Hotel & Motel Management - February 18, 2008 - (Page 34)

34 Special Report HOTELWORLD H&MM February 18, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Full-service hotels strive to attain global consistency By Stacey Mieyal Higgins and Emily Hanna H&MM EDITORS s full-service hotel brands expand across countries and cultures around the world, a need for global brand consistency becomes more and more evident. “Hospitality is a truly global industry, as we are charged with meeting and exceeding expectations of guests traveling to and from every country in the world,” said Mark Snyder, senior v.p. of worldwide brand management for Holiday Inn. “But we have found that those expectations are very consistent, regardless of region.” Citing research conducted by InterContinental Hotels Group, Holiday Inn’s parent company, A Snyder said guests expect a “modern, clean, safe property with efﬁcient, friendly service that affords a great night’s sleep.” To meet those expectations, Holiday Inn has set global brand standards to maintain consistency, while still acknowledging the importance of local culture. “This is what makes a hotel unique and these points of difference will be welcomed,” he said. For The Rezidor Hotel Group, which includes the full-service hotels Radisson SAS and Hotel Missoni, matching global standards with personal experience is key. “Hospitality is becoming more global, but it is important to offer hotels that offer both the international standards/management and the local/regional touch that makes them unique,” said Christiane Reiter, a spokeswoman for Rezidor. Hilton Hotels Corp. plans to globalize the Hilton guest experience, said Jeffrey Diskin, senior v.p. of brand management for Hilton. “For 2008, we’re looking for more major, substantive ways the guest experience needs to evolve,” Diskin said. “We need to look at what it is we could and should be doing.” He said advertising themes, meetings, loyalty rewards, food and beverage, ﬁtness equipment and hotel design are just a few of the ways Hilton intends to create a seamless guest experience. Best Western International, which has more than 4,200 ho- tels in 80 countries, has initiated minimum quality-assurance standards for properties, such as irons, ironing boards and coffee makers in rooms or on request, and hair dryers, dataports, clocks and music in every room, to name a few. “We’ve been proactively separating from hotels that detract from the brand,” said David Kong, president and c.e.o. of BWI. “It doesn’t make sense to constantly grow the brand by numbers [but instead to] concentrate on the brand promise and grow in quality, not quantity.” Strength in numbers The brand also is growing in quantity, however, and Kong said BWI expects to have 200 hotels in Asia by 2010—a marked increase HILTON HOTELS CORP. Hilton Hotels Corp. plans to globalize the guest experience at its hotels, like the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice pictured here. CIRCLE NO. 112 CIRCLE NO. 126 http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.minibarna.com http://www.dowhotelco.com http://www.minibarna.com http://www.dowhotelco.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - February 18, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - February 18, 2008 Contents ALIS Attendees: Bumpy Road Ahead Denihan Expands with James Hotel Purchase AAA Updates its Diamond Rating Guidelines Perspective Letters to the Editor Legal FAQ Satisfaction Trends Sales Clinic HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Locally Grown Food Gains Popularity Companies Cultivate International Ties Wireless Internet Access Opens Up Possibilities Ice Machine Care Improves Efficiency, Performance The Importance of F&B to Leisure Travelers Lamps/Lighting Transactions Events Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - February 18, 2008

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