Hotel Operations

🏨 May 22, 2025, Kevin Kelleher, a former hotel leader and current account manager at Actabl, shared insights on the Hospitality Daily Podcast about hotel pre-opening and opening processes. His essential playbook aims to help avoid costly mistakes during these crucial phases. Check out the full episode for more expert advice on successful hotel launches.

🏨 Hotels historically operated as fragmented entities based on early 20th-century management theories like Taylor's "Scientific Management," emphasizing specialization for efficiency. Modern travelers demand seamless, personalized experiences, challenging hotels to break silos. This involves cross-functional collaboration across five stages: Attract, Capture, Prepare, Deliver, and Review. Embracing a guest-centric culture requires shared information, empowered employees, and aligned incentives, fostering loyalty and excellence beyond departmental confines.

📚 May 21, 2025 - Kevin Kelleher, a former hotel leader, now an account manager at Actabl, reveals insights on leadership in the Hospitality Daily Podcast. His discussion focuses on how excessive hard work can sometimes hinder leadership effectiveness in the hospitality industry.

📅 Hoteliers are urged to view the low season as a strategic opportunity rather than a challenge. Key motivations for off-peak travelers include experiencing value, tranquility, unique seasonal atmospheres, and flexibility. Instead of mere discounts, hotels should offer value-driven packages with extras like extended checkout or seasonal amenities. Emphasizing the peacefulness and distinctive experiences available during these times can foster guest satisfaction and loyalty, transforming perceived low points into high-value engagements.

💳 Hotels utilizing D-EDGE payment solutions are seeing a 10-15% increase in direct booking conversions by offering diverse payment methods and a smooth booking process. In today's mobile-first world, these practices are crucial for preventing booking abandonment and enhancing hotel performance. Thousands of hotels have adopted this approach to improve business outcomes by ensuring a fast, flexible, and secure payment journey for guests.

🏨 Max Spangler, VP at Charlestowne Hotels, seeks scalable PMS systems tailored to varying hotel sizes. Matt Schwartz from Sage Hospitality highlights the value of strong partner relationships when PMS malfunctions. Matt Welle, CEO of Mews, notes growing automation adoption among hoteliers globally, even in slower-evolving markets. Richard Valtr, Mews founder, emphasizes the industry's need to evolve. Embracing intelligent hotel technologies is crucial as automation potential becomes more evident.

💻 Monbijou Hotel improved operational efficiency by consolidating its CRS with D-EDGE. Integrating with Oracle Suite8 (PMS) and Concardis PayEngine (PSP), the hotel achieved seamless data synchronization, ensuring booking accuracy and streamlined payment processing. This integration enhances the guest and staff experience, eliminating complexity from multiple provider handling for seamless connectivity and consistency.

🏨 Group bookings offer stability, predictable revenue, and operational ease, especially during low-demand periods. They allow booking in advance but may displace more profitable transient guests, who offer higher ADR and rate control. A revenue displacement analysis helps determine profitability by comparing group value to potential transient earnings. Example: $5,500 group revenue (10 rooms, 2 nights) versus $3,900 transient. For optimal decisions, leverage data insights and consider negotiation strategies.

💻 With tech advancements and evolving consumer behavior, hotel distribution channel management is crucial for optimizing inventory visibility and bookings. A hotel channel manager connects Property Management Systems (PMS) with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and Global Distribution Systems (GDS), synchronizing data in real-time. It prevents overbookings and provides analytics for data-driven decisions. Key criteria for choosing a channel manager include ease of use and system compatibility. Efficient management boosts revenue and occupancy rates.

☕ Hoteliers are enhancing guest experiences by broadening beverage offerings. In the U.S., 66% of people drank coffee yesterday, says the National Coffee Association, making coffee a critical offering. Vitamin-infused water and iced coffee are popular with younger guests. Labor-saving machines can automate services, with self-cleaning features reducing staff workload. Quality suppliers offer 24/7 maintenance and sustainability solutions. Bean-to-cup machines provide superior coffee, with 79% recognizing quality differences, as noted by Mintel research.