HotelsMag January-February 2021 | Page 11

beverage — we ’ d like to combine the two . We would like to have more supervisors than managers .” Technology is also expected to replace some functions , especially as germ-wary travelers embrace automation .
NEW F & B SOLUTIONS Food and beverage standards , under the microscope even before the pandemic hit , are likely to attract more scrutiny once the worst is past .
“ We can expect simpler F & B solutions in full-service hotels moving forward ,” Russo predicts . “ The reality is that it is a necessity , but not a differentiator outside of the luxury space .” She says the shift to simpler menus or grab-and-go outlets might cause some brand blur , but owners are apt to be less accepting of F & B losses in a challenging era .
“ We would like to see our brand partners remain flexible as we navigate through the recovery ,” Khoury says .
Because hotels in different segments and markets will recover at different paces , he argues , some will require more or less assistance than others . And he expects the brands understand that a cookie-cutter approach won ’ t be sufficient .
Asset managers are likely to face pressure from owners to keep a lid on costs as well . “ They will expect operational efficiencies to continue to translate in improved margins on a go-forward basis ,” del Olmo observes . “ Our mantra of ‘ thinking like an owner , yet acting as a partner ’ will be more important than ever before .”
Finally , those delayed PIPs and capital investments might look good today , but many owners will face a day of reckoning , Bortz notes . “ Unfortunately , as soon as you don ’ t maintain a hotel , customers go elsewhere . You get into a vicious cycle where you don ’ t have the cash flow to invest , and no one will lend to you because you already have debt , and then you can ’ t get out of that hole .”
OUR MANTRA OF ‘ THINKING LIKE AN OWNER , YET ACTING AS A PARTNER ’ WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE .
DANIEL DEL OLMO , PRESIDENT AND COO , SAGE HOSPITALITY

PLAYING IT SOFT

The term “ soft skills ” is an umbrella term for traits that include teamwork , personability and communication . “ But it seems to me the term conjures negative , if not dismissive , connotations .

“ Daniel Goleman ’ s seminal work on emotional intelligence , or EI , over 20 years ago
put significant research and science behind those skills — which include self-awareness , self-regulation , the ability to get along with others and empathy .
“ In 2020 , empathy was an especially important attribute . Hospitality professionals are often described as “ people persons ”
and yet that never feels like a compliment to me . U . S . culture rewards and admires technical knowledge and quantitative proficiency — and only “ soft skills ” when they are associated not with business but with charity .
“ The business of creating value and thereby profit through humans
for humans is not easy , or for that matter , ‘ soft .’ Today , more than ever , when creating value in hospitality we should no longer underestimate the value of EI , even as technical skills continue to be important . We may treat these EI skills as what they are — critical and valuable ,
even essential . Maybe by retiring the term ‘ soft skills ’ in favor of ‘ emotional intelligence ,’ we can recalibrate their value . — DONNA QUADRI- FELITTI , ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR , SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT , PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
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