Sandra Wigger Promoted General Manager At IntercityHotel Zurich Airport, Switzerland

30-year old Sandra Wigger began her career by training as a hotel specialist at the Mövenpick Hotel Zurich Airport and has continued to expand her knowledge base ever since.

In September 2019, she obtained a degree level qualification in "Hospitality Controlling & Hotel Asset Management" after completing a 6-month course of study at the IST University of Applied Sciences.

Sandra Wigger was employed at the Steigenberger Bellerive au Lac between November 2014 and December 2019. She held positions as Front Office Manager and then as Rooms Division Manager during this period before making the switch to IntercityHotel GmbH on 1 January 2020.

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Payment Processing Data Shows Severe Impact on Hotels and Restaurants

Shift4 Payments, the leader in integrated payment processing solutions, has announced the launch of Shift4Cares.com, a round-the-clock online resource for government agencies, news outlets and businesses affected by COVID-19. The website offers a wealth of valuable information on the economic impact of this pandemic and is part of Shift4’s initiative to raise over $200 million for restaurants and other small businesses — including up to $10 million contributed directly from the company.

Nationally, restaurant transactions declined from 42 million to 11 million during this time period, while hotel transactions declined from 144 million to 20 million. Nationwide and state-by-state data is available at Shift4Cares.com.

Shift4 to Raise Over $200 Million for Small Businesses

In addition to this transaction data, Shift4Cares.com includes the ability for consumers to support local hospitality businesses greatly affected by the Coronavirus crisis by purchasing gift cards, with Shift4 contributing an additional 5% of the amount spent to each merchant. Shift4 is working to raise over $200 million for the small business community through this gift card initiative — with Shift4 donating up to $10 million of the company’s own money.

For every gift card purchased through the site, Shift4 Payments will contribute an additional 5% to the business — up to $10 million. For example, a $100 gift card purchase on the site would result in $105 for the merchant.

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London Hotel Industry Shows Significant Year-over-year Declines

London hotel occupancy fell 57.8% to 34.5% in March, according to preliminary STR data. ADR decreased 10.4% to £124.15 ($153.70) and RevPAR declined 62.1% to £42.88 ($53.09).

Reflecting the circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic, STR’s preliminary March data for hotels in London shows significant year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics.

Comparison with March 2019:

• Occupancy: -57.8% to 34.5%
• Average daily rate (ADR): -10.4% to GBP124.15
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -62.1% to GBP42.88

Daily data for the month shows 31 consecutive days of double-digit declines in occupancy and RevPAR.

STR continues to monitor the COVID-19 impact on global hotel industry performance.

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U.S. Hotel Industry Reports 21.6 Percent Occupancy for Week Ending April 4th - 2020

Reflecting the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hotel industry reported significant year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 29 March through 4 April 2020, according to data from STR.

In comparison with the week of 31 March through 6 April 2019, the industry recorded the following:

  • Occupancy: -68.5% to 21.6%

  • Average daily rate (ADR): -41.5% to US$76.51

  • Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -81.6% to US$16.50

    Aggregate data for the Top 25 Markets showed steeper declines across the metrics: occupancy (-74.7% to 19.4%), ADR (-47.0% to US$85.61) and RevPAR (-86.6% to US$16.57).  

    Among those Top 25 Markets, Oahu Island, Hawaii, experienced the largest decrease in occupancy (-90.7%) and the only single-digit absolute occupancy level (7.0%). The decline in occupancy resulted in the steepest drop in RevPAR (-93.7% to US$10.83). 

    Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin, posted the largest decline in ADR (-57.0% to US$68.23). 

    Of note, occupancy in New York, New York, was down 79.1% to 18.3%. In Seattle, Washington, occupancy dropped 73.3% to 19.5%

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Marriott in Strong Position to Tackle COVID-19

As even the largest players are forced to contend with unprecedented levels of disruption thanks to COVID-19, Marriott has announced mitigation plans that outline a number of strong measures to minimize the impact of coronavirus. This swift, decisive action should stand the company in good stead, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

“Marriott is in the fortunate position of having large cash reserves and has just under 50% of its $4.5bn revolving credit facility left to tap into. This is a huge advantage for Marriott as it attempts to overcome the inevitable financial hardship caused by COVID-19.”

Marriott’s strong brand image, across 30 brands in 130 countries, will work in its favor and enable loyal customers to return safely to travel while making the most of the company’s feted loyalty scheme. Marriott is the second largest hotel chain in the world. This brand and market power puts Marriott in prime position to cope with the impact of the coronavirus, compared to other competitors.

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Hilton and American Express to Donate Up to 1 Million Rooms To Frontline Medical Professionals During COVID-19 Crisis

Hilton (NYSE:HLT) and American Express (NYSE:AXP) announced that the companies, in partnership with Hilton’s ownership community, will donate up to 1 million hotel room nights across the United States to frontline medical professionals leading the fight against COVID-19.

Hilton is initially working with 10 associations who collectively represent more than 1 million healthcare workers to provide access to the program, designed to support individuals who would otherwise have to spend their own money on accommodations.

American Express, Hilton’s long-standing strategic partner, is investing alongside Hilton in the donation of the hotel rooms, which will be provided at or below cost by Hilton’s network of independent owners and franchisees.

Rooms will be available across a variety of Hilton brands, including Hampton by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree by Hilton and others. Hotels will be staffed by Team Members who have received additional training on relevant health and safety measures to safeguard their own and their guests’ well-being. Hotel rooms and common areas will continue to be sanitized using industrial-grade cleaners and updated cleaning protocols. In some high-demand locations, room availability may be limited at times.

The following organizations will provide their networks with further details about booking rooms through this program, which is currently planned to cover stays from April 13 through May 31.

  • American Association of Critical Care Nurses

  • American College of Emergency Physicians

  • American Hospital Association

  • American Nurses Association

  • Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association

  • Emergency Nurses Association

  • National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians

  • Society of Critical Care Medicine

  • Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants

  • Society of Hospital Medicine

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Hotel Stocks Experienced one of Their Worst Months on Record in March

The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index dropped 36.0% in March to a level of 2,748. Year to date through the first three months of 2020, the stock index was down 47.9%.

“Hotel stocks experienced one of their worst months on record as investors contemplated worst-case liquidity scenarios for hotel companies driven by the COVID-19 demand shock and potential hotel closures,” said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird.

 “In the U.S., occupancy levels have fallen to unprecedented lows, and we are forecasting a 50.6% drop in RevPAR for the year. The industry will be positioned for recovery once concerns are abated, but there is obviously great uncertainty on when that time will come.”

March performance of the Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index posted greater declines than both the S&P 500 (-12.5%) and the MSCI US REIT Index (-22.2%). 

The Hotel Brand sub-index decreased 34.5% from February to 4,712, while the Hotel REIT sub-index declined 40.0% to 702.

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Europe’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Continues an Upward Trend Despite Some Economic Challenges

According to the recent Europe hotel construction pipeline trend report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), Europe’s total construction pipeline rose to 1,871 projects/297,490 rooms in the fourth quarter of 2019, a 19% increase by projects and 22% by rooms, year-over-year (YOY).

There are 879 projects/140,620 rooms currently under construction, 531 projects/81,235 rooms scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months, and 461 projects/75,635 rooms in early planning. All stages of the pipeline are at record highs and have counts more than double their cyclical lows set earlier in the decade.

Looking forward, the first quarter of 2020 could be rather sluggish too, due in part to the heavily export-dependent German economy, which is being negatively affected by the slowing of the Chinese economy as a result of the coronavirus, France’s weakening economic performance and widespread social turmoil caused by unpopular economic reforms, and the U.K.’s need to reestablish an economic relationship with the European Union by year’s end.

Europe’s leading countries in the construction pipeline are the United Kingdom with 346 projects/49,651 rooms, and Germany standing at 339 projects/61,836 rooms. France follows with 171 projects/21,173 rooms, and then Portugal and Poland with 118 projects/12,616 rooms and 90 projects/14,028 rooms, respectively. With the exception of France and Poland, these markets all have construction pipelines at record highs

The cities with the largest pipelines are London with 88 projects/15,575 rooms, Dusseldorf at an all-time high of 60 projects/11,443 rooms, Paris with 44 projects/6,896 rooms, Hamburg standing at 34 projects/7,302 rooms, and Lisbon with 34 projects/3,114 rooms. Moscow follows with 31 projects/6,536 rooms, Berlin with 27 projects/6,202 rooms, and then Frankfurt with 27 projects/5,642 rooms.

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Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town Announced for 2024

Radisson Hotel Group continues to expand in China with the signing of its first property in Nanjing, the country's ancient capital city, the current capital of Jiangsu province and a thriving modern metropolis.

Scheduled to open its doors in 2024, Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town will feature 300 contemporary rooms and suites, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a lobby lounge and three restaurants.

With an array of amenities and facilities, this new hotel will become a hub of the community, creating meaningful guest experiences that are underpinned by Radisson Blu's unique "Yes I Can!" service philosophy. The property is being developed by Nanjing South New Town Exhibition Centre Development Co., Ltd

The new hotel will be located just 3.3km from Nanjing South Station and easy access to Nanjing Lukou International Airport, which offers connections to many major cities including Bangkok, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.

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Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 138 - Adjustments To Consider For Your Hotel Advertising Right Now

These are unprecedented times and they call for us to rethink our advertising approach. In this episode, we discuss some simple considerations that you should be thinking about when updating your hotel advertising.

At Fuel, we think a little differently. We believe that we’re making the world just a little bit better by connecting people with the right products and services. “Travel Marketing…Simplified.” That’s our motto and our commitment. Headquartered in the heart of the travel and tourism industry in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Fuel provides all digital services in-house through a team of experts who understand the potential of well-executed, effective online marketing

For more information please visit below mention website:

http://www.fueltravel.com/?utm_source=Hotel+News+Resource

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What Makes Your Guest Unhappy?

In a world spoiled for choice, reviews are a priority to decision making. Bad reviews have a lasting impact on reputation and can be disastrous for business. The use of the latest software makes the management and functionality of hotels more seamless and efficient. 

Below are listed a few common, but important reasons, that affect guest satisfaction in hotels:

Unhygienic Rooms :Hygienic rooms are a necessity and not a luxury. Spotless rooms, fresh linen and well- maintained upholstery are very important to create a positive guest experience. Ensure that the guests check-in to a clean room with well-arranged beds, fresh toiletries, dust-free furnishings and a pest-free environment.

A robust property management software, like the Hotelogix PMS, will help you manage the status of your room from both the frontdesk and from the housekeeping modules. And the best part? Room status can be configured to update automatically every night. You can also assign employees to rooms that need attention. With Hotelogix, you can make sure that a guest will never check into a messy room ever again.

Untrained Staff

The hotel staff are the representatives of the hotel’s values and brand image. They are the main connection between your customer and your hotel.

Hotelogix Automated Coaching Engine — A.C.E. is another innovative AI-powered module that would change the way your hotel staff is trained. Loaded with intuitively created tasks, A.C.E. trains your staff effortlessly on all the aspects of the Hotelogix PMS.  Whether you are learning the system from scratch, or stuck during a task, A.C.E. is always there by your side, making guest handling in hotel easy.

Absence of Basic Amenities

Offer some basic amenities to make your guests feel more at home. It doesn’t have to be an expensive gift bag a few everyday necessities will do. Personalised soaps, shampoos, or shaving kit, for example, leave your guests feeling like you care about their comforts. Make sure that the amenities offered with the room are all present and in a good working condition. A faulty air conditioner or a badly maintained minifridge all contribute to bad customer experience. The in-room perks which you provide should always be clean and ready for use for guest handling in hotels.

Poor Quality Food

A very important part of positive customer experience is the food. Guests look for healthy, hygienic and wholesome food. Guests want to experience the comforts of your hotel- and ordering room service is one of them. Providing food that is fresh and warm, in clean plates with clean cutlery is just the basic of what you can do for your guests.

Craft a well -rounded menu to make sure there’s something for everyone. Ensure that your kitchen and your buffet is well stocked and that the guests are aware of the timings of kitchen operations or the buffet. As they say, “the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach”.

Conclusion

A positive way to handle guest reviews is collecting and managing guest feedback while they stay in your hotel. Train staff to handle requests and guest complaints in the front office promptly so that the guest’s discomfort soon changes into a positive experience by showing them that you care. Offer apologies and be sincere with your approach to their problems, this is the best approach to dealing with guest complaints in hotels.

Hotelogix helps you manage all guest reviews within one system. With our review manager, you can now view, respond to and manage all guest reviews- not only on your booking engine but also on all your registered OTAs.

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SureStay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley Makes Its Debut in California

The SureStay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley has opened its doors in Fairfield, California.

The SureStay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley will provide guests with an experience they can count on and the amenities today's travelers have come to expect. The SureStay service promise reflects the brand and the hotel's commitment to providing quality service and value to its guests.

Located at 3331 N. Texas St. in Fairfield, California, the hotel features 100 guest rooms

The property's location near world-class wineries and delicious restaurants makes it an optimal place to call home base when visiting Napa Valley. Also nearby is the Anheuser-Busch Budweiser beer brewery with a tasting room and tours and the Vacaville Premium Outlets which boasts 120 stores.

For more family fun, the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom theme park and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord water park are also in the area. Also nearby is the Travis Air Force Base, home to the site of the largest military aerial port in the United States.

"It has been a pleasure working alongside Sona Sales & Management to introduce SureStay Hotel Group to Fairfield," adds Daniel Knuckles, Regional Manager of SureStay Hotel Group. "We are confident that David Chin and his team will deliver on our service promise."

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India Daily Hotel Occupancy Drops to 11%

As COVID-19 concerns and restrictions have intensified in India, the country’s daily hotel occupancy dropped to 11% during 23-29 March, according to preliminary data from STR.

. “The story was different in March, especially during the later portion of the month with year-over-year occupancy declines in excess of 80% for the last nine days we have processed

Along with a steep downward trend in occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) have also dropped significantly in India. ADR, which has decreased year over year by roughly 20% or more for eight consecutive days, went as low as INR4,924.18 on 28 March. RevPAR reached its lowest absolute level (INR537.54) on 22 March.

For more information click on below mention link :

https://str.com/data-insights-blog/coronavirus-hotel-industry-data-news

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Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno Airport Opens in California

Home2 Suites by Hilton, part of Hilton's All Suites portfolio, opened on March 27th, its newest property, Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno Airport. Designed for travelers who want to maintain their normal routine, the hotel features 111 suites and a range of value, tech-focused and eco-conscious amenities. Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno is situated conveniently located 90 minutes away from 3 National Parks; Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia. In the Central Valley, visitors spend $4.5 billion on tourism and hospitality which supports 46,600 jobs generating $258 million in State and local tax revenues in 2018.

“Clovis’ proximity remains a destination to visit for both international and domestic traveler’s and we are excited to bring our modern extended stay accommodations to Clovis,” said Stephanie Rodriguez, General Manager, Home2 Suites by Hilton. “Guests enjoying the area will love our convenient location and customizable suites that fit the needs of every unique traveler.”

Located at 810 Santa Ava Avenue, just 4 miles north of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno Airport offers guests convenient access to California State University, Lamonica Stadium and variety of eateries and wineries.

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Restaurant Career-Enhancing Training Available Free During April

The National Restaurant Association's ServSuccess program, in partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation), today announced five popular, career-advancing training classes will be available free of charge to industry employees throughout April. The available courses include the ServSuccess Restaurant Professional and Restaurant Supervisor learning suites and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) Supervisory Skill Builders, Hospitality Manager: Leadership, and Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) Review courses

The Restaurant Professional Learning Suite takes approximately 4 hours to complete and covers:

  • Front-of-the-House Service & Communication

  • Front-of-the-House Basic Operations

  • Back-of-the-House Pre-Production

  • Back-of-the-House Production

  • Basic Business Operations

The Restaurant Supervisor Learning Suite takes approximately 5 hours to complete and covers:

  • Managing Daily Operations

  • Leadership & Communication

  • Safety & Regulations

  • Cost Control Fundamentals

  • Controlling Costs

The AHLEI Supervisory Skill Builders course covers essential skills to help supervisors contribute to the success of a hospitality establishment. The nine modules develop skills in key areas including

  • Conflict management

  • Staffing and scheduling

  • Communication

  • Team building

The AHLEI Hospitality Manager: Leadership class teaches how to lead a team including:

  • Building a positive workplace culture

  • Aligning day-to-day operations with organizational goals

  • Using emotional intelligence to connect with employees

The CHA Review covers the necessary knowledge essential to overseeing all functional areas of a hospitality establishment as a general manager or operations executive including:

  • Rooms management

  • Human resources

  • Financial management

  • Marketing and sales

    For more information or to register for one of the free courses, go to servsafe.com/freecourses.

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Daily Hotel Occupancy Falls to As Low As 12.9% in Lima, Peru

As the impact of COVID-19 broadens in South America, Lima’s daily hotel occupancy fell to as low as 12.9% on 19 March, according to preliminary data from STR.

That occupancy level came one day after the Peruvian government imposed a nightly curfew to combat the spread of COVID-19. STR’s most recent data for 22 March showed that just 13 of 100 rooms on average were occupied in the city.

“Despite the fact that corporate tourism is not strong during January and February, daily occupancy in Lima was as high as 70.1% on 19 February,” said Patricia Boo, STR’s area director for Central/South America. “The market’s daily occupancy was above 40% as late as the 12th of March, with the exception of 29 February and 8 March when occupancy was roughly 38%, but has been declining recently by more than 70% in year-over-year comparisons.”


STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for global hospitality sectors. For more information, please visit str.com.

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U.S. Hotel Industry Reports 22.6 Percent Occupancy for Week Ending March 28th - 2020

Reflecting the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hotel industry reported significant year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 22-28 March 2020, according to data from STR. 

In comparison with the week of 24-30 March 2019, the industry recorded the following:

  • Occupancy: -67.5% to 22.6%

  • Average daily rate (ADR): -39.4% to US$79.92

  • Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -80.3% to US$18.0500

    Aggregate data for the Top 25 Markets showed steeper declines across the metrics: occupancy (-74.5% to 19.6%), ADR (-43.9% to US$89.71) and RevPAR (-85.7% to US$17.60).  

    New Orleans, Louisiana, recorded the steepest decline in RevPAR (-92.8% to US$10.27), due primarily to the second-largest decreases in occupancy (-84.9% to 12.7%) and ADR (-52.3% to US$80.74).

    Oahu Island, Hawaii, experienced the steepest drop in occupancy (-86.4% to 10.5%).

    Miami/Hialeah, Florida, posted the largest decline in ADR (-57.9% to US$116.64). 

    Of note, occupancy in New York, New York, was down 81.8% to 15.2%. In Seattle, Washington, occupancy dropped 76.6% to 18.5%.

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Distressed Hotels: What to Do with Distressed Hotels. Lender (and Borrower) Guide - By Jim Butler

When a hotel loan gets in trouble, a lender should immediately perform a Comprehensive Situation Analysis. Borrowers should do the same and be fast to approach lenders with candor and an actual plan demonstrating what is needed and how it will work. This Comprehensive Situation Analysis is the foundation for making some of the most important decisions that the lender and borrower will face on what to do with a distressed loan or asset. When the Comprehensive Situation Analysis is completed, what’s next? What do the amassed facts indicate? How do they tell the parties what to do? What are the alternatives for dealing with a troubled hotel loan? Basically, the alternatives for a lender with troubled hotel asset are:

1. Do nothing (or sell the loan)

2. Workout the loan

3. Appoint a receiver

4. Seek a deed-in-lieu

5. Commence foreclosure

6. Seek Relief in bankruptcy proceedings

The matrix below shows how many of the relevant factors will suggest the appropriate alternative to select.

For matrix please visit below mention link :

https://hotellaw.jmbm.com/files/2020/03/Alternative-Strategies-for-Trouble-Loans.pdf

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Radisson Hotel Group continues to expand in China’s most dynamic destinations with new signing

Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town is a striking new upper-upscale hotel being developed in Nanjing South New Town, a rapidly emerging commercial area that will become the city’s new CBD.

Scheduled to open its doors in 2024, Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town will feature 300 contemporary rooms and suites. The property is being developed by Nanjing South New Town Exhibition Centre Development Co., Ltd.

“Nanjing has always been one of China’s most important cities; its name literally means ‘Southern Capital,’ which reflects its historical influence. Today, Nanjing remains one of China’s 21st century most vibrant destinations and the rise of Nanjing South New Town will further enhance its development

With its world-class accommodation, facilities and conference space, Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town will be a central landmark in this exciting new district

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Kimpton Charlotte Square (UK) has announced the appointment of Kieran Quinn as General Manager

Kimpton Charlotte Square, has announced the appointment of Kieran Quinn as General Manager. Kieran will oversee the 199 room property located in the heart of Edinburgh and brings over 20 years of experience

He began his career in hospitality in his teenage years in his native Donegal in Ireland. He then qualified with distinction from Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland

His most recent position was General Manager for Crowne Plaza Edinburgh Royal Terrace where he was instrumental in completing the hotel’s renovation, increasing average rate and achieving record revenues for the hotel

Commenting on his new position as Hotel General Manager, He said: “The Kimpton ethos is one I'm incredibly passionate about. We believe that heartfelt human connections can really make a difference to people's lives. This goes for the team as well as our guests. It's the authentic personal touches that we deliver day in day out here at the hotel that make a real difference to our guests' experience.

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