Hotel Operations

🏨 The hotel industry leverages the Unique Value Proposition (UVP) to distinguish itself in a competitive market, emphasizing unique offerings like luxury accommodations, prime location, exceptional service, or unique experiences, to attract target guests. Effective targeting involves data analysis, understanding ideal guest profiles, and tailoring offerings to specific needs, preferences, and desires. A consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, including websites, social media, and guest services, is vital for reinforcing the hotel's unique positioning, enhancing guest satisfaction, and building loyalty. Positioning can fail due to inadequate research, inconsistent branding, or reactive changes in strategy. Successful positioning requires a focused approach, aligning offerings with the ideal guest profile, and maintaining a consistent brand experience to attract guests willing to pay a premium.

🐛 To prepare for professional bed bug treatment, notify staff and guests, remove clutter without moving items out, launder all linens and clothing, vacuum thoroughly, and rearrange furniture. These steps ensure effective treatment and maintenance of reputation, with follow-up guidelines post-treatment essential for long-term success and continued five-star reviews.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, identifies food and beverage trends. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. Wrote for "The New York Sun" from 2005 to 2008. Worked in Thailand as a journalist for "Manager" magazine and "Asia Times" from 1992 to 1997. Graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University in 1990. Studied traditional French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 1986. Awarded the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award. Inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Thorn is a Colorado native from Denver. His expertise spans French cuisine, Asian cuisines, particularly Thai, and restaurant operations. Contact: [email protected], LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), Instagram (@foodwriterdiary).

📢 Hospitality America, tackling an estimated 70-80% annual turnover in the hospitality industry, implements a strategic mentorship program led by Corporate Director of Operations, Justin Deyo, who has 20 years of experience. The program aims to improve employee retention and satisfaction by fostering a culture of appreciation, innovation, and growth. Mentors will train staff on guest interaction, operational efficiency, and crisis management. Key statistics: 90% of mentored employees feel happy at work, mentoring makes employees five times more likely to be promoted, and 76% believe mentorship is crucial for professional success.

👨‍🎓 Hospitality America, a hotel management company, faces an industry challenge of high employee turnover, estimated at 70-80% annually. To improve retention, they're emphasizing mentorship to help hotel staff feel valued and supported. Justin Deyo, with 20 years of experience, leads the mentorship program, focusing on guest service and operational excellence. Key facts include that 90% of mentored employees are happy at work; mentoring makes employees five times more likely to be promoted; 84% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs; yet only 37% of workers have a mentor. Post-pandemic, there's been a 30% increase in mentoring programs. Hospitality America's mentors embody the PEACH culture—Passionate, Excellence, Adaptable, Community, Humble—to guide career progression. CEO Ben Campbell highlights mentorship as essential for grooming hospitality leaders.

🏨 Soft brands merge independence with brand recognition, offering marketing, reservation systems, and loyalty program access while maintaining the hotel's unique identity. These affiliations require initial fees, ongoing royalties, and adherence to standards, but can enhance visibility and attract repeat guests. Weighing costs against increased bookings and operational support is vital for independent hotels considering a soft brand partnership.

🌅 Dubai, with over 85% of its population from overseas, spans 13.5 square miles. Despite high temperatures often around 104 degrees Fahrenheit, Dubai offers pedestrian areas like the Marina and Kite Beach with miles of walkways. The city features an extensive taxi network and a Metro system, though not all areas are covered. Careem, acquired by Uber in 2020, allows for hailing taxis and ordering food. Traffic can be heavy, particularly during rush hour and at hotspots like Palm Jumeirah. Visitors are advised to choose accommodations based on their itinerary to avoid congestion.

🍔 The bacon, egg, and cheese (BEC) sandwich, a breakfast staple, has become a canvas for culinary innovation. Restaurants like Bad Idea in Nashville wrap it in Lao roti, Peel Wood Fired Pizza in Edwardsville, Ill., bakes it in pizza dough, Cackleberry in Cincinnati incorporates local pork, and Abby's Empanadas in Spring Lake, N.C., transforms it into empanadas. Operators across the U.S. are reimagining the BEC with unique twists while retaining its comforting essence.

🍕 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, identifies and reports on F&B trends. Hosting podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn," he joined Nation's Restaurant News in 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality's staff in 2016. Authored food columns in "The New York Sun" from 2005 to 2008 and wrote for "Manager" magazine and "Asia Times" in Thailand. Thorn studied at Tufts University, Le Cordon Bleu, and Chinese universities, was president of IFEC in 2005, won the 2006 Neal Award, and was inducted into Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014.