The Lodging Leaders Podcast: Powerful Business Strategies for Hotel Professionals

Frank Wolfe is CEO of Hospitality Financial & Technology Professional's (HFTP) - a global association serving hospitality professionals that provides members with superior networking opportunities, industry-leading events, comprehensive certification programs, unique educational opportunities, and other essential resources for professional growth. Throughout his career, Frank has been recognized as an industry leader. In 2000, Lodging Magazine included him in their “75 Profiles in Leadership” edition, a who’s who of individuals who major contributions to the industry. In 2002, Wolfe received the HFTP Paragon Award for significant contributions to HFTP and the hospitality industry. In June 2010 he was recognized as a "Technology Trailblazer" by Hotel Business Magazine, and in October 2010, was featured by BOARDROOM Magazine in an exclusive cover story interview. In addition, he has appeared on several television network interviews and programs including CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, TVAsia, and Bloomberg. Frank is a graduate of East TN State University where he received a degree in Health Admin and attended graduate school there in the Counseling and Guidance Program.  He moved to Austin Texas in 1987, and was hired by the Texas Restaurant Association as the Education Director where he worked for 4 years. In 1991, Frank was recruited by HFTP to serve as Director of Education, and 1994, he was promoted twice - first as Acting Director, then CEO,  and he's led the global organization ever since. About HFTP Unlike some of the other major hospitality associations, Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP) is a global association serving hospitality professionals all over the world. Formed in 1952, HFTP prides themselves on helping their members and their companies find solutions to top industry problems. Frank shares that this is unique in that its focus and mission is to help the individual in their profession which in turn helps the industry as a whole. Cost of Membership HFTP is a global association so they use the World Bank Country Rating System. It depends on what country one is from, but generally, membership can range anywhere from $100 to $375 annually (anniversary basis). Certifications offered CHAE - Certified Hospitality Account Executive certification CHTP - Certified Hospitality Technology Professional certification HFTP's certifications have been revamped over the last 18 months. Questions are looked at regularly to determine their validity, and they use their proprietary system to crowd source the certification questions, making it one of the most up-to-date certification programs around. And they have been approached by other organizations interesting in purchasing their certification system to utilize it in universities or in their own certification programs. The certification costs vary depending on where you take it, but generally speaking, it’s about $500 and it must be renewed. The continuing education programs are connected to subcategories that are relevant - Ethics is one of the subjects of focus. HITEC and the HFTP Annual Convention HITEC is the world's largest hospitality technology trade show, where top-notch educational seminars, great keynote speakers, and a trade show with more than 300 companies showcasing the hottest technology available are presented.  HITEC 2015 will be at the Austin Convention Center next week, from June 15-18. The 2015 HFTP Annual Convention & Tradeshow is coming up this October 21-24 in Bellevue, WA. The Hospitality Hackathon The hackathon will have up to 100 programmers, graphic designers and people interested in the hospitality industry come and spend a weekend. The purpose of the hackathon is to present problems to people which they must solve.

Adam Anderson is the Managing Director of Industry Relations at Expedia, Inc. - one of the largest online travel companies in the world - owners of the consumer brands Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Travelocity.com, Trivago.com and several other international travel sites. Adam heads up Expedia's B2B marketing and communications practice focused on hotel industry partners including more than 435,000 hotels in Expedia's inventory, with special strategic focus on North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. His responsibilities include strategic engagement with hotel owners, ownership groups, and management companies, as well as market research, communications, speaking engagements and industry public relations. Background: Adam's career in marketing and PR is largely in “tech” companies which set him up for success with Expedia. Beginning with Dolby Laboratories, Adam was PR Manager for more than 5 years before moving on to Microsoft where he continued as PR Manager and ultimately Senior Product Manager for Windows. In 2009, Adam transitioned to Expedia as Director of Public Relations, then Director of Global Communications, and he's lead Expedia's Industry Relations for the last several years. It seems that these days, the primary way we (consumers) arrange our travel plans is through Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s). For the hoteliers, this world is quite overwhelming. In this episode, we’re going to address and debunk the myths, misinformation, and misconceptions out there about OTA’s and provide Hoteliers with the information they need so that they may maximize the opportunities these outlets potentially provide. So, what are OTA’s? OTA’s are global travel sites designed to drive massive amounts of traffic and conversions for hotel registrations, car rentals, flights, etc. In exchange for this service, these distribution channels get a commission for the fees consumers pay. For the hotelier, relationships with OTA’s increases the number of prospects that can see their listing. OTA’s are a marketing channel for exposure and awareness regarding a hotel’s offering. It is very widespread and can be viewed all over the world reaching people who would not otherwise see your hotel. There’s also benefit for the consumer (guest) in terms of the rating aspect that comes into play on OTA websites. OTA sites enable people to leave verified reviews and ratings. This benefits the customer and hotelier respectively by preventing fraud and protecting integrity. And let’s not forget about how including several high quality photos for your property's listing also reflects integrity. What’s the process for Hoteliers in becoming affiliated with an OTA? The hotel creates an account with the OTA, signs a contract, adds a description of their property, upload several photos, defines their pricing and commits inventory. This can be done manually, or with tools and technologies that integrate with the hotel's reservation system that keep your information accurate and in real time. There are also tools for competition on rates and tools to helps with promotion. Myths around OTA’s “Hotels should reduce their reliance on hotel bookings. Hoteliers are afraid of the high commissions OTA’s charge." An OTA is a tool in a toolbox - meaning, OTA's provide an opportunity ... it is up to the Hotelier to determine if using an OTA makes sense. OTA’s provide a means and an expertise to attract customers from all over the world. There’s also significant data to support the notion that many people shopping for hotels find the property on an OTA first, then choose to book directly (AKA the "Billboard Effect"). This brings in demand to OTA’s creating competitive rates for the customer. “People argue that Expedia is getting more expensive” Adam challenges this myth. Expedia’s compensation rates have actually been decreasing which is ma...

Geordie Wardman is Founder and Chief Conversion Officer of WaveReview.com, a Software as a Service platform that helps businesses improve their online reputations by proactively increasing the frequency and effectiveness of customer interaction. Over the last several years, he has become an expert in managing your online reputation.   Background Geordie grew up in Bermuda in a hotelier family. His father and grandfather owned and operated several boutique hotels, so he learned the hotel business from the ground up.  Fast forward to 2007, Geordie started a business in Mexico where he began installing WiFi systems in hotels, and in 2009/2010, he decided to relocate to a beautiful area just outside of Porta Vallarta, Mexico.   As his hotel WiFi business grew, Geordie began to hear his clients share some of the same challenges over and over again, including guest reviews and online reputation. In an effort to better understand the problem, Geordie made over 200 calls to hoteliers and business owners over a 5 month period. He dove deep into the problems and how to solve them in order to help hoteliers build a positive reputation and stay competitive. From the feedback he received, Geordie created various services to support Hoteliers, including a Software as a Service platform WaveReview.com that helps businesses improve their online reputations through increased customer interaction. The WaveReview process is simple - each hotel guest receives an automated, 2-question survey after they check out. Guests that had a negative experience are sent an auto-apology, while also being escalated to a manager to resolve before the guest has a chance to complain online. Guests that had a positive experience are redirected to social review sites and encouraged to spread the news about your brand. More positive reviews will boost your online rankings and this will translate into more business. Although these services are extremely helpful and effective, Geordie believes there are many things Hoteliers can do on their own as well. Issue with online reputation and steps hoteliers can take Geordie says there are really 2 types of people who leave reviews: those who had an excellent stay and those who had a bad stay. Those (guests) who had a “bad” stay are more motivated to leave a review. What hoteliers can do to avoid the volume of negative reviews is be sure to check in with guests as much as possible during their stay. Geordie also recommends giving out surveys to obtain accurate feedback. It’s important to make it as easy as possible for those who had a positive experience to leave a review and it is all in the follow up sequence. A 2009 study conducted by Cornell's Christopher Anderson revealed that if you increase your rates by one star, you can increase your rates by 10%. Of course, the numbers have doubled since then. But you can see the significance of having an excellent online reputation. Once again, having a consistent follow up system is everything because it is all about communication and that includes following up with people who leave positive reviews as well as negative reviews. What he discovered was that people left negative reviews because the hotels did not address whatever issue they had. One of the core things he knew he needed to solve within his service was that the right person needed to know about a problem a guest was experiencing before it got online. Get guest email addresses As a hotelier, it's really important to capture the email addresses of your hotel guests so you can easily communicate with your customers. Then you want to follow up (it’s recommended to follow up after about 2 days). The questions on the survey are simple: How was the service (Not great/Okay/Excellent) How likely are you to recommend?

Doug Collins is President of DC Hospitality, a hotel brokerage firm based in Atlanta, Ga. DC Hospitality was formed in 2014 and offers comprehensive brokerage services to the hospitality industry throughout the country. He is also CEO of Hospitality Lodging Systems, owner of the Budgetel and Haven Hotels Lodging hotel chains. Collins served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta based America’s Best Franchising, a position he held since the company’s inception in January of 1993 to February 2014. America’s Best Franchising operates almost 300 properties, with a total of more than 20,000 rooms, under its four upper economy hotel brands – America’s Best Inns & Suites, Budgetel Inns & Suites, Country Hearth Inns & Suites, and Vagabond Inns & Suites – plus its upscale 3 Palms brand for independent hotels. Most properties are located in the United States, with locations also in India, Argentina, China, and Nigeria. Prior to joining America’s Best Franchising, Collins held positions as Chief Financial Officer and then as President of Days Inn of America, one of the world’s largest hotel franchise systems with more than 1,800 properties. From 1980 to 1990, Collins served in a variety of capacities with Imperial Hotels Corporation, including as President and as Vice President of Finance. He was responsible for the ownership, operation, and growth of approximately 60 properties for this publicly-held firm. Collins earned an undergraduate degree in business at Georgetown University and an MBA in finance/investment at George Washington University. He was accredited as a certified public accountant (CPA) and practiced with the Grant Thornton firm in Washington, D.C. Jumping to present day, Doug's Hospitality Lodging Systems (HLS) assumed sole worldwide franchising and management of the Budgetel Inns & Suites brand (http://www.budgetel.com) last November, but the resurrection of the Budgetel brand isn’t the only item on Hospitality Lodging Systems’ agenda. HLS also launced a new soft brand, Haven Hotels, earlier this year with their first Haven property in Dallas, TX, and their second one due to be announced in the next couple months. Haven hotels will positioned in the mid through upscale segment and allow properties to keep all or part of their identity while also having access to services such as reservations, and help with their revenue and reservation management to improve their profitability. What makes Budgetel special is that it offers a brand website essential reservation system and access to major travel sites and their agents around the world. This is essential in today’s growing technological world which is in a state of rapid and constant expansion. How Can Hoteliers Help to Drive Revenue? According to Doug, taking advantage of tools given to you through your affiliation and paying attention to what is happening in your community is what drives revenue. Remember, that you don’t want to do this alone. Don’t get caught up in what’s happening in the moment and don't be the last guy to pay top dollar for a hotel. Be very aware of what other hotels in your community are doing. In What Ways Can Hoteliers Improve their ADR or Overall Profitability? Doug claims that you can improve your ADR by staying on top of it. Be involved in working the rates based on what’s going on (holidays, special events, etc). The hotel business is a “real time” business. Retaining customers is also effective for business. It is the hotel’s responsibility to capture the customer and turn them into a ‘repeat guest.’ How can hoteliers aim to do this with OTA’s (Online travel agents)? The fact of the matter is that OTA’s are here to stay. Hoteliers must work and manage their relationships with them. Nevertheless, when the guests come to the hotel,

Mukesh Mowji, in addition to being a co-founder & CEO of Pracrea, Inc., is also a Principal in Silver Creek Hospitality and Everest Hospitality. Mukesh is a Charter member of The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE), served as Chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and was President of Leuva Patidar Samaj of USA (LPS). Previously, Mukesh held various senior executive positions in Silicon Valley-based companies, including Schlumberger, LTX Corporation, and LogicVision. He was part of the executive team that took LogicVision public in 2001. Mukesh has been involved in multiple hotel, gas station, restaurant, and convenience store ownerships, operations, and transactions. People’s desire to serve comes from 2 different motives: 1) To serve &  2) The emotional ego attached to serving. Mukesh’s main motive to serve AAHOA was that he watched as the organization was growing with pain and felt it wasn’t necessarily headed in the right direction. He knew that if he wanted to look out for the generations to come, he had to make the differences today. He saw them (the members) as family businesses and felt a responsibility towards those families and felt an urge to serve them WELL. Mukesh is a firm believer that the structure of a hotel business should be based on a CHARTER. Everything should be run based on policies and procedures. This is to avoid favoritism or faulty decision making. Strict guidelines keep everything fair. Everything can be audited that way and thus everything remains pure. Leadership Mukesh’s experience at LTX gave him a profound meaning of Leadership. He saw that the CEO was held accountable for the performance of the company. This was because the CEO was obligated to answer to the shareholders (not some middle man). A true leader acts like one! After spending decades in the hotel industry, Mukesh sees that the most important quality of a leader is his/her ability to vision the future. It is about the ability to see what makes a difference. A leader also maintains the mentality that everyone in the company wins. It is about ethics. Mukesh breaks it down like this: VISION - don’t stray from the vision. CARE FOR PEOPLE - if you lead people, you must care for them and their interests SENSE OF DECISIVENESS The fundamentals of leadership don’t change and a leader does what’s right for the whole. Mukesh also speaks to controversy and how that causes change. Controversy can be a positive attribute. If people have different insights, it’s important to listen. As an effective leader, you are open to being accountable to yourself and others. A true leader performs as an example and knows it’s a team effort. When you win, everybody wins. When everybody wins, you win too. A leader understands the significance in investing in these relationships. Are leaders born or made? Mukesh feels there are some who are raised as leaders. Then again, there is some level of DNA in each person. You can see it from an early age. If you go into any kindergarten class, you’ll often see that one child that has the ability to take 3 others under his wing. So, Mukesh thinks it’s got to be BOTH! The world needs type A’s and the shy characters. We need the entire spectrum to make the world complete! What are some of the common pitfalls Hoteliers fall into today and how can they avoid them? The world is changing for Hoteliers. Technology is moving forward and at a faster pace than ever before. Proximity devices move us forward. Compare that to the use of brass keys for example. It’s important to keep up with technology. As Hoteliers, we must have business intelligence to make intelligent business decisions. A Hotelier should know what’s happening in their city and town. Be in the know about what other hotels are doing. Studying operational parameters and metrics is how you improve to the next level. What was a defining moment in your career?

Dr. John Hogan, CHA CMHS CHE CHO is a career business professional and educator who has held senior leadership with responsibility in several organizations involving operational, academic and entrepreneurial enterprise. He has demonstrated competencies as a strong leader, relationship builder, problem solver and mentor and is frequently invited to speak at franchise meetings, management company and hospitality association industry events. He also acts as an expert witness in both research and testimony in hospitality industry related cases. Background: John has been a part of the hospitality industry his entire adult life. He started out as a teenager at a seasonal summer resort in Vermont and shares that his emotion towards the spirit of hospitality was very profound from the beginning. John studied hospitality at University of Massachusetts and over last 40 years has worked with companies ranging from large, to independent, to niched, to corporate and franchises. He feels it is an exciting, never boring, always changing industry. Leadership: John decided to take on his first leadership role because it felt right to him. In his experience, he learned that one can’t be afraid to make mistakes - because you’re going to. It’s about making mistakes but not the same mistakes. It’s about knowing a good amount about everything but not needing to know everything while learning how to delegate because you CAN’T do it all alone. It is important to TRUST others and give them the tools they need for the overall success of the company. So, what makes an effective leader? According to John, “Management is doing things right whereas leadership is doing the right things.” Leaders know how to take you through to the next level. Are leaders born or made? Some of us have more of an inclination to lead or manage. While others like to be part of a team. Leaders are people who evolve and are aware of the team effort. They’ve got the long term success because they constantly choose to evolve. So, they are not necessarily born. What are the common pitfalls hoteliers face today and how can they be avoided? Many hotels are franchised in the U.S. and Canada today, which is a successful business model. The big problem however, is that hoteliers buy a brand - either red, blue, yellow, and they over-rely on the brands to take care of all problems. Brands will take care of a lot- but their role is not to be successful for you. That’s up to you. Representing a brand has the potential to diminish the spirit of entrepreneurship. In working with local businesses and CVB’s. How does one drive reservations there? Close to 60% of hotels are less than 60-75 rooms. Most hotels are small businesses. But regardless of whether they are independent or franchised, it’s important to collaborate with other small businesses near you. For example, if your hotel specializes in weddings, you may want to collaborate with florists, photographers, or wedding chapels. Think about who your customers are. Who can you partner with in your area to create that win-win? Then, go ahead and create packages. Think about what airlines do: they’ll package a flight, car rental and hotel for you. It’s all about identifying who is coming to your hotel, identifying their needs and meeting their needs. Improving ADR: When asked for tips on improving your ADR, John cited industry veteran Mike Leven's strategy of identifying who is going to be using your hotel and when; determining your busiest day of the week, and finding ways to fill in on low demand days so you can maximize your rate. It’s about taking into account the full year and composing a forecast (which may or may not be fully accurate!) to anticipate trends. Know the WHO, WHY AND HOW.  Don't get involved in silly rate wars because nobody wins, but there is nothing wrong with discounting, as long as it’s intelligent discounting. How can Hoteliers increase their spend for guests?

Paul Darrow is the founder and president of PHD Financial - a boutique investment banking firm specializing in hospitality finance, debt restructure, consulting services, funding acquisition and financial advisory. He's also a former hotel owner with a strong understanding of hotel operations. Paul began his career in the hotel/consulting/finance world back in 1983, and his early experiences took place in Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts and St. Johns in the Virgin Islands. Paul has also been part of the debt restructure process since 2008, and he has found helping hoteliers to save their properties and/or be more profitable to be a very rewarding experience for him. Paul’s Transition to Hotel Owner and Finance Expert Paul’s transition occurred while he was working in an unrelated field. At the time, he owned a court reporting agency and supplied that personnel to governmental agencies and law firms. While vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, he met the owners of a hotel property and learned they wanted to retire. He admits he wasn’t enthusiastic about it at first, but eventually decided to purchase the property. They had about 20 buildings- all of which needed renovations. There was also a restaurant in it which was very popular. Paul decided to get a hotel restaurant management’s degree as well. He owned this for about 20 years and it provided him a very rich experience. It also lead him to meet a key individual from the finance world. All these elements allowed for an easy transition to go from operations to finance. A common line you hear from hoteliers all the time is that they are: “Asset rich and cash poor.” How can hoteliers increase their cash flow? Paul says all hoteliers should make sure they do the following 3 things before going into business: Legally set yourself up to protect assets. Most hoteliers set up an LLC, but fail to do the annual things that need to be done, such as organizational minutes and having their annual stock hold meetings. Failing to do these things puts you in a position of potentially losing the protection of your LLC. Ensure everything is up to date. Not quarterly- or yearly. Keep proper books and records! This is the biggest flaw hoteliers have. A daily cash report needs to be made so every dollar is accounted for. Numbers never lie. Neglecting this can lead to devaluing your property. Keeping up with your books gives you a clear representation of the value of your property, which allows you to then maximize its value. Excellent Management: requires an excellent business plan! This directs you on a day to day basis on how to go about directing your business. Also, hiring the right staff is imperative! Who are your front desk employees? Remember that the people at the front desk are the first line of “defense.” Find yourself a good accountant and lawyer and run your business. Not doing so is simply foolish! You can’t own a property for free. You borrowed money to get it and it’s the bank’s expectation that you will pay back what you borrowed. This is also important so that you have support in understanding the legalities stated in documentation. The text in these documents is not easily understood - it's critical to have someone that can represent you and who can decode these things. Keep in mind that banks can see your financial progress. They have a plan that can potentially leave you impotent if you don’t have the right things in place. I.e- a good lawyer and a good accountant, keeping a daily report of records, and great management. As the banks track your progress, they can detect how you are doing and if it comes down to foreclosure, there is no one who can defend you. This is how hoteliers lose their properties. Don’t wait until the last minute to take action! Stay on your game and be prepared. Paul finds entrepreneurs to be amazing people.

Nancy Johnson's career in hospitality spans more than 40 years, the last 25 of which were in executive roles with Carlson that include heading up the brands Country Inn & Suites™ and Radisson Hotels International.  Nancy served as Chair of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) in 2012, and initiated AH&LA's Women in Lodging Council. Nancy is recognized by many as a spokesperson for the industry, she has participated in a variety of speaking engagements, panels, and leadership programs internationally. Nancy practically grew up in the hotel industry. By the age of 21, she was married and divorced with two small children. Since her top priority was being home with her children during the day, she took a night job as a cocktail waitress at a full service hotel. She knew she could make more money as a bartender, but the owner of the hotel told her "women don't bartend," so she made the tough choice to leave the hotel and started bartending at an independent bar.  Within a month, the owner of the hotel realized he was losing business, so he offered her a bartending position. She was eventually promoted to front desk clerk, then Banquet Manager, and finally assistant General Manager.  This was Nancy’s first leadership experience. Nancy then worked for a construction company as a hotel specialist and stayed on through the construction of 48 new hotels. This position provided a lot of great opportunities for her, and she continued to hone her skills by taking blueprint, marketing, and real estate courses. Nancy worked for McDonalds and learned planned unit development. This lead her to become involved in local government. What Nancy loves about this industry is that there have always been many choices. However, the bottom line is always to be of SERVICE. The Carlson Era: Nancy intentionally landed a position with Carlson and became their industry representative. She collaborated with empowered women like Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Trudy Rautio who both served as mentors to Nancy. 2009 was a profound year for Nancy.  She had just been diagnosed with a disease that took her out of commission for 3 months. It was rare and unknown, and when her doctors referred her to the Mayo Clinic for a clear diagnosis, Marilyn Carlson Nelson advocated on her behalf and she was admitted within days. Marilyn's efforts and support truly made Nancy feel a part of the Carlson family. That May, AH&LA Immediate Past Chair Tom Corcoran called to ask her if she'd be willing to go on the docket to serve as the AH&LA Secretary/Treasurer, a position that would eventually succeed to Chair.  Despite her health challenges, Nancy accepted the opportunity to serve AH&LA, partly because she saw that many women were not in the spotlight and she wanted to change that. She was also instrumental in forming AH&LA's “Women in Lodging” Council (WIL) with Joe McInerney's support back in 2006 which became an immediate success. Nancy claims that success came because she didn’t take herself so seriously. She was able to get over herself. She never used the conditioned limited beliefs around being a woman get in her way. Men laughed at her and she demanded to be taken seriously. Her message to women is: “Do your job, be professional and get over it.” Nancy is aware that there’s still a glass ceiling- that men are seen as more successful. But women are rising and there needs to be more of that to lead with great strength. Talent and character lie with the person not the gender. Leadership is everyone’s responsibility and it is imperative to be able to recognize and know all your talents. Great leaders are well aware that it’s a team that makes things happen. Everyone on the team needs to shine. A leader’s empathy is essential. Everyone on the team needs to be happy doing what they are doing because their fulfillment fulfills the company.

Raman "RP" Rama is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer/Chief Information Officer of JHM Hotels. Born in Malawi, Africa, RP obtained his education from a few different places. While he was waiting for his U.S. Visa, he taught economics and business administration to students who are still in touch with him. Once he obtained his visa in 1981, he came to the U.S. and began working with his brothers (JP, HP, MP and DP Rama) at the family-owned business, JHM Hotels. From July until November of 1981, RP learned the hotel business from the ground up. He started out painting doors, cleaning parking lots, doing laundry and housekeeping. He moved on to engineering work, check-ins and check-outs, and expanded into payroll and money management.  That November, JHM Hotels acquired 2 more hotels in Hattiesburg and Jackson (Mississippi), and RP began managing the 123 room Hattiesburg property. As the company acquired more properties in MS, RP's role expanded to Regional Manager over 4 properties. In 1988, RP was asked to go to their hotel in San Bernardino, California, to "clean house." They had purchased the property a few years before, and they realized some changes needed to be made, including hiring a new manager for the hotel. In June, 1989, RP returned to the corporate offices in Greenville, South Carolina, and began working in the accounting department.  RP realized he had to scout for new technology, so he joined HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals) and attended their HITEC conference in Baltimore in 1991. Present day... RP is one of the principal owners, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Information Officer for JHM Hotels. He admits that there is a great deal of information coming in. What he places his best efforts in, is consolidating all that information and creating meaningful reports and insights to the operations of the business. This has enhanced productivity levels and efficiency in the decision making process. Additionally, it ensures accuracy for the time when the information is most needed so adequate action can be taken. What is one tip you could give any hotelier to increase their ADR, RevPAR or Occupancy? RP advises to look at social media. What are customers talking about? Are they talking about your property in a positive or negative way? Be sure to tend to the negatives. Then go to your metrics and compare yourself with your competitors. Make sure you’ve chosen the right competitive set that is representative of your competition so that you may fill in the gaps. Also, what’s happening in the marketplace? What events are coming up and do you know about them in advance to forecast how to fill up certain dates, thereby increasing rates in the system? Should you prepare special marketing or packages for that event? Take note that you may have a great ADR but your occupancy may be down. It’s about looking at data to make a change - not about what already happened and then making sense of it. Create a forecast for about 3-6 months out. As you monitor this forecast, look at your “pickup rate.” Maybe your rate is too high and you need to bring it down until the pace picks up. It must be balanced. Remember that our past dictates the future, so take a step back and look at what happened in the past. A defining moment in RP's career: This was when RP was acquiring the Marriott in Greenville, South Carolina. There was an account that wanted high speed internet access because the staff of the company was on corporate retreat at RP’s hotel for an entire week. RP found himself in a catch 22 situation. In the end, RP was able to configure the appropriate technology that would work. RP recalled another “aha” moment back in 1983 when almost his entire staff walked out on him. He remedied the situation by calling his friends who he turned into permanent staff. Do you think that leaders are born or made? RP believes it is a combination of both.

Jon Albano is the Founder and CEO of the LodgingMetrics dashboard for hotels, and host of the Lodging Leaders podcast. For more than 13 years, he defined Membership Services for AAHOA, one of the fastest-growing organizations in the hospitality industry, with more than 12,500 members owning more than 20,000 hotels that total $128 billion in property value. After effectively executing 13 national conventions, hundreds of regional trade shows, and attending numerous industry events, Jon is recognized by many as a leading hospitality needs expert in bringing owners and vendors together for mutual gain. As Vice President of Membership, he led the Membership, Education & Professional Development, Public Relations & Communications, and Information Technology departments. Jon used his engineering background and passion for efficiencies to improve staff productivity and enhanced members' experience by implementing countless technology solutions, designing custom software, and overseeing the development of multiple websites and mobile applications.  The Vision Thank you for joining me for the very first episode of the LodgingLeaders.com podcast. For this first session, I'll share the vision for this podcast so you know what to expect. I'll also talk about what it means to be a hotel professional and the responsibility that entails. And finally, I'll share a little bit about myself, my background, and my "why" for doing this. LodgingLeaders is about bringing together the best and brightest minds - the collective intelligence of the hotel industry - to share their stories, their insights and their advice. It's engaging interviews with inspiring hoteliers and industry professionals that have produced amazing results, both professionally, and personally. It's also about effective leadership - in your business, in your communities, and in the industry. The fact that you are listening to this podcast suggests you're already a leader. Leaders are always learning, right? They're on the lookout for new ideas, trying new things, constantly measuring, evaluating, and adjusting. You know, running a hotel is a BIG job, and it's an awesome responsibility. I want to take some time today to think about the service you provide, because I think it will help set the context for this podcast. People stay at a hotel for many reasons. It may be a businessperson away from their family in an unfamiliar place, or a family taking that vacation they saved up for all year. It may be a couple trying to recharge and rekindle their relationship. It may be a family member in town to spend quality time with loved ones, to celebrate the birth of a new child, or to support a loved on in the hospital. It may be a displaced family who just lost their home, or a family moving to your city and looking for a permanent place to live. Whatever the reason, your guest is longing for the comforts of home at your hotel, right? They may expect to be pampered by your housekeeping staff making their beds or cleaning up behind them, or a good meal from room service that they didn't have to prepare, or a refreshing swim in your pool, or drinks in the hot tub (lol). Staying at your property is so much more than a bed and shelter. Your guests expect a clean room, a safe and quiet environment, and good service. Hotels make it possible for people to do business globally, take vacations, bring friends and family together. They add value to a community. Many provide the space for people to do business and celebrate special occasions. Hotels provide many jobs and stimulate growth in the economy. The profession you have chosen has the potential to add tremendous value to tens of thousands of people, to create lifelong memories, to make difficult situations more tolerable, and joyful occasions even better. As leaders, we need to honor this responsibility any way we can by exceeding expe...