Set your DVRs, CNBC has recently started airing their new special on Marriott.
The special focuses on the recent growth of Marriott, as well as the struggles. It includes an interview with former CEO Bill Marriott before wrapping up with a great segment on the 5 Diamond Service provided by Ritz-Carlton.
We will let you know as soon as CNBC posts the full episode online.
Check out this preview here:
Also, check out this preview about the Ritz-Carlton segment of the show.
Another great article from HotelNewsNow.com as part of their 2012 Year in Review. From the article:
In a year marked by fiscal and political uncertainties, with black swans threatening to land throughout the world, the U.S. hotel industry quietly continued to churn along with strong performance.
Persisting negative headlines seem to corroborate those instincts, but Smith said that simply hasn’t been the case.
“Unexpected strength has kind of been the theme lately,” he said.
HotelNewsNow.com says that several prominent themes emerged during 2012 including:
Time for a quick check with one of our favorite blogs on economics, Calculated Risk. For the first time since 2007, weekly hotel occupancy topped 75 percent! It is amazing to follow the CR chart, which shows the median of 2000 to 2007 and compares it with 2009 (the worst year since the great depression) and 2011 and 2012. From Calculated Risk:
This could be the peak weekly occupancy rate for 2012 (the 4-week average will move up some more). Overall occupancy is back to normal, and will probably move higher over the next couple of years since there is limited new supply being built.
Now, if we could only work on getting those average daily rates back!
Source: Calculated Risk
Overall guest satisfaction has declined to 757 (out of 1000) in the most recent JD Power Hotel Guest Satisfaction rankings, a drop of 7 points since last year. A decline is to be somewhat expected as hotels continue to post higher and higher average room rates. However, the JW Power survey really shows some key areas of struggle. From the press release:
“However, guest satisfaction with the underlying experience has deteriorated much more than this score suggests, as relatively high levels of satisfaction with cost and fees mask declines in other areas of the guest experience. Satisfaction with check-in/check-out; food and beverage; hotel services; and hotel facilities are at new lows since the 2006 study and satisfaction with guest room has declined within one point of its lowest level in the past seven years.”
The problems are much more than high rates and poor internet. Surprisingly, only 56 percent of hotel guests have a high opinion of the staff. From the press release:
The Travel Channel just launched their new show “Hotel Impossible”. Think “Bar Rescue” for hotels with maybe just a little bit less yelling.
Check out the preview below:
You can also find a bunch of great videos on the Travel Channel’s website here.
We are excited to find out that HFTP has launched a new app for either iPhone or Android. The app has information about upcoming HFTP events and the latest industry news. From the HFTP press release:
“HFTP is a technology-based association, so it is only fitting that we provide technology-friendly member benefits,” said Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP. “This app gives HFTP members and interested hospitality professionals easy access to important information about our association and HFTP Global events.”
If you are not familiar with the HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technologies Professionals) organization, check them out by clicking the links below.
Links:
Since we posted the recent AAA TrueGuest Award winners, many people have asked about the Forbes Travel Guide List. Forbes now rates 57 hotels in the world as 5 Star.
Here is the 2012 list:
CALIFORNIA
The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills
Chateau du Sureau, Oakhurst
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, San Francisco
Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills
The Peninsula Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills
L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills
The Grand Del Mar, San Diego
The St. Regis San Francisco, San Francisco
The St. Regis Monarch Beach, Dana Point
For the year 2012, 9 new hotels have attained AAA’s highest property rating. 7 hotels have lost their 5 Diamond status, bringing the total AAA 5 Diamond hotels to 126.
The new Five Diamond Hotels are:
ARIA Sky Suites, Las Vegas, Nev.
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.
Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort, Jumby Bay, Antigua
Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Fla.
Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Ocean House, Watch Hill, R.I.
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Calif.
The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The St. Regis Houston, Houston, Texas
A few other key notes from AAA’s press release:
Just a few months ago, we wrote about how Starwood was the first to allow guests to post reviews on the Starwood website. Now, Four Seasons is unveiling a brand new website with ‘social media integration’. Those are fancy words that mean you can now share with Facebook and Twitter or connect with their pages. Overall, the new website design looks terrific. The photography is exceptional. A few highlights from the press release:
As the first luxury hotel brand to fully embrace social media,Four Seasons moved digital to the forefront early on with Four Seasons Magazines Online , the introduction of blogs such as Have Family Will Travel, and a strong presence on social networking sites to suit the ways guests and travel partners communicate. The newFour Seasons website was thoughtfully designed in the same vein, to deliver an immersive and effortless experience tailored to every user. The brand’s signature service, locations and experiences are showcased through photo-rich, informative property and destination pages. Key features of fourseasons.com include: Continue reading
We have been talking about hotels managing their internet reputation ever since the days of MySpace. Yes, that long ago! One of our recommendations was to allow guests to post reviews directly onto your own website, instead of a third-party site like TripAdvisor. Finally, a hotel company has gotten it right! Starwood.com will now allow guests to post reviews (good and bad we assume) after check out. Guests can post a review for a visit within 18 months after logging in and verifying that they were a guest of the hotel. They currently have the following guidelines for posting reviews:
