LMA Communications

I love my dog

Larry Mogelonsky — 2013-06-17T20:45+00:00

If this headline grabbed you, then you probably belong to one of the 78 million households in America (according to The Week) that owns one of these four-legged pooches. I too am one in that category, being the proud “father” of a 120-lb (54-kg) bundle of fur named Caesar — a somewhat overweight, spoiled Bouvier des Flandres that entered our family’s life six years ago. Caesar is not just a dog — he is an important member of our household. Many of you may roll your eyes, but a full quarter or more of those reading this will nod in agreement. So, do you accept dogs on your property? And if not, are you missing a significant revenue opportunity? My experience working with properties that allow dogs ranges from tourist class to 5-star luxury boutiques. In all, the general manager’s responses have been unanimous: having dogs on property presents no major problems, and in many ways, dogs are better behaved than their bipedal masters. When a dog is a member of the family, you have two options: a dog sitter or pet-friendly accommodation. Given Caesar’s size, he does not fly, so our kids take on dog-sitting duties. Thankfully, most dogs aren’t the size of teenagers, allowing for easier transport. That means dogs are going on holidays alongside Mom, Dad and the kids with increasing regularity. So, if you are not pet-friendly, your property is off the list. Sure, there are going to be issues that arise, but the advantages outweigh the negatives. Your guests will adore the furry little friends scurrying about the property. Think of dogs more as an additional feature for your guests to emotionally connect with your hotel — one extra detail to brighten one’s day. Accepting dogs is not something that is overly complex, but it does require some operational planning. Often, a series of rooms, floors or sections are reserved exclusively for guests with animals. A guide is required, providing the following: Dog menus An understanding of all charges List of local vets Map of walking trails and off-leash areas A liability waiver for the guest to sign Once you’re ready, make sure you manage the reservations component. There are also many directories of hotels that allow dogs, and in order to tap into this travel niche, you need to get on that list. All of this is straightforward, so what are you waiting for? (Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on June 17, 2013)

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Cameras as a tech boon for hoteliers

Larry Mogelonsky — 2013-06-14T21:00+00:00

You may remember the days when a digital camera was a serious investment. The first digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras were large and expensive. A four-megabyte image was considered hefty. Memory storage cards were typically 32 to 64 gigabytes, pretty puny by today’s standards. Your iPhone beats this hands down. I recently had the opportunity to buy one of the latest digital cameras. Growing up in an era of 35mm SLR film camera gear, the experience was beyond anything I could imagine. The camera I eventually selected was the Olympus OM-D, one of many new compact SLRs offered today. The basic camera with zoom lens was about $1,500, which considering the feature set is a pretty good deal. (I purchased an additional lens; more on that in a minute.) Here is what impressed me, and importantly, why you should consider acquiring one of these examples of new technology for use at your property: 1. Compact size with a high-quality image. The days of having to be big to be effective are over. My latest camera weighs less than half that of a full-size SLR, and in many ways offers superior performance. 2. So easy to use, even a GM can do it! No kidding, I was able to master perfect images within minutes, with barely a read of the intimidating instruction manual. This camera has a simple point-and-shoot mode that performed flawlessly. However, there are many additional options I am sure work perfectly for special circumstances. That is, if I ever read the 100-page manual. 3. Basic controls are a cinch. The lighting controls and low-light capabilities allow for great images without a flash. This means you can shoot guestroom features and staff photos with natural light — even in low light situations — and still have exceptional results. 4. The wide angle of the standard lens is adequate for most situations. Okay, I spent an additional $1,000 for a Lumix ultra-wide lens (14 mm equivalent) for room shots, but it is not really necessary. Imagine the whole room from the doorway, with no image curvature. 5. The auto-stabilization eliminates the need for a tripod. This is key. Tripods take a long time to set up properly. Plus, they are cumbersome. 6. Color balance technology eliminates the need for Photoshop correction of most images. There are further in-camera options for special effects that work miracles. The point here is that having to Photoshop every photo before it can be posted online eats up time and chews away at available funds. Additionally, having the camera automatically take care of pesky issues for you frees up your “on-location” time for more important matters like shot direction or capturing those rare candid moments. So, does having a camera of this quality eliminate the need to hire a professional to undertake your next website? Hardly, as there is more to shooting a perfect photo than just the camera technology. All professionals have “the eye” — the mental skill of lining up an aesthetically pleasing shot from various angles. The French coined the term mise en scène to describe the beauty behind this principle. The bottom line is that having a camera like this and shooting documentation of people, staff, events and your property is a cost-effective way to enhance social media as well as the odd business-urgent picture. With this said, consider adding one of these to your next capital budget allocation. (Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on June 14, 2013)

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Mr. Hilton, what do you think now?

Larry Mogelonsky — 2013-06-12T20:54+00:00

Conrad Hilton Senior passed away in 1979. A hard-working, passionate man, he amassed a fortune that grew, with his son’s contributions, to well in excess of US$2 billion before it was converted to a charitable trust. Known for innovation, Mr. Hilton is probably best known for setting a standard of quality that cemented his worldwide hospitality empire. A guest staying at any of the hundreds of Hilton properties in the United States or overseas was assured of high-quality, confortable accommodations. Thus, the brand name “Hilton” became synonymous with the upper end of our industry. My, how times have changed. Here we are in 2013, nearly 35 years after his death, to learn that the Hilton New York Midtown, one of the brand’s largest properties, has done away with room service. The man responsible, Hilton Worldwide CEO Christopher Nassetta, has called upon other hoteliers to follow in his footsteps. Any volunteers? No doubt you’ve already read one or two articles ridiculing this move. Throw my lot in with the detractors; I don’t see this call to remove room service as a viable universal strategy. I wonder how Conrad would react. Let’s step back from the financial rationale, which I am sure in today’s world of exceptional POS data management is flawless. What I want to address is the issue of hospitality and the experience of staying at a hotel. I am probably a bit old-fashioned, but when I stay at a luxury property, I want that stay to be something special. In essence, everything has to be superior to what I have at home. At least it better be for the prices they charge these days! This means the linens, the décor, the bathrooms, the amenities and the services all must live up to the contractual agreement implied by a 4- or 5-star badge. And part of that expectation is room service of a quality befitting the rest of the hotel experience. Take this recent example. I arrived in London from Toronto at 10 p.m. By the time I got from Heathrow to my downtown hotel and checked in, it was approaching midnight. All the restaurants at the property were closed, and while there are probably a few all-night spots open in the area, I was not in the mood to traipse around in the rain searching for a late-night dinner. Moreover, I wanted to get as much shuteye as possible in order to become acclimatized to the time difference. This meant no walking and no exercise to pump adrenaline through my system — just a quick meal in my room as I lulled myself to sleep. Given these parameters, room service was the perfect solution. For this instance, if room service had not been available, what would I have done? Thinking philosophically, how does a hotel fulfill its promise as a true purveyor of hospitality without anything more than salty snacks in the minibar? Remember that while I used London as an example, this same quandary is only magnified when applied to secondary cities, suburbs and rural areas where the hours of operations are far more limited. So yes, eliminating room service might benefit a property in Midtown Manhattan, which holds the nickname “the city that never sleeps” for a very good reason. The greater New York City area houses roughly 20 million souls, a necessary concentration to make 24-hour restaurants viable en masse and to offer enough alternatives for guests so room service isn’t strictly essential. Ditto for other world-class cities like London, Paris, Chicago, Tokyo, Shanghai and so on. This model is not applicable elsewhere. I believe there is a solution, however — a compromise somewhere between fine dining and total elimination. Call it the “night owl” menu. Limit the selection to a few items, comfort foods that can be easily managed by the relative paucity of nocturnal staff — salads, sandwiches and a few freezer-ready dessert items should do. Let your culinary team decide. The key is to offer a few quality items, rather than a wide range of complex items that necessitate a heftier staff commitment. Before you follow the Hilton lead, there is one more issue that needs to be addressed. According to AAA and Forbes guidelines, the minimum standard for 4- and 5-diamond and star requirements includes 24-hour room service. I am not sure if this protocol will change any time soon, so if this rating is part of your mission statement or mandate, be cautious. Conrad Hilton Senior built his business on adding quality, not removing services. What would he think of the current state of the industry and this trend towards de-contenting? With the OTAs hacking at our margins and brand perceptions, as well as other “disservices” like fee-based Wi-Fi, opt-out housekeeping and everything else encompassed by drip-pricing models, should we now throw room service on the chopping block? At what point does a hotel become just a guestroom and something completely excised from what the word “hospitality” implies? (Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on June 12, 2013)

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Building Mobile Apps to Boost Meetings

Larry Mogelonsky — 2013-06-12T20:42+00:00

It’s no secret that mobile software — apps — are emerging with many new and interesting functions to change nearly everything about our daily lives. It’s widely known that the convergence of hotels, social marketing and real-time guest interactions is already well underway via mobile and tablet devices. All pursuits in this field tend to obey the general paradigm that their usage will in turn enhance a guest’s perception of a hotel. Apps built for improving meetings work the same way. If there’s a piece of software that can increase an event attendee’s ability to enjoy an upcoming, current or past conference, this ignites a virtuous cycle of positive outcomes. In the aftermath of a successful meeting, the planners would subsequently receive higher recognition for their efforts, increasing their ability to propagate future business ventures. Likewise, the meeting or conference center (often a hotel) would indirectly share in this praise, contributing to a myriad of desirable metrics further down the road – more business bookings, heightened occupancies and, ultimately, increased revenues. Many of your sales teams are already utilizing electronic group-RFP search engines such as Cvent. This program enhances your property’s ability to secure new business. But what about enhancing the experience for your conference delegates once they are on property? That’s the basis for Cvent’s new meeting and event mobile app division entitled CrowdCompass. This is a totally new field. I had an opportunity to talk to the Director of Sales, Matthew Donegan-Ryan, and get a firsthand demonstration. CrowdCompass aims to be a holistic and interactive mobile platform with many takeaway lessons for hoteliers to better understand how technology will impact this side of the industry and how smartphone integration can augment guest satisfaction. CrowdCompass’s main function is for onsite coordination – showing when and where various sessions are taking place (in addition to a reminder system built around this). It’s a self-service product principally targeted at event planners who are then given the power to edit content within the app in much the same way as a website’s CMS. But the developer has added two other crucial features which give this software more depth and value to both organizers and attendees. First, CrowdCompass is designed to help phase out ‘static’ promotional materials for upcoming conferences – printed guides, brochures, pamphlets, web graphics and so on – by allowing organizers to update event schedules and supplemental information as they become available. By using the app, an attendee will always be up-to-date with what is happening (or what will be happening) at a convention as well as offer an access point for any attached PDFs, powerpoints or other documents meant to complement a given seminar. Moreover, the app can be strategically released at the same time as an event’s announcement even with some of the blanks not filled in (time slots, speakers, sponsors, award galas, food vendors and so on), making it a preliminary sales tool for planners, organizers and hotels. Second, CrowdCompass is social. The app allows for a high degree of sharing by integrating with social media (at the organizer’s discretion) as well as possessing functionality across multiple devices (mobile and tablet with compatibility for both iOS and Android). This is important as it gives more power to attendees and enhances their appreciation of a conference. For example, a male business guest wants to attend two sessions at the same time. No decision agony required. He chooses one, and afterwards, he can use the app to discuss his selection as well as read about what was covered in session he missed from other attendees. This, in addition to the app’s ability to store seminar documents for download and further study. In this way, CrowdCompass becomes a ‘digital hub’ for all conference activity. What can apps do to enhance your meetings business? I’m of the ‘old guard’ insofar as I believe that sometimes our phones can sometimes get in the way of person-to-person interactions, especially at large-scale meetings where a multitude of introductions and handshakes are perfunctory. But statistics don’t lie. The billion-plus smartphone owners (myself included) are on their devices constantly and over 90% of business users prefer to receive information on an app than through a reflexively-designed website or via paper. You have to meet consumers at the channels they want to use, and in this sense, apps are the way to go. Let me remind you that CrowdCompass is intended for licensing to meeting planners and organizers, but that doesn’t mean that hotels should remain neutral or abstain from encouraging or endorsing mobile integration for conference attendees. Think of all the ancillary benefits you can afford your guests via cooperation with an app controller (in this case, a meeting planner). By helping feed pertinent details, from basic shuttle information to more elaborate information on local attractions and nightlife, it all boils down to providing the best possible experience for your business guests. Even if a conference does not take place on your property, an app that improves the event experience for attendees consequently reflects well on partnered hotels. For this virtue alone, you’d best consider meeting apps like CrowdCompass as yet another ancillary method to augment guest satisfaction. Seek out these ‘digital hubs’ for your business guests and you can’t go wrong. (Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in eHotelier on June 10, 2013)

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‘The Great Gatsby’: A return to elegance

Larry Mogelonsky — 2013-06-07T16:57+00:00

If you didn’t catch the movie “The Great Gatsby,” I am sure you have seen the trailers. If you go, pay less attention to Leonardo Dicaprio (who plays F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby) or Cary Mulligan, his object of attraction. Rather, cast your eyes on the sheer opulence portrayed in the movie: the costumes, the sets and the food consumption. Note how retailers, from Brooks Brothers to Harrods, have adapted promotional opportunities tied into the movie’s premium positioning. The world of Gatsby is one of total excess. Champagne pours like water, cars are only the finest, men wear tuxes, the women are dressed proverbially “to the nines” and the party never stops. Contrast this with a recent trip to a 2-star Michelin-rated restaurant in Barcelona. There I was on a weekday night, the only one wearing a sports jacket. Looking around, I noted men wearing sweaters, sports shirts and blue jeans as well as women dressed in pretty much every level of apparel. In a restaurant where the tasting menu is well in excess of US$200 per person, if they can’t get diners to get dressed up, then what hope does a more typical establishment have in getting customers to do the same? Or, does it really matter? I know this rumination is a little bit old-fashioned. My hypothesis is that when guests dress up, their moods are elevated and the spending follows. For hoteliers, this should mean more revenue for your upper-tier F&B outlets. Dress codes may be a thing of the past, but they establish an unwritten code pertaining to guest expectations and ultimately how much patrons order. Perhaps you should consider giving your property a “Gatsby-esque” makeover and see how you fare. (Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on June 7, 2013)

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New Website for Cayuga Hospitality Advisors

LMA — 2013-06-06T16:54+00:00

Cayuga Hospitality Advisors have more than 150 members worldwide, virtually all graduates or members of the faculty of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration or associate members of the Cornell Hotel Society. Members have an average of 25 to 35 years of hands-on hospitality industry experience, which translates into extraordinary expertise in all areas of the hospitality industries while providing an unequaled network committed to researching and solving any challenges for its clients. In addition to be a member, LMA was charged with the responsibility of building a web site that would serve as a comprehensive membership portal for business prospecting. The site creates an information interchange for the 180+ members with complete individualized controls. LMA created a site built in HTML5 with an easy-to-manage content management system on EE2. Special features of the site include an easy to use member's front-end login for profile editing and access to member only content, as well as advanced site search capabilities and organization of a large amount of article content. All is contained in a simply designed framework that compliments Cayuga's branding and style. To view the site, please visit www.cayugahospitality.com.

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Newport Hospitality Group’s New Website

LMA — 2013-06-06T15:02+00:00

Newport Hospitality Group, Inc. was in need of a new and updated website for their business-to-business services.  A successful hotel management group that delivers revenue growth that consistently outperforms local markets, NHG was looking for an updated website that can cater to visitors on tablet and mobile as well as a traditional computer. LMA created a site built in HTML5 with an easy-to-manage content management system on EE2. The new website provides a fully responsive design, user-friendly navigation, and social media integration, all the while being visually attractive. Visit the NHG website.

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Philadelphia: Hotel boom town?

Larry Mogelonsky — 2013-06-05T21:11+00:00

I’m from Toronto. I love this town, especially in the past decade when it has really come alive. I’ve sat courtside to witness the booming rise of hundreds of new condominiums and a dozen new hotels in my fair city, especially at the luxury level, with brand names like Ritz-Carlton, Trump, Thompson, Shrangri-La and a shiny new Four Seasons. Now it appears the City of Brotherly Love is also starting to share in this rekindled love of hotels. And through a little gentle nudging from some colleagues in the media, I’ve had a front-row seat for this unveiling, too. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s on the horizon. Starting with what’s new, there’s a 246-room Home2 Suites by Hilton opening in late August right next to Reading Terminal and a five-story, 172-room Courtyard by Marriott set to break ground as a part of the revitalization of the Philadelphia Navy Yard near the international airport. Also worth noting at the planning stage is a 150-room Hotel Indigo (part of InterContinental Hotel Group) on a site one block away from city hall. In terms of refurbishments, renovations and rebrands, the list includes the 757-room Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia; the Holiday Inn Express Penn’s Landing (previously a Comfort Inn); the DoubleTree by Hilton currently adding another 48 rooms for a total of 480; the 337-room Crowne Plaza Philadelphia West; the Radisson Blu at Rittenhouse Square; and the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District (formerly the Holiday Inn Historic District). Additionally, the Loews Philadelphia Hotel and the Rittenhouse Hotel are both undergoing renovations set for completion in the near future. Whether you consider these results to be good, bad or white noise, I leave up to you. Personally, I see this hotel stimulus as an instrumental part of the grand-scale revitalization and gentrification of this metropolis. Better guestrooms up the ante for other preexisting providers, forcing the incumbents to improve or get left behind. Compounding this ebb and flow of one-upmanship over the course of a 10-year span translates into a vastly improved market for accommodations as well as more astutely competitive owners and operators. Moreover, the incentive of additional visitors means more revenue for local businesses, helping uphold an urban landscape of vibrant shopping avenues, haute restaurants, art galleries and so on. All said, this is good for business and good for the city. Philadelphia has a wondrous and well-preserved history in addition to dozens of outstanding museums. I didn’t even mention my fondness for cheesesteak sandwiches or the Eagles. This “Birthplace of America” is a city you simply have to visit, and this expansion of guestroom supply is likely motivated by an already growing demand from other trendsetting sightseers. What are your thoughts? (Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on June 7, 2013)

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Loving hotels, hating airlines

Larry Mogelonsky — 2013-06-03T21:07+00:00

In the opening days of April, a terse article was published in The Week entitled, “Why we hate airlines: By the numbers.” No matter what revelatory metrics they toss at you, I am still not surprised by any of the scorn shot across the bow at airlines and airports alike. Airplanes are tight, cramped spaces with limited room to stretch one’s limbs, the constant droning hum of the ventilation system and no way to escape the coughs of strangers or crying babies. At 6-foot-3, traveling economy as I so often do can be especially noisome — the seat in front of me reclined and jamming into my knees with insufficient tray space to even contemplate opening my laptop. Airports are a tad better. You can walk around the oftentimes clinical gray footpaths, check out a few shops (Duty-free, anyone?) or relax at a restaurant. But all that goes pear-shaped when there are delays, cancellations, hour-long security lineups and last-minute dashes to the boarding gate. But, this is all pertains to the trials of air travel. We’re in the hotel business, so why care? These metrics aren’t important; they’re cardinal knowledge. Think of all the guests who will arrive at your property via transportation from the airport. Given the elevated number of people who apparently find air travel displeasing, it’s safe to assume a corresponding ratio will arrive at your house in an affected mood. They’ve just sat through a horrendous flight, and in this ornery headspace one miniscule disagreement at check-in will set them off. Whereas others might see this as an omen, I see it as one of the best opportunities to form positive bonds with your guests. Because the flight experience was such a disaster, if you do your best to be the opposite, your guests will love you all the more for it. Be warm and empathetic, and definitely train your front-desk staff to recognize the all-too-common scenario of the wearied, irascible airport arrival. It’s all about contrast. Consider the frog in a bathtub example. Start on cold then blast hot water and the amphibian jumps away. But start on cold and gradually add a pinch of warmth and the frog stays put. For this particular application, you should lean towards the former. When a guest arrives after an exhausting flight (cold), your well-gauged cheerfulness and genuine attentiveness (hot) will blast them into viewing you in a highly positive light. By virtue of contrasts, when a guest arrives after a breezy, uneventful flight (warm) and you bestow them with the same gratitude (hot), it just won’t have the same impact — emotionally speaking, that is. Not that you shouldn’t be treating all your incoming guests with the utmost of care, but if someone drops a hint they’ve just survived a nerve-racking ride in the sky, it’s your chance to seize the day. Show them what real hospitality is all about with a generous dose of compassion, then win their loyalty and the oh-so-valuable word-of-mouth as a prize. (Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on May 31, 2013)

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“Yo! Philadelphia” is a Success

Maureen Wright — 2013-05-29T14:45+00:00

Last night, in association with the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), LMA hosted an event at Yorkville’s Sassafraz restaurant to promote travel and tourism in Philadelphia. Over 75 guests, including major members of travel media, attended the event, entitled “Yo! Philadelphia”; where they sampled Philadelphia-themed refreshments, such as a signature Philly Cheese Steak Roll and “Libertini” Cocktails. There was a presentation, including a short video highlighting some of Philadelphia’s upcoming events and major attractions, and a few lucky guests went home with door prizes: models of Philadelphia’s iconic “LOVE” statue. LMA would like to thank TMAC, GPTMC, Sassafraz and GPTMC Director of Communications Donna Schorr for helping us put together this successful event. To see more photos from “Yo! Philadelphia”, visit our Flickr page.

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