hotels articles

Are you making a hotel reservation in the near future? If you are, chances are that you will be making the hotel reservation online. Internet reservations are easy to make and you can compare a number of different hotels at the same time so that you can make a decision based on price, amenities and location. However, there are some things that you may want to consider if you are making a hotel reservation, especially if you are traveling with a group, or you want to have a business conference in conjunction with the stay, or even if you are traveling with children.

Although your first thought when making a hotel reservation is probably to jump on the internet, you may want to call the hotel as well. If you are hosting or organizing a business conference it can be extremely helpful to talk to the hotel management in person so that you can get a clear picture of what is available. If it is local, you should plan on making an in-person visit before you make the hotel reservation.

Another reason that you might want to call is if you have special needs. If you have a large family or group and you want adjoining rooms or a discounted rate, it may be helpful to call the hotel and see what the possibilities are. If you are an individual with disabilities, you should make sure that the hotel can accommodate those special needs when you make your hotel reservation as well.

Deciding where to make the hotel reservation is important. If you need to be in a specific location, you should look for a hotel which is central to activities that your group would be interested in. If you are simply traveling for pleasure, and the location does not matter so much, you may want to go to an all-inclusive travel website and see if there are any package deals that appeal to you. If you will be staying long term (more than a week or two) you should find out if there are hotels which have kitchenettes or laundry service.

What is it about a hotel room that is so appealing when you first open the door and step inside? The “initial impact” a hotel room has upon its customers is one of the most vitally important factors in the hotel business. Hotel decorators realize the psychological importance of “first impressions.” People know what standards to expect when they enter a room or suite of an established brand-name hotel. If a customer’s expectations are met in a positive manner, the customer will be back. If a customer’s expectations are not satisfactorily met, the hotel will lose business. People talk. It’s a fact of life in any business.

Five-star establishments set the standards for “first impressions.” Their success depends on providing their guests a very pleasurable, if not awestruck, first impression, stimulating patrons’ senses by sheer opulence and beauty. Lavish décor and architecture resonate within each and every suite.

The modus operandi of hotel decorating is incredibly simple. You can incorporate the basic elements of their systems of creating five-star luxury in your own home with little, if any, cost at all. Luxurious living is not necessarily reserved exclusively for the wealthy.

1.) Upon entering a five-star hotel room, the first thing you consciously notice is that the room is well balanced. If there is one bed, it is centered on one wall. If there are two beds, they are distanced appropriately apart on the same wall while the armoire, dresser and television are generally located on the opposite wall, directly opposite the beds, creating a balance within the main area of the room. A sitting area, usually consisting of a small table and two chairs, is likewise centered in front of the window area.

2.) The next thing you will consciously note as you enter your hotel room, is that the area is clean. Spotless. The sinks, tub, bathroom tile and fixtures literally shine and you subconsciously ask yourself, “How do they do that?” One important fact to remember is that hotel rooms are sanitized virtually every day. By getting into a habit of wiping out your own tub or shower unit with a damp towel after each bath or shower every day, you, too, can achieve the same effect.

3.) The secret to glistening fixtures depends largely on the cleaning products that are used and how often they are applied. As for the actual cleaning products employed, a housekeeper’s cart contains relatively few actual cleaning supplies. A high-quality all-purpose spray cleaner, furniture polish, window cleaner and an effective carpet and upholstery stain remover are the basic essentials.

It’s only a guess, but it appears that one good all-purpose cleaner is used to do most of the work on the fixtures and tile floors, generally amounting to nothing more than spraying it on and wiping it off. If this is done consistently, day after day, a room can’t help but be clean. Lower-priced hotels may use something as basic as “Janitor In A Drum.” The higher-priced places may use a much costlier variation, perhaps something like, “Jean e’Tour en la drumme.”

Hotel rooms are also “spring cleaned” every few weeks. Curtains are removed, cleaned and replaced, lampshades and picture frames are dusted, mattresses are flipped and carpets are cleaned on a regular basis.

4.) Probably the biggest secret of all to the cleanliness factor of a hotel room is that vacuuming is the final step of the hotel housekeeping operation. A hotel housekeeper will begin vacuuming at the far end of the room and make her way to the door as she completes her project, leaving an illusion that the area she leaves behind has never before been trodden. A freshly vacuumed area provides a psychologically inviting feeling. This is equally true on the home front.

5.) The next thing you will notice in your freshly appointed hotel room is that the draperies are always open and natural sunlight floods the area. Lighting is an important factor of any room and natural sunlight gleaming into a sparkling clean area makes the shining mirrors, glass and lighting fixtures glisten that much brighter. If your initial entrance to the room is after dark, the streetlights, lights of the surrounding city or the outdoor lighting of the hotel courtyard likewise leave an important impact on your first impression of the room.

6.) You will also notice that hotel rooms are always devoid of clutter. There is no unnecessary debris taking up the surface space on the dresser, table or bathroom vanity. Simple, yet elegant displays of fresh, white fluffy towels and washcloths add just the right touch to the dressing area.

7.) Basic hotel decorating begins with a neutral color scheme because neutral colors have a natural appeal to most everyone. When they stray from neutral tones in private rooms, decorators are quick to realize, they are venturing into unknown personal preference areas that simply do not appeal to everyone. Neutral colors are psychologically relaxing, non-hostile, soothing and comforting.

8.) The color of a hotel room is provided in the bedspreads and either matching or coordinating curtains, which are generally always in earth-tone colors. The pictures on the wall likewise carry the color-scheme of the earth tone colors of green, brown and yellow with perhaps a splash of orange for effect.

9.) Hotel rooms all share another common element of having quality, commercial grade furnishings and carpet, quality room-darkening draperies and bedspreads and the finest linens. Hotel towels and washcloths are consistently white and clean and are never stained or frayed.

Buying quality products for your own home is often less costly in the long run because quality products are more durable and last much longer than sub-standard merchandise. For example, cheap towels often fray after their very first encounter with a washing machine. After 3-4 washings, they look tattered and unsightly. High quality towels often continue to look fluffy and new even after 40-50 washings. Buying one quality towel instead of two or three cheap towels actually costs less in the long run because you don’t have to replace them nearly as often.

Having a few exceptionally high quality items instead of lots of low-quality goods takes up less space and makes you feel luxurious. Quality products go on sale, too.

10.) The outstanding characteristic that sets a five star hotel above the rest, is the freshly cut flower and greenery arrangement that adds the final decorative touch to the area. Without much cost, you can grow your own garden and add this special affect whenever you feel a need to truly indulge.

By using these simple techniques, you, too can experience five-star luxury in your own home. It’s the little things that make a very big difference.

The latest trend in vacation homes is the condo hotel. Marketed as a condominium located in a resort hotel, these private residences offer a practical way to own a vacation home, and offset some of the costs when you’re not there.

Condo Hotels first started appearing in places like Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. They have increased tremendously in popularity and can now be found in places like Belize and Dubai.

Most condo hotel properties are owned by names you would recognize. Companies like Hilton, Starwood, Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari, and Trump see the condo hotel trend as a solid business venture. With names like that, if you choose to invest a condo hotel, you’ll know you’re dealing with well-respected, successful businesses. And when you purchase a condominium in a condo hotel, you’re not just buying vacation property, you’re investing in the hotel business.

Here’s how Condo Hotels works:

You purchase a condominium (prices range from as low as $400,000 to well over $2 million) that’s located in a resort hotel. You let the hotel know when you intend to stay in your condo and they reserve the dates for you. The remainder of the time, your condo goes into a rental program, managed by the hotel, and is rented out as a hotel room.

The benefit of this type of arrangement is that you get a luxury condominium in a luxury resort, but don’t have to worry about maintenance and upkeep when you’re not there. In addition, because the hotel will rent out your condo, your vacation home becomes an investment property. Because hotel management handles marketing and promotion, you don’t have to, and you get the added benefit of having your condo marketed as part of a well-known and respected luxury hotel. Imagine the marketing power behind names such as Ritz-Carlton and Trump! Having your vacation condo promoted under a name like that gives you unparalleled exposure.

In addition, property values for this type of investment having been steadily rising due to supply and demand. Especially for those who buy a condo during either the pre-construction or construction phase. Some have been known to increase in value by as much as 16% in the first year.

Keep in mind, there’s no guarantee how often or for how long your condo will be rented while you’re gone. Ideally, you could offset the costs of everything including the mortgage, but be prepared for times when that doesn’t happen. Remember that this is primarily a vacation home and potential long-term investment, not a short-term, quick money maker.

Another benefit of investing in a condo hotel, rather than simply purchasing a vacation home, is that when you stay in your condo, you get all the amenities of a four or five star hotel! Most condo hotels, because they are built and marketed as resorts, have fitness rooms, spas, fine dining restaurants, and pools. Some will even have valet and concierge services, complimentary continental breakfasts, boutiques, and many will be oceanfront properties.

How is a Condo Hotel this different from a time-share?

When you purchase a time-share, you’re not purchasing the property, just time at the property. You have to use the property and it’s facilities during the same time every year, unless you’re able to trade with someone else. This can cause challenges when trying to plan a family vacation. There’s no guarantee that you’ll have the same two weeks free next year that you have this year. And what if you want to go more than once year? Then you have to buy several blocks of time.

In some instances, a time-share gives you a specific week or two, but allows you to choose between several properties. You’re still limited by the dates you purchased, and may not be able to find a desirable location that has your specific dates available.

With a hotel condominium, you own the condo, which means that it’s yours to use as often as you’d like. No trading dates, or locations. You come and go as you please. While you do need to give the hotel advance notice so they won’t rent your condo on the week you’re planning to be there, as the owner, you get first pick. In addition, hotel condominiums are in such demand that they’re far easier to sell than a time-share.

Overall, if you’re looking for a second or vacation home, a condo hotel is well worth looking into. Not only does it give you the chance to enjoy vacationing at a luxury resort, but you’ve got a full-time management staff that will look after things when you’re not there. Because most condo hotels are luxury hotels, you get outstanding amenities and spectacular views. Add to that the fact that you can generate a little money by putting your condo in the rental program, and you’ve got a pretty good deal.

As with any major purchase, it’s wise to do some research before making any final decisions. Weigh the pros and cons carefully and be sure you’re not purchasing the condo with grandiose ideas of making money hand-over-fist. Yes, it is potentially a good investment, as is most real estate, but be sure your expectations are realistic.

With over 14 years experience between the two, Paul and Carole have the knowledge and experience to help with all of your Miami real estate needs. Carole is a native of Miami Beach and Paul has made Miami home for the last 15 years. They have both seen and experienced the dramatic changes that have taken place in the Miami real estate market over the last several years. This knowledge of the real estate market makes them the perfect choice whether you are looking for a primary residence, second home, investment property or pre construction opportunities. With millions of dollars of closed transactions, they have the experience to avoid the pitfalls of buying and selling real estate

Boutique Hotel. Just the words get the imagination going. Even before I dog eared the pages of Herbert Ypma’s first Hip Hotels book I was fascinated by the world of boutique hotel properties. “How cool would it be to be the general manager of a cool boutique hotel?” I often found asking myself as I flipped through the pages of his magnificent photos. Working hard to make a career out of the hotel industry, I was convinced that I just had to be involved with a boutique hotel someday.

That someday came true, when in 2004 I was invited to be the general manager of what was and still is one of Palm Springs most hip boutique hotels. I left another huge opportunity just to be a part of this amazing world. The art, the design, the vibe. I had never really worked anywhere with a “vibe”. A year later and I knew, I knew what many in the hotel business do not…what it is really like to be the gm of a hip, cool boutique hotel. It’s not for everyone and amazing for many.

There is a mini storm brewing in the boutique hotel world, one I don’t think most involved in this industry are aware of. With more and more boutique hotel operators entering the playground, more and more bad hiring decisions are being made. The right General Mangers are working at the wrong hotels. Like a square peg and a round hole, some things just do not work. Who is to blame and what can be done?

The Boutique Hotel

First let me first tell you that I have a very narrow view of what really constitutes a boutique hotel. I think that the term “Boutique” when used to describe a hotel is often misapplied. A boutique hotel is not defined by simply a hot design, as many would argue. In my opinion, a boutique hotel is a property that is uniquely significant in four ways:

1. Architecture and Design.

2. A high level of service. A property must not exceed 150 guest rooms, enhancing the guest to staff ratio.

3. Sell to a specific demographic.

4. Are independently owned and operated (this is where some will disagree with me).

A boutique hotel must be an independent operation. The hotel must not be part of a collection that is more than say, 10 properties. Beyond this you get into having a corporate hierarchical management style that is required in running a large company and maintaining brand consistency. Take W Hotels for example. In my opinion these are not boutique hotels. They look like a boutique hotel, even feel like one. Many boutique hotels would strive to be as great as a W. But a W Hotel is run and managed by a massive corporation. The property level management makes very few decisions about what services are offered and how the property is run. A boutique hotel must be operated as close to the actual physical operation as possible. W’s and the like are amazing, but in my opinion don’t fit the definition of a boutique hotel. Boutique hotels are also constantly re-inventing themselves, making sure that their fickle guest never get bored and look to stay at the latest new, hip and cool property.

Boutique Hotel Guest

Travelers chose to stay at a boutique hotel because of the story, or the experience. The experience is very important and must be unique and somewhat cutting edge. The general demographics are individuals 20 to 50 years of age, work in more creative fields like advertising or entertainment and appreciate a higher level of service. When Ian Schrager entered the market with what many consider to be the first boutique hotel, this demographic discovered that they could use their travel budget get them a room at a cool, hip hotel rather than a generic mid-level branded property. And the boom started. Boutique hotel guests enjoy experiences, unique architecture, cutting edge interior design and in some cases an urban location. The market is expanding and the demographic model explained earlier is beginning to bleed into others. You might very well find a Fortune 500 CEO staying at a boutique hotel. It is hard to ignore the hype.

Brands vs. Boutiques

Luxury hotel operators are scrambling to avoid losing market share to the boutique world. Some hotels are actually taking the “brand” off their marketing and streamlining their operations so that their properties are authentically boutique. Take the Kahala Mandarin Oriental for example. This famous luxury property recently took Mandarin Oriental away so that they could operate and compete in the new marketplace of more independent hotels. They are now simply “The Kahala” and are working hard to be authentically local and independent of a major brand identification. I think others will follow.

The Boutique Hotel General Manager

For the sake of this publication, I will use the luxury hotel as the comparison to the boutique since most closely associate a boutique hotel with luxury travel. So what is so different about being a general manager at a luxury hotel versus a boutique hotel? Can it really be that different? The basics are the same. The general manager is responsible for the entire day to day operation, hiring decisions, marketing, budgets, forecasting, rate strategy, facility maintenance etc… The key for both types of properties is guest service and guest interaction. The guest at a high end luxury hotel expects to be able to interact with the hotel general manager, as do the guests at a boutique property. It is all high touch.

The difference is that a boutique hotel general manager wears just a few more hats than the luxury general manager. A boutique general manager might be preparing complex budget forecasting spreadsheets at 10am and at 10:30 am be clearing the pool towels from around the hotel’s salt water plunge. When was the last time you saw the general manager of the Peninsula Beverly Hills with an arm full of towels? Don’t get me wrong, I know that the general manager of the Peninsula would do this in a second, if they had to. The general manager of a boutique hotel HAS to, because there is nobody else. The one server working the restaurant is also probably responsible for taking care of the pool, taking room service orders, delivering the orders and on and on…. The general manager of a boutique hotel is sometimes also the HR director and breaks the front desk agents. If the gm is in California then the gm might find themselves breaking just about every position just to avoid getting sued and fined!

Take this example; you are the GM of a hot boutique property in the desert. The temperature is pushing 118 degrees. Since occupancy during the summer is very low, you encourage a lot of your team to take their vacations so you can get that vacation accrual off your books. One of those who takes you up on this is your chief engineer, one of two engineers for your entire five acre property. He goes home to the motherland, Germany for a week. Now just because it’s hot does not mean that you don’t have customers. Some tourists seem to love the heat, and so it was with this particular steamy day in August. As the sun begins to set, your guests make their way from the pool to their bungalows. Dusk and 100 degrees, everyone turns on their aged air conditioners full blast so they can cool down. Your only other engineer has gone home for the day. It is at about this time that the calls start coming in. The ac units are freezing up. The old units freeze up when they are turned on full blast. Many blow the circuit breakers. So there you are, in your office doing the forecast for your weekly corporate status report call when the front desk calls you in a panic, “the guests are flipping out” cries your new front desk agent. You check out the calls and see that you need your engineer back on property, but his pre-paid cell phone (you cant afford to pay for a cell phone for him) is out of time –you cant reach him! So what do you do? You head to the rooms to see if you can fix them. Room by room you tackle the challenge of explaining to your sweaty and angry guests why they cant turn their ac on full and that it will take at least two hours for the ice built up around the coils to melt. Then you start looking for the circuit breakers, which are scattered all over the 60 year old property. By the time you reach the last room the guest who answers the door almost screams at the sight of the sweaty, dirty general manager holding a tool box with a dazed look on his face. “Wasn’t this the same guy who was pouring us Mimosas at the pool this morning honey?” asks the guest as you begin your repairs. Once the craziness is over you get a call on your cell phone. Yes, it is your engineer returning your call. “You trying to reach me boss?”. The next day, while on your conference call you listen to a speech about how general managers need to spend more time with their guests rather than in their offices. Duh, you think as you try to scrub the grit out from under your fingernails.

The financial realities of a boutique hotel are unique. The appearance of three to five star service with a two star budget is the norm, and the gm’s get caught in the middle. The boutique hotel just does not have the budget to staff like a true luxury property and everyone has to pull their weight. The gm who does not will not be there long and hate every second of their lives.

Along with the additional sweat and frustration of being a boutique hotel gm are the rewards. For the right individual, they will find that the entrepreneurial management style required of them is highly empowering. The gm can make a lot of decisions on their own, decisions that in a larger corporate hotel would require an approval or worse….committee discussion! The fact that some towels need to be picked up and maybe a drink or two be mixed and served is actually fun to them. The rewards of always being in front of your guests are what most gm’s want anyway, but many are not really ready for it when they are tasked to make that happen every day.

So what kind of person would do well as a general manager of a boutique hotel? Answer these questions, if you can say yes to each answer then you will probably really like the challenge. Please note that I am assuming that you are already an experienced manager and qualified to be a general manager.

The 51 Questions

1. You do not need routines to feel successful at work.
2. You can delegate without concern.
3. You can make decisions without committee recommendation.
4. You can spend long hours at work. By long I mean sometimes up to 14 hours at a time.
5. You have no problem spending the night at the property to make sure everything is ok.
6. You don’t have a problem delivering luggage to guest rooms (you probably wont have a bellman to do this for you).
7. You can valet park a car.
8. You can re-program guest keys using the key card system.
9. You really enjoy speaking with your guests….REALLY.
10. You can mix a drink and you know who Mr. Boston is.
11. You can run a commercial washing machine.
12. You can re-set a circuit breaker.
13. You can change a flat tire, jump start a car.
14. You can re-set your router. If you don’t know what a router is then stop now and re-think any thoughts you have of being a boutique hotel gm. You will not have an on site IT manager to help you!
15. You can check in/ out a guest using the front office system.
16. You can process credit cards and split payments to various folios.
17. You can run the switchboard at the front desk.
18. You can ring in an order using the restaurants POS.
19. You can re-set the restaurant POS.
20. You can program a digital surveillance system.
21. You can type your own memos, send your own e-mails and answer your own phones (this should be true of ANY gm nowadays).
22. You can jump from one project to the next without hesitation.
23. You know what to do when someone has a heart attack in your lobby.
24. You know what to do when someone chokes in your restaurant.
25. You can explain your restaurant menu items as well or better than your servers.
26. You can brew coffee using a commercial coffee machine.
27. You can draw a good cup of espresso.
28. You know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino.
29. You know the temperature requirements for your walk-in and refrigerators. If you don’t know what a walk-in is, stop here and think about your career choice.
30. You know what to do when the health inspector shows up. Hint, it is not to grab a handful of cash!
31. You know who to call if your phone system suddenly stops working.
32. You know how to read the history off an electronic guest room lock.
33. You know how to make a bed as well as your best housekeeper.
34. You know what the ph level should be in your wash rinse.
35. You know how to check the chemicals in you pool and Jacuzzi.
36. You know what the interfaces are for each of your hotel software systems.
37. You know how to get guests online using your wireless internet service.
38. You know the difference between an p&l and a balance sheet.
39. You can run a commercial dishwasher.
40. You know your receivables and payables.
41. You know where your housekeeper buys their supplies.
42. You know local city ordinances as they apply to your property.
43. You can deliver a room service order.
44. You can clean a bathroom to 5 star standards.
45. You can fold a towel like your housekeepers.
46. You know where the water and gas mains are, and how to shut them off.
47. You know each of your guest room types.
48. You have no problem befriending your neighboring business and residents.
49. You can write a well researched and accurate month end report.
50. You know how to calculate flow through.
51. Have a number two person who can answer these questions as well.
I task the many boutique hotel companies to ask these questions to gm candidates during the interview process. I know that you will save a lot of time, frustration and lower your turnover rates (higher for general manager positions in boutique hotels).

If you are a boutique hotel company I would also ask you to make sure that you do the following for your hotel general managers, ensuring their success and lowering your gm turnover:

1. Don’t hire an experience luxury (non-boutique hotel) general manger unless they can answer yes or actually commit to learning the answer to each of the prior 51 questions.
2. Train, train and train your new gm’s on the property they are going to. Make sure they know everything before you “turn them loose”.
3. Pay them a fair wage, maybe even a bit more than fair. Boutique hotel companies seem to think they can attract new gm’s who maybe were a number two at a larger property, convince them that it is “cool” to be a part of your company and pay them less than the industry standard. This just makes your new gm start listening to those headhunter calls (they call hotel gm’s a lot!) with offers of much higher salaries back in the “comfort” zone of a branded hotel.
4. Understand what goes on in the life of a boutique hotel gm. Most boutique hotel corporate staff have never been a gm at a real boutique hotel and have no idea what it is like. Get to know what happens on property.
5. Insist that your gm’s take time off. It is easy for your gm to get wrapped up in the operation and start working 7 days a week. This will just burn them out. Figure out a way to get them the time with their families they need to stay sane, married etc…
6. Don’t call them on their day off unless it is an emergency. If you don’t know what days your gm’s are off then shame on you.
7. Don’t be double minded. Don’t show up one day and berate the gm for the pool deck needing re-surfacing and then two days later come down on them for requesting the funds to make property repairs.
8. Give them realistic budgets, and if you sell a bonus during the interview process, make sure it is realistic.
9. Give them the same “perks” that gm’s in large hotel properties get. You can skip the car allowance, but at least offer dry cleaning and travel privileges at your other properties.
10. Talk to them often. Really talk to them, don’t talk at them. Listen to what is going on.
11. If you tell them that “we are an entrepreneurial company” and that gm’s can “make their own decisions” and then second guess every decision they make you need to re-think your message.
12. Make sure you give them the ability to hire a strong #2. One of the reasons your gm’s leave for other companies is because most boutique hotel companies don’t give their properties the budgets to have a number two, so they have nobody to take their place if other in-company opportunities come up. This is the old and very tired “to move up you have to move out” dynamic that kills us in the hotel industry.
13. That takes me to this point—set out to develop bench strength. Have leaders waiting in the wings to take positions as you grow. If you don’t you will end up “borrowing” leaders from each of your properties to open your newest. This leaves your existing properties, already running lean on management with an over worked and stressed out group of leaders and staff. Make this a priority.
14. Thank your gm’s. This is a no-brainer but a much forgot important task as a hotel company. THANK YOUR GM’s. This goes for any hotel company. Your general managers get beat up a lot. By unhappy staff, guests and you. You hit them with constant “notes” on how to perform better. Make sure to balance the coaching with praise.

The point?

So what is the point to all of this? The boutique hotel general manager, in my opinion is a completely different job than a general manager at a full service luxury property. But unfortunately the two are muddled together in a basket full of un-attainable expectations.

I think that the boutique hotel general manager should have a new title— I leave this up to the boutique hotel companies and the creative genius that drives their brands. At the end of the day, a title is really not important, but the expectations are. Make sure you understand your role as a boutique hotel general manager or the role your general managers play at your boutique hotels. Make certain that as you take a job or when hire them, they know what a boutique hotel manager really is.

My very first serious hotel job was as a “Guest Service Agent” at a huge convention hotel right on Disneyworld property. While not a Disney Resort, I still had to go to a half day Disney training seminar where I learned the names of the Seven Dwarfs. I still know them: Sleepy, Droopy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy, Sarcastic, Chubby—ok maybe not. I do remember that the ONE thing that HAD to happen anywhere on Disney property was “good service”. My first day on the job was exciting. Another one day new hire orientation where I got to see a video of the hotel general manager telling us all about his vision and that the hotel meant nothing without us, the staff. I am not sure why he didn’t actually speak to us in person, the new hire orientations were only once a month and his office was just a few steps away from the meeting room. I know he was there because shortly after the orientation started he pulled the human resources director out of the room for some sort of emergency. Oh well, he looked and sounded good on the video tape and I walked away from the orientation all pumped up and ready to go. Seven Dwarves and all.

The second day on the job was a bit different. My manager paired me up with a seasoned Guest Service Agent named TJ. I am not sure what “TJ” stood for, but that was it….not even a last name. She showed me around the guest service desk, the various work areas and then put me on the phones. The phones at this particular 1028 room hotel rang a lot. Everything from “how to you turn off the clock radio alarm” to “I need a foursome reservation at the new award winning golf course in 15 minutes”. After 4 hours of, as TJ put it “diving right in” I was awarded the honor of being taken to lunch by my new manager, Joe. Joe was the “Guest Service Manager” and was in charge of as he explained, “everything that mattered” at the hotel. By the second re-fill of our iced teas he had gotten to the part about his hotel background and his hotel future. If I played my cards right I could move up quickly, as long as I stayed close and followed his lead. For a bit I was impressed. Young and somewhat awe struck that I was working at a huge hotel, a hotel where my family could never afford to stay and on Disney property for that matter. Then Joe started talking numbers. The numbers that surround the sale of show tickets, tours, golf course reservations and limo rides. The numbers he was talking about had to do specifically with the fact that many of these tour operators showed their appreciation for sales by handing over sealed white envelopes each week. Sometimes they even mailed these right to your home, just to streamline the process I suppose. Lunch went on for two hours, after which I was fully aware that a large percentage of the contents of these envelopes was to be handed over to Joe. Of course this was not an official hotel arrangement, but one that was “understood” by management and fully expected by the various tour operators.

In a few weeks I had things down. As a Guest Service Agent I was primarily responsible for suggesting various tours and activities to our guests. Of course we had to hand out park information, give directions and the such, but the primary role was that of selling tour and show tickets. Now I had lived in the area for about a year. My wife was a dancer at one of the local shows and I was becoming very familiar with the “good the bad and the ugly” of attractions. I started to notice a trend. TJ, whom I was still scheduled with was getting some pretty thick white envelopes. My envelopes were pretty thin and came with a substantial amount of indigestion. As I watched TJ recommend tours and shows I noticed that she was suggesting activities that were, to say the least “not on par” with the expectations of our guests. The great shows right around the corner, produced by Disneyworld themselves were never even mentioned or suggested! I remember once when I suggested that a group of guests make reservations at the “Diamond Horseshoe Review” in Disneyworld, TJ interrupted and said “oh, you probably will have trouble getting in, even if you have reservations they can still bump you, can I make another suggestion?”. She then went on to recommend another cowboy themed dinner show about 45 minutes away. She also recommended “her personal friend” who had a great van to take them their, all at a bargain! Well the van pulled up, a twenty year old conversion van with bald tires and a driver who looked like he had just stepped of the set of Swamp Thing. Dripping with sweat, Swamp Thing driver greeted the guests and then walked in the lobby, where he handed TJ an envelope and me his card. “Give me a call, we have an arrangement” he said. As the chugged away, taking the now captive guests to what was without a doubt the worst dinner show in Florida, TJ looked right at me and said “that’s how it is done, follow my lead and you will do really well”.

So there it was. The Guest Service Desk was actually the guest fleecing desk. The entire guest service team was “in”, right there with our fearless leader Joe. Months went by, I stopped taking any white envelopes and kept sending guests where they wanted to go, not to shows where I would get any sort of kickback. Joe and the team became very unhappy with me. I often ate lunch with staff from other departments. Then one day the assistant general manager walked right up to the guest service desk and asked me to name a few of the different tours and attractions I was recommending to guests. I gave him my list, all of which to my knowledge offered no white envelopes but did give us very happy guests. He seemed pleased and thanked me. The next day there was a meeting with the general manager, the director of human resources and the entire guest service team. He told us that an investigation had been ongoing into the staff’s acceptance of taking kickbacks from shady tour operators, unlicensed taxi drivers and less than palatable dinner theaters. As he spoke I noticed that about half the team was not at the meeting. Joe was missing, so was TJ. Then he called my name. I froze. I know that I had taken a few envelopes early on, but I had stopped! I knew this was wrong! I walked up to the front of the meeting room fully expecting a public execution, setting an example for the rest of the staff. The general manager put his hand on my shoulder and explained to all of us that the guest service team members who were not in attendance were no longer with the company, they had all been fired and can no longer work at any Disneyworld property. Then he announced that I was going to be the interim manager until a permanent manager was found for the department. He thanked us all for our integrity and sent us on our way. So I was now a manager, interim as it was I was a manager! Excited, I called home and gave my wife the good news. “Did they give you a raise?” she asked. As I explained to her the significance of my new responsibilities and the honor it was just to be selected I began to think about what had just happened. Was this a good thing? What was I in for?

Fast forward 17 years and I find myself sitting at a desk at the back of my house in the Southern California Desert running my new hotel consulting company. The journey to this point has taken me all over the map, specifically when it comes to my exposure the many different approaches to Guest Service. I recently became involved with a major university in California and have been working with an MBA class on the realities of service in the business world. The deeper I get into conversations with the professors and students, the more I am noticing a massive hole in the curriculum within the hotel educational system—where are the classes on Guest Service? As a hotel school student you learn a lot about the business of hotels, but very little on actually how to be a provider of service. Maybe the college restaurant or on the campus hotel. But really, how much time is spent on one on one coaching on the art of service? In most cases the service approach training is left to the future employer or worse yet, a summer internship program! So here comes your new management trainee, right out of a major university and they have no real “schooling” in how to provide great service, or how to be a servant in the hotel business. They might think that they understand how to be a servant, but how can you if all you know is what you have picked up along the way? Imagine applying this to another industry, lets say the space industry—astronauts to be specific. Imagine hiring a top-notch aeronautical engineer who has 9 years of study in the field of advanced aeronautics and space exploration, but no practical experience actually flying a plane. They can tell you all about it, but until they actually sit behind the joy stick of that mach 3 super jet there is no way you are going to put them in the commanders seat of a billion dollar space craft! Or would you? We do it every day. We take new graduates and put them right in the drivers seat, right in front of our customers. Most of the time I think we luck out. Most who make the hotel industry a career already have a desire and what I call the “servant gene”. So they respond well to the few days of on the job service / culture training you might provide. But what about those who do not have this intrinsic idea of what service is? Will they “tolerate” your challenging customers? Will the “put up with” a difficult staff member? How will they teach service approach to the line level staff? I will be that many managers “learn up” about service from their own star employees!

I believe that the culture of true service is on the decline in America. Declining expectations along with a related decline in the attitude of those in the hotel industry is wreaking havoc within our industry. Service is what should define us, whether a limited service or multi star high-end luxury hotel it still all comes down to service. We cant leave management service training to an on the job seminar. It has to start earlier and with much more aggression. I wont be the one to change the way major universities design their hospitality curriculums, but I can suggest to the industry not to think that just because you are hiring the brightest college grad that you are automatically getting someone who is truly engaged in a culture of service. Hotels must design very challenging service culture training classes with a very high level of expectation. Managers need to be challenged on their current idea of service and drill down to the fact that the hotel industry is really all about being a servant to your customer.

Think about the “Joe” I described earlier in this article. Can you imagine him being the person responsible for providing service training to your line level staff? Probably not, but I bet you do.

Pet friendly motels and dog friendly hotels are not as difficult to find as you might think. Although many hotels still don’t allow pets of any kind in their rooms, there are a substantial amount that do. Most of the time there will be no extra charge for accommodating your furry critter, but sometimes you will be asked to pay a small fee usually ranging anywhere from 5 dollars to 50 dollars. Pet hotels and pet friendly motels are very convenient for people who like to travel and not have to go through the hassle of leaving their pet to the care of friends, family or expensive pet care establishments.

There are a variety of options of pet accommodations you can choose from when travelling, such as pet friendly motels, pet hotels, bed and breakfasts’, resorts and vacation rentals. Sometimes you can be charged a small fee, and other times you may be charged a deposit, which would be returned if your pet causes no apparent damage. It is also possible to find a number of dog friendly hotels that will provide veterinary services and pet care facilities such as beds and blankets.

We have put this together to provide pet owners with useful information in hopes of facilitating travel with your pet. Pet friendly motels and dog friendly hotels all have different rules and policies concerning pet accommodation, so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with them before checking into any pet hotels. It is sometimes hard to ask friends and family to take care of your pet while travelling, as it can be an added responsibility. We hope we have provided you with a simple stress-free solution.

A surge in travel and tourism has helped to superheat the recovering New York metropolitan hospitality market, but the region s dining-out business remains lukewarm by comparison.

While many foodservice operators in the area are reporting modest sales gains for 2005 over last year’s results, those increases do not echo the business boom that has been resounding across the city’s hotel industry.

“Hotels in New York are doing better than good–they’re having the best year ever,” says John Fox, senior vice president for PKF Consulting, a hotel advisory firm based in New York.

For the nine months ended in September, occupancy rates at New York hotels have been averaging about 85.4 percent, up from the 81.5 percent reported for the same nine months a year ago, Fox says.

At the same time, the average room rate has climbed to $225.07, an increase of about 15.5 percent over last year’s figure. Revenues have risen more than 20 percent.

“Hotels have more than bounced back from 9/11,” Fox says. “We’re way above pre-9/11 numbers.”

While a number of local foodservice operators report some forward sales momentum in 2005–aided by the rebound in travel and tourism–others say that competition and consumers’ restrained spending are keeping the brakes on more serious acceleration.

Meanwhile, a variety of rising costs are compressing the bottom line for many local restaurants–another market factor expected to be a hot topic among attendees at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show Nov. 12-15 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

“Sales are pretty even year to year,” says Drew Nieporent, head of Myriad Restaurant Group, which operates such popular Manhattan restaurants as Montrachet, Tribeca Grill and Nobu. “But expenses like food, labor and real estate keep increasing. It’s not a great formula.”

“Although sales may be up, profits continue to erode,” agrees Chuck Hunt, executive vice president of the New York City chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association.

SYRACUSE - Scottrade, a national firm that serves individual investors through offices and the Internet, is opening its first Syracuse location on May 17.

The Missouri-based company operates offices in Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany, and it has been aggressively opening new offices - at a rate of two or three per month, says Kelly Doria, Scottrade’s media-relations director. The Syracuse office is 1,700 square feet.

“Scottrade is excited to open a Syracuse office, because we have many clients who work and live in that area,” says Rodger Riney, Scottrade’s president. “We feel this new office is extremely important to customers a convenient office which to do business.”

The new office will be located at the State Tower Building, 109 S. Warren St., Suite 01A. The branch is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be managed by George Flevares. Flevares had been a broker in the Rochester office for the past three years, Doria says.

The company does not disclose how much money it invests in an office when it moves to a new market, Doria says, nor does it disclose terms of its lease.

Scottrade, has plans for additional expansion in New York, Riney says. In New York, Scottrade also has offices in White Plains, Manhattan, Islandia, Garden City, Forest Hills, and Brooklyn. After Syracuse, Scottrade’s next New York office will be opened in New City, Rockland County.

Established in 1980, Scottrade (formerly Scottsdale Securities, Inc.) is a leader in online investing and is currently ranked. highest in Investor Satisfaction with Online Trading Services by J.D. Power and Associates. The September 2003 announcement was the fourth consecutive year Scottrade has received the honor.

The firm serves individual investors who are comfortable making their own investment decisions. Scottrade says it boasts very low commission rates while offering easily accessible, local branch office support of online trading in 211 locations nationwide.

Scottrade.com is the online trading site of Scottrade and offers customers the ability to place market orders online for just $7 per trade. The company is based in Des Peres, Missouri, has 700 employees, and generates annual revenues of about $200 million.

Whether you’re seeking to raise debt or equity, or projecting next year’s goals and the ways to achieve them for your hotel, it’s wise and beneficial to write an annual business plan.

Going through such an exercise helps crystallize your thinking, plan marketing strategies, design and implement ways to accomplish your goals, assess risks, develop operational and capital-expenditure financial projections, and reach salient financial and operational conclusions. Each of these elements is useful to guide a business to a more successful tomorrow.

So how many entrepreneurs have the discipline to organize an annual business plan, much less follow it? Sadly, far fewer than many would care to admit. But from numerous conversations I’ve had with hotel lenders and equity investors, operators who have cogent business plans available for review often have a leg up in raising funds on better terms than those who don’t. Why? It’s the trust factor.

Lenders or investors usually will take comfort in a well-thought-through business plan provided for their deeper insight into the business. It leads to a greater respect for the team that’s guiding the operation. A business plan shouldn’t just be written for the purpose of raising cash. That’s a secondary reason to develop a plan, which should be done annually by the owner or managing agent and periodically reviewed to see whether adequate progress toward the year’s business goals is being met.

Elements of a plan

What goes into a good business plan? In the article, “Ten elements of a good business plan,” author Paul Larson provides a good summary to build from:

* Executive summary–a concise summary of the basics, including the market opportunities, management team, financial returns and, if asking for fresh capital, the terms you’re seeking.

* Description of the company or management team.

* Facilities description.

* Market and competitors–an analysis of where your business is coming from, new markets that could be tapped, characteristics of target customer groups, listing of your existing and potential competitors, and the rates they are likely to charge.

* Marketing strategy–describe every marketing method you will employ to attract your customer, including advertising, distribution channels and using specific resources from your franchisor.

* Design and development plans–either enhancements to existing facilities or the addition of new space would fit into this section.

* Management team.

Asia’s most prestigious hotel industry awards are back for 2003. Now in its sixth successful year, the Best Business Hotels in Asia Awards are now established as the leading accolades for all of Asia’s five star hotels.

A record field of 99 nominees are vying for the top honours in 17 categories this year. The categories for 2003 are: Best Business Hotel in Australia; Best Business Hotel in China; Best Business Hotel in Hong Kong; Best Business Hotel in India; Best Business Hotel in Indonesia; Best Business Hotel in Japan; Best Business Hotel in Malaysia; Best Business Hotel in New Zealand; Best Business Hotel in the Philippines; Best Business Hotel in Singapore; Best Business Hotel in South Korea; Best Business Hotel in Taiwan; Best Business Hotel in Thailand; Best Business Hotel in Vietnam; Best Airport Hotel; and Best New Hotel. One outstanding hotel will also be chosen to be crowned as the Overall Best Business Hotel in Asia.

Initiated by Business Asia Magazine, the Awards were established to recognise excellence in the hospitality industry, particularly when it comes to servicing the needs of the crucial business travel sector. The event partner for this year’s Best Business Hotel Awards in Asia is CNBC Asia.
The nominees in each category have been chosen by a panel of industry experts. Readers of Business Asia are now asked to vote for their favourites by returning the ballot paper on page 18,
The judges for 2003 were David Armstrong, editor in chief, South China Morning Post; Peter Charlton, chairman of First Charlton Communications and publisher of Business Asia Magazine; and Robert Hecker, managing director of Horwath Asia Pacific.

In its relatively short history, the Awards have become one of the most popular industry accolades in the region. Asia’s hospitality sector has truly embraced the Awards concept, which was demonstrated by the massive number of 12,000 votes received for last year’s event.