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

We have not checked in with our favorite financial blog, Calculated Risk,  in a while.  We are pleased to see the incredible progress hotels have made in both occupancy and ADR. Occupancy has now recovered to the median after falling off a cliff in 2008.  REVPAR is now about 3 percent below the median.  Check out the full details by clicking on the graph.

Source:  Calculated Risk

One of the biggest areas of struggle during our Service Experience Audits is the use of the guest name.  The use of the guest name is one of the most important tools you have to build loyalty with your guests.  Rather than providing your associates with general instructions such as ‘use the guest’s name during every interaction’, focus on the key areas of when the name should be used.  Our method is simple, but very effective.

Use the guest name once to open the conversation and once to close the conversation.

By doing this, it will become second nature to your associates.  They wont even have to think about using the guest name.  They will just do it.

Here are some examples for a few departments on how to use the guest name:

Phone Calls:  As soon as the phone rings, the PBX operator should pull up the guest’s information on the computer and get ready to use the name.  The PBX operator should immediately greet the guest by name.  After handling the call, the operator should end the call by using the guest name.

Check In & Check Out:  As soon as the guest gives the name or room number, the GSA should immediately use the name once.  The GSA should close the conversation with “have a great stay, Mr. Smith.”

In Room Dining:  The server should double check the name just prior to knocking on the door.  Once the analyst opens the door and invites them in, the server should greet the guest by name.  Then once the guest signs the check, the server should thank the analyst by name on their way out of the room.

Housekeeping & Engineering:  The associates should double check the name just prior to knocking on the door.  Once the analyst opens the door and invites them in, the server should greet the guest by name.  To close the conversation, the associate should say something like “enjoy the rest of your stay, Mr. Smith.”

The real key to successful use of the guest name is repetition.  If you require all associates to use the name once during the greeting and once during the closing it is very easy to monitor and it wont belong until everyone on your team is using guest names.

Check out this clip below.  John talks about the perfect one ounce pour, the power of suggestion, bar menu engineering, and why selling fruit drinks helps promote food sales.

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Bar Rescue airs on Spike on Sunday but they rerun episodes often.  Also, many clips and some full episodes are available on Spike’s website.  Check out this clip and meet John Taffer, the star of Bar Rescue.

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Links:

Spike’s Website for Bar Rescue

At my hotel, we have a very busy breakfast buffet (especially on the weekends).  Our hosts do a good job of seating guests in a timely manner but don’t add too much to our overall guest service.  What can you recommend?

Good question.  We often see hosts do a poor job on guest service.  Often they just stand behind the desk and wait for guests to approach them and then walk them to a table.  Then they go back to checking their text messages on their iPhone.

1.  First, be sure to check out our Breakfast Buffet Training Guide.  There is a great video on basic service steps

2.  The first goal of every host should be to greet every arriving guest a warm smile and a ‘Good Morning’.  Also, they should make sure to greet every departing guest with a warm smile and a sincere thank you.

3.  Hosts must know how to greet multiple guests at the same time.  Often when two parties arrive in the restaurant at the same time, the host will greet the first party and escort them to the table without saying a word to the second party.  The host must let the second party know that he/she will be back in a minute to seat them.

4.  When escorting guests to a table, the host should make sure to point out the buffet.  The goal is to get the guest excited about the breakfast they are about to have.  Make sure to be excited about the buffet and mention some of the great things such as the omelet chef.

5.  When the guest arrives at the table, the host must hand each guest a menu after they are seated.  Do not just place the menu on the table and walk away!

6.  Have the host introduce the server with a phrase such as ‘John will be taking care of you this morning and will be right over to offer you coffee and juice’.

7.  Finally, make sure the host closes the conversation.  We often just see hosts walk away from the table without saying anything.  Have the host at least say ‘have a great breakfast!’

Have any tips of your own?  Post them below!  Have a question that you would like answered?  Post it below or send it to us via the contact page.

1.  Hilton, score of 80, no change from last year

2.  Starwood, score of 79, up 2.6

3.  Marriott, score of 79, down 1.3

4.  Hyatt, score of 77, down 2.5

5.  All Others, score of 77, up 4.1

6.  InterContinental, score of 76, down 2.6

7.  Best Western, score of 76, no change

8.  Choice, score of 74, no change

9.  Wyndham, score of 73, up 4.3

From the ACSI press release:

Guest satisfaction with hotels rises 2.7% to a score of 77. Lower rates and more perks have enhanced customers’ views of value for money. The aggregate of smaller brands—including small hotel and motel chains, individual luxury hotels, and bed and breakfasts—makes the most progress, up 4% to an ACSI score of 77. The industry is having more success with leisure travelers, as their satisfaction improves 1% to 77 compared to a 1% drop to 75 for business travelers.

“Although guest satisfaction has benefited from lower rates and various perks, there has been no effect on customer loyalty and repeat business,” said Fornell. “Price-induced satisfaction tends to make people shop around for the best deal rather than promote loyalty.”

Hilton leads, unchanged at 80, with both Marriott (-1%) and Starwood (+3%) close behind at 79. Hyatt comes next at 77 (-3%). Budget brands occupy the next tier below the industry average, with Intercontinental (Holiday Inns) down 3% to tie Best Western at 76. Choice Hotels follows, unchanged at 74, while Wyndham Worldwide (Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn) makes the biggest gain, up 4% to 73, but this is still not enough to pull Wyndham out of the industry basement.

Links:

June 2011 and Historical ACSI Scores

June 2011 ACSI Press Release

June 2011 ACSI Commentary on Hotels

“When she isn’t sidelined by an injury, Nenita Ibe cleans 16 rooms a day at the Santa Clara hotel where she’s worked for 10 years. Since some rooms have two beds, that adds up to 25 mattresses per day, each of which needs to be lifted up on each side so that the 69-year-old Filipino immigrant can set the bedsheet properly. Luxury hotel mattresses can weigh more than 150 pounds these days. Ibe weighs a waiflike 125. The beds have taken a toll.”

“Eleazar Dumuk, who, like Ibe, works for Hyatt and is from the Philippines, testified that she and her colleagues used to have long-handled mops — but one day, they suddenly disappeared. “It’s probably just cheaper for the company to have my coworkers and me get on our knees,” she testified. “I came to this country not to work on my knees but to make a just, humane living.” A spokesperson for Hyatt did not respond to requests for comment.”

The article says it will cost California hotels about $15 million to switch from flat sheets to fitted sheets.  Fitted sheets are also harder to clean, store, and transport.  The article is definitely worth a read.  Also, be sure to check out the comments section.  There is a pretty lively discussion happening.