Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - (Page 43) H&MM March 2009 | HotelWorldNetwork.com “It’s not that everyone wants to cut the free coffee, but you almost have to.” THOM GESHAY, DAVIDSON HOTEL CO. through local banks. However, he admitted, if lenders would be more stringent and force borrowers into foreclosure after non-payment, more properties would then be forced to come to the market. Stambules said that because this is such a tumultuous market, as long as hotel owners on Capmark’s balance sheet are open to dialogue and show a willingness to support their deals, the lenders are willing to work with the borrower. Depending on how the current bailout plan affects asset values, banks shouldn’t be under increasing pressure to foreclose and monetize bad assets to increase capital, he said. “We’re not afraid to take an asset back, but so long as debt service is being paid and borrowers are prepared to support their deals, servicers are going to continue to work with their borrowers,” Stambules said. son is attempting to not cut personnel, but instead remove any excess from the operation. “For example, Westin came out with a list of exceptions that they could do,” he said. “They’ll allow one bar of soap in the rooms. They’ll allow fewer towels in a king room. You don’t have to put robes in, except by request. They’ve softened the stance on some of those things.” But, Geshay said, the challenge becomes removing some of the extras without hurting guest satisfaction. “It’s not that everyone wants to cut the free coffee, but you almost News & Analysis INDUSTRY COVERAGE have to,” he said. “One thing that may come out of this [is] you’re probably going to see service scores slide.” Jim Butler, attorney at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro, said his firm has seen an increase in owners who “feel like cornered rats” because the drop in demand is leaving them with fewer resources to keep up with brand standards. “I think we are going to see more intense discussions [between owners and brands] and sometimes that will be very contentious,” he said. jfreed@questex.com 43 Stop using your vacuum cleaner as CHANGES YOUR VACUUM FROM A BATTERING RAM a battering ram that dents furniture, scratches baseboards, bangs up doors and walls. And leads to bruising repair bills. Instead, tame the beast with a Soft Vac Protective Vacuum Cover. • Ends vacuum damage forever • Installs in seconds with Velcro tabs • Soft, durable cordoura fabric outside • High-density foam rubber inside • Eliminates costly repair bills • Extends vacuum cleaner life • Increases housekeeping productivity • There’s a Soft Vac model to fit any vacuum To learn more, contact your distributor, or call us at or visit Ask the operator Another perspective came from the owner/operators at the roundtable event, who said property-level staffs are struggling to keep up with readjusting the amenity creep while keeping guest satisfaction high. A few operators agreed that during successful times, brand standards got out of hand and it’s time to pull some of those standards back. In fact, one operator said Marriott International recently sent its franchisees a letter explaining a relaxation in brand standards, and Hilton Hotels Corp. cut back on central fees. Michael DeNicola, EVP and chief investment officer of FelCor Lodging Trust, said most brands have been proactive in addressing the downturn. “We’ve seen, on Hilton’s side for example, significant changes in the way they’re managing our hotels,” he said. “They’ve also been proactive in coming to us about not requiring capital that was originally planned in hotels and changing brand standards. It’s a change in mentality, and most of the brands are doing it that way.” Geshay discussed how David© 2006 SOFT VAC CORPORATION INTO A GENTLE LAMB softvac.com. 800-866-7001, CIRCLE NO. 141 http://www.HotelWorldNetwork.com http://www.softvac.com http://www.softvac.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 Contents News Perspective Green Focus Legally Speaking Franchise Law Sales Clinic Legal FAQ Trends & Stats Timeshare On Finance Management Companies Stuggle to Cut Costs While Keeping Guest Satisfaction Up Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart Hot Products Technology Marketplace Ad/Editorial Index Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 (Page Cover1) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 (Page Cover2) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Contents (Page 3) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - News (Page 4) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - News (Page 5) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Perspective (Page 6) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Perspective (Page 7) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Green Focus (Page 8) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Green Focus (Page 9) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Legally Speaking (Page 10) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Legally Speaking (Page 11) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Franchise Law (Page 12) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Franchise Law (Page 13) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Sales Clinic (Page 14) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Sales Clinic (Page 15) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Legal FAQ (Page 16) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Legal FAQ (Page 17) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Trends & Stats (Page 18) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Trends & Stats (Page 19) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Timeshare (Page 20) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Timeshare (Page 21) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - On Finance (Page 22) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - On Finance (Page 23) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Management Companies Stuggle to Cut Costs While Keeping Guest Satisfaction Up (Page 24) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Management Companies Stuggle to Cut Costs While Keeping Guest Satisfaction Up (Page 25) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 26) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 27) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 28) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 29) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 30) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 31) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 32) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 33) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 34) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 35) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Top Third-Party Management Companies Chart (Page 36) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Hot Products (Page 37) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Technology (Page 38) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Technology (Page 39) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Technology (Page 40) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Technology (Page 41) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Technology (Page 42) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Technology (Page 43) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Marketplace (Page 44) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Marketplace (Page 45) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Marketplace (Page 46) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Marketplace (Page 47) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 48) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 49) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 50) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 51) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 52) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 53) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Checking Out (Page 54) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Checking Out (Page Cover3) Hotel & Motel Management - March 2009 - Checking Out (Page Cover4)
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