SPECIAL REPORT
OUR HOTELS OFFER A GUEST A REWARDING WAY TO EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF A LOCATION ’ S CULTURE IN A WAY THAT AN AIRBNB NEVER COULD . WE ’ RE BIG BELIEVERS THAT A BIG PART OF THE ATTRACTION IS GETTING TO SEE THE CITY OR THE AREA IN WHICH WE OPERATE — THROUGH OUR LENS .
guests can work , dine , relax or entertain . While it was closed for about a year during the pandemic , it recently reopened and De Lowe expects it to come back to life quickly .
Dream Hotel Group takes a similar tack to helping travelers discover a destination . “ We want you to feel like a local in the first 24 hours ,” says CEO Jay Stein . “ Our people are trained to know what ’ s going on in the city , what are the hottest stores and restaurants , and they often have local
BRIAN DE LOWE PROPER HOSPITALITY
connections ,” he adds .
Dream Hotels ’ lobbies , which attract locals , add to the experience , and while COVID precautions have put a damper on that , Stein says some properties have expanded the atmosphere to encompass more outdoor spaces effectively , and local occupancy restrictions are gradually relaxing .
For travelers seeking local experiences , hotels often enjoy the best jumping-off point to explore those , being closer to the action instead of in a more remote residential neighborhood . Emphasizing the proximity of local attractions is a way to connect with visitors looking to soak up local flavor .
Personalized service is still important in some segments . “ Particularly at the luxury end of the market , short-term rentals are not able to compete effectively from a service and experience perspective ,” Accor ’ s Doane says .
But with widespread staffing cuts , many hotels may have trouble providing expected levels of service . The question is whether that will matter to travelers . In some markets , especially where occupancies are extremely low , service has been so curtailed that hotels have lost any advantage that might separate them from short-term rentals .
“ When you look at the big cities in Europe , there aren ’ t a lot of services offered anyway . Often , they don ’ t even have a concierge ,” Puorto says . “ Most of these hotels ( as of late April ) are working with a fraction of the staff they used to have . So , it ’ s not uncommon for hotels to only have front desk staff in the morning . If you check out in during the afternoon , you might have to check in by kiosk .”
RATES , FEES AND BOOKING More affordable rates are a key driver for Airbnb bookings , but in the current low-demand environment , that may no longer be the case . Once travel rebounds , and hotel rates start trending up , Airbnb could once again have an edge . Promoting all-inclusive prices , longer-term nightly discounts , F & B credits and other tactics could keep hotels competitive for economy-minded guests .
Cancellation penalties , common to Airbnb users , are not typically an issue with hotel stays , although high-demand dates and locations tend to be exceptions , and that will likely continue . And shortterm rental cleaning fees , which can tack
68 hotelsmag . com May / June 2021