Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - (Page 8) 8 Legal FAQ H&MM December 8, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Better performance can help prevent liability claims IN THE details Steps to decrease claims Train on respect, directions Correct signage, amenities Be aware of requirements By HospitalityLawyer.com H&MM Contributor cations. Be sure the maps to and from your location, including ones on the Internet, are accurate. If there is construction or a detour, mark it or change it. If directions aren’t correct, contact the provider and ask them to fix it. Be sure signage directing guests to your property is frequent and accurate. Also, ef- King knows guests want to be waited on in the order in which they arrive. Set up a queuing method with stanchions and ropes. Electronic keys are only as effective as the control and monitoring systems in place. I inadvertently set to wrong times or dates. 9 6 During remodels or new construction, ask yourself if all rooms need bathtubs. al possible, such as wicker, and there should not be any sharp edges that could cause head injuries. Telephones: If you are charging for phone calls, make sure guests are aware of a number to call in the event of an emergency or how to dial 911. All charges should be clearly set out. Be clear on whether you guarantee a room and room type. If not, be sure to ad- 3 Q What are some things the lodging industry can do to enhance performance, increase customer satisfaction and prevent potential liabilities simultaneously? Treat all employees with dignity and respect. Then, in- fective directional signage on the property is a must. Have people that are unfamiliar with your property drive to and/or walk through it to give you objective feedback about your signs. still hear front desk clerks declaring the room number out loud, which shows a serious lack of training and concern for guest safety. 1 sist they treat all customers with dignity and respect. This will help eliminate potential illegal discrimination. 4 5 Signage indicating the use of space is mandato- ry. For example, storage clos- Every employee needs to be trained to guide a guest to the hotel from a variety of lo- 2 ets for chemicals must be clearly marked. Then, restrict access with appropriate locking systems. Have check-in and checkout lines. Even Burger the guest does not trip and fall in the middle of the night or when they enter the room for the first time. Have housekeeping staff members check alarms and radio alarm clocks to ensure 7 Place nightlights in the guestrooms/bathrooms so Many accidents are due to people slipping or falling around the bathtub. And according to guest surveys, a very low number of guests actually take a bath and most prefer a nice shower area. Instead, have a limited number of bathtub rooms and ask guests what they would prefer. If you are out of bathtub rooms, make sure guests know at the time of reservation. Make sure your showers have hot water temperature restrictors to avoid scalding. Also in the bathroom, 11 12 vise the guest on what is guaranteed and that you will do your best to accommodate other preferences. hmm@questex.com Special thanks to Stephen Barth, founder of HospitalityLawyer.com and the Hospitality Law Conference series, and professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston. He can be reached at SBarth@HospitalityLawyer.com. 8 10 they work properly and are not shelving above the toilet should be made of the softest materi- Marketing Matters Industry forecast: Expect worse before it gets better IN THE details Struggle continues into ’09 International travel down ADR to slightly increase Projections for 2010 By Vail R. Brown H&MM Columnist T he latest forecasts for the lodging sector indicate the industry will continue to struggle into the second and third quarter of 2009, with a projected 3.5-percent yearover-year decline in occupancy to 59.1 percent—the lowest level since 2003. In other words, look for things to get tougher before they get better. Adding to the bad news is the expected leveling of international travel as the economic crisis expands globally, which could decrease the number of visitors to gateway cities, where international travel remained strong through 2008. The downturn will continue to expand into the business market in 2009 much more prominently than it did in 2008. The economy hit leisure travelers first—now the expectation is for business travel to be adversely affected by economic conditions. This is especially worrisome because the top 15 markets (where most business travelers are going) make up around 34 percent of industry revenue. Amid the bad news is one ray of hope for 2009: An expected 1-percent year-over-year increase in average daily rate to an all-time industry best of $108.52. When it comes to ADR, the difference between this downturn and previous downturns is hotel operators are less inclined to discount rates—they have learned that holding rate is important for their business in both the short and long term. We expect ADR growth to remain in positive territory for the next three years and beyond. And while the supply of hotel rooms is expected to increase by 2.4 percent in 2009 over 2008, expectations are for a 1-percent decrease in demand. The bulk of those new hotels are developments that have been underway for the past two or three years; as 2009 progresses and these new hotels open, the forecast is for fewer additional hotel rooms to come online due to the continued tight- ening of the financial markets. We’ll be seeing the largest new supply of rooms in two very specific market segments: upscale and midscale-withoutfood-and-beverage properties, which continue to offer a good price point for leisure and business travelers. Although we expect a modest 0.4percent increase in revenue per available room through September from year-end 2007 to $65.75, the expectation is that RevPAR will experience a 2.5-percent yearover-year decline in 2009 to $64.10. There is good news on the horizon for 2010. Projections include: 0.6-percent year-over-year decline in occupancy to 58.7 percent; 2.1-percent year-over-year increase in ADR to $110.80; 1.5-percent year-over-year increase in RevPAR to $65.06; and 1.2-percent increase in supply and a 0.6-percent increase in demand. Finally, the hotel industry previously has been able to overcome downturns. It has learned how to better manage through financial adversity (maintaining ADR, for instance) and that it must continue focusing on best practices and customer service to make sure it emerges successfully on the other side of this downturn. hmm@questex.com Vail R. Brown is the VP of Global Sales & Marketing for STR, the industry leader for lodging industry benchmarking and research and a member of the HSMAI Foundation Board of Directors. More information is available at www.STRglobal.com. http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.HospitalityLawyer.com http://www.HospitalityLawyer.com http://www.HospitalityLawyer.com http://www.STRglobal.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 Contents Best Western Sets Spending Strategy Courtyard Turns 25, Unveils New Lobby New Division of MGM Goes Beyond Gaming Perspective Legal FAQ Marketing Matters Family Business On Finance AAHOA Update Satisfaction Trends HotelWorld Update Consultant’s Corner Trends & Stats IH/M&RS Editors’ Choice Award Winners Insurance Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 (Page 1) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 (Page 2) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - New Division of MGM Goes Beyond Gaming (Page 4) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - New Division of MGM Goes Beyond Gaming (Page 5) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Perspective (Page 6) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Perspective (Page 7) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 8) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 9) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Family Business (Page 10) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Family Business (Page 11) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - On Finance (Page 12) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - On Finance (Page 13) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 14) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 15) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Satisfaction Trends (Page 16) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - HotelWorld Update (Page 17) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 18) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 19) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 20) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 21) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 22) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 23) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 24) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 25) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - IH/M&RS Editors’ Choice Award Winners (Page 26) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - IH/M&RS Editors’ Choice Award Winners (Page 27) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 28) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 29) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 30) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 31) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 32) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 33) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 34) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Marketplace (Page 35) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 36) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 37) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 38) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 39) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 40) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 41) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 42) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 43) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 44)
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