Information and data about hotels.
No matter how great your staff is, and how high you set your service standards, mistakes are bound to be made. The good news is that it is not the mistake that leaves a lasting impression for your guest, it’s how you fix it that matters. Apologize. I think this is obvious, but I’ve noticed that there seems to be a new trend of service staff refusing to offer an apology. Whether the mistake was made by you or a team member, or even if your guest is upset over nothing, a simple “I’m sorry” goes a long way. Fix the problem as quickly as possible. If you can’t empower your staff to offer resolutions, then a member of the management team should be readily available to deal with the situation right away. If a guest is complaining about a particular staff member, do not, under any circumstance, send that staff member to remedy the situation. Aside from making both parties feel completely awkward, you should understand that trust has been lost there, and will not be regained by a forced interaction. If you cannot resolve the problem to the satisfaction of the guest, apologize again. There is no pleasing …
We first want to thank our friends at The Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City for working so closely with us as we design new products for hotels. Learning and listening are behind everything we do, and the folks at the Skirvin have been kind enough to help us learn about the behind-the-scenes life of the hospitality world. Above is Skirvin Hilton General Manager, Martin Van Der Laan with our favorite videographer, Rory Gordon. In the video, he shares insights on the history of the Skirvin and how to blend modern innovations with a personal touch. I’m am so excited to share this video when it is finished with the editing process, because the Skirvin is a beautiful hotel, located very near our OKC offices, and their team embodies the true spirit of hospitality. “For us, everything is about the experience, so the people aspect of our business will never go away.” ~Martin Van Der Laan (General Manager, The Skirvin Hilton)
Our Summer 2013 GEM Report is all about hotels who embrace the family factor, and finds that women make 80% of travel decisions. When it comes to making family vacation plans, nobody is more influential than Mom. In light of this, I’d like to share further details on the five moms who made it to the GEM’s must-read category this season. Wander Mom: Mother of two Michelle Duffy has been traveling the world since her boys were young. This blog contains location-specific information, as well as tips on flying with infants, planning resources, and embracing wanderlust as a family. Escape Artistes: The story of a single mother, traveling with her now 12 year old son, having been on this adventure since 2010. This is a fascinating read which details the life of the constant traveler, including education, wellness, and local immersion. Luxury Travel Mom: Traveling in style with four children, Kim-Marie Evans is a well-known luxury and family travel expert. Her blog contains everything from practical travel tips and hotel reviews to travel apps and humor. Happy Travel Mom: With a focus on traveling tips instead of reviews, the Happy Travel Mom gives insights into the family travel experience based …
In my first post in this series, I mentioned my narrowed focus when traveling with my children: Safety, Cleanliness, and Fun. I’d like to look, step by step, at how our arrival experience panned out in these three areas. Safety: Upon arrival at the hotel, we found the lobby to be quite beautiful while still maintaining a kid-friendly atmosphere. Our motto was: We’re here to have fun and not break anything, and the lobby decor was perfect for a family with small children in tow. There was nothing the kids would shatter, swallow, or climb. I appreciate that. We had some issues at the front desk that I will discuss in detail next week, but one stood out in the area of safety for me. While handing me my keys and accompanying paperwork, the agent announced our room numbers quite loudly to a lobby full of waiting guests. As most of the other guests were wrangling children, nobody was paying a lot of attention, but still not the best practice when it comes to safety. Otherwise, we felt quite secure during our stay, with well-lit parking and hallways, old-fashioned heavy locks on our doors, and the only incidence of note …
I am pleased to share this space this week with Sam Stephens, Executive Director of The Global Soap Project. My team has had the privilege of getting to know the team at The Global Soap Project over the last few months, and we are impressed with the work they do. Did you know that, each year, more than 2.4 million children die from hygiene and sanitation related illnesses, such as diarrhea and pneumonia? These children are living in extreme poverty, and many are orphans or refugees. Fortunately, there is hope. Simply handwashing with soap can cut the risk of death almost in half. In fact, studies have shown that soap is among the most effective tools for fighting these diseases. The focus of the Global Soap Project is to prevent these deaths by getting soap and hygiene education to those who lack access to it. Soap is available for sale in most areas of the world. Even many rural communities in Africa have soap that is available for purchase. However, the soap in these areas is often very expensive – sometimes approaching $1 per bar. That might not sound like much, but if you’re living on less than $1 per …