Lodging Leaders

Lodging Econometrics has tracked the hotel industry since 1998. Its global database includes new-hotel pipelines as well as renovations and brand conversions. Hotel franchisers once eager to launch new brands are focused on converting existing hotels because it's a faster way to recover revenue lost to the COVID-19 pandemic than through new construction. In Episode 346, Lodging Leaders explores the increasing number of conversions in the U.S. hotel industry and what owners and operators need to consider before repositioning an asset.

In response to the death of a colleague who struggled with addiction, Steve Palmer and fellow restaurateur Mickey Bakst established Ben's Friends, a community of restaurant owners, managers, chefs and other workers who seek sobriety. Palmer tells how Ben's Friends came to be because he wants to raise awareness of substance abuse in the F&B industry and let those who struggle with addiction know there's acceptance and help.

In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., financiers anticipated a swell of distressed hotel businesses. Some raised rescue funds to respond to what they thought was a pending crisis. Though there are financial rescues taking place, the level of such activity is far below what industry advisers and fund managers expected. Commercial real estate investors positioned to act in the early days of the pandemic held off and are now just beginning to unleash their cash hoards totaling billions of dollars. Episode 345 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the state of capital investment in the hotel industry.

Shawn Seipler of Orlando, Florida, founded Clean the World 12 years ago to fight life-threatening illnesses in children who had no access to soap and water. He started by collecting discarded guest-room soaps from a single hotel in his neighborhood. Today Clean the World has recycled 63 million bars of amenity-sized soap from more than 8,000 hotels and resorts and distributed them to 130 countries. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt Clean the World a dramatic blow in its programming and growth strategy. Lodging Leader's introductory episode in its special series, “Happy To Be Of Service: Stories of hospitality giving back,” features Seipler who talks about Clean the World's beginnings and how a hospitality industry in recovery has helped the nonprofit pick up the pieces and move forward with its life-saving mission.

Hoteliers and allied vendors invested in both lodging and senior-living assets demonstrate how the spirit of hospitality and its best practices extend into other real-estate-asset groups. Episode 343 of Lodging Leaders podcast is the second in a two-part series that explores the hospitality industry's growing interest in senior living.

Boston University School of Hospitality Administration's Master of Management in Hospitality program launched this fall with a new concentration in senior living. The school believes it is on the cusp of a massive shift in how Americans view aging and where new opportunities lie for the hospitality industry. Episode 342 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores how hospitality professionals are aligning interest and innovation with what one researcher calls “the longevity economy.”

Families are driving the hotel industry's recovery from the pandemic recession. A new report by the Family Travel Association reveals what parents are looking for when planning vacation experiences to enjoy with their children. The U.S. Family Travel Survey 2021 reveals the shift in mindset the COVID-19 pandemic has created in families intending to travel within the next 12 months. Episode 341 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores how hoteliers can use the information to generate business.

Episode 340 of Lodging Leaders podcast updates the progress of efforts by hotel industry leaders to open doors and break down financing barriers for women who want to invest in or own hotels. Whether they're new to the concept or they've worked in lodging for years, women are an emerging force in hotel development, investment and ownership. This report features several industry leaders who are making significant strides in building programs that encourage and support women interested in becoming hotel owners and investors

Calvin Tilokee's first meme was printed out and hung on his office door.  Since then, he's created @revparblems, a hospitality comedy account on Instagram with 20,000 followers.  Susan learns how Calvin navigates the highs and lows of being the funniest account on Instagram and helps hotels with social media through his company, RevPar Media. View the show notes for this episode at https://topfloorpodcast.com/3.

Squeezing every last ounce of profit from a hotel's top-line revenue has always been a challenge for hotel operators but the COVID-19 pandemic has tested the mettle of even the most savvy revenue manager. One trend hoteliers are debating is à la carte or attribute pricing for amenities and services that are typically rolled into room rate. Some hoteliers are giving it a go while others are in a wait-and-see mode. Episode 339 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores how the industry may unbundle services and find ways to tap revenue from guests willing to pay extra to craft their own stay experience.

In the course of her hotel career, Kate Burda learned the business inside and out, from Minneapolis to Miami. Along the way, she figured out that the sound and fury of the hotel business could truly signify something by focusing on a traveler's point of inspiration vs. a hotel's product offering. Susan learns how Kate's company helps hotels and other businesses ignite the connections between financial performance goals and sales and marketing strategies.

From the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, the hotel industry turned to technology to solve immediate challenges. The very nature of hospitality can make a hotel vulnerable to cyberattacks. As the industry adopts new technology to help it recover from the coronavirus crisis, the threats are greater and the number of attacks are growing. Episode 338 of Lodging Leaders podcast focuses on the pervasive cyber threats the hospitality industry faces as it deploys technology to modernize its business processes and improve guest experiences.

As a teenager, Cat Meek took any restaurant job that would have her, working her way to becoming a certified sommelier and manager of a "very fahhncy" restaurant. Over romantic dates spent writing the business plan for a future fine dining establishment, she met and married her husband, who was conveniently also a chef. Susan learns how Cat built a multi-unit restaurant empire by making the guests part of the story.

Susan Barry started her hospitality career sleeping in her car between parties as an off-premise caterer. Since then, she's worked with hundreds of hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality companies to improve commercial strategy performance, gathering a bevy of wild experiences and crazy stories along the way. Top Floor explores how hospitality businesses can tell their stories, with expert tips and entertaining tales from engaging guests.

In spring 2020, more than 1,700 hotels in the U.S. were closed as the coronavirus pandemic shutdown the travel industry. Eighteen months later, hundreds of hotels have reopened to a world still influenced by the ongoing crisis. In Episode 337 of Lodging Leaders podcast, we explore the challenges owners and managers faced in deciding to close hotels and what it took to reopen. We also talk to hoteliers who struggled with ramping up business at hotels that were at such low levels of occupancy, they might as well have been closed. And we feature owners who opened new properties during the pandemic.

As America approaches the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on its homeland, Episode 336 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the impact 9/11 had on the U.S. travel sector. We feature hotel industry leaders who were on duty that fateful day and can recall the shock of the attacks, how they cared for frightened guests and how the event changed hotel operations. They also draw parallels to the coronavirus crisis and remind listeners of the resiliency of the nation's hospitality industry.

With 20,000 hotel owners as members, AAHOA is the largest hotel owners group in the world. But it's not exercised the power that comes with size. Until now, that is. A new study by Oxford Economics reveals the membership's combined economic strength, including the fact that members own 60 percent of America's hotels. AAHOA Chairman Vinay Patel and other AAHOA leaders say the association plans to wield its might in forging a post-pandemic recovery that ensures everyone a more profitable future.

Although hotel franchisees' discontent with the brands existed before the pandemic, the crisis has heightened owners' fear and uncertainty of being able to stay in business and take part in the industry's recovery. Episode 334 of Lodging Leaders podcast takes a look at how hoteliers' dissatisfaction with franchise agreements is leading them to take drastic steps through the courts as well as turn to state and federal lawmakers for reform.

This week's episode of Lodging Leaders podcast continues our report on how new and small franchisers may hold the answers to franchisees' discontent amid the coronavirus crisis as well as the post-pandemic recovery. Episode 333 features leaders at Hospitality International Inc. and FairBridge Hotels International who share how the pandemic forced them back to the drawing board to build stronger and more sustainable businesses for themselves and their franchisees.

Hoteliers are seeking fairer licensing agreements as the coronavirus crisis pulled back the curtain on long-simmering owners' discontent in franchiser-franchisee relationships. The answer may lie in new and small hotel franchisers determined to build positive business relationships in which owners and franchisers can equally benefit. Episode 332 of Lodging Leaders podcast features leaders at Sonesta International Hotels Corp. and Advantage Hotels Inc., who talk about how to make franchising a win-win for both sides even in the worst of times.

Nicolas Graf, associate dean, clinical professor and chair of New York University's Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, will soon unveil the school's new Hospitality Innovation Hub. Departure from the norms of doing business is key to the post-pandemic survival and success of the hospitality industry, says Graf. Companies that offer flexibility in thought and practice among employees will go a long way in leading the industry's post-pandemic recovery. Episode 331 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores what it will take for owners, operators and others invested in the industry to attract and retain bright young talent who can help build modern and sustainable hotel business models.

Bijal Patel, 31, is CEO of Coast Redwood Hospitality and the youngest chair of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. He's made even more history at CHLA by agreeing to serve an unprecedented second term as the lodging industry emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Patel is a third-generation hotelier. Being so steeped in hospitality at such a young age is not new for members of the Indian American hotelier community, but Patel fears the pandemic has drained the industry of emerging talent. Episode 330 of Lodging Leaders podcast spotlights Patel, who represents a leadership demographic that is fighting for the life of the hospitality industry as they watch their peers veer toward other career paths.

Many hotels these days have made room for guests with disabilities. Hotel managers and staff should also know what the Americans With Disabilities Act says about accommodating guests with pets. During the pandemic lockdowns, a lot of people added a pet to their household and now they're bringing Fido along on vacation. Hotel employees need to know how to cater to both consumers who are pet owners as well as guests who travel with a trained service animal. In Episode 329 of Lodging Leaders podcast we explore how the ADA defines a service animal and how a hotel is legally obligated to serve a guest who comes with a dog or any other animal.

Nearly 8 million Americans plan to travel over the Fourth of July weekend, predicts AAA. Most of them will drive and many of them plan to stay in hotels. What makes a travel consumer choose your hotel? Price can be a factor but so can the story the property tells through its online photos and its real-life curb appeal. First impressions of a hotel set the tone for the guest's entire stay. Its roadside image is more important than ever as the lodging industry this summer hangs its hopes on a comeback driven by domestic travelers. Episode 328 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the importance of a hotel's curb appeal as hoteliers think of ways to attract travelers seeking safety and assurance as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

Home-sharing or short-term-rental platforms saw business surge during the 2020 pandemic year. The momentum continues this year and into 2021 as many travelers still in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic prefer houses over hotels. In Episode 327, Lodging Leaders podcast explores what's driving not only the home-sharing sector, but also buoying extended-stay hotels, including branded residential-style accommodations that are a hybrid of hotel and home.

CHMWarnick and Pinnacle Advisory Group in April announced their decision to strategically align their businesses and bring more services and solutions to a hotel industry still in the throes of the coronavirus crisis. While properties in many markets are experiencing a business revival led by leisure travel, many others continue to work their way out of a maze of financial challenges. Episode 326 of Lodging Leaders podcast looks at the partnership and what it signals for the industry as it pushes toward recovery.

Independent boutique hotels recovered business faster than their branded counterparts and managed to increase RevPAR by holding rate even during the darkest days of the coronavirus crisis. Lodging Leaders podcast Episode 325 is the third and final installment in a series on independent hotels doing business amid the pandemic. We feature analysts and the founder of an organization that is the voice for independent owners and operators around the world.

Independent hotels struggled just as much as their franchised cousins when the coronavirus pandemic first struck the U.S. in spring 2020. Hundreds of independent properties temporarily closed amid the downturn in business and government shutdowns. Among those that reopened the soonest were independent hotels that are part of soft-branded collections.

Remington Hotels named Sloan Dean president and CEO just a few months before the coronavirus pandemic struck the U.S. and decimated its hospitality industry. Dean, a self-described millennial, said the lodging sector is taking on a new look as companies restructure their executive and line-level ranks and leisure travelers hit the road. The post-pandemic world requires new ways of doing business, Dean said, noting new labor models and the emergence of a chief commercial role to oversee all aspects of revenue. Episode 3 of Lodging Luminaries features host Jason Freed and Dean in a thought-provoking conversation about what's ahead for hospitality.

The coronavirus crisis hit independent hotels just as hard as their branded counterparts but many of the unaffiliated assets were able to quickly shift to survival mode, cut costs and generate revenue by implementing creative business strategies. Independent hoteliers featured in Episode 323 of Lodging Leaders podcast say being unencumbered from brand mandates and rules allow them to make crucial decisions that enable their businesses to survive and in some cases thrive.

The hotel labor shortage dominated the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference last week as panelists and attendees commiserated and shared ideas on how to recruit and retain workers. While hoteliers blame extended unemployment-benefit programs, other experts said the problem is more complex than that. The coronavirus pandemic is far from over and recovery is uneven across the lodging industry. Episode 322 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the labor challenges facing hoteliers and what experts are advising, including totally rethinking traditional employment models now and post-pandemic.

Daniel Del Olmo has led a storied career in hospitality leadership. Today, Del Olmo is president and COO at Sage Hospitality Group, a third-party manager. He joined the company just a couple months before the coronavirus pandemic struck the U.S. and gave the hospitality industry its biggest crisis and comeback challenge ever. In Episode 2 of Lodging Luminaries, host Jason Freed talks with Del Olmo about what keeps him up at night as Sage Hospitality crafts its recovery strategy in an era of uncertainty. Key ingredients, says Del Olmo, are passion for the industry and care for its people.

Hotel owners and operators who believed they could go it alone before the coronavirus pandemic devastated the hotel industry are having another think and turning to third-party managers to work their way back to profitability in the post-pandemic recovery. Another trend contributing to the growth in third-party managers' business is more commercial real estate investors armed with cash entering the hotel sector and in need to an experienced operations team. Episode 321 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the growth of third-party management companies over the past 12 months. This report is part of Lodging Leaders' coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.

Hotel owners and developers are growing eager to refresh their properties in preparation for a post-pandemic business revival. But capital improvement might be delayed by breaks in the global supply chain. Shipping companies in Asia and Europe are contending with a boatload of challenges, including a lack of containers, traffic jams at West Coast ports and increased costs. Episode 320 of Lodging Leaders podcast features logistics and procurement specialists who relate what the problems mean to the U.S. hotel industry.

Raul Leal had been in leadership roles in the boutique lodging sector for 15 years when he first met Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, which includes Virgin Hotels. In a conversation with Lodging Luminaries host Jason Freed, Leal shares his first meeting with Branson more than a decade ago when the business magnate asked him to manage the hotel brand that was just a molecule of an idea at the time. Leal also talks about the future of hospitality industry, how the coronavirus crisis threatens the survival of branded legacy hotels and why everybody wants to work at Virgin Hotels, even during the coronavirus pandemic. Long Live Lodging produces Lodging Luminaries in conjunction with Hotel Recovery, a website and daily newsletter providing resources for hoteliers to get back on their feet.

The phrase “stronger together” has been used throughout the coronavirus crisis to encourage businesses and employees to join forces in thought and deed to keep economies afloat. The concept also has taken on new meaning in the hotel industry as companies form joint ventures – either by creating new partnerships or redefining what collaboration looks like. Episode 319 of Lodging Leaders podcast features hotel companies that have formed strategic partnerships to survive and thrive through the pandemic recession.

Amanda Joiner has worked for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. for 25 years. Starting in housekeeping, Joiner has been general manager of The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis for more than five years. Her career trajectory is not unique, she says, as anyone can apply The Ritz-Carlton's tenets of customer service to clear a path to leadership in the hospitality industry. Episode 318 of Lodging Leaders podcast spotlights Joiner and her story.

Ginny Morrison of Evanston, Illinois, is a 33-year veteran of Spire Hospitality, a hotel management company with a portfolio that spans coast-to-coast. As vice president of sales and marketing, Morrison saw the coronavirus pandemic decimate the meetings business. More than a year later, she’s witnessing a comeback as small-meeting planners are actively booking events for the last half of 2021 and beyond. As public health agencies expand COVID-19 vaccination programs across the U.S. and states ease up on public-gathering restrictions designed to keep the virus at bay, the hotel industry is seeing small meetings begin a comeback. In Episode 317, Long Live Lodging covers the state of the small-meetings sector and how hotels can grab their share of the meetings business during and post-pandemic. This report is part of our ongoing coverage about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the hospitality industry. The post 317 | Together Again: U.S. hotel industry begins to see return of small meetings first appeared on Long Live Lodging.

As public health agencies expand COVID-19 vaccination programs across the U.S. and states ease up on public-gathering restrictions designed to keep the virus at bay, the hotel industry is seeing small meetings begin a comeback. Episode 317 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the state of the small-meetings sector and how hotels should prepare to act quickly to grab their share of business.

The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference will be the industry’s first large event to be held during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta event will be a hybrid format of in-person and virtual access, also an industry first. Lee Hunter, chairman of the conference, knows the level of expectation is high among other conference planners as well as industry professionals eager to network after more than a yearlong hiatus. Episode 316 of Lodging Leaders podcast features Hunter as he tells what it takes to re-launch the industry’s conference circuit amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The post 316 | Pandemic Trailblazer: Hunter Hotel Investment Conference leads lodging industry’s 2021 event circuit first appeared on Long Live Lodging.

The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference will be the industry's first large event to be held during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta event will be a hybrid format of in-person and virtual access, also an industry first. Lee Hunter, chairman of the conference, knows the level of expectation is high among other conference planners as well as industry professionals eager to network after more than a yearlong hiatus. Episode 316 of Lodging Leaders podcast features Hunter as he tells what it takes to re-launch the industry's conference circuit amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The coronavirus crisis has dramatically altered the traditional competitive set most hotels use to benchmark their business performance. During the pandemic, properties have reduced services; they’ve closed either permanently or temporarily; or they’ve transitioned to alternative uses by contracting out to essential travelers or social agencies in search of housing. Episode 315 explores the genesis of the hotel industry comp set and how the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the strategic business tool. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry. The post 315 | COVID Comp Sets: The pandemic has dramatically altered hotels’ playing fields first appeared on Long Live Lodging.

The coronavirus crisis has altered the business models of many hotels. For that reason, the pandemic also is forcing hotel managers to reconsider their competitive sets and how to benchmark their hotel's business performance. Episode 315 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the genesis of the hotel industry comp set and how the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the strategic business tool.

More than 1,760 hotels or 5 percent of U.S. room inventory have permanently or temporarily closed since March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic first gripped the country, reports Kalibri Labs. Though last year was the worst on record for hotel business performance, the reason behind the change in the metrics is different than in previous economic crises. The shuttering of hotels as well as government restrictions on travel are skewing national averages in key performance indicators, including average daily rate, experts say. For the most part, hoteliers have been smart about holding rate as much as possible in contrast to the “race to the bottom” seen in past economic crises. Episode 314 explores what is truly impacting hotel rate during the coronavirus pandemic. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry. The post 314 | No Discounts Available: Smart rate management keeps hotels afloat amid COVID-19 storm first appeared on Long Live Lodging.

The U.S. hotel industry has seen rates decline over the past 12 months, but the numbers may not be telling the whole story. Industry rate watchers as well as asset managers Lodging Leaders interviewed say, for the most part, hotel owners and operators are being smart about pricing while other pandemic-related factors are skewing rate metrics. Episode 314 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores what is truly impacting hotel pricing during the coronavirus crisis.

NextGen in Lodging launches its inaugural program with an episode featuring three self-starters carving unique paths in the hospitality industry. Their ventures encompass hotel investment, management and education. The entrepreneurs tell how they altered business strategy and professional goals amid the coronavirus crisis. NextGen in Lodging co-host Davonne Reaves leads the conversation with Purvi Panwala of Panwala Property Management Corp. and CRC Construction Corp; Andrea Aguilar of Typsy and Preshift; and Kendra Plummer of Elise Capital. The post 01 | First But Not Last first appeared on Long Live Lodging.

Ron Vlasic has held several leadership roles over the course of his 30 years in the hospitality industry. While serving as COO at Hostmark Hospitality Group, the Chicago native has answered the call to help the U.S. travel and tourism industry recover from the devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. For the next two years, he will serve on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In an interview with Long Live Lodging, Vlasic tells the story of his career journey and what it will take to revive the industry post-pandemic. This feature story introduces our Lodging Luminaries program. The post 313 | Staging a Comeback: Hospitality leader Ron Vlasic helps industry build post-pandemic revival first appeared on Long Live Lodging.

Ron Vlasic has held several leadership roles over the course of his 30 years in the hospitality industry. While serving as COO at Hostmark Hospitality Group, the Chicago native has answered the call to help the U.S. travel and tourism industry recover from the devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. For the next two years, he will serve on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In Episode 313 of Lodging Leaders podcast, Vlasic tells the story of his career journey and what it will take to revive the industry post-pandemic.

Spring breaks will be shortened or reduced as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact travel and tourism. Many schools and colleges are skipping the annual rite to party. But that doesn’t mean hotels have to give up trying to attract guests this season. Staycations are increasing as people tired of being cooped up seek a respite close to home. In this report, Long Live Lodging explores the origin and evolution of the staycation and how hotels can capitalize on people’s desire to get away from it all, even if it’s just for one or two nights. This report is part of our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry. The post 312 | Spring Breaks for Homebodies: Staycations are a growing trend amid the coronavirus pandemic first appeared on Long Live Lodging.

Spring breaks will be shortened or reduced as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact travel and tourism. Many schools and colleges are skipping the annual rite to party. But that doesn't mean hotels have to give up trying to attract guests this season. Staycations are increasing as people tired of being cooped up seek a respite close to home. Episode 312 of Lodging Leader podcast explores the origin and evolution of the staycation and how hotels can capitalize on people's desire to get away from it all, even if it's just for one or two nights.

A year ago, Darshan Patel, CEO of Hotel Investment Group in San Diego, California, was one of the first hoteliers in the U.S. to step up and offer properties to overwhelmed hospitals seeking places to care for COVID and non-COVID patients as well as vulnerable populations. As the crisis eases and Hotel Investment Group works to return the hotels to business, Patel is negotiating with local governments to pay for the wear and tear on the properties. Patel is not alone as many hoteliers are unexpectedly dealing with problems that state and local governments’ urgent decisions have created, including property damage, increased costs and eviction bans. This report is the second in a two-part series examining the pros and cons of opening hotels to alternative uses during the pandemic. It is part of Long Live Lodging’s special coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry. The post 311 | Shelters From the Norm: Hotels used for hospitals and housing face unexpected problems first appeared on Long Live Lodging.