HotelsMag April 2020 | Page 66

LAGNIAPPE

WHAT ’ S THE BIGGEST ISSUE HOTELS

MUST ADDRESS TO REMAIN RELEVANT ?

Michael BELLISARIO Taxes , insurance and labor are all increasing faster than inflation . From a traveler ’ s perspective , whether it ’ s for business or leisure , I think everyone is much more price-conscious . The stated rate for a hotel is not the rate that you and I pay — there are taxes , resort fees , higher parking charges — so stated rates may not be going up , but the all-in cost is .

Christoph HOFFMANN One major trend in gateway cities — particularly in European cities — is to become a local hero , or at the very least , be the vehicle to facilitate those local heroes : designers , craftsmen , artists , poets , musicians , writers , gastronomes or simply that man on the corner who has had a neon lighting business for 25 years . Hotel companies need to become the living room for the cultural , the business world or the literati . This goes beyond hotels becoming the gathering space for those sitting around with their laptops .

Trevor WARD It ’ s still the basics , in my opinion . It ’ s the staff , the food , the bed , the lights that are logical and work , absence of stress . It ’ s going through the hotel and looking at every single touchpoint . Old-fashioned ? I don ’ t think so .

Ramsey MANKARIOUS Particularly in the U . K ., there ’ s a lot of talk about employees and employment , especially with Brexit . There is a lot of concern about finding staff , since it ’ s unknown how many people can come from Europe to take positions .

Neil JACOBS A great hotel that has a beautiful design , great food and great service is just not enough anymore … And from a sustainability perspective , how are you really improving the planet in a meaningful way ? The takeaway needs to be greater than just another luxury hotel experience . I hate the word “ experiences ,” but today it ’ s about what you provide that genuinely creates those memories .

Edward MADY External impacts on a hotel culture . From social media and politics to cultural disruption , and from virtue-signaling to demographic fragmentation , hotel employees may feel increasingly insecure in dealing with the public . It therefore is imperative for leaders to make their teams feel safe and have peace of mind in the workplace — and for their employees to know that they are relevant , valued and empowered .

Chris JANNOU Most of the big international brands see Africa as a place they need to be because of growth and lack of penetration ... Africans are getting more sophisticated , and they know the difference between a cool boutique hotel and something phoned in from Johannesburg .

Peggy BERG Airlines have crossed over from selling great experiences to selling slightly less discomfort . Presumably , their revenue management systems maximize revenues with this strategy . Hotel revenue management systems have followed airline systems , historically . Perhaps hotels , which are a much more competitive sector , will lead the travel industry away from selling slightly less discomfort .

Muriel MUIRDEN I ’ m absolutely intrigued to see whether this acute awareness we all now have of climate change is going to manifest itself into a slow travel trend . Are we all going to be slipping into trains and boats ? Or are we only thinking about it and making gestures ?