(Editor’s Note: A collection of items from various sources. Best, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider.)
In a Trip Advisor’s “Your Guide to Choosing the Right City Escape” article, Miami Beach was featured as one of the “shopping mecca” cities under “Best for Shopping” designation.
In a Trip Advisor’s “Supreme Hotel Splurges” article on the world’s most expensive hotels, The Setai (South Beach) was featured for their $10,800 a night, 2-bedroom loft suite.
Trip Advisor featured the following Lauderdale area hotels in recent Member updates:
The Premiere Hotel: "WHAT A DEAL!”
Lago Mar Resort and Club: "Great for tropical relaxation"; “nice, very nice”
The Atlantic Hotel: “Great Hotel”
Westin Beach Resort: “Relaxation…Great location”
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort: “Excellent service and absolute cleanliness”
Pelican Grande Beach Hotel: “Best beach hotel in Fort Lauderdale hands down”
Hyatt Place –Fort Lauderdale Airport North: “Convenient location. Good value for the money”; “pleasantly surprised”;
Conde Nast Traveler’s 2011 Gold List of the “best places to stay in the world” from their survey of readers just came out in January. Here are the South Florida properties that were included:
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Miami (Score: 88.3)
The Setai, Miami Beach (93.4)
Brazilian Court, Palm Beach (89.5)
The Breakers, Palm Beach (90)
Omphoy Ocean Resort, Palm Beach (91.1)
Sundy House, Delray (88.2)
Ritz Carlton, Naples (90.9)
Ritz Carlton Golf Resort, Naples (90.6)
Concierge.com World Beat(Conde Nast Traveler’s online newsletter) featured the October opening of the Soho Beach House, a private club, hotel, and spa on 43rd and Collins in Miami Beach.
In Fodor’s Choice 2010 Gold List category, Best Design Hotels -- U.S. properties that boast the most stunning architecture and décor – the following South Florida properties were featured: The Delano Hotel, Miami Beach and The Fontainebleau, Miami Beach.
In a Fodor’s Newsletter article entitled “10 Totally Over-The-Top Romantic Getaways”, one of the places featured was The Villa by Barton G, Miami, FL, for its “Fantasy Versace Weekend”.
Reminder: Send your hospitality news, updates, etc to HSMAInsider, Julie Wernick, at jwfranklin1@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
January 19, 2011 HSMAI-South Florida Meeting Recap
“Table of Eight” – Our occasional column with comments about Chapter events.
What a nice turn out for the Chapter’s luncheon meeting at the Renaissance Resort in Fort Lauderdale for a presentation on Tourism by Alfredo Gonzalez, Vice President of Tourism and International Business, and Fernando Harb, Director of Sales, with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. This program has become an almost annual event for the Chapter. It’s always educational and enjoyable and looked forward to eagerly by the hospitality community. We were not disappointed.
More on the presentation later…
Do mark your calendars for these upcoming dates:
On January 27th, at 10 am, there will be a GFLCVB hosted industry preview of the Vatican Splendors exhibit at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art. On February 8th, at 11:30 am, as part of International’s HSMAI Leadership Meetings, there will be a luncheon at the PGA Resort in Palm Beach. South Florida is the host chapter. Transportation will be provided from a central location (to be announced).The program is by Vail Brown with Smith Travel Research.
On February 16th, from 5-7 pm will be the Chapter’s first “Networker” (business after hours meeting) of the year at the Grateful Palate Restaurant on SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale. Cost is only $10. Check the Chapter’s website (hsmaisouthflorida.org) for registration information for all these events and more details.
In self-introductions, we learned that Ellen Serra is now serving as Director of Sales & Marketing, for the Holiday Inn Express-Convention Center (on SE 17th Street), in addition to the Comfort Suites-Airport & Cruiseport; Lori Jacoby, formerly with Florida Trend Magazine, and now with Ambit will soon be taking on a new job (details to come); Haydee Casanova is now working for Worldwide Limousine (lucky Julio!); The Riverside Hotel is celebrating its 75th year of operation – a legend in Fort Lauderdale. Robin Melvin announced that the Hard Rock Hotel is celebrating 40 years of Rock ‘n Roll and will be doing a number of related promotions. The Atlantic Resort (home of one of my faves, Trina) was voted one of the top 50 resorts in the U.S. Sorry if I missed your info, was jotting notes as fast as I could!
As always, there will be different things that people will remember from a presentation that may apply to their specific hotel/company. But here are a few key points from my notes. (BTW, the presentation will be posted on the Chapter’s website in the near future.)
Alfredo provided a recap on international tourism. He noted the effects of the recession in 2009 and the global recovery in 2010. Other parts of the world recovered stronger than the US (except for Ireland and Greece). We were shown U.S. arrivals in 2010 and forecasts through 2015 where arrivals will be double that of the great years of 2007/2008. Importantly, international tourists stay longer and spend more money than others. A number of the top international news stories were reviewed v.v. their impacts on international tourism.
Fernando provided a recap on domestic tourism. He noted the tough years of 2008/2009 with the biggest drop in these types of arrivals. Broward County was still relatively strong but average hotel rates were quite low. He reviewed the top domestic stories affecting travel. In 2010, however, there was a positive increase in domestic arrivals in every single month of the year. Overall, the average, statewide, was a 5% increase for 2010; and average room rates began to climb slowly. It was noted that drive traffic into Florida went up, even though overall visitor numbers to Florida declined. More families “hit the road”. The positive effects of the arrival of mega ships in Port Everglades, saw the cruise market sparking increased pre/post stays. In fact, 38% of the increases in hotel bookings were due to the (new) cruise lines.
Two new buzz words describing upcoming trends are: “engagementcations” – which is where engagement parties are taken on the road. Three of the top ten destinations for these trips are in South Florida (West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami); and “bleisure” travel – bringing one’s spouse along with you on a business trip. Again, South Florida is one of the top destinations.
Alfredo reviewed aviation developments. He noted that FLL airport is one of the fastest growing airports, both domestically and internationally. The busiest air corridor is the NY to FLL one, based on numbers of flights. Canadian travel here is up 30%. There are many new domestic flights as well as new international flights. He cited a number of the new connections and new carriers. Low fare carriers, combined, make up over 50% of the air traffic at FLL. The new Terminal 4 and South Runway project (currently under design) will mean a large increase in gates and service by around 2014.
Thank you, Alfredo and Fernando, for your time and expertise and for providing a wealth of useful information!
Best, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
PS Just a reminder to send in your industry news/updates for the “Around Town” column for the HSMAI-South Florida chapter’s blog, “Scoop”, to jwfranklin1@gmail.com.
What a nice turn out for the Chapter’s luncheon meeting at the Renaissance Resort in Fort Lauderdale for a presentation on Tourism by Alfredo Gonzalez, Vice President of Tourism and International Business, and Fernando Harb, Director of Sales, with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. This program has become an almost annual event for the Chapter. It’s always educational and enjoyable and looked forward to eagerly by the hospitality community. We were not disappointed.
More on the presentation later…
Do mark your calendars for these upcoming dates:
On January 27th, at 10 am, there will be a GFLCVB hosted industry preview of the Vatican Splendors exhibit at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art. On February 8th, at 11:30 am, as part of International’s HSMAI Leadership Meetings, there will be a luncheon at the PGA Resort in Palm Beach. South Florida is the host chapter. Transportation will be provided from a central location (to be announced).The program is by Vail Brown with Smith Travel Research.
On February 16th, from 5-7 pm will be the Chapter’s first “Networker” (business after hours meeting) of the year at the Grateful Palate Restaurant on SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale. Cost is only $10. Check the Chapter’s website (hsmaisouthflorida.org) for registration information for all these events and more details.
In self-introductions, we learned that Ellen Serra is now serving as Director of Sales & Marketing, for the Holiday Inn Express-Convention Center (on SE 17th Street), in addition to the Comfort Suites-Airport & Cruiseport; Lori Jacoby, formerly with Florida Trend Magazine, and now with Ambit will soon be taking on a new job (details to come); Haydee Casanova is now working for Worldwide Limousine (lucky Julio!); The Riverside Hotel is celebrating its 75th year of operation – a legend in Fort Lauderdale. Robin Melvin announced that the Hard Rock Hotel is celebrating 40 years of Rock ‘n Roll and will be doing a number of related promotions. The Atlantic Resort (home of one of my faves, Trina) was voted one of the top 50 resorts in the U.S. Sorry if I missed your info, was jotting notes as fast as I could!
As always, there will be different things that people will remember from a presentation that may apply to their specific hotel/company. But here are a few key points from my notes. (BTW, the presentation will be posted on the Chapter’s website in the near future.)
Alfredo provided a recap on international tourism. He noted the effects of the recession in 2009 and the global recovery in 2010. Other parts of the world recovered stronger than the US (except for Ireland and Greece). We were shown U.S. arrivals in 2010 and forecasts through 2015 where arrivals will be double that of the great years of 2007/2008. Importantly, international tourists stay longer and spend more money than others. A number of the top international news stories were reviewed v.v. their impacts on international tourism.
Fernando provided a recap on domestic tourism. He noted the tough years of 2008/2009 with the biggest drop in these types of arrivals. Broward County was still relatively strong but average hotel rates were quite low. He reviewed the top domestic stories affecting travel. In 2010, however, there was a positive increase in domestic arrivals in every single month of the year. Overall, the average, statewide, was a 5% increase for 2010; and average room rates began to climb slowly. It was noted that drive traffic into Florida went up, even though overall visitor numbers to Florida declined. More families “hit the road”. The positive effects of the arrival of mega ships in Port Everglades, saw the cruise market sparking increased pre/post stays. In fact, 38% of the increases in hotel bookings were due to the (new) cruise lines.
Two new buzz words describing upcoming trends are: “engagementcations” – which is where engagement parties are taken on the road. Three of the top ten destinations for these trips are in South Florida (West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami); and “bleisure” travel – bringing one’s spouse along with you on a business trip. Again, South Florida is one of the top destinations.
Alfredo reviewed aviation developments. He noted that FLL airport is one of the fastest growing airports, both domestically and internationally. The busiest air corridor is the NY to FLL one, based on numbers of flights. Canadian travel here is up 30%. There are many new domestic flights as well as new international flights. He cited a number of the new connections and new carriers. Low fare carriers, combined, make up over 50% of the air traffic at FLL. The new Terminal 4 and South Runway project (currently under design) will mean a large increase in gates and service by around 2014.
Thank you, Alfredo and Fernando, for your time and expertise and for providing a wealth of useful information!
Best, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
PS Just a reminder to send in your industry news/updates for the “Around Town” column for the HSMAI-South Florida chapter’s blog, “Scoop”, to jwfranklin1@gmail.com.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Around Town – January 2011
(Editor’s Note: Here’s a collection of newsworthy items from our industry members and the South Florida community. HSMAInsider, Julie Wernick)
Southeast Florida:
Congratulations to Albert Tucker and Bruce Appel who were recognized on Dec 16 by Broward County for their 10 and 15 years, respectively, of service at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Congrats to Cindy Malin and Ben Antipuna. ME Productions has named Cindy Malin Head of Business Development and Benjamin-Michael Antipuna Director of Creative Services. Cindy will champion ME Productions as South Florida’s premier event production and destination management company that offers clients “everything under the sun”, even an in-house floral department. Ben will provide ME Production with an introduction to the “rarest talent event entertainment has to offer.”
Congrats to Christine Duffy who was named the new head of the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA). Christine is currently the CEO of Maritz Travel. Her new role at CLIA is effective February 1st. Christine replaces Terry Dale, who stepped down as CLIA’s top executive after seven years at the helm, and is the new president of the U.S. Tour Operators Association. (CLIA’s headquarters are on SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.)
Congrats to Linda Hamburger of On Call PR who has joined with the team of PTT of Florida, providers of temporary labor for live event productions, to enhance and expand the company's marketing communications and outreach. Projects to date have included a new look for the web site, much stronger use of new media (including but not limited to LinkedIn; Facebook; Wordpress, etc.),new brochures, and more.
FAU is offering a number of Executive Continuing Education courses that may be of interest to our members. These include a Certificate in Marketing Management (24 hrs, 2.4 CEUs; 8 Wednesdays; Jan. 26 - March 23, 2011; Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm); a Certificate in Sales Management (30 Hours, 3.0 CEUs;10 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - April 9, 2011;9:00 am - 12:00 pm); a Meeting & Events Management course (35 Hours, 3.5 CEUs;7 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - March 19, 2011;Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.). Each course is being offered on the Boca Raton Campus, has no prerequisites, and costs $799 which includes instruction materials and parking.
For info: http://www.fauexecutiveprograms.com/ApplicationFiles/web/WebFrame.cfm?web_id=133 For other questions, please contact Sarah Gaffney, Florida Atlantic University,
Executive Continuing Education at 561-297-2366 or email: sgaffne3@fau.edu
The Port of Miami cruise season opened with a record 346,513 cruise passengers transiting its facilities in October, up 29 percent from the year-ago month, the port reported.
Hollywood commissioners gave their blessing last month for Margaritaville, a 17-story resort hotel that promises to change the face of the beach. The Jimmy Buffett-themed resort won’t break ground for another year.
Southwest Florida:
The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Southwest Florida is offering a new golf package. The deal starts at just $124 per night for single occupancy, or from $149 per night for double occupancy. In addition to accommodations in a newly renovated room, this package includes complimentary greens fees, golf cart fees, complimentary tennis, complimentary parking, and access to the resort's spa/fitness center.
Marco Island Lakeside is one of only 80 locations in Florida to be named by the Superior Small Lodging organization to receive its prestigious Donald A. Dermody White Glove Award for housekeeping excellence for 2010. "This is the third year in a row that we have been given this prestigious award after the thorough inspection," said General Manager Marcia Mandel.
The Hilton Naples is now active with its oft-updated “Naples Best blog” and with its Facebook page, which has featured numerous impromptu contests to win free nights at the hotel.
The Inn on Fifth has announced an array of enticing packages for the coming year, including the “Experience Naples” and “Romance on Fifth” packages.
The five star, five diamond Ritz-Carlton, Naples beach resort celebrated its 25th birthday on December 3, 2010.
AirTran Airways started new Saturday nonstop service between Fort Myers and Rochester, N.Y. on Nov. 20, 2010. The flights between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) depart Fort Myers at 10:23 a.m. and arrive at 11:15 a.m.
Statewide:
VISIT FLORIDA has been asked by the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahassee to put together an exhibit on Florida attraction souvenirs entitled “Remembering Paradise: Souvenirs of Historic Florida Attractions.” The exhibit will run from April through September 2011. The temporary exhibit will focus on souvenirs from historic and important tourist attractions and how they help enhance the impact of tourism in Florida
VISIT FLORIDA is looking for your help! They need your old Florida souvenirs for the exhibit, in particular those that are fun, unique, odd, unusual, bizarre and even rare for our exhibition. Smaller items are preferred; however there is limited space for a few larger items such as T-Shirts, posters, etc.
Here is how you can help:
Step 1: Dig through that old trunk (or office storage file) and dust off your treasure from your favorite Florida attraction.
Step 2: Take a photo of the souvenir and send it to museum@VISITFLORIDA.org along with a brief description of your souvenir
Step 3: Souvenirs will be selected for the exhibit by the end of January 2011.
Step 4: VISIT FLORIDA will contact you with information on how to ship your Florida attraction souvenir to the exhibit.
Step 5: Tell everyone about the exhibit; encourage them to send in any of their old souvenirs.
Your souvenirs will be handled with the greatest of care and will be cataloged and returned at the end of the exhibit in September 2011. David Dodd, Vice President of Visitor Services, will be coordinating the exhibit and any questions you may have on the Florida attraction souvenir exhibit. He can be reached by phone at 850.205.3817.
--------------------------------------
To submit items for future editions, send to jwfranklin1@gmail.comBest, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
Southeast Florida:
Congratulations to Albert Tucker and Bruce Appel who were recognized on Dec 16 by Broward County for their 10 and 15 years, respectively, of service at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Congrats to Cindy Malin and Ben Antipuna. ME Productions has named Cindy Malin Head of Business Development and Benjamin-Michael Antipuna Director of Creative Services. Cindy will champion ME Productions as South Florida’s premier event production and destination management company that offers clients “everything under the sun”, even an in-house floral department. Ben will provide ME Production with an introduction to the “rarest talent event entertainment has to offer.”
Congrats to Christine Duffy who was named the new head of the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA). Christine is currently the CEO of Maritz Travel. Her new role at CLIA is effective February 1st. Christine replaces Terry Dale, who stepped down as CLIA’s top executive after seven years at the helm, and is the new president of the U.S. Tour Operators Association. (CLIA’s headquarters are on SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.)
Congrats to Linda Hamburger of On Call PR who has joined with the team of PTT of Florida, providers of temporary labor for live event productions, to enhance and expand the company's marketing communications and outreach. Projects to date have included a new look for the web site, much stronger use of new media (including but not limited to LinkedIn; Facebook; Wordpress, etc.),new brochures, and more.
FAU is offering a number of Executive Continuing Education courses that may be of interest to our members. These include a Certificate in Marketing Management (24 hrs, 2.4 CEUs; 8 Wednesdays; Jan. 26 - March 23, 2011; Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm); a Certificate in Sales Management (30 Hours, 3.0 CEUs;10 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - April 9, 2011;9:00 am - 12:00 pm); a Meeting & Events Management course (35 Hours, 3.5 CEUs;7 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - March 19, 2011;Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.). Each course is being offered on the Boca Raton Campus, has no prerequisites, and costs $799 which includes instruction materials and parking.
For info: http://www.fauexecutiveprograms.com/ApplicationFiles/web/WebFrame.cfm?web_id=133 For other questions, please contact Sarah Gaffney, Florida Atlantic University,
Executive Continuing Education at 561-297-2366 or email: sgaffne3@fau.edu
The Port of Miami cruise season opened with a record 346,513 cruise passengers transiting its facilities in October, up 29 percent from the year-ago month, the port reported.
Hollywood commissioners gave their blessing last month for Margaritaville, a 17-story resort hotel that promises to change the face of the beach. The Jimmy Buffett-themed resort won’t break ground for another year.
Southwest Florida:
The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Southwest Florida is offering a new golf package. The deal starts at just $124 per night for single occupancy, or from $149 per night for double occupancy. In addition to accommodations in a newly renovated room, this package includes complimentary greens fees, golf cart fees, complimentary tennis, complimentary parking, and access to the resort's spa/fitness center.
Marco Island Lakeside is one of only 80 locations in Florida to be named by the Superior Small Lodging organization to receive its prestigious Donald A. Dermody White Glove Award for housekeeping excellence for 2010. "This is the third year in a row that we have been given this prestigious award after the thorough inspection," said General Manager Marcia Mandel.
The Hilton Naples is now active with its oft-updated “Naples Best blog” and with its Facebook page, which has featured numerous impromptu contests to win free nights at the hotel.
The Inn on Fifth has announced an array of enticing packages for the coming year, including the “Experience Naples” and “Romance on Fifth” packages.
The five star, five diamond Ritz-Carlton, Naples beach resort celebrated its 25th birthday on December 3, 2010.
AirTran Airways started new Saturday nonstop service between Fort Myers and Rochester, N.Y. on Nov. 20, 2010. The flights between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) depart Fort Myers at 10:23 a.m. and arrive at 11:15 a.m.
Statewide:
VISIT FLORIDA has been asked by the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahassee to put together an exhibit on Florida attraction souvenirs entitled “Remembering Paradise: Souvenirs of Historic Florida Attractions.” The exhibit will run from April through September 2011. The temporary exhibit will focus on souvenirs from historic and important tourist attractions and how they help enhance the impact of tourism in Florida
VISIT FLORIDA is looking for your help! They need your old Florida souvenirs for the exhibit, in particular those that are fun, unique, odd, unusual, bizarre and even rare for our exhibition. Smaller items are preferred; however there is limited space for a few larger items such as T-Shirts, posters, etc.
Here is how you can help:
Step 1: Dig through that old trunk (or office storage file) and dust off your treasure from your favorite Florida attraction.
Step 2: Take a photo of the souvenir and send it to museum@VISITFLORIDA.org along with a brief description of your souvenir
Step 3: Souvenirs will be selected for the exhibit by the end of January 2011.
Step 4: VISIT FLORIDA will contact you with information on how to ship your Florida attraction souvenir to the exhibit.
Step 5: Tell everyone about the exhibit; encourage them to send in any of their old souvenirs.
Your souvenirs will be handled with the greatest of care and will be cataloged and returned at the end of the exhibit in September 2011. David Dodd, Vice President of Visitor Services, will be coordinating the exhibit and any questions you may have on the Florida attraction souvenir exhibit. He can be reached by phone at 850.205.3817.
--------------------------------------
To submit items for future editions, send to jwfranklin1@gmail.comBest, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
Thursday, December 16, 2010
“Hospitality Marketing Medley” – December 2010
(Editor’s Note: Here are several recent trends and hospitality marketing hints collected from various websites, releases, etc. Best, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider.)
--According to a recent study, 25% of all Americans who travel (within the US and overseas) do so alone. The travel industry has been slow in recognizing this fact and has continued to base most rates on double occupancy. Some forward thinking companies are now changing to a flat rate (e.g., the hotel room rate is the same for a single or double).
--Most hoteliers understand that loyal guests are important because it costs three to five times as much to attract new guests than to retain existing ones, and because previous guests strongly influence others by “word of mouth”. Companies that have more satisfied guests experience higher guest loyalty, and companies with higher guest loyalty, perform better financially.
--A recent study by Cornell University showed that there are four key performance indicators that particularly affected guests’ evaluations: reservation was accurate, check-in was completed within five minutes, no problems were experienced during the stay, and no billing errors occurred. Guests who experienced all four of these performance indicators were most likely to grant the hotel a top satisfaction rating.
--Another survey stated that the most important amenity for hotel guests today is wireless internet access. (Note: there’s even been a growing backlash against paying for guest-room Wi-Fi at upscale hotels. A number of full-service hotels are starting to offer their VIP guests free WI-Fi or their regular guests a menu of rates for their daily internet access - accessing your email at one price point, and letting you do things like watch movies at another cost.)
-- Hoteliers have lost revenue in recent years from in-room telephone charges and in-room movies. A Chicago Tribune article talked about ways that local hoteliers are trying to substitute for these previous revenue sources. They mentioned spa services, live music venues, adding Sunday brunches, etc. What creative ways have South Florida hoteliers used to supplement income? Are you up selling guests to higher priced options?
--There’s so much info out there about social media, that I don’t usually include anything in these summaries. One item caught my eye -- Hotels that have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts need to publicize this fact within the hotel. Have signs at the check-in desk. Put the symbols on every printed collateral piece in-house (and on marketing materials too; Don’t think I have to say: put the links on your website, but you never know.)
----A new trend in lodging is the small, specialized and unique “boutique” lodging concept. Now, even the big hotel companies are jumping on the band wagon to have a boutique brand concept as part of their property mix. And we’ll be seeing more of this in the future as more chains want to compete.
--According to a recent study, 25% of all Americans who travel (within the US and overseas) do so alone. The travel industry has been slow in recognizing this fact and has continued to base most rates on double occupancy. Some forward thinking companies are now changing to a flat rate (e.g., the hotel room rate is the same for a single or double).
--Most hoteliers understand that loyal guests are important because it costs three to five times as much to attract new guests than to retain existing ones, and because previous guests strongly influence others by “word of mouth”. Companies that have more satisfied guests experience higher guest loyalty, and companies with higher guest loyalty, perform better financially.
--A recent study by Cornell University showed that there are four key performance indicators that particularly affected guests’ evaluations: reservation was accurate, check-in was completed within five minutes, no problems were experienced during the stay, and no billing errors occurred. Guests who experienced all four of these performance indicators were most likely to grant the hotel a top satisfaction rating.
--Another survey stated that the most important amenity for hotel guests today is wireless internet access. (Note: there’s even been a growing backlash against paying for guest-room Wi-Fi at upscale hotels. A number of full-service hotels are starting to offer their VIP guests free WI-Fi or their regular guests a menu of rates for their daily internet access - accessing your email at one price point, and letting you do things like watch movies at another cost.)
-- Hoteliers have lost revenue in recent years from in-room telephone charges and in-room movies. A Chicago Tribune article talked about ways that local hoteliers are trying to substitute for these previous revenue sources. They mentioned spa services, live music venues, adding Sunday brunches, etc. What creative ways have South Florida hoteliers used to supplement income? Are you up selling guests to higher priced options?
--There’s so much info out there about social media, that I don’t usually include anything in these summaries. One item caught my eye -- Hotels that have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts need to publicize this fact within the hotel. Have signs at the check-in desk. Put the symbols on every printed collateral piece in-house (and on marketing materials too; Don’t think I have to say: put the links on your website, but you never know.)
----A new trend in lodging is the small, specialized and unique “boutique” lodging concept. Now, even the big hotel companies are jumping on the band wagon to have a boutique brand concept as part of their property mix. And we’ll be seeing more of this in the future as more chains want to compete.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Around Town – December 2010
(Editor’s Note: Here’s a collection of newsworthy items from our industry members and the South Florida community. HSMAInsider, Julie Wernick)
Southeast Florida:
Congrats to Cindy Malin who was named as Head of Business Development at ME Productions. She will be promoting ME Productions as South Florida's premier event production and destination management company. Cindy previously held positions of
Communications Manager and Marketing Consultant for the Seminole Tribe of Florida; Communications Manager at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau; and assisted SportsMark in providing destination management services to the U.S. Olympics' "Dream Team" and Americans attending the games.
The Miami Beach Convention Center was ranked first on the South Florida Business Journal's list of largest convention and meeting sites, as published Oct. 8th. The Miami Beach Convention Center was first on the list based on its 627,000 square feet of total meeting space. Also in the top 5 are: Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center; Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood; Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center; The Doubletree Hotel; and the Miami Airport Convention Center. The complete list included 25 convention and meeting sites with contact information.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau said 10,000 attendees were at the Jewelers International Showcase, which took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Oct. 8-11. The event had an estimated $595,700 economic impact.
BizBash reported that the University of Miami celebrated the grand opening of the Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center in Coral Gables. The 72,000-square-foot building, which houses the university's alumni relations department, can be booked for private events by alumni and non-alums alike. There are six spaces suited for meetings, cocktail parties, dinners, and other special events for groups of 35 to 500.
NCL’s Norwegian Sun, which was based in Miami was moved (in October) to Port Canaveral. NCL had based its biggest ship, the Epic, in Miami this past summer. In fact, the arrival of the Epic helped the Port of Miami breaks its own record for cruise traffic in a fiscal year. The port processed 4,145,053 passengers in the year ended Sept. 30, up from 4,110,100 for the prior year – an increase of 34,953. The July-September quarter was up 10 percent, which coincided with the arrival of the Epic.
After six years at Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Wannado City announced it would be closing in the near future.
According to officials at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport: FLL will have 7.7 percent more seating capacity during the first quarter of the 2011. FLL will then be the fastest-growing airport in Florida, and the fourth-fastest-growing airport in the U.S. for capacity. Capacity will begin ramping up in the fall to correspond with the high travel season. There will be an additional 6,200 roundtrip seats a day in January, 2011.
In other FLL airport news/statistics: The airport handled 10.3 percent more passengers in September than it did during the same month last year. FLL grew total passengers to 1.44 million from 1.31 million last year.
From January through September, the airport handled 5.1 percent more passengers than during the same time last year. The rise in September marks 13 straight months of passenger growth, which started in September 2009 after 14 straight months of losses that began in July 2008. Overall, the number of international passengers has grown at a faster percentage rate than domestic passengers this year.
October marked the second month in a row that FLL Airport had double-digit percentage passenger growth. The airport added 164,000 passengers in October, growing 10.7 percent over October 2009, according to airport data. That was the largest percentage gain so far this year, exceeding September’s growth.
In other airline news, American Eagle added two daily non-stops from MIA to Cleveland in November and Delta announced it would begin MIA – Jacksonville service in March 2011.
According to STR (formerly Smith Travel Research): Occupancy and rates grew at local hotels in September, compared to the prior year period. Miami Dade: 59.3 % (up from 52.9); Broward 53.6% (up from 49.5%); Palm Beach 46.4% (up from 44.3%). Occupancy across the U.S. grew to 59.9 %.
Occupancy and rates grew October: Occupancy in Broward County grew to 66.5 % from 60.6 percent in the prior-year period. Occupancy in Miami-Dade grew to 68.2 % from 62.3 %. In Palm Beach County, it grew to 55.1 % from 50.7 %.
Southwest Florida:
According to the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB, lingering misperceptions about the Gulf Coast oil spill continued to cause some risk aversion impacts to visitation to Collier County, according to the September visitation report from Research Data Services. Visitation for September 2010 was down 1.0 percent from September 2009. On the positive side, the economic impact from visitors for the month increased by 1.2 percent to $37,743,323.
Congrats to the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club who received a prestigious honor as it was presented with "The Green to Gold Award" by the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Collier County, Florida, for "best exemplifying green leadership." The award was presented to the Southwest Florida resort during the EDC's "27th Annual Excellence in Industry Awards."
Three Paradise Coast resorts appeared in the Conde Nast Traveler 2010 Readers Choice Top 100 List for Mainland U.S. Large Resorts. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples beach resort is number 14; The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples is number 18; and the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa is number 70 on the list. The designation is reached by surveying readers of Conde Nast Traveler.
The Hawthorn Suites of Naples was honored as the Hotel of the Year for 2010 by the Wyndham Hotel Group. The boutique all suites hotel was honored with the award during a dinner at the Wyndham Hotel Group's global conference in Las Vegas.
The Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) was recently recognized by Airline and Airport News & Analysis with a U.S. Annie Prize 2010 for the "Fastest Growing Airport in the 5 to 10 Million Passenger" category.
The Naples Botanical Garden opened its new cultivated gardens of Asia and Florida and a new water garden on Nov. 13. This marked the final stage of the major redevelopment of Naples Botanical Garden as a new area attraction.
Naples Bay Resort, a Four Diamond property on Florida's Paradise Coast, has announced a special winter spa package ideal for couples looking to refresh, renew and relax. Named Blissful Intervention, included is pampering at Naples Bay Resort's Spa, lounging at the resort's pool complex in a private cabana, lunch poolside, and guest accommodations.
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To submit items for future editions, send to jwfranklin1@gmail.comBest, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
Southeast Florida:
Congrats to Cindy Malin who was named as Head of Business Development at ME Productions. She will be promoting ME Productions as South Florida's premier event production and destination management company. Cindy previously held positions of
Communications Manager and Marketing Consultant for the Seminole Tribe of Florida; Communications Manager at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau; and assisted SportsMark in providing destination management services to the U.S. Olympics' "Dream Team" and Americans attending the games.
The Miami Beach Convention Center was ranked first on the South Florida Business Journal's list of largest convention and meeting sites, as published Oct. 8th. The Miami Beach Convention Center was first on the list based on its 627,000 square feet of total meeting space. Also in the top 5 are: Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center; Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood; Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center; The Doubletree Hotel; and the Miami Airport Convention Center. The complete list included 25 convention and meeting sites with contact information.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau said 10,000 attendees were at the Jewelers International Showcase, which took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Oct. 8-11. The event had an estimated $595,700 economic impact.
BizBash reported that the University of Miami celebrated the grand opening of the Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center in Coral Gables. The 72,000-square-foot building, which houses the university's alumni relations department, can be booked for private events by alumni and non-alums alike. There are six spaces suited for meetings, cocktail parties, dinners, and other special events for groups of 35 to 500.
NCL’s Norwegian Sun, which was based in Miami was moved (in October) to Port Canaveral. NCL had based its biggest ship, the Epic, in Miami this past summer. In fact, the arrival of the Epic helped the Port of Miami breaks its own record for cruise traffic in a fiscal year. The port processed 4,145,053 passengers in the year ended Sept. 30, up from 4,110,100 for the prior year – an increase of 34,953. The July-September quarter was up 10 percent, which coincided with the arrival of the Epic.
After six years at Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Wannado City announced it would be closing in the near future.
According to officials at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport: FLL will have 7.7 percent more seating capacity during the first quarter of the 2011. FLL will then be the fastest-growing airport in Florida, and the fourth-fastest-growing airport in the U.S. for capacity. Capacity will begin ramping up in the fall to correspond with the high travel season. There will be an additional 6,200 roundtrip seats a day in January, 2011.
In other FLL airport news/statistics: The airport handled 10.3 percent more passengers in September than it did during the same month last year. FLL grew total passengers to 1.44 million from 1.31 million last year.
From January through September, the airport handled 5.1 percent more passengers than during the same time last year. The rise in September marks 13 straight months of passenger growth, which started in September 2009 after 14 straight months of losses that began in July 2008. Overall, the number of international passengers has grown at a faster percentage rate than domestic passengers this year.
October marked the second month in a row that FLL Airport had double-digit percentage passenger growth. The airport added 164,000 passengers in October, growing 10.7 percent over October 2009, according to airport data. That was the largest percentage gain so far this year, exceeding September’s growth.
In other airline news, American Eagle added two daily non-stops from MIA to Cleveland in November and Delta announced it would begin MIA – Jacksonville service in March 2011.
According to STR (formerly Smith Travel Research): Occupancy and rates grew at local hotels in September, compared to the prior year period. Miami Dade: 59.3 % (up from 52.9); Broward 53.6% (up from 49.5%); Palm Beach 46.4% (up from 44.3%). Occupancy across the U.S. grew to 59.9 %.
Occupancy and rates grew October: Occupancy in Broward County grew to 66.5 % from 60.6 percent in the prior-year period. Occupancy in Miami-Dade grew to 68.2 % from 62.3 %. In Palm Beach County, it grew to 55.1 % from 50.7 %.
Southwest Florida:
According to the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB, lingering misperceptions about the Gulf Coast oil spill continued to cause some risk aversion impacts to visitation to Collier County, according to the September visitation report from Research Data Services. Visitation for September 2010 was down 1.0 percent from September 2009. On the positive side, the economic impact from visitors for the month increased by 1.2 percent to $37,743,323.
Congrats to the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club who received a prestigious honor as it was presented with "The Green to Gold Award" by the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Collier County, Florida, for "best exemplifying green leadership." The award was presented to the Southwest Florida resort during the EDC's "27th Annual Excellence in Industry Awards."
Three Paradise Coast resorts appeared in the Conde Nast Traveler 2010 Readers Choice Top 100 List for Mainland U.S. Large Resorts. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples beach resort is number 14; The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples is number 18; and the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa is number 70 on the list. The designation is reached by surveying readers of Conde Nast Traveler.
The Hawthorn Suites of Naples was honored as the Hotel of the Year for 2010 by the Wyndham Hotel Group. The boutique all suites hotel was honored with the award during a dinner at the Wyndham Hotel Group's global conference in Las Vegas.
The Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) was recently recognized by Airline and Airport News & Analysis with a U.S. Annie Prize 2010 for the "Fastest Growing Airport in the 5 to 10 Million Passenger" category.
The Naples Botanical Garden opened its new cultivated gardens of Asia and Florida and a new water garden on Nov. 13. This marked the final stage of the major redevelopment of Naples Botanical Garden as a new area attraction.
Naples Bay Resort, a Four Diamond property on Florida's Paradise Coast, has announced a special winter spa package ideal for couples looking to refresh, renew and relax. Named Blissful Intervention, included is pampering at Naples Bay Resort's Spa, lounging at the resort's pool complex in a private cabana, lunch poolside, and guest accommodations.
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To submit items for future editions, send to jwfranklin1@gmail.comBest, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Florida Department of Law Enforcement: Florida Hotel Security Initiative
(…and just in time for the holidays…Best, Julie Wernick,HSMAInsider)
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are joining together to conduct a Hotel Industry Security Forum on December 2, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Federal, State, county and local law enforcement will provide our lodging partners in Florida the opportunity to receive information briefings on lodging security threat dynamics and protective measures. It will also provide a great opportunity for the hotel industry in Florida to develop partnerships with government agencies.
If you have properties in Orlando or the State, please share this information with your Loss Prevention Directors and Security Leaders.
Please follow this link for additional details, the official invitation and instructions on how to register: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/BusinesSAFE/Menu/About-BusinesSafe.aspx
For more information contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Office of Domestic Security, P.O. Box 1489 - Tallahassee, FL 32302.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are joining together to conduct a Hotel Industry Security Forum on December 2, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Federal, State, county and local law enforcement will provide our lodging partners in Florida the opportunity to receive information briefings on lodging security threat dynamics and protective measures. It will also provide a great opportunity for the hotel industry in Florida to develop partnerships with government agencies.
If you have properties in Orlando or the State, please share this information with your Loss Prevention Directors and Security Leaders.
Please follow this link for additional details, the official invitation and instructions on how to register: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/BusinesSAFE/Menu/About-BusinesSafe.aspx
For more information contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Office of Domestic Security, P.O. Box 1489 - Tallahassee, FL 32302.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Around Town: The Village at Gulfstream Park
The holiday season is being kicked off with a “Symphony in Lights” free show at The Village at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale. The show runs from November 20 through December 31st nightly at 6, 7, 8, and 9 pm.
More than 250,000 LED lights strung on trees, buildings, light posts, etc., strobe twinkle, and sparkle. The show is computer programmed and the dancing light effects are choreographed to music. It’s a fun spectacle for kids and adults, alike, and the start of a new holiday tradition.
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The South Florida Hospitality Alliance Industry Holiday Party will be held at The Walking Ring at Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, December 14th from 6 to 9 pm. The event is sponsored by The Village at Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Racing & Casino. Participating organizations collaborating are: ISES, HSMAI-South Florida, the South Florida Chapter MPI, Site/Florida, and the Association of Wedding Professionals.
Make your reservations now. And, while at the Holiday Party, you can also check out the “Symphony in Lights” show.
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Best wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
More than 250,000 LED lights strung on trees, buildings, light posts, etc., strobe twinkle, and sparkle. The show is computer programmed and the dancing light effects are choreographed to music. It’s a fun spectacle for kids and adults, alike, and the start of a new holiday tradition.
--------------------------------------------
The South Florida Hospitality Alliance Industry Holiday Party will be held at The Walking Ring at Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, December 14th from 6 to 9 pm. The event is sponsored by The Village at Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Racing & Casino. Participating organizations collaborating are: ISES, HSMAI-South Florida, the South Florida Chapter MPI, Site/Florida, and the Association of Wedding Professionals.
Make your reservations now. And, while at the Holiday Party, you can also check out the “Symphony in Lights” show.
-------------------------------------------------
Best wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
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