oteliers are in a bind – accelerating guest expectations are putting pressure on hotel operators in

ways never before imagined. And it’s a scary proposition. We used to talk about amenity creep, but these days it’s more like a runaway train. The pressure to surprise, delight and essentially read the minds of guests is transforming hotel operations. In one generation, being a hotelier has completely transformed into an entirely new and uncontrollable beast.

Believe it or not, it was in my lifetime the most exciting and modern amenities were proudly posted on hotel signage – Air Conditioning! Color TV! Free HBO!

As an industry, we must break the cycle of throwing more “things” at guests. Instead, we need to place higher emphasis on utilizing ever more costly people power to make real connections with our guests. We need to return to the simpler times when the innkeeper got to know his guests on a more personal level. But to do that we need to rethink areas we may be wasting money.

Here are some places I think we can work to lower expenses:

• Stop reinventing complimentary breakfast bars by continually making them more expensive to operate. In general, breakfast is a total letdown in hotels – a forgettable experience at best. Other than a banana or yogurt, most of the food just isn’t that good. I am pretty sure no one in the history of free breakfast remarked about how amazing their meal just was. Either � gure out how to have most items feel less institutional, or just let me make my own wa� e and give me a good cup of co� ee.

• Figure out if the industry really needs to o� er daily maid service. Many of my road warrior friends and colleagues arrive to their rooms and put on the “do

Interesting Ideas for Shaving Hotel Expenses

Seven Hotel LaundryEquipment Mistakes That Could Be Costing You

What’s Inside May 2017Four Critical Traits You Must Develop in Your Future Leaders

Jim’s Letter Who are you and what are you doing when you are the best version of yourself?

CHECK-IN

CHECK-IN – Issue 05_2017 americanhotel.com

• Something else to do in the bathroom! According to Hotels.com Mobile Tracker, booking a hotel room is more of a solo e� ort with travelers reserving their hotel room from the comfort of their own bed, or even a bathroom. 27% admit to booking a hotel room while preparing to catch some Zzzs with their partner next to them and 10% even confessed to booking a hotel while sitting on the toilet!

• Stay 20,000 leagues under the sea? Well, not quite that far. If you don’t want to be disturbed, except by a � sh or two, this is the hotel for you! Jules’ Undersea Lodge, in the lagoon at Key Largo Undersea Park in Florida, is the only underwater hotel in the United States. It is situated 30 feet down in the lagoon, and guests have to be certi� ed scuba divers to get to their rooms. Fortunately, you can take diving certi� cation courses on-site, too.

• Enjoy some poutine and tourtiere. Over 9.8 million Americans traveled to Canada from January to August in 2016, according to a report from Destination Canada. Expect an even stronger surge northward this year as our neighbor celebrates its 150th anniversary. O� cial ceremonies take place in July, but the entire year will o� er events and celebrations from coast to coast, so TripAdvisor has named Canada as one of its travel trend destinations in 2017.

Continued on next page...

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not disturb” sign for their entire trip. Do guests really want this service, or has the industry convinced itself customers care? Give your guests the option of opting out of maid service for their stay, and see what happens.

• Eliminate business centers. They are neither centers, nor designed to help people get real work done. Seems like we all have computers in our pocket, and people carry on average three devices when traveling. Let them come to the

front desk to print out the occasional thing, and use this opportunity to make a more personal connection with guests.

• Get rid of all the useless in-room marketing clutter. We know you are pushing loyalty programs, and other things you wished guests cared about at that moment. But guests don’t. Truthfully, they only glance at collateral incidentally as they toss it aside to make room for a laptop.

Continued in the next issue…

Part 2: Seven more things your hotel guests don’t care about

Source: Glenn Haussman,hotelmanagement.net, 7/16

Continued from previous page…

CHECK-IN – Issue 05_2017 americanhotel.com

or any business, � nding ways to minimize costs and improve pro� tability is key to success.

For hotels, striking a balance between providing top-notch customer service and being economically sound is a much more daunting task than many outside the industry might believe.

There is one service in particular, however, where there is often room for improvement – laundry. Everything from the freshness of the bedding to the softness and cleanliness of the towels contributes to a guest’s impression of his or her hotel stay, and these are things that depend on your laundry operating at peak e� ciency.

There are many common mistakes that are made, even by the best hoteliers, which can lead to needlessly high operating costs, a loss of guests and slow service.

Here is our list of the hotel laundry equipment issues:

• Overloading Laundry Machines This is the top mistake made by both professional laundry services and even people at home. With large, industrial-capacity laundry machines, the temptation is to � ll them to the brim, rather than to their recommended capacity. When over� lled, the machine

cannot distribute detergent evenly or agitate fabrics properly, which leads to incomplete cleaning cycles and soil left on items. Overloading also results in wear and tear on the machines, which leads to increased costs for repair and/or replacement of laundry machines.

• Under-Loading Laundry Machines Sometimes, if you’re worried about overloading, you can make the opposite mistake, which can be very wasteful. A typical laundry machine will consume just as much water and energy with a half-load as it would with a full one. In addition to wasting water, half-loads can waste your sta� ’s time, if you have your laundry operations in house. If your laundry operation would be at peak capacity with full loads, then only doing half-loads can mean falling behind on providing linens or towels to guests.

• Not Cleaning Out Washing Machines Why would a machine designed for cleaning need to be cleaned? The truth is that in between loads, not all water leaves the machine. At the end of the day, there will usually be a small amount of standing water left inside, which can stagnate, creating unpleasant odors that will cling to fabrics. To � ght this problem, clean the machines at the end of the day.

• Using Too Many ChemicalsUsing excessive amounts of chemicals beyond the amount actually needed to do the job can cause premature wear on fabrics, promote color bleed and cause fabrics to lose their vibrancy. The best way to avoid this problem? Use the exact amount recommended by the detergent’s manufacturer for your load size and machine type.

• Not Monitoring Overall Utility and Chemical UseYour high water costs might be because of your laundry operation, or it could be that leaky faucet in room 2E. Monitoring the actual amount of water and electricity used by your laundry machines will give you a better picture of your actual operating costs.

• Failing to Adjust Machine Settingsfor Specifi c FabricsWhen your sta� is busy, adjusting the machines’ fabric settings for the type of load may not happen. Putting large, bulky delicates through the same type of wash cycle used for thick, cotton towels that need to be sanitized with high heat can cause excessive wear and tear.

• Sticking with the Same Old, Ineffi cient MachinesFor the longest time, there was little reason to upgrade your in-house laundry equipment, assuming the older machinery was still in working order. For nearly 60 years, there was little true innovation in the design of commercial laundry machines, making upgrades an unnecessary expense. Now, the new equipment has both cost- and energy-saving features that are well worth the expense. Check them out.

Source: David Kaupp, hotelmanagement.net, 11/15

Seven Hotel Laundry Equipment MistakesThat Could Be Costing You

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Four Critical Traits You Must Develop in Your Future Leaders

Focus on Human Resources

JULIE BAKER

americanhotel.com CHECK-IN – Issue 05_2017

ou have a coveted supervisory position coming open due to a retirement in a few months. Two

or three employees have indicated that they would like to be considered and your organization is committed to promoting from within as much as possible. They are all considered “good” employees – they show up and do the work. But, you question whether they are ready and capable to assume a leadership role. What leadership skills, such as the ones listed below, do they already possess? Which are they capable of obtaining? Building your bench strength is always a good idea – sooner rather than later. As you consider the qualities you need in your leaders, think about how your organization can develop future leaders, including training.

Are your potential internal candidates…

Responsive versus Reactive?Are they self aware enough to recognize what sparks their “Are you kidding me?” reaction instead of a calm “Tell me more!” Are they aware of the di�erence that attitude makes when a team member asks a question or voices a concern? Of course, a lack of any response speaks volumes too. Tact and diplomacy can be learned and are an absolute requirement in managing employees, reporting to a manager, or responding to a customer.

Trustworthy and In�uential?Do they exemplify integrity when it comes to setting and upholding boundaries, keeping con�dentiality, and appropriately sharing team and individual progress with all team members? Being accountable to oneself and others is key in developing trust and in�uence – saying what you will do and doing

what you say. The more di�cult task of admitting a mistake and taking responsibility is also fundamental to gaining trust.

Team Engagers and Diversity Savvy?Are they able to recognize individual strengths, culture, work style, and motivational factors? Are they open to the di�erences in their work team, whether they be generational, cultural, “old school” or “new school” ways of thinking and approaching work? This openness and understanding allows for building on everyone’s strengths, and allows for di�erences.

Momentum Builders: Keeping Everyone’s Eye on the End Result?As much as the other soft skills of managing make a good leader, he or she can only be e�ective if results are achieved. Whether it be daily production levels, a zero accident record, or attainment of sales goals, these are the bottom lines. Achievement depends on the leader’s ability to keep all relevant goals and objectives in front of everyone and building the necessary momentum. They coach from mistakes and lead with the praise of successes.

Batter up!

Source: Karen Ekberg, HR Digest, June/July 2016

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1. The Langham Chicago, Chicago, IL

2. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kailua-Kona, HI

3. The Jefferson, Washington, DC

4. Montage Kapalua Bay, Lahaina, HI

5. The Lodge at Sea Island, Sea Island, GA

6. Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, FL

7. The Hay-Adams, Washington, DC

8. Montage Deer Valley, Park City, UT

9. Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, Rancho Santa Fe, CA

10. Primland, Meadows of Dan, VA

Source: U.S. News & World Report, 2017

10 Best Hotelsin the USA

The folks at Lonely Planet have published their list of Top 10 Countries to visit in 2017…

1. Canada

2. Colombia

3. Finland

4. Dominica

5. Nepal

6. Bermuda

7. Mongolia

8. Oman

9. Myanmar

10. Ethiopia

Travel’s Top Ten

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Dear Friends,

Who are you and what are you doing when you are the best version of yourself? For me, I think it’s when I’m encouraging, helping, supporting, and loving others. It’s then that I seem to feel the most pride, the most self-satisfaction.

It’s easy for me to slip into a focus on myself and the busyness of daily routine. Days are �lled with schedules, activities and distractions.

But while those daily events bring achievements and connections with others, they don’t often bring a sense of being the best version of myself.

What are you doing when you feel you are the best version of yourself? It’s likely you are doing something new, something kind or something a little outside your comfort zone. Maybe you are sharing, loving, giving something or encouraging someone. You are winning, creating, striving or forgiving. You are being unique, doing something important to you, maybe even ful�lling your life‘s purpose.

Do you look for more of those experiences? Think about it. Choose specialness – your best version of yourself.

Love,

We hope you’ve enjoyed this issue.Your feedback, suggestions, stories, and ideas make our newsletter interesting and useful. Please take a moment to send us your thoughts.

EMAIL: check-in@americanhotel.com

MAIL: American Hotel Register Company – Attn: Check-In 100 South Milwaukee Ave. Vernon Hills, IL 60061

NOTE: Submitted photos and information are not returnable. Submissions may be edited. CHECK-IN is published four times a year by American Hotel Register Company.

EDITOR: Lynda Jeppesen DESIGNER: Jackie Gaik

From the Chairman

JIM LEAHY

Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.–Isabelle Eberhardt, Swiss explorer and writer (1877-1904)

“ ”

Spring/Summer 2017Event Calendar

May 20175/15 – 5/17InnDependent Lodging Executive SummitLas Vegas, NV inndependentlodgingconference.com

5/15 – 5/17BITAC® Independent 2017 Las Vegas, NV bitac.net

5/20 – 5/23National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show Chicago, IL show.restaurant.org

5/21 – 5/24HOTEC Operations & Technology Palm Beach, FL hotecglobal.com/operations-technology

June 20176/25 – 6/27HOTEC DesignPalm Beach, FL hotecglobal.com/design

6/26 – 6/29HITEC 2017Toronto, Canada hftp.org/hitec

CHECK-IN – Issue 05_2017 americanhotel.com

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