In this episode, we delve into the dynamic world of Hotel B2B distribution.

Join us as we explore the future of this ever-evolving industry with Chinmai Sharma, SVP and Global Head of Lodging, Ground, and Sea at Sabre Corporation.

With extensive experience in the global travel and hospitality sector, Chinmai shares his insights on the significant shifts shaping the industry, the role of technology and AI in enhancing personalization, and the strategies hotels can adopt to maximize their visibility and success.

We discuss:

• Why it is crucial to shift this mindset and attach hotels earlier in the booking journey.
• The impact of AI on personalisation distribution so far.
• How AI will further transform hotel distribution and personalization for travellers.
• How Sabre is responding to the requirement to deliver a more consumer-trade experience for B2B buyers.
• How sponsored and promotional advertising spots influence hotel bookings, what’s driving their increasing importance and how hoteliers can leverage these tools to maximise visibility effectively.

Click here to learn more about Sabre.

In this episode, Jennifer Klar discusses Six Senses’ industry-leading approach to wellness and sustainability.

Jennifer and I discuss the following:

1. How Six Senses incorporate sustainability practices into their wellness offerings, and how these initiatives contribute to the overall well-being of their guests, team members and local communities.
2. How to ensure that the resources you use align with sustainable practices and the steps to take to minimise the environmental and social impact.
3. How to create opportunities for cultural exchange and experiences for guests while respecting and preserving local heritage and the environment. 
4. How to measure the impact of sustainability initiatives on guest satisfaction and overall sustainability goals.
5. The role of technology in sustainability initiatives.
6. What is holding the tourism industry back from doing more for sustainability. 

At The Red Sea Development Company and AMA.ALA, John is leveraging his 38 years of international experience in delivering large scale multi-billion-dollar developments.

Since 2018, John has led The Red Sea Development Company's growth from the ground up and is creating a unique eco-luxury, sustainable, regenerative tourist destination that will contribute to transforming the global tourism industry and to the diversification of the Saudi Arabian economy.

We discuss:

• The key considerations in the design of resort developments in different ecological locations.
• How to approach sustainability when developing in environmentally precious locations.
• How are guests’ expectations changing regarding the desire for transformative experiences.
• The placement and integration of the property within its locality
• How to approach the appointment and development of team members who may also be transitioning from alternative industries.

What do the next 5-10 years look like? The Hospitality industry is in need of an upgrade to a new version. ‘Hospitality 2.0’ is a call to action for proactive change that will help hoteliers compete against the growing challenges presented by alternative accommodations, technological advancement, the COVID pandemic and labour constraints. It outlines a path forward for the digital transformation of our industry.

Author of “Hospitality Revenue Management Made Easy”, “Hospitality 2.0” is Ira’s second book, focused on defining what we can expect in the future, the trends, consumer and industry changes.

We discuss:

1. The most influential recent disruptions that have shaped the industry.
2. The most prominent industry trends for the future.
3. The main opportunities that lie ahead for the industry.
4. What is Hospitality 2.0?
5. How the book will help hospitality academia become more relevant and students to be more prepared for the new hospitality world.

Get the book today to learn how to succeed in Hospitality 2.0.

We reflect on the impact of the pandemic, how it has led us to where we are today and the new crisis facing the hotel industry in the future.

We discuss:

1. The principal impacts for Best Western and the wider hospitality industry.
2. How domestic tourism has profited from border closures.
3. How guest expectations have altered and how hoteliers need to think differently about the delivery of their services in the future.
4. How the commercial functions of marketing and revenue management changed now and into the future.
5. How these factors have impacted the organizational structure and management.
6. How hotels are managing the current staff shortage the opportunities for aspiring professionals at Best Western Hotels.

About BWH Group:

BWH Hotel Group is a leading, global hospitality network comprising: Best Western Hotels & Resorts, WorldHotels Collection, and SureStay® Hotel Group.

Built on the foundation of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, BWH Hotel Group was formed following Best Western’s acquisition of WorldHotels Collection a collection of hotels and resorts in the upper-upscale and luxury segments. Together with SureStay Hotel Group in the economy segment BWH covers hotel options in every market segment – from economy to luxury, a global network of approximately 4,700 hotels, in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide.

Prior to COVID, revenue management systems primarily relied on historical data together with movement in forecasts to aid revenue management decision making. However, with changing guest booking patterns as well as external influences such as border closures, historical data may not be the most reliable basis for revenue management in the future.

We discuss:

1. How revenue managers and hoteliers need to adjust to the new demand landscape.
2. What is forward-looking data?
3. How a hotel can leverage forward-looking demand data as part of its revenue management and distribution strategy.
4. How hoteliers can get the most out of forward-looking data in their RMS.

Download “The Ultimate Guide to Using Forward-Looking Demand Data to Maximize Revenue”

Now that restrictions are easing and travel is beginning to return we discuss the opportunities for hotels to rethink their marketing, revenue management and sales.

We discuss:

1. Will price will play a key role in the future.
2. Will the loyalty programs of the future be vastly different to those of the past?
3. How can hotels encourage guests to book direct in the future?
4. How can a hotel use TikTok as a marketing channel?
5. How is storytelling in Instagram different to Facebook and how will it surpass Facebook and other social channels in the future?
6.  How can hoteliers leverage email in the future and why is it so powerful?
7. How can hotels ensure they rank on search engines in the future and convert search traffic into bookings?

Download the whitepaper and learn more about Frederic and Gonzo marketing here.

We say we are in the hospitality industry. We say we care about service, but our conversations spin around investing, real estate and interior design.

We discuss:

• What exactly is the paradox of hotel marketing.
• The importance of marketing in today’s competitive industry
• How to communicate the quality of your service through your marketing channels.
• What a good hotel website looks like in order to drive direct bookings.
• Do you need to invest heavily in marketing and hire a top-tier agency to compete?

Nicki Graham, Vice President of Marketing at Cendyn, and Robert Schimmel, Vice President of Product Management at Cendyn, detailed the impact of these privacy changes and how hotels can prepare for the challenges ahead so they can get back to the core of hospitality — creating meaningful relationships with their guests.

This is an audio recording of the webinar, in which we discuss:

• What’s next for email marketing following Apple’s Privacy update

• The Apple Privacy changes your hotel needs to know about right now

• How privacy protection is changing email marketing

As President, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Scott Wilson has a global perspective of industry recovery, including how many hotels are thriving.

Scott shares his insight including lessons to be learned from his experience in the retail and airline industries, to assist hoteliers to maximise opportunities through recovery and beyond.

Learn more about Sabre.

The pandemic has changed the way we live, and the way consumers purchase, moving everything even further online, including hotel bookings.

So, it is more important than ever to ensure your web presence is working hard for you. Learn why copy is important and how to ensure your digital voice communicates your service.

We discuss:

• The importance of your voice in the customer journey
• How to know if your audience is actually listening and making an impression
• When text is your friend - and when it isn't
• The most important elements of creating effective communication, cutting through the noise
• The importance of tone, how to make it positive to create the action you want
• Top 3 tips to make the customer journey great

Exploring the evolution of revenue management due to the impacts of the pandemic. Changes to the operations, the management and the systems.

We discuss:

• How the revenue management function is changing
• The impact on the requirements of revenue management systems
• Whether there is still a requirement for a dedicated revenue manager, and if so, how their role will change in the future
• The benefits for hoteliers and hotel groups through these changes.
• What’s next on the horizon for revenue management in hotels.

In this episode, we discuss using personalisation on your website to increase direct booking conversion. My guest is Juanjo Rodriguez, founder and CEO of technology company The Hotels Network.

Juanjo and I discuss the following:

1. The biggest challenges hoteliers are currently facing and how technology can help.
2. Extending personal service to deliver online personalisation.
3. The latest machine learning and how AI can bring value to hoteliers.
4. How ChatGPT and generative AI can be used to create personalisation online.

About The Hotels Network:

We are an innovative technology company that believes in the power of extreme personalization. Based around the globe, we’ve brought together an awesome team with deep expertise in hospitality, product design and consumer marketing.

Learn more at https://www.thehotelsnetwork.com/

Guest expectations in a contactless experience have accelerated technology developments and how you can ensure you can continue to exceed guests’ expectations in the contactless world.

We discuss:

• Now the “big players” such as Apple are moving in, with the announcement of the room key for the wallet, what these advancements mean for the industry.
• How hotels can ensure they maintain ownership of the guest relationship throughout the customer journey.
• Will there still be individual solutions for the room key?
• What we can we expect in the future.

With the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into revenue management, how do we keep value creation in the centre of the revenue management function?

We discuss:

• The importance of revenue management and marketing working closely together to continue to create valuable offerings to the consumer.
•  The importance of hotel managers and owners working together to maximise customer-lead opportunities.
• How changes are impacting the organisational structure of the hotel.
• How revenue management functions will change in the future as complexity increases.

You can learn more about HGE International here, or connect with Heidi here.

COVID has taken a significant impact on hospitality people at all levels, and continues to challenge us in many ways, from the direct health complications to work and business pressures.

As the world and the industry starts to recover, we now thinking about things differently, particularly in our life priorities. Catherine and I discuss the changing corporate culture and how positive leadership embracing change can lead to business success through people.

We explore:

• How leveraging awareness enables us to rid the business of the parts that aren’t working and retain the things that are
• How corporate culture is changing
• What hoteliers should be focussed on in supporting a positive corporate culture in the future
• Beyond the environment how we can leverage the wisdom we have to create a world we want to live in that’s not just economically driven
• How changing guest expectations impacts the development of properties
• How hoteliers can achieve the shift required and remain on brand
• How brand psychology is moving from product to service

Connect with Catherine

Learn more about Bell Training Group

The pandemic’s widespread impact has supported the motivation of many people to lead healthier lifestyles for our physical and mental wellbeing.

Banyan Tree are “democratising wellbeing” through the “I am with you” service culture program for their associates. Banyan Tree believe the happiness of associates is inextricably linked to the satisfaction of Banyan Tree guests and the success of the business.

We explore:

• Banyan Tree’s purpose and philosophy, beyond providing a luxury stay
• What makes the well-being program different
• The eight pillars of well-being
• The purpose of offering the program to associates
• Feedback from employees who have undertaken the program
• Returns and long-term outcomes expected from the initiative

As an industry we are potentially facing a challenge in the near future, with increasing demands, yet a lack of experienced staff available in the market. We explore the key to delivering exceptional customer service.

We discuss:

• What is great service?
• How important is service delivery going to be as markets return?
• Who stands to benefit the most from great service – the guest or the employee?
• The most important things for us and our teams to be thinking about whilst coming out of lockdown.

Learn more at www.penshee.com

Creating a hotel with purpose is the mission of leading designer Bill Bensley. Together with Rena Udomkunnatum, CEO of Elysian Development Co, the second project for this dynamic and inspiring partnership is the creation of the Intercontinental Khao Yai in central Thailand.

Rena and Bill discuss the purpose of their hotel projects, what inspires the creation of quintessential properties and the value they provide not only to guests as a destination, but to the environment, the economy and the local people and their culture.

Sensible Sustainable Solutions white-paper

16 suggestions for designing better hotels to help fight climate change and make the world a better place.

About InterContinental Khao Yai

Set to open in 2021, InterContinental Khao Yai Swan Lake Resort will be an integral part of the Swan Lake mixed use project which is being positioned as a ‘destination retreat’. The resort creates a genuine sense of connection to nature with stunning views over seven man-made lakes, mountain views, and over 50,000 trees in the 100-acre site.

About Bensley

BENSLEY is a small atelier of youthful, energetic architects, interior designers, artists and landscape architects that know no limits, based in Bangkok and Bali. We believe in design. If one has a client that can build as per plan, it can be exuberantly life confirming.

Bill Bensley is world renown for his outstanding, unique and inspiring award-wining hotel, landscape and interior designs and eye-catching architecture. What is not so widely known, but comes as no surprise to those that know him, is that he is a concerned conservationist and passionate philanthropist and an eco-warrior. In his own words Bill shares, “my main purpose in life, besides having as much fun as possible, is to help the needy, to education, help animals and help the planet via conservation”.

Travel has been one of the hardest hit industries by the pandemic over the past 12 months. Now that vaccinations are rolling out and restrictions are lifting, we are seeing the first signs of recovery, as hotels emerge we explore the main trends for the future of the travel industry.

We consider the following with Scott Wilson, President Sabre Hospitality Solutions:

• How “recovery” is shaping the future of travel, will travel return to pre-pandemic models, or what are the new models emerging.
• How can hoteliers take advantage of these trends to gear up for recovery.
• Early adoption success stories.
• Moving beyond recovery and outside the hotel room, new revenue opportunities hoteliers should consider.
• How technology has shifted to enable hoteliers to take advantage of these new opportunities.

We discuss new financial models in hotels post-pandemic with Aaron Oh, a learning facilitator at The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University.

Reviewing March 2021 by the numbers around the globe, with David Eisen from HotStats.

David is the Director of Hotel Intelligence and Customer Solutions at HotStats, the world’s largest monthly profit-and-loss database in the hotel industry. With uniquely intelligent benchmarking and performance software, HotStats looks far beyond REVPAR, offering an unparalleled opportunity to understand the industry like never before.

We discuss market performance by region, including impacts on:

• REVPAR, occupancy and rate
• TREVPAR impacts, how the winners are succeeding
• Payroll and employment impacts
• Expenses and profitability

Download the Hotstats March 2021 report.

Sustainability is the mere tip of the regenerative travel iceberg.

Hear Amanda Ho from Regenerative Travel discuss how a community of like-minded hoteliers are on a mission of continuous improvement from sustainability to regeneration.

We discuss the five regeneration principals for hospitality:

1. Whole systems thinking
2. Honouring sense of place
3. Community inclusion and partnership
4. Aspirational in nature
5. Continual co-evolution

Download the white-paper here.

In this episode, we discuss the latest trends in wine and how to profit from wine sales in your hotel or restaurant. My guest is Adam Mogelonsky, Partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting, renowned speaker, traveller and one of the industry’s most prolific researchers and writers.

Adam and I discuss the following:

• The impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry and the new trends today.
• Why restauranteurs and hoteliers should focus on wine in 2023.
• The psychology of selling wine!
• How wine list layout and structure affect the guest’s propensity to buy.
• The role of technology in increasing wine sales and profitability.
• How hoteliers can use wine to enhance TRevPAR.
• The emergence of LoCal/LoCarb and organic wine.

Learn more about Hotel Mogel Consulting here.

Andy Hermo from Sabre Hospitality joins me to provide insights into the challenges facing enterprise hotel groups in managing inventory in a period of uncertainty and providing personalisation at scale.

Sabre Hospitality is the leading technology provider for the hospitality industry, serving more than 40,000 hotels, resorts, and chains spanning 160 countries. From independent properties to large global chains, hotel organisations at all levels rely on Sabre Hospitality Solutions to optimizing revenue across all channels while improving the guest experience.

We discuss:

• How the enterprise space been impacted and the major trends evolving today.
• The unique challenges large hotel chains are facing particularly relating to management across the enterprise.
• The different challenges at a property, national and global chain level in implementing enterprise solutions.
• The keys to success in the implementation of an enterprise solution.
• With lower staff numbers and demand returning, how hoteliers can continue to provide a personalised service at scale.
• In the absence of major events and international travel, the unique challenges new revenue streams are this creating in maintaining a personalised guest service.

Leadership and management are terms that seem to be used interchangeably within the industry. We discuss the difference between leadership and management, and the important skills of hotel professionals in the future.

1. The common qualities shared by the most effective leaders over the past 12 months.
2. How the impact of the pandemic has inspired hoteliers to reinvent their people structures.
3. The most important qualities of a leader particularly as we move the recovery.
4. How we can most effectively develop emerging managers and leaders of tomorrow.
5. The importance of emotional intelligence in leadership.

The pandemic has had a major impact on the sales function. Paige Duke from Strategic Solution Partners and I discuss how the sales function may change as demand returns for business and MICE travel.

Paige is a Visionary sales and marketing director with 20+ years of experience leading teams to build customer relationships and drive revenue results, including Starwood Hotels, HEI Hotels and Resorts and Fairmont.

We discuss:

1. What needs to be done now to ensure sales teams are fit for recovery.
2. How technology has impacted the sales role.
3. How to foster a positive team given the uncertainty.
4. How a salesperson can target and win the right accounts.
5. What tools will be required for your team to give them the best chance in succeeding.
6. The future of the site inspection.

The Park Hyatt New York is an iconic New York City hotel, having been awarded both the 2021 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award as well as the 2021 U.S. News & World Report, Best Hotels in NYC.

In this episode, Area Vice President and General Manager of the Hyatt New York, Peter Roth and I discuss the reopening of the hotel on 1 April 2021.

We discuss:

1. How the Park Hyatt New York has been able to turn the past 12 months challenges into opportunities.
2. How the lifting of domestic and international travel restrictions is reawakening New York City
3. The differences guests will see at the Park Hyatt New York as a result of the pandemic.
4. How the Park Hyatt New York is consistently delivering a five-star service for all guests in the wake of the pandemic.
5. The importance of communication at all levels through the closure and during reopening.
6. Staffing challenges facing hoteliers now and in the future.

There are positive signs that demand is increasing in specific markets, particularly domestic leisure. Forward bookings through the summer in the northern hemisphere are perhaps indicating a pent-up demand which is supported by flexible hotel cancellation and insurance policies.

In this episode, we discuss which markets are likely to recover first and a range of new emerging markets.

We discuss:

• How guest expectations may change as a result of travellers holidaying locally.
• Opportunities created by travels bubbles between select countries.
• Changes in business activity with a shift online and how this may impact business travel in the future.
• The impact and changes in major events sector changing longer term.
• The benefits of industry working together as travel returns.
• What hoteliers can do to prepare for changing customer demands both in the near and longer term
• Challenges providing an authentic experience in the luxury sector as demand returns.

Reviewing 2020 by the numbers around the globe, with David Eisen from HotStats.

David is the Director of Hotel Intelligence and Customer Solutions at HotStats, the world’s largest monthly profit-and-loss database in the hotel industry. With uniquely intelligent benchmarking and performance software, HotStats looks far beyond REVPAR, offering an unparalleled opportunity to understand the industry like never before.

We review the Profit Matters, Global Hotel Performance Review 2020 report published by HotStats.

You can download a copy of the report here.

We discuss:

• The impact of pandemic restrictions on hotel performance by region
• The regional impact on TREVPAR
• How staff reductions have impacted payroll costs and the flow on impact to GOPPAR
• Regional performance in the first quarter 2021 and expectations through 2021 as restrictions are eased
• Forecast changes as demand returns, by market and region

A fascinating discussion with a professional hotelier, educator and experience professional on the challenges hoteliers face through reopening and rebuilding.

John Nielsen is the General Manager at Fivelements Retreat Bali as well as Senior Learning Facilitator with The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University. John’s experience includes roles with Hyatt, Ritz Carlton and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Groups, as well as extensive senior management and entrepreneurial experience across Asia, Europe and Australia.

The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School is the number one hotel management school in Asia Pacific and an eHotelier partner in providing executive development to current and aspiring leaders globally, including the 10 Leadership courses provided to over 4,500 leaders in Q1 2021.

We discuss:

1. For hotels reopening, or forecasting a rebuilding of occupancy in the coming months, what hoteliers should be focussing on now
2. How can hoteliers can maximise revenue, beyond room rate, to capitalise on higher occupancies
3. How guest expectations may have changed over the past 12 months, and how hotels can prepare to ensure they exceed these expectations
4. Expected staffing challenges we may face in the coming months
5. The importance of communication at all levels of the business
6. How a hotels approach to sustainability will impact business in the future.

We discuss the changing expectations of communication with hotels, and how hoteliers can scale personalised communication to build trust through AI.

Book me Bob is an AI chatbot for hotels, providing real-time answers to questions about the property and its services.

We discuss:

1. How the pandemic has impacted guest expectations of their communication with hotels.
2. How the pandemic has impacted communication and in particular, the level of trust between a prospective guest and the hotel.
3. Why AI adoption in hotels has lagged behind other industries.
4. The customer journey and the role of AI.

Today as forecasts are predicting increasing demand, we discuss how hoteliers can plan to outperform the market with fewer resources with Michael McCartan from Atomize.

Atomize helps hotels around the globe to maximize their revenue, by automatically setting the optimal price per room type. Used in more than 50 countries, across five continents, by properties in the wide range of 50 to 1250 rooms.

We discuss:

1. Current trends in market demand and how does demand differs across different regions.
2. How an automated Revenue Management System can guide hoteliers through market recovery.
3. What data sets should be included today in forecasting for the future.
4. How data sets will change as we move forward.

Dave Kelly, CEO and Founder of AnalyticsIQ joins me to shed some light on the people who are considering dipping a toe back into travelling and what businesses can – or should – be doing now to reach them.

AnalyticsIQ is a predictive analytics firm that blends cognitive psychology with sophisticated data science to help marketers understand how and why individuals make decisions.

We discuss:

1. Whether consumers are ready to dip their toes back into travelling again.
2. The drivers behind people’s willingness to travel in the next 3 months.
3. What hotels need to understand in order to attract consumers who are considering travelling again this summer.

In this episode, we explore the the latest trends and developments in spa and wellness with Tammy Pahel, Chief Wellness Officer for Alchemy Wellness Resorts and VP of Spa & Wellness Operations for Carillon Miami Wellness Resorts.

Tammy and I discuss the following:

• The latest trends in Nordic spas.
• What makes a successful wellness retreat, and how can wellness be introduced into an existing hotel or resort?
• What’s new in anti-aging, and are these therapies at home in a hotel or destination spa?
• How spas coped, survived and modified their operations and product offerings to cope with physical distancing during COVID.
• Are touchless treatments a short-term solution, or are they here to stay?

About Alchemy Wellness Resorts:

Alchemy Wellness Resorts offers a highly specialized and pioneering approach to management services, prioritizing innovative wellness programs, strategic development and sustainable financial growth while significantly enhancing the guest experience.

Website: https://alchemywellnessresorts.com/

In this episode we explore how conversational AI can help the hotel industry reimagine what it means to deliver 5 star service, with Rob LoCascio, Founder and CEO of Liveperson.

The Liveperson AI platform makes it easy for consumers to receive support and make purchases in the messaging channels they use every day.  It counts some of the world’s biggest brands as its customers including Delta and Hawaiian Airlines the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Virgin Atlantic.

We discuss:

1. How conversational AI help hotels reimagine how they serve their guests safely.
2. How interacting with guests via messaging helps with loyalty
3. How this type of technology helps hotels work efficiently when dealing with leaner staff without sacrificing service.
4. The opportunities for using this technology to drive revenue.

SiteMinder’s unique global perspective on the travel market provides an insight into future booking trends in all accommodation sectors, particularly through SiteMinder’s World Hotel Index. The World Hotel Index is sourced from SiteMinder’s guest acquisition platform, used by 35,000 hotels and connected to more than 400 hotel booking channels globally.

In this episode, we explore the current trends across all regions and what these trends will mean for accommodation providers.

We consider:

1. Current trends in the distribution space across all regions.
2. Which regions are looking most positive for recovery and what recovery will look like.
3. Areas hoteliers need to focus on now so that they can operate effectively once travel is back.

How are customer buying behaviours changing as a result of COVID-19? How will they continue to change and how must hoteliers and revenue managers adapt to meet these changing behaviours and new expectations?

In this 15 minute podcast episode, we explore:

1. How COVID has changed customer behaviours how have these changes are impacting revenue management.
2. How customer buying behaviours are impacting the customer journey.
3. The implications for hoteliers in understanding their customers requirements, particularly through newly created revenue streams where we have no direct connection.

The global pandemic has created economic conditions in the market that we have never seen before. But is forecasting accurate or relevant today or are we starting with a blank sheet of paper? In this episode we explore the relevance a revenue forecasting through the pandemic.

In this 15 minute podcast episode, we explore:

1. Whether a forecast is still relevant
2. New information managers should source to assist with the accuracy of their forecasts
3. The relevance of total revenue in forecasting today
4. How the industry is defining new standards through this evolving situation?
5. Advice for reopening hotels.

Technology has historically been seen as a tool within the travel industry, supporting business processes, particularly in an industry so reliant on service. The impact of COVID-19 has seen a new pace of technology evolution, where technology is now seen as vital to business success.

In this episode, we explore:

• How technological advances are impacting on the hospitality and tourism industries in response to the pandemic.
• Whether there is any hope of recovery for international tourism.
• Whether a talent crisis is looming as professionals leave the industry.
• How technology is assisting in the training and development of hospitality professionals through the downturn.

In our report titled “Hospitality in the Post COVID-19 World”, author Professor Peter Jones MBA observed:

“This pandemic has caused a fundamental massive disruption and fracturing of the existing economic models on which all countries, institutions and governance models have come to rely. These models will no longer hold true and new and different economic models will emerge based on new realities and society values.“

In this 15 minute podcast episode, we explore the impact economics and politics as a result of COVID-19 on hospitality and tourism industries.

We consider:

1. How the changing political and economic imperatives impact on hospitality and tourism
2. Why localism is important and will it change over time
3. How can hospitality businesses can become more resilient to further and future shocks.

In this episode we talk about Revenue Management with Klaus Kohlmayr from IDeaS Revenue Solutions, focussed on Revenue Management Systems.

Klaus is the Chief Evangelist at IDeaS, having worked in Revenue Management for almost 20 years. IDeaS support more than 14,000 clients in 140 countries.

In this 15 minute podcast episode, we discuss new trends and best practise for hoteliers on a mission to maximise revenue.

We discuss:

1. What value does an automated hotel RMS provide under the current conditions of low demand and economic uncertainty?
2. Beyond property-level revenue managers, what other roles can benefit from an automated RMS and how?
3. What might the post-pandemic future of hotel revenue management look like?

In this podcast we focus on the first two quarters of 2021 with my guests Larry and Adam Mogelonsky from Hotel Mogel Consulting and the world’s most published writers in hospitality.

We consider:

1. Urgent priorities for hoteliers today.
2. Which markets will bounce back first, and how you can identify signs of recovery.
3. What to focus on now to be prepared for the inevitable later in 2021.

In this podcast we discuss Revenue Management with Damiano Zennaro from IDeaS Revenue Solutions, particularly focussed on the role of Revenue Managers as a result of COVID-19.

Damiano is the Director, Global Advisory Services at IDeaS Revenue Solutions, based in Milan, Italy. Damiano leads a global team of professionals who strategically support the travel and hospitality industries in embracing automation and finding the winning balance between people, processes and technology and previously spent over 16 years with IHG. Damiano is also a member of the Revenue Optimisation Board with HSMAI Europe.

Revenue managers are under immense pressure today to maximise revenue in a period of challenging economic conditions.

We consider:

• Why revenue managers are struggling to secure a leadership role in the commercial area.
• Will the pandemic threaten the existence of revenue managers and the revenue management discipline, or will it offer an opportunity to gain the position they’ve sought for so long.
• Will the commercial structure in the hospitality industry change after COVID-19.

In our report titled “Hospitality in the Post COVID-19 World”, author Professor Peter Jones MBA opened:

“The incredible revolution, disruption, discontinuity and change that the world is currently experiencing has never been seen before at this scale and speed. It has turned upside down our understanding of “normal”, it is changing our priorities and values, and will have a major impact on the way that we interact with each other for the foreseeable future.”

In this 15 minute podcast episode, we discuss the first two scenarios detailed in the report, Society and Consumers, exploring the continuing impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality and tourism industries.

We consider:

1. Whether society is changing to a stronger focus on health than wealth?
2. Do consumers value hospitality more now than they did before the pandemic?
3. Is hospitality doing enough to build consumer trust?

In this episode, we explore the development and launch of Appellation, a revolutionary new culinary-first hospitality-concept, with Ed Skapinok, Chief Commercial Officer.

The brainchild of celebrated Masterchef Charlie Palmer, CEO and former Four Seasons President of the Americas Christopher Hunsberger, COO, Appellation is defining a new form of culinary hospitality through its innovative experiential resorts.

Ed and I discuss the following:

• Why the name Appellation, and what is your purpose?
• How has Appellation achieved an immersive experience in the local environment?
• Pivoting the traditional hotel model to a culinary experience has attracted new markets.
• How technology plays a crucial role in enhancing the guest experience.
• Big plans for the Appellation group.

Visit eHotelier.com

Learn more about Appellation.

In this podcast we discuss Revenue Management with Mike Chuma from IDeaS Revenue Solutions, particularly focussed on the commercial impact of COVID-19 on hotels.

Mike is the Vice President, Global Marketing at IDeaS Revenue Solutions, based in Minneapolis, responsible for leading IDeaS Global Marketing, Engagement & Enablement teams, encompassing product marketing, demand generation, branding, communications and client, academic and industry education and learning development.

In this 15 minute podcast episode, we discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on hotel demand:

• How has the pandemic most impacted the structure of commercial hotel organizations.
• How the role of revenue management changed in this new landscape.
• How is hotel technology evolving to meet the needs of tomorrow's commercial hotel organisation.

Recovery is well underway, with destinations opening worldwide, making substantial inroads back to consistent and reliable levels.

In this episode, Liz Ortiguera provides an update on the region’s recovery, the challenges facing travel, tourism and hospitality businesses and how the Asia Pacific region is the one to watch in the future.

We discuss:

• The current state of the industry’s return in the Asia Pacific region.
• The pace of the return of international leisure business.
• How business and mice segments are recovering and how these segments will continue to build.
• The impact and longevity of airline disruptions.
• How the lack of talent is affecting travel businesses.
• What we must do as a collective, and the focus to maximise opportunities.
• How to harness changing consumer sentiment.
• How to rebuild a better industry, particularly with a focus on regenerative travel?

About PATA:

PATA is a non-profit public/private sector organization acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. In partnership with PATA’s private and public sector members, the organization enhances the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to, from, and within the region.

The tourism and hospitality industry constantly evolves with new technologies, trends, and customer demands. Hotels have had to adapt to compete with online travel agencies to attract future guests to book direct.

As hotels experiment with retail-hospitality convergence, they are learning how to create unique customer experiences through new products and services that will grow revenues and keep guests returning.

In this episode, Frank Trampert, Senior Vice President and Global Managing Director of Community Sales at Sabre Hospitality Solutions, and I explore the latest trends in the hotel and retail convergence and discuss how it changes the guest experience and the whole proposition of accommodation-centric operations.

We discuss the opportunities for owners and managers who want to leverage retail convergence and the opportunities this emerging evolution provides.

We discuss:

The ongoing challenges and opportunities hoteliers are facing?

• Attribute-based selling and why we now need to move away from the ABS model in the future
• Leveraging lessons from retail to deliver future benefits to hotels through technology
• Early hotel adoption and the results they are seeing
• The benefits from the convergence of retail and hospitality for operations, guests, and shareholders

About Sabre Corporation

Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving various travel companies, including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The Company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveller experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre’s technology platform manages more than $260 Billion of global travel spending annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries worldwide. For more information visit www.sabre.com.

June is World Ocean Month and we’re talking with Theresa van Greunen, about the ways in which Aqua Aston Hospitality are integrating the expertise of local destinations while holding community and environmental stewardship as priority brand pillars.

We discuss:

• How Aqua-Aston Hospitality protects the surrounding natural environment and beauty of the destinations it operates in.
• Some simple ways that the hospitality industry can operate more sustainably and minimize its overall impact.
• Measures that Aqua-Aston’s properties have taken to be more eco-friendly.
• The one thing brands forget about when it comes to being green!
• The short and long-term commercial benefits.
• Environmental targets and how to measure their achievement.
• The benefits to staff and guests of taking a proactive stance on the environment.

About Aqua-Aston Hospitality:

Founded in 1948, Aqua-Aston Hospitality provides management, marketing, and communications services to an array of hotel, resort and condo-resort brands in Hawaii, continental United States and Central America.

Based in Honolulu Hawaii the company prides itself on understanding today’s traveller by integrating its expertise in local destinations where each of its properties reside while holding community and environmental stewardship as priority brand pillars.