Hotel Operations

🎨 Portraits were created in 2023 as gifts for friends by hand. They reflect the artist's appreciation for friendships, taking hours or days to complete each unique piece. This personal approach contrasts with the efficiency-driven world. At Live Oak Lake, guests received handwritten notes and homemade cookies, highlighting genuine hospitality. Will Guidara’s "Unreasonable Hospitality" discusses such practices. The emphasis is on creating irreplicable, meaningful experiences over scalable, automated ones.

📝 Surveys offer hotels actionable insights missing from third-party reviews, which are reactive, unstructured, and public. TrustYou’s CXP platform aggregates reviews and surveys, allowing hotels to unify guest feedback, analyze sentiment trends, and respond swiftly with AI tools. Surveys, being private, often yield honest feedback, aiding in proactive guest experience management. Utilizing surveys effectively can enhance reputation management and improve guest experiences, with hotels reporting an 80% reduction in response time and doubled response rates.

📅 In 2026, Otelier offers a Hotel Planning Calendar for hotel operations, designed for finance and commercial teams. It includes operational meetings, strategic milestones, and financial planning. Weekly tasks include team standups and labor scheduling; monthly tasks cover accounting closes. Budgeting occurs from August to October. Otelier, serving over 10,000 hotels globally, provides real-time data solutions across 30 years of experience. Download the calendar for detailed planning and industry event tracking throughout 2026.

📈 Horst Schulze, at the International Luxury Hotel Association event, emphasized true hospitality over hotel products. He highlighted the $2,000 Rule, empowering Ritz-Carlton staff to resolve guest issues, equating it to risk management for a customer worth $200,000. Schulze critiqued modern corporate culture, advocating for leadership over mere management. He views technology as a facilitator, not a replacement for human connection, urging the industry to prioritize dignity and human touch in luxury hospitality.

📈 Dec 18, 2025. Hotels are shifting focus to systematic follow-ups to convert demand into bookings. Lead nurturing using CRM systems is now critical, as guest decision paths are non-linear, involving multiple devices and channels. Automation enhances response speed, while personalized communication boosts conversion rates and revenue. Performance gains are measurable, but technology gaps can hinder success. Long-term relationships are strengthened through consistent post-stay communication, increasing guest loyalty and repeat business.

📍 Williamsburg, Virginia—OTH Hotels Resorts (OTH) announced managing Crowne Plaza Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh South. The 179-room hotel, located in Pittsburgh's South Hills, features 13,000 sq. ft. of event space, a restaurant, a pool, and a fitness center. Situated near major sports venues, the hotel will undergo enhancements by 2026. OTH aims to boost performance and guest experience, focusing on full-service amenities and community connection.

🏨 Agnelo Fernandes, CEO of Cote Hospitality, discusses the challenges in the current hospitality industry due to flattening demand and rising costs. He highlights that labor conditions won’t normalize soon and stresses the importance of simplicity and adaptability for competitive advantage. Agnelo introduces the “52 Games a Year” mindset, viewing performance as a series of wins and losses. This people-first approach helps drive sustainable performance while preserving the essence of hospitality.

🍬 Gen Z and Millennials are drawn to global flavors, like Japanese candies, boosting hotel experiences. Self-serve candy stations enhance social media opportunities and upsell potential. Hotels leverage private-label confections for branding, with items like sea salt caramels. Seasonal treats, such as peppermint barks, offer upsell options. Custom and international candies create unique guest experiences, and social media posts influence booking decisions. Nassau Candy promotes these strategies through tailored confectionery solutions.

📖 Agnelo Fernandes, CEO of Cote Hospitality, discusses the GUIDE mentorship program, designed to develop internal leaders and improve retention. The program emphasizes two-way mentorship and human connection over hierarchy, enhancing personal branding in leadership. Results include stronger retention, deeper engagement, and a growing pipeline of future leaders. This approach demonstrates mentorship's strategic role in hospitality. Listen to the episode for actionable insights to boost your business and team.

📖 In December 2025, Orlando introduces a new theme park named "Epic." Doug Kennedy, associated with Kennedy Training Network, emphasizes "EPIC" qualities crucial for hospitality: Enthusiasm, Proactivity, Intuition, and Connection. These "heart skills" are vital in creating memorable guest experiences and preventing "heart failure," a leading cause of business loss. Research shows prosocial behaviors, like connecting and comforting, yield positive responses, enhancing workplace enjoyment and personal happiness.