No More Check-Out

Do you ever find yourself stuck in-between check-in and out times? Perhaps this doesn’t have to be the case anymore. Some hotels are looking into relaxing their rigid policies. Properties, such as Hilton and Hyatt, allow their guests a few more hours after check-out to stick around. Starwood Preferred Guests receive a guaranteed 4PM check-out at nearly 75% of their properties. Even some American Express card holders have the luxury of a 4PM check-out time in AmEx’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program.

Hotels began to notice the inconvenience these inflexible times were causing business travelers. After doing some research, Horst H. Schulze, chief executive and chairman for Capella Hotels & Resorts, and former president of Ritz-Carlton, found that the check-in/out times were travelers’ biggest pet peeve. "Business travelers are very annoyed when they come in the morning and have to go to a meeting and want to put their stuff down and are told check-in time is 3 p.m.," says Schulze.
As a result, Capella Hotels & Resorts have completely gotten rid of set check-in and check-out times. In order to keep track of check-in/ out times, a staff member calls each guest to get their approximate arrival/departure times. With this estimation, the hotel can still plan other guest rooms accordingly.

With this new policy; however, troubles may arise. With a completely booked hotel, the wiggle room minimizes. However, Guenter Richter, the Setai's managing director, says that at his “214-room hotel [they are] able to fulfill guests' desired schedules 95% of the time”.

To read more visit: http://tinyurl.com/637v3yf

Penny Pinchers

Shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, lotion, toothpaste, and deodorant – the list of in-room amenities goes on. But with the on-going recession, hotels have cut costs and eliminated some of these luxury items. The jokes of stealing hotel toiletries are now outdated. With the high costs of restocking bathroom amenities, hotels have implemented new strategies. For instance, instead of individual shampoo/ conditioner bottles, a hotel may now place a shampoo dispenser on the wall inside the shower. Or, some hotels simply take the more lavish products out of each hotel room, yet carry them in the housekeeping departments. Thus, if a customer were to call for some mouthwash, it is delivered to their room complimentary. On the contrary, products, such as deodorant or hairspray, now come at a price. The development of in-room products has expanded over the years. Joseph McInerney, president and chief executive officer of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, offers a run-down of the past years: After color TV came the TV-plus-remote, then the clock radio. In the 1960s, shampoo became a must. Lotions, mouthwash and more followed. The 1970s saw the introduction of sewing kits, shoe mitts and shoe horns. In the early 1990s, coffeemakers appeared in the room. At the end of the century, irons and ironing boards became mandatory. Nevertheless, with the increase in these complimentary items came the increase of hotel costs. Thus, in-room coffee makers are turning into single serving coffee packets. Turn down service is not always an everyday occurrence. Moreover, mini bars are turning into empty fridge storage. In fact, only 22% of upscale hotels still have mini fridges. Nevertheless, some hotels are getting creative with these empty refrigerators. Some let customers pick and order mini bar options upon check-in. If the customer is not interested, they can simply refuse any products. Other hotels enforce a mandatory mini bar fee, that also includes parking and internet. These fees allow the mini bar items to be “free”, while helping the hotel pay for the acquired costs. The future of in-room amenities is unknown. However, hotels are showing a preference to updated in-room technology over shampoo bottles and hairspray. Therefore, we’ll just have to wait and see what is to come. For more information: http://tinyurl.com/6z98tmg

From Green and Gold to Snakes and Shamrocks

The story behind St. Patrick’s Day and some of its major celebrations

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland and gained his notoriety by driving the snakes from the island. Although the likelihood of snakes being on the island to begin with is slim to none, this story is believed to also represent the saint putting an end to Paganism in Ireland as serpents were a common Pagan symbol and often worshipped in practice. St. Patrick is also credited for crowning the Shamrock as the National flower of Ireland, using it to explain the Holy Trinity to the Pagans. It is widely accepted that St. Patrick passed away on March 17, 461 AD, giving the Irish a day for spiritual renewal and prayers.

While the history behind St. Patrick’s Day is unsettled, one thing we do know for sure is that this unique holiday gives millions of people around the world a reason to celebrate come March 17th. The biggest of these celebrations occurs in none other than the capital of Ireland itself, Dublin. The city plays host to a five day festival where upwards of 1,000,000 people flock to commemorate the saint with art, outdoor concerts, fireworks and drinking (of course!). Arguably the next largest celebration takes place in Chicago, Illinois where an extravagant parade and festival follows the world famous dyeing of the Chicago River. Several other American cities are known for their enthusiastic St. Patrick’s Day rituals including: Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York City, St. Louis and Savannah, GA.

Now you can go out confidently this Thursday, adorned in green, and celebrate with a Guinness and good friends!

Higher Rates Ahead

Michael Dominguez, vice president of Global Sales at Loews Hotels, warns that 2011 will bring higher room rates, especially for group business. A recovering economy and rising cost pressures on hotels are to blame. But groups that know the value of their business can find ways to negotiate better deals.

Average daily rates jumped 5% in 2010. Rates are expected to increase another 4% in 2011 and even higher in 2012, based on data from PKF Hospitality Research. As food prices go up and mortgage debts come due, hotels are under more and more pressure to hike their prices in order to turn profits.

Groups who come to the table knowing the value of their business will get what’s most important to them, including better rates. Since labor is typically the number one cost at a hotel, groups can get better deals by knowing what concessions reduce the hotel’s labor (i.e. holding receptions and dinners in the same area.) When considering revenue per occupied room, hotels value each booked room based on how much the guest spends at the hotel- on the room, food and beverage in outlets, retail, spas, golfing, room service and whatever other assets the hotel owns. But revenue per occupied group room also includes all of the meeting costs added by each attendee.

For more information: http://tinyurl.com/4ucwf78

Falling for the Island of Love: Top 2010 Honeymoon Destination

Although traditional hotspots such as Venice and Paris are expected to be the top honeymoon destinations, as they have been in the past, there has been a stark contrast in honeymoon destinations of late. Following the announcement of the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, there was a new survey whose intent was to find out the top honeymoon spots for 2010. Surprisingly, the results were that Cyprus holds the number one spot. Originally known as the ‘Island of Love’ as the mythical home of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, Cyprus is living up to its name in for a different reason; being a great honeymoon destination. Another surprising find arose with the Dominican Republic sliding in as the second most popular, and Cape Verde in Africa taking the three spot. While it may not be shocking that people are moving to cheaper destinations, it is extremely strange that the traditional spots are being abandoned altogether. Of the 1,078 couples polled, only two traveled to Venice and none indicated Paris. With a shift in spending from previous years, it seems that people are much more intent on saving money while finding smaller, more intimate locations when selecting a honeymoon destination. (Although the amount of time that these destinations will stay inexpensive and intimate is up for debate.) But for the moment, many smaller locations are enjoying an influx of attention. It is certainly something to look out for in the future, as this could be the beginning of a paradigm shift, in which people start to favor more obscure locations for their events.

http://tinyurl.com/2utog3r