Meeting News - January 7, 2008 - (Page 11)

Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com Hotels & Resorts AH&LA Cleans Up Its Members’ Acts Association issues warning after bad-housekeeping exposé in Atlanta by Fox News Washington, DC—Following a television news report in Atlanta that showed housekeepers at several hotels around town using unsanitary methods of cleaning drinking glasses in guest rooms, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) in December advised its members to evaluate existing cleanliness procedures and implement practices to ensure that similar instances do not occur. In various moments captured by Fox News, housekeepers used toxic chemicals to clean glasses, wore the same pair of gloves to clean the toilet as they did to wash drinking vessels, and used a soiled washcloth to dry glasses. The offending hotels were limited-service properties, and the slip-ups appeared to be isolated incidents. Still, in response to the report, AH&LA solicited the cleaning policies and procedures of all the major chains for review. “Cleanliness is the number-one [guest expectation]; all the other bells and whistles are extra,” said Joseph McInerney, president and CEO. “The last thing you want is for someone to leave and tell 10 of their friends that they had a bad time.” AH&LA was satisfied with its review of hotel companies’ cleaning policies, but if it weren’t, the association is only equipped to issue guidelines, not mandates. “If we issued an order, we’d have to have inspections, and we don’t have those capabilities,” McInerney said. “We leave it up to the hotels.” And the big companies don’t appear to be taking the report lightly. Directors of training for several brands indicated to AH&LA they would be “reinforcing their training protocols,” as a result of the Fox News story, according to McInerney. “If you don’t do that, there’s something wrong with you, because it’ll happen again,” he said. “When business is good, people can get sloppy.” boards outside each meeting room and 40-inch directional screens in the main hall, giving planners the chance to personalize their meeting signs with logos or even video. Wireless Internet access was made available throughout the function area, and a new four-channel sound system provides a wider array of background music choices. The time had come for the hotel to look inward and find areas it could improve, said Ann Hoff, vice president of hotel operations. “More and more meeting planners bring their groups to Las Vegas—creating a high level of competition—so it was logical to look at upgrading our space to meet guest expectations and take advantage of an increasing opportunity.” Crème de la Crème: Le Meridien Hires Top Culture Advisors To Create Experiences White Plains, NY—Looking to solidify its brand identity, Le Meridien last month convened a multigenerational group of cultureoriented professionals to advise it on enhancing the guest experience. Called the LM100—as the goal of chain management firm Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to bring together 100 such consultants—the group represents art, architecture, cuisine, design, and fashion. And as part of the new efforts, Le Meridien has revamped its website (www.lemeridien.com) to include a “destination canvas,” whereby web surfers can plug in their interests and get matched to a property. “LM100 is not a club, it’s a family of international creators that is reinventing Le Meridien with the vocabulary of its collective challenging experience,” said Jerome Sans, cultural curator of the brand. “This group of mixed generations and interdisciplinary artistic fields will grow in order to keep the dialogue, discoveries, and creations going.” The hotelier’s initial effort in this regard includes 12 people. Among them: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a very successful chef and restauranteur in New York; artist Michael Lin; and Andrea Illy, grandson of the Illy coffee company founder, to name a few. The group’s efforts will all be governed by Le Meridien’s brand promise: “chic, cultured, discovery.” “Le Meridien is marketing curated cultural initiatives and experiences to our guests,” said Eva Ziegler, senior vice president of the brand. “We’re delivering a new perspective in a credible and relevant way to attract a new, aspirational customer—the creative guest.” www.meetingnews.com Bigger and Better in NY NY—Vegas Style Las Vegas—The New York-New York has expanded and upgraded its meeting space. The 2,024-room property added the 2,200-sf Park Terrace room, bringing its function space up to 21,000 sf. That includes a 10,000-sf outdoor area. The hotel added 15-inch reader Planners can be a part of better meeting space at the New York-New York. The Pierre Gets Swankier New York—The first of the year marked the start of phase two of a $100-million renovation of The Pierre, one of Manhattan’s most stocontinued on page 12 January 7, 2008 MeetingNews 11 http://www.lemeridien.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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