. What they ultimately found was that majority of the information systems used by these hotel groups were based on the cloud system. When the benefits and challenges were surveyed, it was found that the most common reason groups were utilizing this system was relieving the site from not having certain hardware to perform certain functions, and transferring security related risks to the system suppliers instead of the hotel. However, challenges noted was that operating expenses increased, the on site IT leaders don't have access to the environment the hardware lives in, and information security concerns. Working with a cloud computing system daily, I thoroughly understand and appreciate the benefits of having one streamlined services for guest logistics. It creates multiple levels of ease for all aspects of the organization as well as the wider hotel group. For operations that span across the globe, there probably i
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Disruption Drives the Hospitality Industry to Innovation - 0 views

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    Reflecting on the term "disruption", there are likely fewer recent events that come to mind than the COVID 19 pandemic. It ceased life as we know it and forced industries across the globe to adapt, create, and innovate like we haven't seen before. This article discusses how the once taboo term "automation" has had to become the hospitality industries close ally as we progress into post-COVID life. The hospitality industry traditionally being "human-centric" has had to accept innovation in every way due to proximity being a cause for caution in recent times. However, the innovation born of necessity has amounted in fundamental changes in the industry that have disrupted hospitality and tourism as we know it. As disruption holds a negative connotation, in this instance it represents significant and lasting change in the industry that now ironically serves the consumer better than it may ever have. Travel demands are high, and the industry is indeed rising to the challenge.
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