“Stand-up meetings are part of a fast-moving tech culture in which sitting has become synonymous with sloth. The object is to eliminate long-winded confabs where participants pontificate, play Angry Birds on their cellphones or tune out.”

“Holding meetings before lunch also speeds things up. Mark Tonkelowitz, an engineering manager for Facebook Inc.’s News Feed feature, holds 15-minute stand-ups at noon, sharp. The proximity to lunch serves “as motivation to keep updates short,” he says”

The tech world has really taken to these stand-up meetings in order to increase productivity.  Hoteliers should surely take note.  We have all been in long, drawn out meetings where two departments are trying to figure out the logistics of an upcoming event while 9 other managers in the room are tuning out because it does not involve them at all.  Take away the food and the chairs, people will truly get down to business.  Then we can all get back to taking care of the guest!

Source:  Wall Street Journal Article

I just finished your online guide to ‘Getting Your Beverage Cost Under Budget‘ and I am working on getting all of the internal controls in place.  However, I really feel like I am now spending all of my time chasing pennies and trying to control every single drop of liquor we use.  Should I really care how much alcohol is wasted?  A little bit extra vodka here and there shouldn’t make a big difference, right? – Javier

Javier, thank you for such a great question!  We often hear this exact question when we are teaching our liquor control class in person or giving a lecture on liquor controls at a HFTP meeting.  You are absolutely right, even an ounce of a really good vodka only costs about 50 cents.  Why worry so much?  Surely, that can’t impact the bottom line that much, right?  Wrong!

First, we have to start looking at the potential of that ounce of vodka, not the cost.  In many cities such as Los Angeles and New York City, an ounce of premium vodka at a high end bar can easily sell for $15.  So, for every extra ounce of vodka your bartender over-pours, you could be out $15 in potential revenue.  Most guests have a pretty small limit of how much alcohol they can consume in one night.  Let’s pretend a customer orders a vodka cranberry but your bartender pours 2 ounces of vodka instead of 1 ounce.  That customer has now had twice as much as she expected to drink and may not come back for a second one.  If that customer typically likes to drink two drinks, your hotel will be out $15 in revenue and $14.50 in profit.  Over-pouring is definitely a profit killer in hotel bars.  If you have just 50 customers a night and just 10 of them have one less drink because of the over-pour, you could be out over $140 in profit.  If you serve a few hundred guests, you can easily see how quickly the numbers add up.

I hope that helps.  Once you get your liquor controls in line, be sure to check out our post on maximizing bar revenues.

You can also find a bunch of great videos on the Travel Channel’s website here.

“HFTP is a technology-based association, so it is only fitting that we provide technology-friendly member benefits,” said Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP. “This app gives HFTP members and interested hospitality professionals easy access to important information about our association and HFTP Global events.”

If you are not familar with the HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technologies Professionals) organization, check them out by clicking the links below.

Links:

HFTP Launches Mobile App

HFTP Home Page

CALIFORNIA

The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills
Chateau du Sureau, Oakhurst
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, San Francisco
Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills 
The Peninsula Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills
L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills
The Grand Del Mar, San Diego 
The St. Regis San Francisco, San Francisco
The St. Regis Monarch Beach, Dana Point

COLORADO

The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
The Little Nell, Aspen

CONNECTICUT

Mayflower Inn, Washington

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, Washington, D.C.

FLORIDA

Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Palm Beach
The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, Manalapan

GEORGIA

The Cloister, Sea Island
Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, Atlanta
The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club, St. Simons Island

HAWAII

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu, Kona, Hawaii
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Wailea, Maui

ILLINOIS

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago, Chicago

MASSACHUSETTS
Blantyre, Lenox
Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston 
Four Seasons Hotel Boston, Boston
Mandarin Oriental, Boston, Boston

NEVADA

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, Las Vegas
Skylofts at MGM Grand, Las Vegas
Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas
Tower Suites at Encore Las Vegas, Las Vegas

NEW YORK

Four Seasons Hotel New York, New York
Mandarin Oriental, New York, New York
The Peninsula New York, New York
The Point, Saranac Lake
The Ritz-Carlton, New York, Central Park, New York
The St. Regis New York, New York
Trump International Hotel & Tower New York, New York

NORTH CAROLINA

The Fearrington House Inn, Pittsboro
The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary

PENNSYLVANIA

Falling Rock at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington

SOUTH CAROLINA

Woodlands Inn, Summerville
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island

TENNESSEE

The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville

UTAH

Stein Eriksen Lodge, Park City

VERMONT

Twin Farms, Barnard

VIRGINIA

The Inn at Little Washington, Washington
The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond

WISCONSIN

The American Club, Kohler

WYOMING

Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole

HONG KONG

The Landmark Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong
Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

MACAU

Altira Macau, Macau
Wynn Macau, Macau

SINGAPORE

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

♦

Source:  Forbes Travel Guide on Startle.com

ARIA Sky Suites, Las Vegas, Nev.

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.

Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort, Jumby Bay, Antigua

Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Fla.

Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Ocean House, Watch Hill, R.I.

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Calif.

The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The St. Regis Houston, Houston, Texas

A few other key notes from AAA’s press release:

As the first luxury hotel brand to fully embrace social media,Four Seasons moved digital to the forefront early on with Four Seasons Magazines Online , the introduction of blogs such as Have Family Will Travel, and a strong presence on social networking sites to suit the ways guests and travel partners communicate. The newFour Seasons website was thoughtfully designed in the same vein, to deliver an immersive and effortless experience tailored to every user. The brand’s signature service, locations and experiences are showcased through photo-rich, informative property and destination pages. Key features of fourseasons.com include:

•  Ease of booking - A new booking process that allows for multi-destination, multi-hotel, and multi-person reservations. Spa and restaurant bookings can now be made 
• in one step for many properties.
• On the go - Fully optimised for mobile devices and tablets.
• Access to reviews - Each of the 80-plus property pages features user generated content direct from Twitter, Facebook and TripAdvisor.
• Every property has a story - “Five-star highlights” and “why you’ll love it” sections both demonstrate first-rate service and the story behind the individual property. A quick reference tool kit right on the booking page offers need-to-know information specific to each stay.
• Location, location, location - Four Seasons awe-inspiring destinations are front and centre, with descriptions of amenities, itineraries and experience offerings, while painting an authentic picture of the local culture.
• Personalisation - After setting up a profile and indicating personal interests, related content and recommendations fromFour Seasons will become available on a guest’s next visit and over time, delivering a completely personalised experience.

Take a few minutes and check out the new site by clicking here.  Then book a trip to the Four Seasons Maui.  You deserve it!

Source:  Four Seasons Press Release

“Whether needing to quickly replenish after a workout or wanting to toast the perfect sunset, 15-Minute Room Service provides quick and delicious meals for those who want it right away,” says Christopher Hunsberger, executive vice president, global product and innovation at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “It’s also ideal for those who are on the go. Ideally, every meal would be enjoyed at leisure, but at times we really just need to grab a bite quickly – and there’s no reason that it can’t be freshly-made with quality ingredients, and entirely delicious.”

While the logistics of 15-minute room service may be difficult, the idea is terrific.  Many guests who order room service are on a tight schedule.  I can’t tell you how many times I tried to fit in a room service meal before a conference call… and how many times the meal was very late and I barely got a chance to eat!  Door knob hanger order forms have really helped out my breakfast routine, and this 15-minute room service program will be great for lunch and dinner, especially when arriving at a hotel later than expected and starving.  Also from the press release:

“At Four Seasons, we’re constantly looking for new ways to make the most of our guest’s time and enhance their experience. By putting ourselves in the place of our guests and imagining what could make their lives easier, we’re able to come up with new services, amenities and approaches to doing business on a regular basis. Putting guests first and delivering good quality food quickly is just the latest in a long history of innovations,” Hunsberger added.

Source:  Four Seasons Press Release

1. Keep your review focused on the hotel
2. Contact us if you have an issue that requires immediate assistance
3. Refrain from mentioning competitors or the specific price you paid for the hotel
4. Do not include any personally identifiable information, such as full names

Will Starwood’s new online reviews be effective?  We believe so.  The most important thing that the reviews will do is to allow Starwood to address any negative publicity before it gets posted all over the internet.  Most guests who have a problem with a stay typically try to resolve their issue on property.  If that does not work, they will they will try and resolve it with the Corporate Office.  If that is a hassle, they like to post their negative comments anywhere they think someone will read it.  And we mean anywhere!  We often see the same negative reviews posted on dozens of websites.  Starwood’s new approach will hopefully give them a chance to resolve the complaint before it spirals out of control.

The Starwood Amex returns about 2.1 cents per point, the highest in the study.  The Marriott Rewards card came in 7th place with a return of about .8 cents per point.  The Hilton HHonors card was 8th with a return of .5 cents per point.  For a full list, hit up the link below.

Source:

NextAdvisor.com