The top factors influencing a guest’s choice in hotel  accommodation according to STR Research in May 2021 are: location, price & value for money, cancellation policy, previous stay, positive reviews/personal recommendations. Although most factors have been in the top 5 before COVID-19, the way each affects the booking decision has changed. By focusing on these […]

Each economic crisis, in 1990, 2009 and now 2020, has forced changed in the hotel revenue management discipline. The most recent disruption, Covid-19, has created an acceleration in Artificial Intelligence plus the redefinition of certain segments or the expectations from key revenue-generating departments. Redefining the Role of Hotel Revenue Leaders Revenue Directors now have more […]

Harsh words, Matey. Yet, as a Hotel Sales Professional, best to heed them. Beyond the ravages of a global pandemic, is the obliteration of all you knew about how customers (guests) make decisions and the ever-accelerating algorithms of artificial intelligence. Time to face those high seas, or your days are numbered. Since Melville’s whale, Hemingway’s […]

The pandemic has created challenges for hotel owners like none they have ever seen.  STR reports that U.S. hotel profits fell almost 85% in 2020, making it the worst year on record for the industry. As you may have seen in an inspirational Instagram quote (or 17), every challenge brings new opportunities, and there are […]

For better or worse, the decimation of the hospitality industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has piqued the interest of investors.  Private equity firms are raising new rounds of funding; SPACs are being created for the purpose of buying up distressed restaurants; and all sorts of new, opportunistic capital is sniffing around. Among […]

In conjunction with The Hotel School at Cornell University, William Carroll published this white paper on October 1, 2020. As a consulting member of Cayuga Hospitality Consultants, here is an excerpt from the paper: The Covid-19 pandemic is causing major disruptions in the travel and hospitality market and associated organizational and marketing strategies by hospitality […]

The absolute best Hotel Strategy Meetings are many things – engaging, animated, results–oriented, productive, decisive, relevant, and maybe even enjoyable. We like to say that this meeting should be the single most important hour of the week for strategy and decision-making. So why would we want to bring scary into this meeting? Because the world […]

Hotels are seeing an uptick in negative reviews during Covid. The dynamics and the traveler are different now. Here are some strategies to managing your online reputation now.

Hospitality marketing teams have a tough job to do these days.  Pivot, pivot – and pivot again.   As we all know, the familiar world around us has become quite unfamiliar, and, the predictable – unpredictable.  With so many situations up in the air, it often feels like a challenge to just stay sane. In light […]

With hopes of transient drive market visiting hotels first, it is time to get creative to stimulate travelers that have been stuck at home.