Monthly Archives: March 2015

Hospitality Industry Marketing Update: “Trends and Budgeting For 2015” (Infographic)

Click above to view the whole image!

Click above to view the whole image!

1. Mobile Presence

2. Local Presence

3. Social Presence

4. Content Marketing

5. User Experience

6. Paid Search Presence

7. ROI Analysis – Cross Channels

8. Understanding Your Customer Journey

For more: http://bit.ly/1Bnw44D

 

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Filed under Finances, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Engaging Today’s Connected Travelers”

To improve the overall guest experience, hotels should leverage their unique position as a supplier, said Bernard Ellis, vice president of industry strategy at Infor Hospitality,Entertainment-620x330 a software provider. “You know more about your property than anybody else, so you can maximize that with things like early check-in and late checkout, room type, food and beverage—all based on looking at the guest’s past preferences,” Ellis said.

Hotels that establish meaningful relationships with guests can maximize revenue opportunities and increase customer satisfaction, travel industry experts said during the Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, which was hosted by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International in Manhattan last week. Here are some best practices panelists shared for using technology to engage with guests before, during, and after their stays.

Before They Arrive
Google’s industry head for travel, Tiffany Miller, said that during the pre-booking period, consumers visit 18 travel-related sites. “You have two and a half weeks to inspire the traveler to book your property,” she added. To make an impact, marketers should take creative approaches, like using celebrities or YouTube stars to boost engagement or allowing consumers to spread the message through self-generated videos.

For more: http://bit.ly/1NACu5k

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Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Reducing the Spread of Contagious Illnesses” (Video)

A supplement to frequent hand washing is to use hand sanitizer.handwashing To encourage use of hand sanitizers by employees and guests, place labeled hand-sanitizer dispensers at the front desk, restaurant areas, back offices, public restrooms, and elevators. Check and refill the dispensers daily.

Winter months bring an increase of cold, influenza, and other communicable illnesses to the workplace. To reduce the spread of germs and cross contamination, housekeeping departments should focus on common contact points.

Sanitize Hard Services. Most hard surfaces, such as doors, drawers, telephone receivers, TV remote controls, light switches, toilet handles, and in-room directories, can be disinfected with a commercial disinfectant cleaner on a daily basis. Returned guestroom keycards should be placed in a separate bin for disinfecting. All guestroom glassware must be thoroughly washed with hot water and detergent—in a dishwasher or three-compartment metal sink—before being placed back into service. Improperly sanitized glassware and utensils can transmit mononucleosis, herpes, E. coli, salmonella, hepatitis A, influenza, and even staph infections. Hotel glassware should never be washed in a guestroom sink.

For more: http://bit.ly/1E0wrBS

And for more on industry best practices, check out the video below from Petra’s own P3 Risk Management Team.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/98741016 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Matt Karp, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Preventing Norovirus at Your Property’. 

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Employee Practices, Food Illnesses, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Veteran Says Hotel Dispute Over Service Dog Led to Arrest”

White suffered a traumatic brain injury and spinal wounds while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistanservice animal in 2012 when a 200-pound improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. The Wyoming, Mich., resident said he has been on anxiety medication and has been helped greatly by Camo.

A bill making its way through the Legislature may prevent situations like the one Monday night in which a young veteran was arrested at a Bonita Springs hotel after he, his family and his service dog were denied lodging.

Jason White, 34, was arrested at the Best Western following a dispute with the hotel manager and staff over his service dog, Camo. He was charged with battery and destruction of property, the Lee County sheriff’s report said, after he kicked and cracked a television and shoved the hotel manager, Vinit “Vinnie” Patel.

For more: http://newspr.es/1Ej6AHZ

And for more on the do’s and don’ts of service animals, check out the video below from Petra’s own P3 Risk Management Team.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/102936915 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘ADA Service Animals: Do’s and Don’ts’. 

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under ADA, Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Insurance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Cyber Security”

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/121258482 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘How to Help Protect Your Hotel’s Computer Network and Information Systems’. 

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Crime, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Training

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Prepare Your Hotel for Smart Payment Systems”

Biometrics (voice recognition, fingerprint or retina scanning) is quicklysmartpayment becoming another method of user authentication…Actual credit card data is exchanged only within the bank and payment network, not directly tied to the customer’s interaction with the merchant, removing the merchant from handling that data.

By the end of this year, it’s estimated that 70 percent of all credit cards and 40 percent of all debit cards (about 1.1 billion in total) worldwide will be EMV capable. This payment system, also known as chip and pin, adds dynamic data to the transaction stream that renders replay of payment transactions impossible. And since every card contains its own microprocessor chip, EMV (which stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) cards are nearly impossible to counterfeit.

There’s no need for the card to leave the customer’s sight, and there’s no swiping. The credit card number isn’t exposed on a screen. Though not entirely fail-safe, the technology is a global standard and makes transactions hundreds of times more secure. In Europe, which has had EMV for years, reports indicate that card fraud has fallen as much as 60 percent over the last decade, whereas here in the United States, it’s increased about 50 percent over that same time period.

For more: http://bit.ly/1B2Dzwd

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Filed under Crime, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology