By L. Aruna Dhir: The first thing that everybody unanimously agrees on is that “relocation” comes with the territory of being an Hotelier. I decided to quiz some of my hotel and industry friends to find out what it is like to live from Delhi to Damascus, Scandinavia to Shanghai.
Interview with Christoph Ganster, General Manager of Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: Christoph Ganster is currently the youngest general manager in the Fairmont family. He was selected as the opening GM for te Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv, having previously served as GM for Fairmont's Cairo property. I met him in the hotel's Strand Restaurant for breakfast, which gave us a chance to discuss the launch and the progress to date.
Why On Hold Messages Hurt Your Hotel Business
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: You know the deal. You call a restaurant or a hotel and are immediately put on hold, often before you get an opportunity to speak to an operator. Annoying at best, but quite understandable given the peaks and valleys in call rate and recognizing that telephone staff has its limits.
Reviewing Abigails Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: This is an example of a hotel off the beaten track of mainstay tourists which nonetheless thrives in such conditions. After all, Abigail's Hotel (www.abigailshotel.com/) is not affiliated with either a major chain or a representation firm such as Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotels & Resorts or Relais & Chateaux. Yet, with Abigail's ranking as the top property in Victoria, British Columbia, on TripAdvisor, I needed to learn more about their secrets to success.
Interview with Heather McCrory, Regional Vice President for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and General Manager Fairmont Royal York
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: Heather McCrory has been called a "Hotel Superwoman" for her abilities. I asked her how she manages the seemingly impossible task of being GM of Canada's largest hotel, let alone her other responsibilities?
Visit Phillys Leap Of Faith On Instagram
By Frederic Gonzalo: In this day and age of social media, blogs, user reviews and forums, travelers seek authenticity when thinking about their next trip destination. In fact, according to TripAdvisor's annual TripBarometer study published in March 2013, 69% of travelers said review sites are the most influential in their booking decision process. And once we know where we want to go, who do we trust? Expert opinions in travel magazines, comments on Tripadvisor or recommendations from friends and family are all valid options. But what about hearing it from the locals?
Weddings Increase Revenue and Decrease Effort So What Are You Waiting For?
By Susan Vladeck, Ph.D.: In the February 13, 2013 e.hotelier.com newsletter Larry Mogelonsky wrote “Weddings are a fantastic business both revenue-generating and recession-proof. It's amazing to me that many properties fail to actively support their weddings.” He is right on target.
Travel & Hospitality Industry Among Top Web Performers
By Frederic Gonzalo: A January 2013 study by Adobe looked at how various industries performed across various devices and how these industries’ websites performed in certain specific categories, including site stickiness, smartphone and tablet traffic, among others. In the travel and hospitality industry, we tend to focus and compare ourselves between transportation companies, i.e. airlines, car rentals, trains, etc. hotel chains and perhaps destinations (DMOs). But how do we compare with financial services, retail, high tech or perhaps even media & entertainment? That’s where this study becomes enlightening.
Hotelier Notes from Season One of Fawlty Towers
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: Sometimes in order to understand what sets the bar for good service in the hotel industry, you have to gaze upon the dark underbelly of what is truly and horrifically bad. It's all about contrast; the yin and the yang. To know what would qualify your establishment as a lemon, you need only taking one passing look at Fawlty Towers, the 1970s 12-episode British sitcom starring the magnetic John Cheese as the titular rural English B&B owner and operator, Basil Fawlty.
Hotel Lessons Learned from Downton Abbey
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: For those unfamiliar, Downton Abbey is a spectacularly produced period drama set on the titular aristocratic estate just outside of London in the period in and around World War One. Setting aside any spoilers, my focus today is on the lessons learned applicable to our jobs some one hundred years after the time period of this show. Without any further convincing or buttressing, let's dive in and see.
