Creating Distinctive Luxury #Hotels - Go Non-Traditional

Thank you Millennials - as you are a 'generation of trendsetters' those of us who are Millennial-midset are getting the luxury hotel experiences we prefer.

Excellent recent research carried out at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne shows affluent Millennials will reshape luxury hotel experience.  Further, traditional luxury hotels are deemed 'non-innovative, unattractive and old-fashioned establishments'.

Fortunately, the research points out key 'innovation' solutions - focussed on design and uniqueness:

• Human Capital - attitude, personality, supported by tech will permit staff to increase personalized engagement
• Organizational Design - 'boundaryless' hotels - trendy social space + unique events designed to attract locals and other non-hotel guests
• Unique Service - personalized and unconventional experiences that have a meaningful impact on individuals

Some Luxury Hotel Leading Innovators

Firmdale Hotels definitely gets it, creating #filmandfood event that offers a vibrant combination:

Source: David Bez Salad Blogger

• foodie movie 'Julie & Julia'
• foodie blogger David Bez's new book launch
• David and Oscar Restaurant’s Head Chef, Bradd Johns,  rethinks imagination + nutrition with a 3 course dinner for the event

Ian Schrager hits the sweet spot - again - launching Public Hotels in NYC.  The homepage says it all!!

Public Hotels In Fast Company

Read the Full Article - Millennials to Reshape Luxury Hotels

Thank you for article share + discussion points

Laurent Mergui

Directeur CMH Paris / Managing Director

Thank for Fast Company article share
Dean Minet @minettco

The New Way to Hotel - Zoku + StayNTouch Innovate

A refreshing view of #hotel guest experience ... produced by StayNTouch and filmed at the uber innovative Zoku Hotel - a hybrid hotel.

A number of things standout in this video:

• The guest uses the mobile app for many actions - pre-arrival, probably booking, ordering a late check out (LCO) and check out payment authorization
• BUT chooses when he WANTS to interact with the staff - example, requesting meeting room materials.

• The staff is tablet empowered permitting the staff member to be in motion, not stuck behind a desk
• Personally greeting the guest on arrival
• Processing his requests
• Housekeeping staff communicating ready room

The video was made in 2016, so I imagine more changes have been made:

• Integrative mobile payment vs. credit card swipe on the tablet
• Keyless room access vs. key card

Bottom line:

• This short video demonstrates today's hotel customer service expectations and how hotels can deliver - supported by digital + mobile devices
• There is still human experience (HX) - when/for what is up to the guest.

This dynamic changes how we hospitality professionals need to think of our hotel operations.

Stay N Touch ... and their excellent blog

#digitalinnovation #hybridhotels #hx_hospitality

Social Courage + #Hotel Housekeeping via @aremorch

Thank you Are Morch ! Wow + finally, smart strategies for using social media + mobile to optimize BOH (back of house) and FOH (Front Office) communications.  Social Media Courage blog post is a great place to start.

Outcome = Top notch, efficiently serviced guestrooms - the key physical product in #hotels.

Are Morch teamed up with RoomChecking to provide stats and actionable steps to 'socialize' Housekeeping communications - happier staff + guests.

Source: RoomChecking

As a former Rooms Division Exec + GM, I have always had a special place for Housekeeping, Laundry + Maintenance Departments, so my favorite section of the blog posts = Characteristics of a Great Houskeeper. 

Of the 9 points, willingness to be of genuine service is a standout.

So, bravo for extensive coverage of social on BOH employees and communications.

Source: Are Morch

Read full Post Hotel Housekeeping Social Media Courage

#hotels #hotelhousekeeping #socialinnovation

#paris program UPAEP - IEMI - digital innovation program

Pre-trip Mobile site live for UPAEP Paris 2017 Program!

CMH - IEMI has created an immersive program for UPAEP + launched a travel trip site designed to help participants navigate via their mobile phones - in the travel planning stages + during their stay in Paris.

• Classwork + coursework
• Presentations + sharing
• Cultural visits
• Local businesses visits
• and yes...some free time to explore

@UPAEP Paris 2017 pre-trip mobile site is live travel tips in ES, experience #paris ideas THX @CMHacademy @oneglobe https://t.co/9plYLtwA3c pic.twitter.com/UU0tvT6TvR

— Craig @ oneglobe (@oneglobe) May 23, 2017

We look forward to welcoming the participants and their Professor in June.  This is the 3rd year for the innovative International MBA program at  @CMHacademy

#UPAEPParis

#paris TouristinParis - Local Info Touchscreen Bus Stops - super!!

Wild idea - so smart - local 'best' recommendations at bus stops + send to your mobile email.  Too much fun!!

Merci @touristinparis 

Love your app - neat video!!

Full article Touch Screen Bus Stops via Tourist in Paris - in FR

Hospitality Technology - Augment Human - Replace NO

A shareworthy quote from @lyleworthington speaking at recent Young Hoteliers Summit. As #hotel guests increasing use digital tools of THEIR choice, hospitality pros need to think differently to retain that H2H - human to human contact - that's why we are in this business.

Young Hoteliers Summit is held annually at Ecole Hoteliere in Lausanne Switzerland.  Lyle Worthington is a Metro Techstars mentor, CIO of The Student Hotel  - innovative accommodation, co-working, social space concept.

The Student Hotel Group - Not just for Students

METRO Accelerator‏ @MetroAccel  Mar 14MoreOur mentor @lyleworthington, CIO of @TheStudentHotel & president of @HFTP is the challenge provider of @yhsglobal contest at @EHLnews

13 New #startups selected by Welcome City Labs #paris

Welcome City Labs, a premier network of incubators and accelerators dedicated to hospitality and tourism, announced the selection of 13 new #startups for participation.

Using ITB Berlin worldwide tradeshow to present the winners, Welcome City Labs selected from 120 candidates.

Infographic visually expresses the range of candidates submitted:

Welcome City Labs Paris Accelerator 2017 Candidates

Winning startups will gain the support of Welcome City Lab’s ecosystem designed to nurture each concept to a successful business.

List of selected startups – congratulations to all!

Blue Valet, Busjets, ClapnClip, CoChange, Fokusmap, Mon beau terroir, Intripid, Nannybag,       Student Pop, The bar corner, Tictactrip, Tracktl, Visitdata.

Full details (in French) Welcome City Labs Press Release.

Hospitality-Next will publish reviews of these innovative hospitality startups.

Stay ahead in Digital #Hospitality - insightful blogs

Many hoteliers ask 'how can I stay ahead' of digital trends, tools and services? 

While there are a number of super news sites, I find the most progressive + insightful info is published by companies

•  leading in industry innovation
• working directly with exceptional hoteliers

My go-to blogs to stay ahead of pace are:

• Snapshot.Travel        @snapshot_demand
• Focus = guest data, analytics and revenue management
• Their newsletter is especially valuable as it offers a curated collection of smart articles from other sources, in addition to their blog posts.

• Alice App @aliceapp
• Focus = thought provoking issues hoteliers face, e.g. OTAs vs. Direct, Platform business model
• Conversational approach

• Hetras                      @hetras
• Focus = Hotel Management issues + cloud based solutions - makes tech talk understandable
• Curates + publishes experts frequently in Twitter - I always learn something from their tweeted posts

• Siteminder @SiteMinder_News
• Focus = direct bookings, online channels, distribution management
• Excellent resource center, particularly for independent hotels

I appreciate actionable insights + retweet/share on @oneglobe via Twitter.

Please feel free to share your 'stay ahead' sources in the comments below

#aliceapp aids Hoteliers - proactive use of data = save money

AliceApp staff member posted real life examples of how #hotels use available data to improve guest satisfaction and/or save money.

As a former GM, I was particularly impressed by this maintenance staff story:

On a hunch, a Maintenance Manager at a top NYC boutique hotel called ALICE’s analytics specialists and requested that they pull all of the internal tickets tagged “#fix: leaky faucet” over the past 6 months. As he had guessed, all of the requests were originating from the Southwest part of the building, focused around 10 floors. Upon further investigation, it turned out that there was corrosion in the pipes, and by taking proactive measures rather than passively waiting for a major issue, the hotel was able to save thousands of dollars and months of headache.

I will definitely be using these examples with my MBA students.

Here is the full post - How Hoteliers are Using Data to Improve their Operations. 

Hospitality - Millennials = #mobilemindset

An eye-opening research report has been published by Oracle Hospitality.  “Millennials and Hospitality: 

The Redefinition of Service”.  

The information is highly valuable for restaurants and hotels seeking to provide the right services at the right time to Millennial customers.

It covers mobile usage for:

• Services - such as keyless check in
• Payment
• Booking
• Communications

Mobile Hotel Bookings are almost 50%

A key finding for hoteliers - quote from the study:

• Hotels face a mobile frontier: Make no mistake – millennials in every country are already using their mobile devices to conduct core functions with hotels. Among the findings: 20% had checked into a hotel using their mobile, while 46% had booked a hotel room through similar means. Only 12% had ordered room service by smartphone, yet room service was the number one request when millennials were asked how else technology could improve their stay.

Clearly, hotels need to adapt operations + booking capability to the #mobilemindset of on the go guests!

Is your hotel ready?  

We would be happy to help smart hotels go mobile - before losing your guests to big budget OTAs + chains.

Think Customer Networks vs. Repeat Customer

Original Thinking - the full value of your happy hotel guest is their network influence.

Old thinking - the value of a happy hotel guest is their repeat visit to your hotel.





Deeper thinking - read:

Rethinking the Value of Customers in a Digital Economy - 

Hospitality #Hackathon at CMH Paris MBA Program

Hoteliers appreciate new eyes and brainpower to address thorny issues.  CMH MBA 2 students are well equipped to come up with innovative solutions - so Hospitality Service #Hackathon was created...and today is the day!!

Prestigious hotels are participating - CMH is fortunate that each has submitted real world challenges for the MBA Teams to address:

• Landmark London Hotel
• Tiara Hotels
• Hotel Littre Paris

Members of the team that created the Award Winning Digitalist program, Liz Craig (ok, me!) and Veronique Sournies wanted all students to have a Digitalist experience - et voila, Hackathon...an educational innovation!

Winning teams will be announced tonight!!  Stay tuned!

Badge design by Saraswati Gramich

Le Burgundy Hotel Paris - sculptures + artworks = eye delights

+LeBurgundyHotel  Paris is a delightful discovery.  Happily, I had a meeting at the hotel recently, it was my first time visit.

The handsome facade is understated, rather British Club-ish but step through the doors and you enter a light filled space punctuated with unexpected contemporary sculptures and colorful art pieces.

This particular one caught my attention.  I particularly enjoyed that this very large piece was 'reflected' in the floor design.

The arresting light fixtures are really contemporary design pieces - very impressive.

The contemporary luxury ambiance in traditional architecture is remarkable. Best of both worlds.

Take a look for yourself and enjoy - the Le Burgundy Hotel's gallery shows many of the artworks ... the video gives a great preview of the hotel experience.