Author Archives: TrueGuest

About TrueGuest

Headquartered in Los Angeles, TrueGuest was created by former hotel executives to serve the hospitality industry by measuring and improving guest service and internal controls. Our Service Experience Audits are used by top brands such as Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Marriott, Renaissance, Hilton, Hyatt, W Hotels, Intercontinental, Sheraton, Radisson, Holiday Inn, Wyndham, and many more.

Will Room Service Be Eliminated at Full Service Hotels?

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An article about the New York Hilton Hotel eliminating room service has been everywhere these last few days.  Originally appearing on Crain’s New York Business site, we’ve seen similar articles everywhere from the Yahoo front page to the New York Times.  From the Crain’s New York Business Article:

The New York Hilton Midtown is the largest hotel in the city, with nearly 2,000 rooms. In August, it will earn another distinction: It will discontinue room service.   The move will eliminate 55 jobs. It could also ignite an industrywide trend. Other hotels, such as the Hudson in New York and the Public in Chicago, are already nibbling at the concept, offering meals delivered in brown paper bags.

The hotel will be adding cafeteria-style dining instead.  From the article:

The Hilton property on Sixth Avenue, between West 53rd and West 54th streets, will open a downmarket grab-and-go restaurant this summer called Herb n’ Kitchen, a cafeteria-style eatery that will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. The plan was announced in October as part of a larger initiative at the hotel chain, which is simplifying its food offerings at Double Tree by Hilton and Embassy Suites as well.   What it didn’t mention then, however, is that Herb n’ Kitchen will replace the room-service operation at the midtown hotel.   “Like most full-service hotels, New York Hilton Midtown has continued to see a decline in traditional room-service requests over the last several years,” said a spokesman in a statement. The Hilton Hawaiian Village was the first Hilton to eliminate room service. In October, it put away the china and linen in favor of takeout.

From the New York Times Article:

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Marriott to Offer Complimentary Breakfast for Marriott Rewards Gold & Platinum Members

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Marriott LogoStarting on June 22nd, Marriott Hotels will begin to offer a free continental breakfast to their Gold and Platinum Marriott Rewards members.  From the Marriott press release:

It’s been said breakfast is the most important meal of the day and now it’s on us. Beginning June 22nd, Marriott Rewards Gold and Platinum Elite members and a guest will receive complimentary continental breakfast* seven days a week at  participating JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® , Renaissance® and Marriott® Hotels in the U.S. and Canada.  Any time the lounge is closed, Gold and Platinum Elite members will have a choice of continental breakfast for two in the hotels’ restaurant or 750 points**.  As always, outside the U.S. and Canada, they’ll receive free continental breakfast daily at participating hotels.

“Taking care of our best guests is our most important mission.  While we have been offering complimentary breakfast on the weekdays in our concierge lounges for three decades, we think our members will find great value in receiving complimentary breakfast every day of the week,” said Ed French, senior vice president, Marriott Rewards.

In order to become a Gold Rewards Member, you typically have to stay at a Marriott Hotel over 50 nights.  Platinum benefits start at 75 nights.

Source:  Marriott Press Release

USA Today: The hotel wake-up call gets personal

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According to USA Today, wake-up calls are making a comeback.  From the article:

Here’s a wake-up call: The hotel front desk will do one better than ringing your phone in the morning. They’ll send an actual human being to your room.  Don’t worry. They won’t come in and kiss you good morning. But they might bring you coffee.  Never mind that most travelers nowadays have Smartphones with built-in alarm clocks. Hoteliers say the human wake-up call is a way to personalize a guest’s stay.

We agree and have really grown to love a great, personalized wake-up call.  Quite a few TrueGuest hotels do an outstanding job of placing a timely call, anticipating our needs, and giving us key information like today’s weather and breakfast schedule.  Our iPhones can’t do that yet!  Here are a few other great examples from the article: Continue reading →

HBR: How to Listen When Someone Is Venting

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If you’ve worked in hospitality for more than about 2 days, you’ve probably already been yelled at by an angry guest.  Luckily Mark Goulston at the Harvard Business Review has some great tips.  Mark suggests asking a person who is venting the following three questions:

  1. Just ListenWhat are you most frustrated about? This is a good question because when you ask them about their feelings, it often sounds condescending. And if you start out focusing on their anger, it sounds as if you are coldly telling them to get a hold on themselves, which may work, but more often will just cause the pressure inside them to build up even more.
  2. What are you most angry about? This is where their emotional pus drains. Again let them finish and have them go deeper by asking them, “Say more about _________ .” Don’t take issue with them or get into a debate, just know that they really need to get this off their chest — and if you listen without interrupting them, while also inviting them to say even more, they will.
  3. What are you really worried about? This is like the blood that comes out of wound following the pus. It is as the core of their emotional wound. If you have listened and not taken issue with their frustration and anger, they will speak to you about what they’re really worried about.

Mark has a great book out called “Just Listen:  Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone”

Source:  Harvard Business Review Article

Book:  Just Listen:  Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone

USA Today: Hotels ditch big, old housekeeping carts

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According to an article by USA Today, hotels are ditching those giant maid carts that block the hallways.  This is a story near and dear to our hearts as our Service Experience Analysts are often blocked by a giant maid cart as we roam the hallways of our hotels.  We also can’t count the number of times we’ve seen a housekeeping associate ramming a giant cart into the wall or elevator door.  It is exciting to see some potential innovation on the horizon.  According to the article:

Big, rolling housekeeping carts are disappearing from many hotel hallways, just like the floral polyester linens they used to carry.

Hotels say they’re replacing cumbersome carts with smaller ones sometimes akin to golf caddie bags out of necessity, in addition to convenience and even appearance.

Here are some great points mentioned by hotel general managers in the article:

Hotel general managers say there are a number of reasons why smaller is better.

• Hotels don’t use duvets and bulky linens anymore, so there’s no need for large carts, they say. Plus, storage space is at a premium, and smaller carts don’t take up much space.

• The bags are small enough to take into the room and leave the hallways clear and safe. They also don’t nick the walls of elevators and corridors like the large carts did.

• But more important, the guests prefer them, says Rich Hotter, general manager of the Staybridge Suites Times Square.

“The smaller rolling carts hold fewer items and therefore do not get cluttered, so they offer a better presentation in the eyes of the guests,” he says.

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Ask TrueGuest: When Should Employees Introduce Themselves by Name to Guests?

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Dear TrueGuest,

We are striving to become a TrueGuest Hotel but are struggling to get our team to introduce themselves to guests.  In what situations should we require our team to introduce themselves?  

Great question, thanks!  This is one area where hotels often have a difficult time teaching their employees to become comfortable with introductions.  Here are the situations that we like to see employees provide an introduction:

  1. When the guest first arrives at the hotel, the very first employee the guest sees should welcome the guest and introduce themselves.  In most cases, the first employee a guest encounters is the doorman or valet attendant who greets them at the car.  It is very critical for that employee to come over, open the door, and greet the guest with a welcoming smile.  Then it is easy to work an introduction into the conversation.  You can simply say ‘welcome to our resort, my name is John and I will help get you settled into the hotel’.  This introduction is important because John is going to need to obtain the guest’s name to pass along to the GSA.
  2. During any interaction that will last longer than a minute or two or where follow-up may be required.  For instance, if you are a Concierge, you should introduce yourself and obtain the guest’s name immediately since you will most likely be working on a task that requires follow-up.  Bellman who helps upon arrival should always give a good introduction since they will be spending quite a bit of time telling the guest about the hotel amenities on the way to the room.  Restaurant servers and bartenders should also give an introduction during the start of their service. Continue reading →

LA Times: What does it take for a hotel to get a five-star Forbes rating?

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The LA Times wrote a good article about what it takes to reach a 5 Star rating with Forbes Travel.  According to the LA Times:

los_angeles_times_logoIt may not come as a surprise that California — a sun-splashed magnet for celebrities and big-spending tourists — leads the nation with the number of hotels winning five-star ratings from Forbes Travel Guide.  But winning the coveted rating is no easy feat. Only 58 hotels in the U.S. — 12 in California — were awarded the recognition this year, including, for the first time, the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach.  

The Forbes five-star rating is considered more difficult to land than the five-diamond rating from AAA, which awarded its top ranking to 101 hotels in the U.S. this year.

Hotel owners vie for the Forbes distinction because it enables them to charge much higher rates. For example, the four-star Beverly Hilton recently posted average daily rates of $245 to $325, while the five-star rated Beverly Hills Hotel posted rates of $510 to $540.

The main difference between a 4-star hotel and a 5-star hotel is typically guest service and amenities.  From the article:

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Marriott Unveils New Mozy Hotel Brand for Gen X & Y European Travelers

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Marriott plans to add up to 150 new Moxy Hotels in 10 countries across Europe.  The new affordable, three-star brand with a contemporary style is aimed at generation X and generation Y travelers.  The first hotel is expected to open in Milan in early 2014.  From the Marriott press release:

MoxyMarriott plans to add 150 franchised MOXY HOTELS in Europe over the next 10 years, aiming for locations in Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.  The new brand will fuel Marriott’s company-wide growth in the region, which is expected to reach 80,000 rooms by 2015.

The guest rooms will be simple, yet technologically advanced.  From the press release:

The contemporary and stylish 150- to 300-room MOXY HOTELS, which are being designed with the goal of attaining LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, will cater to today’s budget-minded, savvy travelers who thrive on self-service and embrace new technology.  Guestrooms will be functional and well-designed, with upscale bath amenities, large flat screen televisions and built-in USB ports located within each wall socket. The color palette features calming neutral tones reminiscent of rich brown leather, combined with natural materials to evoke an organic, comfortable and restorative feel. Each room will also feature a floor to ceiling signature “art wall” that is hand selected to reflect the local city or surroundings.

Here is a video highlighting the new brand: Continue reading →

LA Times – Hotel chains boost loyalty point requirements to book a free room

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The LA Times gives us some solid numbers on a trend we have noticed for the past year or so:  hotel companies are dramatically increasing the number of points required to book a free room.  From the LA Times:

los_angeles_times_logoStarwood Preferred Guests, the program for the Westin, Sheraton and W hotels, among others, raised the rate by at least 25% on nearly 250 hotels. The changes took place Tuesday.

Wyndham Rewards, which includes Days Inn and Howard Johnson, is raising the points requirement by as much as 66% on about 1,600 hotels around the world. At an additional 2,900 or so hotels the rates are dropping, and they are staying the same at about 2,700 hotels. The changes take place Thursday.

Hilton HHonors, which covers Hampton Inn, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites and Waldorf Astoria, among others, is hiking the points requirement on many of its hotels 14% to 50%. The changes start March 28.

The Marriott Rewards program, which includes Fairfield, Courtyard, Ritz-Carlton and TownePlace Suites, will raise the points requirement by at least 33% for more than 1,300 of its hotels. The program also created a higher tier for its most expensive hotels. The changes take effect May 16.

Most of the hotel companies adjust their point scale at least once per year.  It is not too surprising to see a big increase.  Many markets have seen incredible occupancy jumps over the last 12 months and most markets have an occupancy greater than the pre-recession years.

Source:  LA Times Article

Forbes Travel Guide Releases 2013 Star Award Winners

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ForbesForbes Travel (formerly Mobil) has just released its list of hotels that achieved their top rating for 2013.  Forbes rates hotels in a similar manner as AAA but uses stars instead of diamonds.  Both use a scale of 1 to 5.  Forbes added quite a few more properties to their list for 2013.  From the press release:

This year, we gave out more awards than ever before, with 27 new Five-Stars, 75 new Four-Stars and 30 new Recommended properties earning the coveted distinctions in travel. Those that surpassed our more than 500 standards clinched Five-Star awards, the industry’s highest service accolade. Four-Star winners offered excellent experiences, and Recommended properties were well-appointed spots.

There are now over 300 either 4 or 5 Star rates hotels from Forbes.  From the press release:

The 2013 Forbes Travel Guide Star lists includes 76 Five-Star hotels, 28 Five-Star restaurants, 35 Five-Star spas; 226 Four-Star hotels, 143 Four-Star restaurants and 136 Four-Star spas. There are 24 hotels and 17 restaurants listed in the “recommended” category.

Here is the full list of the 5 Star Forbes Rated Hotels (with links):

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