DePaul to create hospitality leaders

Exciting news from last week's Lodging Conference in Phoenix: DePaul University has received a $7.5-million gift from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which it will use to create a School of Hospitality Leadership.

The new school will be based at the university’s downtown Chicago College of Commerce and will offer a four-year bachelor’s degree in hospitality leadership beginning in fall 2009. Students will be prepared to take on management roles at hotels, restaurants, convention and tourism venues and spas.

I spoke with Ray Whittington, dean of the College of Commerce, second from left in the photo below. He explained that the relationship with the Hilton Foundation started several years ago. The School for New Learning, primarily an adult education arm, received a grant to send local faculty to Kenya, where they trained locals to be teachers at a Kenyan school staffed by missionaries. A DePaul alumnus who was on the Hilton Foundation board then suggested the school submit a proposal for forming a hospitality program.

“We did some research to decide if we thought this was a good idea, and when we did the research, we found out that there were a dearth of programs in Illinois. And the fact is that hospitality is obviously one of the biggest industries in Chicago,” Whittington said. “It fit into our mission because we’ve traditionally been a school that has done a lot of educating for the professional fields.”

Whittington said the university actively is recruiting new faculty, and he anticipates an initial enrollment of 50 students from across the state and region.

“Increasingly, we’re getting national recruiting of our undergraduate program … but we’re still predominantly drawing from the region right around Chicago, down to St. Louis and up to Milwaukee. That’s where we draw perhaps 85 percent of our undergraduates,” he said.
Ongoing fundraising will support the university’s plans to add graduate degrees, continuing education programs and a research center. DePaul also will reach out to those already working in the hospitality field.

“DePaul has a long history of trying to serve underserved populations. In addition to the undergraduates, we’re also going to try to recruit people in the industry who maybe have an obstacle moving into management because they don’t have a degree,” said Robin Florzak, media relations manager at DePaul. “It happens that a lot of people in that situation are minorities, so in a way, it’ll be helping the industry diversify. That’s very much in the tradition of DePaul.”

“This program has unlimited potential … because of our location and the fact that I think we’ll get a lot of great industry support. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 600 or 700 people in the program within eight years, and certainly 400 or 500 people within the first four to five years,” Whittington said. “We’re interested in numbers, but we’re also interested in high quality.”

Whole Travel launches green experiences

I had the pleasure yesterday of speaking with Matthew Davie, CEO of Whole Travel, a comprehensive website that allows users to search for travel experiences without being restricted by date or location. It has a focus on the green movement and features locations that embrace sustainability.
So for those who wish they could simply type in a search query of “rain forest” and find the ideal vacation, there’s good news: Whole Travel was launched today. But what may be even better news for hotels in these remote locations is that they now can be found.

While it does remain a work in progress, the site at this point features 4,000 hotels and resorts that are often independently owned and operated and are located around the world. These are places that won’t necessarily be found on the average travel site and meet four criteria established by the experts and academics who created Whole Travel: economy, environment, education and culture.

And while “green” remains a buzzword in the industry, Davie said Whole Travel wants to avoid greenwashing and give customers something authentic.

So, the Whole Travel team thoroughly analyzed locations before approving them for the site. Hotels must take action to create economic sustainability by hiring local labor and using resources available right in their specific regions. Furthermore, they must work to preserve the environment there. Customer interaction with the local environment also must be available through tours and sessions about sustainability and how it’s good for the economy and environment. And, finally, the business must be in line with the local culture and sustaining it—the hotel in the rain forest must not have cut down the rainforest’s lush landscape to be there.

While now it’s simply a meta search of destinations, Davie said Whole Travel is working to bring more Web 2.0 technology in with guest reviews and hotel ratings. Also, those independents may not be alone for too long as the site looks toward advances being made by large company’s, like Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's Element hotels that are LEED-certified and offer a total green experience.

I think Whole Travel is ahead of the game in a lot of ways here, not just in addressing the growing trend of travelers looking for green destinations, but also loosening the reins of travel searches to allow users to find experiences that suit their lifestyles instead of just hotels and flights. I wouldn’t doubt that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this in coming years.

Call for Speakers

The second HotelWorld Conference & Expo, which will take place in March 2009, is looking for a few good speakers. We're searching for dynamic, knowledgeable industry experts, willing to be a part of this exciting Las Vegas event.

If you're interested, please visit:

http://cfp.internationalhospitalityweek.com/callforpapers

You can also suggest others as potential speakers, or tell us what topics you'd like to see. Our first HotelWorld Conference was a success, and we look forward to making next year's event even better.

The November issue and the Internets

I think many of you are going to enjoy what we at Hotel & Motel Management have coming up in our Nov. 3 issue. Along with our annual General Managers survey that will tell us where GMs stand on salary, time off, industry issues and more, we are doing a series of stories on how the Internet is affecting the hotel industry—social networking, rating services, distribution, advertising, etc.

It's hard to understand just how big of a topic it is until you get into it. For example, I've only been here since June, but in that time, I've found it pretty easy to get industry sources for my stories—whether the topic was bed bug removal or transaction volume. Sure, actually getting a set interview time can be a hassle, but I can always identify whom I should talk to, whether it's an F&B director, a GM or the director of housecleaning.

But when it comes to discussing a hotel's online presence? There are brands that have dozens of people, all with different titles, all handling different aspects of an online plan. One public relations person had to get back to me several times in order to narrow down my topic enough so that she could help me find the proper person to speak with. Even she was surprised by the depths of her company's eCommerce world. When I tried to narrow the story down, it felt like my original concept wasn't really one story but more like two or three. No doubt the Internet has improved and streamlined much of the industry, but think of all the new jobs that now need to be filled just for this area; think of all the internal changes the Internet has forced within just one brand in the span of a decade.

I had no idea the hotel industry was this deep into the web world, and it looks like it's going to still get much deeper in the coming years. The topic is big and interesting, and I think our Nov. 3 issue will be as well.

South America's pipeline takes a hit

In the midst of the Wall Street turmoil in the U.S., it seems we're not the only area of the world struggling with financing–which may not be news to anyone; after all, some people are calling this time period a global credit crisis. Now, however, more facts are coming forth about another area that was thriving at the end of 2007 and even into early '08 and now is taking a tumble: South America.

Lodging Econometrics released its South America: Mid-Year 2008 Report following the construction pipeline and a three-year forecast for hotels expected to open. After reaching its peak in the first quarter of 2008 with 371 projects/62,896 guestrooms in the pipeline, South America's pipeline has now decreased to 341 projects for a total of 56,316 rooms. Some other highlights of the report include:

-59 percent of the continent’s pipeline is in Brazil. Brazil counts for 203 projects with 36,786 guestrooms in the three construction stages.
-57 percent of all pipeline projects are currently labeled independent, but 70 percent likely will become branded before opening.
-Select-service hotels make up 33 percent of the total pipeline, the second-largest share.
-In the first half of 2008, 35 new hotels comprising 5,106 rooms opened. Because of the global lending crisis, Lodging Econometric’s forecasts for new openings were adjusted down slightly to 83 new hotels/11,309 rooms in 2008 and to 96 new hotels/14,065 rooms in 2009.

Readers can download the full report here for more information.

Is this good for the South American industry? Studying the southern hemisphere's hotel outlook is new for me, so I'm a bit unfamiliar—but could it be that there was so much boom previously that a slowdown was necessary? Or is it a sign of more troubling times to come?

New faces keep IHG on course

InterContinental Hotels Group on Wednesday opened its 2008 Americas Investors & Leadership Conference as any other, with CEO Andy Cosslett delivering the first general session speech about the hotel company's recent successes and future plans. But this year, the familiar face that would normally follow Cosslett was not so familiar. Stevan Porter did not grace the stage.

Instead it was interim president of the Americas Richard Solomons who—after praising Porter and acknowledging how hard it will be to fill his shoes—moved quickly onto his plans of helping grow IHGs portfolio in the US and abroad, despite the current economic climate.
"I'm not here as a placeholder until the real president shows up," said Solomons, who has served as IHG's finance director since March 2003. "I'm here to improve the business moving forward."

Solomons said IHG remains committed to improving its staple brand, Holiday Inn. One year after announcing the relaunch of the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands, nearly 150 properties have went through the quality assurance update program and graduated to the new signage.

And a new addition to the Holiday Inn family was announced Wednesday as well. Solomons said IHG will partner with the originators of the Holiday Inn brand, the Wilson family, to form new timeshare brand Holiday Inn Club Vacations.

The Wilsons currently own Orange Lake Resorts, consisting of four resort properties, and will convert them all to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand, starting with the flagship property in Orlando in December. With 2,412 villas, the Orlando resorts is the largest single site timeshare resort in the world.

This marks IHG's first move into the timeshare market, through an exclusive licensing and marketing agreement. Orange Lake will continue to own, operate and develop these timeshare resorts.

"Holiday Inn will be able to take advantage of the fastest growing segment in the industry today," Solomons said of the timeshare segment.

"We continue to set new standards in how people vacation," said Spence Wilson, whose father, Kemmons Wilson, founded Holiday Inn and opened the first property in 1952. "Our family is very excited because we share the same vision and excitement for the two companies."

Later, Tom Corcoran, who owns several IHG properties, accepted the role as chairman of the IAHI, a group of IHG property owners. Corcoran said his main goals for his year as chairman are to get all Holiday Inn properties updated and actually move the brand into the upscale segment.

"This time we got it right. We are making sure we have the support from the bottom up and not just the top down," Corcoran said. "If we can increase [average daily rates] by $10 we can advance into [the upscale] segment. I challenge each of to you to stay committed to the relaunch."

Lodging conference is here!

The opening evening of the Lodging Conference, held at the beautiful Biltmore resort in Phoenix, was a pleasant affair, with food and wine in abundance. Maybe it was the pleasant weather this evening, but I didn't hear a lot of gnashing of teeth about the economy. We'll see what they say in the actual panels and general sessions over the next couple of days, and determine how that holds up. I'm not holding my breath.

I'm not sure what it is, but I seem to have some bad luck with hotel rooms now that I'm actively working in the hotel industry. My first stay at a luxury property involved stolen artwork ... something I'll write about one of these days; I even have photos to prove it. Tonight, my issues (at a hotel near the Biltmore) were far smaller. First, one of my two fancy flatscreen television sets wouldn't work. Maybe it was the remote control ... a dead battery? On a whim, I looked behind the dresser to make sure that the TV was actually plugged in, and believe it or not, that was the problem. Fancy that.

I plugged it in and tried the remote again. It still didn't turn on, but it made a weird, loud whirring noise in back, which continued for about 20 minutes. At that point, I lost my patience and realized why the guest before me unplugged the darn thing. I did likewise.

Later, I took a shower after a quick jog, and found that the hot water wasn't more than lukewarm. These are both things that I probably could have gone either way on, but being the interested observer I now am, I figured I'd report the problem, to see what would happen. The young woman at the front desk was a little too casual when I approached ("What is it?" she asked me point-blank), but she promised to have someone look into both problems while I was at dinner.

I returned to my room and found a cute little box of two chocolates and a note from the engineer saying that he'd fixed both problems. The TV works now—well, almost, not sure if static is part of the HD experience. I haven't yet checked the hot water, but the note, which let me know that someone indeed responded to my issues, was a nice surprise. And hey, nothing cures a problem quite like chocolate does ...

The new luxury

Since we launched Luxury Hotelier magazine a year ago, many discussions have revolved around defining luxury. Lately, I have experienced what some in the hotel industry have called “the new luxury.” Fashion forward design, a tone of casual elegance and conversational, personalized service are some of the hallmarks of luxury hotels that are targeting guests who find more traditional luxury to be stuffy and scripted. It’s a more informal approach to luxury. At the other end of the spectrum are hotel owners who want their hotels rated six or even seven stars to cater to guests seeking lavish design and exclusivity.


I just spent a lovely long weekend in California and visited the Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach (suite pictured), where luxury means drinks by a fire ring at the outdoor lounge with stunning views of the sunset. Coastal cuisine is served at the aptly named Splashes restaurant, where waves break 25 feet below large windows that open wide to let in the sound of the Pacific. Service at the hotel is warm and relaxed: bellmen know the best place in town for fish tacos just as well as the concierge does.

Last month, I had the pleasure of visiting the two W Hotels properties in Chicago: City Center (lobby—complete with lamps that make you feel like Alice in Wonderland—pictured below) and Lakeshore. The W brand is what I think of when people talk about new luxury. From the whimsical wording on the room service menu to the little touches in the Munchie Box (aka the minibar), such as the Survival Kit, (a boxed set of Diane Von Furstenburg mini lip glosses, mascara and perfume) and the Intimacy Kit (I’ll let you guess), W doesn’t take itself too seriously. That’s not to say anything is lacking in the hotel’s quality or pampering service. It’s more about the tone—playful, but still smart enough to know what guests want.


I recently had the opportunity to interview Frits van Paasschen, president and chief executive officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts for the past year, at the W New York, and he talked about how luxury has evolved.
“It’s the notion of your typical banker is not your typical banker anymore,” he said. “Luxury and formality and tradition do not necessarily have to go hand in hand. One person’s definition of luxury is a more current sense of style, and another person’s definition is a 400-year-old hotel in Italy.”

You can read more from the interview with van Paasschen in our September issue of Luxury Hotelier. But while we’re on the subject of the new CEO, one of the first things that struck me about van Paasschen—and I think this plays to the idea of the new luxury—is his approachability. Van Paasschen was eager to speak to the media in June during the NYU investment conference, and he was happy to share the company’s direction when I interviewed him for Luxury Hotelier and the Oct. 6 issue of Hotel & Motel Management. That might not sound particularly noteworthy, but I have covered Starwood for four years now, and this has not always been the case with the company’s top leaders. Van Paasschen is big on teamwork and has set out a vision for the company that he has been working hard to communicate to employees. His approachable nature will serve him well in this industry and at Starwood.

We know you designers are social ...

... so please check out our new Facebook group for Hotel Design magazine. It is located at:

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26299669321

It is completely free to join and participate. You're welcome to post photos of your favorite projects, videos, links—and even start discussion topics. We know you want everyone to see your great work, so here's your chance to get noticed!

Making a difference

Earlier this week, I talked a bit about the Embassy Suites Make a Difference Training Camp, held at the Pointe Hilton–Tapatio Cliffs Resort. In retrospect, it was a very special event that touched many attendees' hearts.

Main sessions included a brand update, along with discussions on mentoring and customer resource management tools. Breakout sessions delved into the ways each attendee could make a difference at their property by how they interacted with and treated their coworkers and guests. These were built around five themes: building trust, respect and confidence with each other; connecting with each other; making an impact; using your intuition; and using your style.

Tamara Acuna, breakfast ambassador, Embassy Suites Miami–International Airport, was inspired by the program and looked forward to spreading the spirit of the event at her hotel.

“I’m very excited, I’m speechless, and I’m honored that I was selected for this program,” said Acuna. “I’m taking to my team all of this motivation. I’m going to make sure that they feel inspired and motivated and confident in everything they do. Nothing can stop us.”

Organizers also had a special surprise in store for the attendees. As part of a team-building exercise, the teams each broke into three sub-teams and were given bicycles to construct. Unbeknownst to the teams, more than 50 underprivileged schoolchildren from the Phoenix area were waiting in a nearby ballroom. After the bikes were completed, the children were brought in to see their new gifts.

Jenay Peters, sales associate at the Embassy Suites Milpitas-Silicon Valley, felt grateful to be a part of the whole process.

“This unique idea shows us all how doing things for others however big or small, can really make a difference,” said Peters. “I am honored to have been chosen not only to partake in this … but also to be able make this change happen, starting with me.”

Peter's fellow teammate from Milpitas-Silicon Valley, Porsché R. Green, also weighed in.

"Though it was training, I felt that it was a great opportunity to bond with fellow Embassy Suites employees and receive feedback on how each property works. I will forever remember the people that I met, and the joy that we all  brought to the children from the Boys & Girls Club. That day touched my heart the most and brought us all close together."

Wyndham uniforms go green with recycled plastic

Wyndham’s got me on this one.

It’s a uniform. It’s trendy, hip and easily personalized to convey an employee’s own style. It’s environmentally friendly. And made of … plastic?

It’s not that I have any opposition to going green. I, like anyone else, applaud it, and I think the industry is doing a great job. Here at H&MM, I’m in charge of writing our green news briefs and am floored every time I see the full e-mail account of press releases. Everyone seems to be doing their part these days, and it makes me even more aware to make sure I collect my own recyclables at home to place on the curb for pick-up day.

But, back to the suit … here’s the gist of Wyndham Hotel Group’s press release:

“Select Wyndham hotels will introduce the new uniforms beginning this fall by job category. Front desk and other customer–facing employees are required to begin wearing the new uniforms by the end of 2009 and housekeeping and other back–of–house staff by 2010. All new properties are required to provide the new uniforms upon opening.

The textiles are produced from post–consumer products, including recycled plastic beverage bottles, which are processed into flakes, then filaments that are spun into yarn and ultimately woven into very soft fabrics. Recycling polymers keeps more plastics out of landfills.

The uniforms, which do not require professional laundering, minimize the use of chemicals during cleaning and provide a cost savings to hotel operators.

Cincinnati–based Cintas Corp. will design and manufacture the uniforms and continue to introduce new eco–friendly fabrics for the Wyndham apparel program.”

While Wyndham said these uniforms have been tested by employees and were well liked, I have concerns. OK, I have one concern: Is this really the best fabric to work in?

I understand that we’re talking uniforms here, and even an upscale hotel isn’t exactly going to be dressing its staff in silk and cashmere. But these people are working; they’re at the front desk sweating complaints from angry guests and making sure all rooms are clean and ready for check-in. This is not your standard office job.

And, even if it was, I think we all need to be wearing fibers that breath. Who knows, maybe I’ve watched too many episodes of TLC’s “What Not to Wear,” but I think I might have a legitimate point here. I would love to try out the fabric to see for myself. And, honestly, I hope I’m wrong and this is one of the greatest green initiatives we’ve seen so far from the industry.

Wyndham will be featuring the new uniforms Nov. 8-11 at the 2008 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center at the Cintas Corp. trade show booth. While this, unfortunately, is a conference I can’t attend this year, I do hope that our editors who are going to be there will definitely make the booth a stop on their lists.

Russian intrigue

Moscow has been on my mind lately—my Russian visa just arrived this morning, in fact. I'm excited about the prospects for next month's Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (RHIC), to be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow on October 21-22.

"The key to investing successfully in emerging markets is firstly timing, closely followed by evaluation of risk and reward," said Mark Wynne-Smith, CEO, Europe, Middle East and Africa of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. "The hotel investment opportunities presented by the BRIC countries are numerous."

The RHIC program is led by a powerful line-up of more than 60 speakers, including HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who is Conference Patron—and the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov, who will receive the Leadership Award.

"The hotel market in Russia and the CIS is in its infancy and RHIC offers a fabulous opportunity for senior executives from the hospitality industry to explore the development potential in the region, meet investment partners, and uncover new business opportunities," said Jonathan Worsley, RHIC conference co-organiser. "With the government's plans for infrastructure spending, Russia and the CIS countries represent one of the biggest investment opportunities globally in the hospitality industry."

The conference is jointly organised by The Bench and Questex Media Group, Inc.

To read more about the Russian market, you can also check out the September 2008 issue of The Hotel Times magazine. The cover story, "Hurry up and wait," explores the current hotel investment market in Russian and the CIS, and looks into what the future holds in this dynamic area of the world.

Inventive promotion in Central Park

Since I've been at Hotel & Motel Management, it feels like I've heard a lot about Starwood Hotels & Resorts. And even if I haven't, Starwood news always seems to stick with me for some reason. Their latest idea is a good example of this.

On Monday, Starwood recreated lounges it's implementing in its Sheraton brand in New York's Central Park. These lounges sprawl over 34,000 square feet and are there to allow those strolling through on a crisp fall day to feel at home, with Internet access, webcams, TV, daily newspapers and snacks. The company is offering free WiFi in the the park's Sheep Meadow until the end of September.

The Sheraton lounges are called "The Link (at) Sheraton experienced with Microsoft," and represent part of the $4 billion Starwood is spending on the Sheraton brand.

The Central Park promotion sounds like a great idea. Before introducing what it feels is a new, trendy addition to one of its brands, it is (sort of) giving away free samples—like the pretzel stand in the mall handing out its newest cinnamon twist pretzel on toothpicks. Only instead of a pretzel, you can watch TV and check on your fantasy football team. Plus, the location of this promotion targets the right demographic. These samples aren't being handed out to just anybody—this could certainly influence a few business people into trying the Sheraton on their next trip. It may be perceived as over the top, but I think its a winning idea for Starwood.

Not a room for a technophobe

CityCenter's ARIA Resort and Casino, slated to open in late 2009, claims that its rooms will be the most technologically advanced in the U.S. That's a pretty big claim, but the list of what they're planning is impressive. Here's a look at what they're implementing to make it happen:

The guestroom experience

• As guests approach their room or suite, it will recognize if it is their first time in the room and “greet” them as they enter. Light will fill the room, the curtains part to showcase the spectacular city or mountain views, and the TV will turn on to display a list of automated controls for guests to personalize.

• Seamless, integrated one-touch control of guestroom features, including lighting, room temperature, television/video systems, music, wake-up calls, draperies and requests for services through a single remote control. Each nightstand also will feature a 7-inch panel with touch-screen technology that navigates the same room settings as the remote. All settings will be remembered.

 
• Guests can select “scenes” matching their mood or preference, which modify all settings at once. For example, each room will feature a “good night” button next to the bed. With one touch, guests can turn off the lights, TV and/or music; shut the curtains; and turn on the privacy notification for the room.

• All guestrooms will have keyless locks utilizing RFID technology, which enables guests to unlock the door by flashing their key over the lock sensor. The electronic key cannot be demagnetized, thus reducing key failure.

• Each room will include a 42-inch LCD HDTV that allows guests to connect their laptop and enjoy a big-screen monitor; watch a multitude of domestic and international channels in rich high-definition quality; plug in video devices such as game consoles or cameras; control room automation; and enjoy their MP3 players.

• The television also will serve as a convenient communications center; when on, the TV will automatically display messages pertaining to new voicemails or package receipts and more.

• The classic clock radio will be replaced with TV settings that can wake guests up gradually through controlled temperature, lighting, curtain opening and preferred music, delivering a subtle and more soothing wake-up experience.

Wired and Wireless
• All guestrooms will be networked with fiber offering one gigabit of bandwidth; wireless Internet connectivity will be up to 8 times faster (128 kilobytes) than the average U.S. guestroom today.

• All in-room devices also will be on the network, enabling the property to easily “communicate” with the room to perform special requests or maintenance. Whether a remote needs new batteries or a MiniBar needs replenishing, most needs can be identified and resolved before the guest is even aware.

• CityCenter will have the largest Distributed Antenna System in the world, covering more than 14 million square feet. More than 6,500 antennas coupled with over 2,900 wireless access points will enable WiFi not only in every room but also anywhere on the CityCenter campus.

Sustainable Choices
• Green settings on the room’s remote system will allow guests the opportunity to voluntarily “green their stay” by indicating their preferred light level, room temperature and frequency of linen and towel changes.

• Systems also can be programmed to automatically put a room into unoccupied status upon checkout—turning down or off the heating/cooling system, televisions, lights and any appliances.

Why should we worry?

Since last December, when we started to put together our special issue of Hotel & Motel Management, The Advisor, I have heard day in and day out about the troubling economic times and how they might affect the hotel industry. At first, it seemed a little Chicken Little to me—people couldn't really stop traveling, could they? Would they? And since the answer in my head to both questions was "no," the corresponding next thought to enter my brain was "Well, then they'll need a place to stay." And that was about the extent of my worry as to the future of hotels.

My worries were ignited today, as I sat in on a webinar, "The Future of Leisure Travel: Outlook & Sales Strategies," sponsored by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International as part of the HSMAI University webinar series.

David Bratton, the founder of Destination Analysts, was the first speaker and he marked people's typical worries off on a laundry list—and brought up even more. A survey Destination Analysts conducted online in July, The State of the American Traveler, uncovered the thoughts and travel patterns of 1,000 American leisure travelers (with leisure traveler defined as having taken at least one leisure trip in the past 12 months). It turns out, people aren't traveling—as much—nor are they spending as much when they do travel.

When asked how many leisure trips of more than 100 miles they have taken in the last 12 months, the average was 5.1—a 7.3-percent drop from January's survey and a significant drop from January 2007's mark of 5.7 trips. When asked how gasoline prices have changed leisure travel, 47.2 percent said that they've actually taken fewer trips than they had wanted, and one in four said that they've reduced spending on other items—including hotels.

Another notable point: When asked whether they expected to travel more, less or the same amount for leisure in the coming 12 months as they did in the previous 12 months, the number of people who intend to travel less nearly tripled since January—from 10.5 percent to 28.8 percent.

If they actually get on the road (or in the air), Americans are becoming more thrifty. In every State of the American Traveler survey since July 2006, about 10 to 12 percent of respondents said they would cut back on their spending in travel for the next 12 months. This July, "we’ve had this shift now where 29 percent are saying 'I’m going to cut back on spending,'" Bratton said, noting that in all the surveys he's conducted, it's abnormal to see such a dramatic shift.

And while many people said tighter budgets would lead them to seek out bargains and discounts in travel, Bratton urged listeners to hold strong. "By no means I’m saying you have to discount to attract people, but certainly a large share of leisure travelers are going to be looking for discounts," he said. "The bottom line on this, I think that consumers … are concerned about the economy and about gas prices and the like. ... If I asked people to take the survey today, I’d be willing to bet you 100 bucks that things would be a little worse [than reported in July]."

So what do we do to make it better? Should I be worried—or am I now the one not necessarily worried that the sky is falling, but that the vital statistics of the industry are?

Training the front line

I'm here in Phoenix for a few days, witnessing something that I don't think has been done before in the hospitality industry. Embassy Suites has flown two employees from each of their 190+ properties here for a training exercise, with the theme of "Make a Difference."

So, what's so special about it? This is not your run-of-the mill brand conference, full of general managers and owners. This is something specifically designed for front-line workers, the people who are interacting with guests and making the properties run. You know, the people who make a hotel a home-away-from-home, more than just a building full of rooms and beds.

Back in June, general managers were told that they had a few weeks to select the two people from their property who would attend this event. The people selected could not be management types. But beyond that, the decision was left up to each property. Some locations had management vote on who would go. Others knew exactly what standout people to send. Still others allowed the employees to select who the lucky two would be.

The approximately 400 people here are boisterous and excited about being able to move their careers forward in a way that many in their positions are unable. They're also excited about being ambassadors of sorts, bringing the corporate messages, sense of excitement and treat-your-coworker-and-guests-the-way-you-want-to-be-treated ethic back to their properties. This evening's program got off to a great start with dynamic and fun presentations by Jim Holthouser, senior vice president–brand management (who even played the piano to thunderous applause) and Rick McCue, vice president of brand performance and support. The evening reminded me of a revival meeting, due to the passion shown by the attendees.

I've met a lot of great, hard-working people from all over the country. Some have been with the company for the better part of a decade, others a scant few months. One woman from South Carolina gushed that this had been her first time on an airplane. This kind of companywide training can't come cheap, but it seems to me that it will have an impact on employee retention levels, and that, in itself, could pay in the long run.

Have a heart

If you're attending next week's HD Boutique Design show in Miami Beach, you may want to check out the wonderful ISHP event that is being held to benefit Hollywood Heart, a charity organization that helps send children afflicted with AIDS to the Camp Pacific Heartland. The reception will be held at The Fifth (1045 5th St., 305-538-9898) on Tuesday, September 16, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  

For more information on this worthwhile event, please email Neil Locke or Stacy Silver.

Finding the products you need

It can certainly be difficult to find the right product for your property. That's not to say that there aren't enough ice machines or wallcovering suppliers out there. On the contrary, typing in either term into a popular search engine will give you far more than you could sift through in a lifetime.

This is one of the reasons we continue to produce our annual Suppliers Directory. We pare down the list to qualified, appropriate suppliers who work with the lodging industry. We're gearing up toward our 2009 edition, which will be mailed to all 54,000 of our subscribers along with our December 8th issue. But you can also peruse the 2008 version—24/7—at our online version of the directory.

The product categories include:

• cleaning and maintenance

• education and associations

• equipment

• finance

• food and beverage

• franchising

• HR and professional services

• furniture, fixtures and furnishings

• legal

• guest amenities

• property development

• sales and marketing

• soft goods

• technology

Please take a look and try out the online directory today, I think you'll be impressed with the work that our team has put into the product.

Improve the meetings at your property

Most hotels in the midscale-and-up segments focus a significant amount of daily operations on hosting business meetings. After all, hosting business meetings can provide large revenues for a property.
Which is why, when invited to Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s 2008 Affordable Meetings National event at the Walter E. Washington center in Washington, D.C., I jumped at the opportunity. Making coverage even more relevant to Hotel & Motel Management readers, this year HSMAI introduced Event Technology Expo, a tradeshow within a tradeshow that focuses on advances in digital applications and Web 2.0 services that take planning and hosting meetings to the next level.
“Event Technology is on everyone’s mind,” said Rob Weissman, co-producer of the show. “There is a heck of a lot of education needed.”

Allen Blue, VP of product strategy and co-founder of LinkedIn, a web portal for networking professionals, delivered the keynote address. Blue introduced a new component to LinkedIn — LinkedIn Events — that will help event planners coordinate and promote events and track attendees. Blue said the new component will be an automatic “word of mouth” tool. “If I say I’m attending or exhibiting, that information becomes available,” he said.
A beta version of LinkedIn Events is up and running starting today and event planners can start listing their events for free at events.linkedin.com. The official release of the seed will occur in October and planners will then be able to start building attendee lists and notifying other LinkedIn members of their meetings.
After Blue’s announcement, I caught up with him to chat about how LinkedIn Events will affect the meeting host, presumably a hotel or convention center.
“We are working on making LinkedIn Events valuable for attendees, organizers and the hospitality providers,” he said. “Let’s imagine you’ve got people attending an event, and they are able to discuss the event on LinkedIn. That information can be turned around and used to benefit the hotel. Imagine a system where hotels can build a reputation on past successful events.”

Later on the tradeshow floor, I had a chance to chat with Amber Muslusky, who is part of the sales team at the Wyndham Cleveland near Playhouse Square, right down the street from the Hotel & Motel Management editorial offices. Muslusky was part of a team at Affordable Meetings promoting Cleveland and the benefits of holding meetings there. She updated me on her property’s recent renovation of its meeting space and the acquisition of a new GM. Muslusky promised H&MM an exclusive tour of the remodeled property, so look out for photos from that in the future.

Join our new Facebook group

Our flagship publication, Hotel & Motel Management magazine, has been around for an amazing 133 years. In that time, we've continued to provide content for our industry in numerous ways, from print magazines to digital issues to eNewsletters to websites to even this very blog.

Now, we're excited about our newest foray online—into the world of social networking. Please check out and join the new H&MM Facebook group. I think that you'll find this group useful and interesting. You'll be able to share your favorite links, photos, videos and discussion items on the group page. And if you haven't yet had a chance to check out Facebook, here's your chance to safely dip your toes into the social networking water. What started out as a college-only social site is increasingly marketing itself to business professionals ... and chances are, many of your colleagues—and competitors—as using it already.

Call for entries!

Hospitality operators and designers take note! It's time to submit your entries for HotelWorld's second annual Global Hospitality & Design Awards. Awards will be presented in two categories: Hospitality and Design.

Hospitality Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Sustainable hotel of the year
  
• Corporate citizen of the year
  
• Hotelier of the year
  
• Owner of the year
  
• Opening of the year
  
• Ten to watch

Design Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Design of the year
  
• Best guestroom design in luxury, full-service and limited-service segments
  
• Best lobby/public space design in luxury, full-service and limited-service segments
  
• Best restaurant/lounge design in luxury and full-service segments
  
• Best spa design
  

Winners will be feted at a gala celebration, March 3, 2009, during the HotelWorld conference in Las Vegas. Winners also will be showcased in Hotel & Motel Management and Hotel Design magazines. Finally, winners will take home a beautiful, custom-designed sculpture, pictured above.

Don't miss out! Get the recognition and kudos you deserve. Download your entry form at www.hotelworldexpo.com. Submissions are due October 31. Questions? Contact us at hotelworldawards@questex.com.

Pink sheets for the cure

I never will forget the first time I ran in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was 1999 and I lived in Washington, D.C., the city that held the largest race. I had never seen that many people together in one place, doing the same thing.

As I chugged up a hill near the end I came up next to a young man, probably in his early 40s. He wore a pink note pinned to his back. Pink notes are for people who run the race in memory of someone who has died of breast cancer. This runner's pink note said, "In memory of my wife." He held the hand of a little girl, who looked about six, with long brown braids, a baseball cap and a pink note on the back of her own T-shirt that said, "In memory of my mom."

There's something to be said about the power of a group of people working toward the same goal. That's how I felt that day, and how I feel every time I run the race. We are running so nobody has to wear pink notes anymore.

This October, guests can book a room at any Hard Rock Hotel nationwide and get into bed for the cure with Hard Rock Hotels’ Pink Sheets, part of Hard Rock International’s worldwide Pinktober campaign to benefit breast cancer awareness.

Guests visiting the Hard Rock in San Diego, Biloxi, Chicago, Orlando, Hollywood or Tampa during October can request a guestroom with the brand's special pink Sleep Like a Rock bedding. Twenty-five percent of the room rate will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Hard Rock has sponsored its own breast cancer research campaign for nine years.

More new designs

Here's a look at the "Unique" design scheme (as previously mentioned) that is being rolled out by La Quinta ...

A "Vibrant" design look

Redesigning a brand is never easy, especially when hundreds of properties are involved. But consumers expect things to be fresh, and those who stay with outdated looks do so at their own peril.

"A couple years ago, we decided it was time to start looking at new designs,” said La Quinta President and CEO Wayne Goldberg.

The company hired five design firms and had each design a room, with no limitations. Using their Dallas Fort Worth-South location, La Quinta gave each firm a blank box of a room to design and decorate.

“The room of the future for us, so to speak,” Goldberg said.

Once the rooms were complete, they had customers come in and stay in the five rooms, and then held focus groups to see what worked and what guests preferred.

La Quinta now has three new basic design schemes—code-named Unique, Fresh and Vibrant—in their corporately owned hotels, along with a few additional styles for franchises.

Vibrant, a direct result of one of the original five test rooms, is one they use selectively, generally in more corporate locations or large central business districts. It is currently deployed in 26 hotels, and is slated for use in a major new downtown Chicago property that will open in the first quarter of 2009. Locations done in the Vibrant style feature bolder colors and patterns than historically featured in La Quinta properties. Rooms feature burnt orange, pale green and other surprising—but pleasing—hues. The lobby is awash in yellows and reds and even the fitness centers get into the act, with oversized corporate slogans and inspiring phrases splashed across a melon-colored wall.

The majority of the redesigned locations—about 50—are done in the Unique style, and 15 in Fresh, a more tropical look that is being used in locations like Florida and Los Angeles.

“They all share the same element—you will not walk into one of those rooms and not realize that the hotel has been renovated. They’re distinct,” said Angelo Lombardi, EVP and COO.

See more samples of the Vibrant look below.

Starwood scores

I admit it. I am a slave to points.

If you offer me a way to earn them, I promise I will excel at it. I’ll focus on a goal to reach, horde them until I meet it and then relish in my “purchase” that I like to view as having come free of charge (kind of).

And, also, I don’t think I’m alone.

So for all of those like me out there, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has come up with something for us to work for. And as far as loyalty programs, rewards or any of it goes, you have to admit this one is pretty cool.

As part of its no blackout dates program for cashing in on Starpoints, those enrolled in the Starwood Preferred Guest program will see that flexibility extend beyond hotel rooms. Now SPG offers its members hundreds of flights, with no blackout dates, on domestic and international airlines and on any preferred flight in the class of service they choose.

Again, pretty cool.

Members can go to www.spg.com/flights to book travel just like on any other third-party booking site. I easily found flights from right here in Cleveland, even during the Christmas holiday. The Starpoints can be redeemed for the entire cost of the flight, and members may even earn airline miles while doing it.

Now, granted, it looks like it would cost 20,000 points or more for me to fly just to Orlando. And I’m not quite sure how many Starwood stays it would take for me to ever make it there. But I’m starting to smell a challenge, so here goes nothing.

General manager survey time!

Let's admit it--we're a society that likes to know what other people are thinking about, spending money on and worried about. The same holds true for the hotel industry.

Every year, we give Hotel & Motel Management readers a glimpse into the mind of the general manager. How much money does he or she make? How much vacation time does he or she get? What worries keep him or her up at night? We'll answer those questions and more in our November issue.

Participate in the survey now! If you're a general manager, follow this link to fill out the short survey. Then look for the aggregated responses in November. Let's get the conversation started...

Hotels better prepared?

Sometimes chaos has a silver lining, and for the hotel industry--especially in the Gulf Coast--that comes in the form of disaster preparedness. Over the last few days I noticed several articles addressing how hotels and motels prepared for Gustav's potential Katrina-like forces.

This time it seems Gulf Coast hoteliers knew better what to expect in terms of their own preparedness and to maximize business for people who need rooms.

Click here for an article from Forbes.com titled "For New Orleans, Business Unusual."

This post, from the LA Times' Daily Travel & Deal Blog (a good read any day of the year), names the independent and branded properties in New Orleans that closed and stayed open.

And for the historical perspective, here are a few articles from Hotel & Motel Management on post-Katrina hotel business in the Gulf Coast:
• "Hotels struggle to replace Katrina-related business," H&MM, May 15, 2006
• "Industry expects to rebound from Katrina's devastation," H&MM, Oct. 3, 2005

The newest in Luxury

Luxury Hotelier, our award winning magazine, is busy celebrating its first anniversary. One of the exciting things we're doing to finish out 2008 in grand style is the creation of a special Ultra Openings issue, slated for December. This issue will focus on the editors' picks of what have been the most impressive luxury hotels that have opened their doors in the past 18 months.

If your four- or five-star property has opened in that time period, I'd like to personally invite you to nominate it for Ultra Openings. We've just extended the deadline for submissions to September 26th. There is no cost to submit. Just visit this link for the application form.