STAUNTON, VA (March 21, 2018) – The Blackburn Inn, a boutique hotel slated to open late spring 2018 in the historic Downtown Staunton neighborhood, announced today the appointment of two new members to its property team. The Blackburn Inn welcomes John Maly as General Manager and Blake Fisk as Director of Sales. The pair will lead the opening of the newly renovated, 49-room luxury boutique hotel and ensure the continued success of the property, overall.

Maly will oversee day-to-day operations of the hotel and contribute fresh ideas for local, community partnerships and ongoing initiatives that create unique guest experiences for locals and travelers alike. Maly began his career in hospitality more than 14 years ago after receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University. Prior to his new role, Maly contributed to the success of multiple properties, overseeing million-dollar renovation projects, increasing hotel profitability, and improving overall consumer satisfaction. Maly began his journey in Dallas, Texas at the Four Seasons Resort and Club, later going on to manage The Lodge at Turning Stone. Most recently, Maly served as the General Manager of The Ivey’s Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he successfully led opening operations for the property, including employee hiring and training, development of revenue strategy, and creation and execution of the bar and lounge program.

Fisk brings a demonstrated passion for hospitality to The Blackburn Inn. Her experience has prepared her to lead the property’s strategy for maximizing revenue and business opportunities in her new role. Fisk earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration Management with an emphasis in Hospitality from Georgia Southern University in 2014. She began her career as an intern at Georgia’s Sea Island Resort, later moving on to the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center where she acted as a Sales Manager. Most recently, Fisk served as Resort Sales Manager for the Keswick Hall and Golf Club, maximizing revenue through direct sales and group business in the Richmond and DC markets.

The Blackburn Inn was originally designed in 1828 and has merged its historic architecture with modern designs and amenities to offer visitors the very best of Staunton, VA. For more information, visit http://www.blackburn-inn.com/ 

On 13 March 2018 Russell Kett, chairman of the London office of HVS, moderated a panel at the Young Hoteliers Summit, held at EHL, the Lausanne hotel school.  Panellists were Giovanni Forni (Cedar Capital Partners), Marc Socker (Invesco), Henri Wilmes (A&O Hotels & Hostels) and Oliver Judge (Park Hotels & Resorts). 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – March 21, 2018 – Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach – a DoubleTree by Hilton, continues to evolve into the city’s hottest oceanfront destination with the appointment of its new executive chef, Richard Goldberg. Chef Rich is well known for developing new culinary concepts throughout South Florida’s top country clubs and hotels. He was selected by Bahia Mar’s ownership, Tate Capital, to lead the creation of new menus at the property’s full-service restaurant, Breezes, its rooftop bar, Waves Rooftop Pool Bar & Grill, as well as its innovative catering department.

“Chef Rich has a great vision and exciting culinary plans for Bahia Mar and for Fort Lauderdale Beach’s foodie scene,” said James Tate, co-owner and CEO of Tate Capital. “He brings a great deal of talent, enthusiasm and creativity to every dish he plates, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.”

Chef Rich, overseeing all aspects of the property’s culinary experiences, is focusing on fresh, local ingredients and unique flavor palettes for Bahia Mar’s new culinary program. His approach draws inspiration from the property’s prime location between the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean and will speak to the city’s nautical ambiance. 

“I am looking forward to elevating and executing the variety and quality of food offered at Bahia Mar,” said Chef Rich. “My goal is to create healthy and diverse menu options that highlight Florida flavors by incorporating local produce, emphasizing fresh flavors, combinations and ingredients.”

Chef Rich has an extensive background in the culinary arts and his led programs at hotels such as the Holiday Inn Plantation and the Sheraton Boca Raton. For 23 years, he directed food operations for one of South Florida's most prestigious country clubs, Westview Country Club, which was recognized for having the best cuisine in its area. Most recently, he served as head chef at La Gorce Country Club, an exclusive property drawing patrons from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

LEESBURG, VA — March 21, 2018  Virginia ProStart, a division of the national ProStart career-building program for high school students interested in the culinary arts and restaurant management, hosted its 15^th Annual Virginia ProStart Student Invitational (VPSI) earlier this month at The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia. ProStart in Virginia is sponsored by Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA). This was the first year the program was hosted in Northern Virginia since its inception in 2005.

The full-day cooking competition and business plan presentation included 65 students representing 13 teams from all areas of Virginia. The students competed to be named the top Culinary and Management school in Virginia and for over $600,000 in cumulative scholarships offered by culinary programs from across the U.S. The winners of both the Culinary and Management competition will participate in the 2018 National ProStart Student Invitational in Providence, Rhode Island, from April 27-29, 2018. ProStart is in all 50 states with more than 1,900 schools and over 95,000 students participating.

U.S. Representative Barbara Comstock (R-10) was the guest of honor and key note speaker. Other dignitaries attending the event were Jennifer Fox, Manager Political Policy and Engagement, National Restaurant Association, and Urooj Mughal, Northwestern Regional Director for U.S. Senator Timothy Kaine’s office. The event was sponsored by Visit Loudoun and Visit Fairfax. Thirty-five culinary judges volunteered from many local restaurants –(Fords Fish Shack, Glory Days, Silver Diner, Goodstone Inn), as well as the Culinary Institute of Virginia and Stratford University. Twenty management judges also were involved,including Johnson & Wales, George Mason University, Central Virginia Community College, Clyde’s Restaurant Group, Great American Restaurants, Art Institute of Virginia and Virginia Corporation for Tourism.

As a learning and development facility, The National worked very closely with VRLTA staff to create a ‘true to life’ work environment for the students. Executive Chef Todd Goldian said, “This is the kind of program we love at The National; it directly supports our mission as an educational facility. I’m delighted to be able to work directly with these students.” Each year in Virginia, the ProStart program reaches nearly 3,900 high school juniors and seniors, and 75 culinary educators at 55 Virginia high schools.

In Loudoun County, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States, C.S. Monroe Technical School, one of 13 public high schools in the county, registered three teams (two in the culinary competition and one in the management competition). Monroe Tech is a nine-time winner of this competition under the direction of Joy Anderson, Monroe’s long time culinary teacher. Anderson, who is retiring this year after 28 years at Monroe, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.

Working with students and creating job opportunities is one of Geoff Lawson’s goals as Vice President and General Manager at The National, who also supports nearby Riverside High School’s culinary program and Project Search, a transition program for young adults with disabilities. (See previous release here.)

(L-R) students Sydney Ong, Abby Santelli, Corinna Young teacher Joy Anderson, students Josh Hineman, and Dennis Bajao​

(L-R) Jim Wilson, Director of Education & Workforce Development, VRLTA; Joy Anderson, Monroe Tech teacher and award winner; Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-10); Eric Terry, President, Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Assoc.​

For more information about the program, please contact Jim Wilson at VRLTA at 804-288-3065.

By Alan E. Young

Today’s world is constantly changing, and the travel and hotel industry is facing many technological challenges and intense competition. When competition is at such a fever pace, innovation is everything. Across various platforms and specialties, we are seeing the enthusiastic embrace of ambitious thought leaders, entrepreneurs and start-ups who are fearlessly carving out their vision of the future.

In the past, there were yearly events that enabled travel and hotel technology providers to showcase their current solutions to prospective buyers. Now, due to the rapid change of technology and its impact on the industry, annual conferences and events have included innovation award segments within their regular program that are dedicated to the change-makers that are transforming the technology used by hoteliers. Within these competitions and events, industry professionals are granted the opportunity to display their latest innovations to panels of experts, earning exposure and praise across the hospitality landscape.

This past year has been an eventful one for our industry, with no shortage of educational events, thought leadership panels and conferences to showcase the technology which will enhance hoteliers’ internal processes and deliver a better guest experience. We’ve rounded up some of the highlights to give you an idea of what is to come and which travel and hotel start-ups to keep an eye on.

1. Phocuswright 2017 Innovators

For nearly 25 years, the Phocuswright Conference has invited qualified attendees to 3 different competition stages (Launch, Summit and Battleground) to showcase some of the most exciting new technology our industry has to offer. The winner of the Travel Innovation – Startup Category takes home a check for $100,000 USD.

conichi
Award: Runner-Up for Travel Innovation - Startup Category
Website: https://www.conichi.com/

By digitalizing tedious hotel procedures like check-in/check-out, digital door opening and invoicing, conichi is taking an impersonal standard, utilizing it in a smart way to create a new standard in hospitality. Travelers can use an express check-in and can check out via mobile without queueing at departure. Payments are safely made through the app to ultimately save the hotelier and guest valuable time.

2. HITEC Toronto

HITEC  is the world's largest hospitality technology show, bringing the brightest minds and new tech to one place. During the 2017 show in Toronto, 13 pitchers were chosen depending on the field of applicants. From this selected group, one person from each startup pitched for four minutes to a packed session room and a panel of judges.

Each startup competed for the grand prize, or E20X Judge’s Award winner, which took home $5,000 USD and guaranteed spots on HITEC show floors for the following 12 months.

Stay Wanderful
Award: E20X Judge’s Award
Website: https://staywanderful.com/

Stay Wanderful brings you instant rewards you actually want. No more waiting to accumulate points - just book on one of their hotel partner's websites and get real rewards you can use right away such as: exclusive retail discounts, free flight credits, free dining credits and free transportation credits.

Arrivedo
Award: People’s Start-Up Award
Website: https://arrivedo.com/

Arrivedo offers hotels globally an online platform to organize their knowledge via Neighborhood Guides. A Neighborhood Guide is a group of articles consisting of recommendations, maps, routes, essential tips and more relevant information that hosts can share with travelers. Each Neighborhood Guide created online is in collaboration with one of their certified Arrivedo travel writers. This content helps guests to learn about local activities and what to do in the neighborhood around the hotel during the booking process.

3. HEDNA Innov8

HEDNA's Innov8 session focuses on eight new products, services and businesses in the marketplace that are positively shaping the hospitality industry and the way we conduct business. This is an interactive forum, created to share the innovations made by leading professionals in eight minute, engaging presentations. At this year’s HEDNA Austin Distribution Conference, Hopper took home the top Innov8 prize.

Hopper
Award: Innov8 Winner
Website: http://www.hopper.com/

The Hopper app for Android and iOS provides insightful, data-driven research to help travelers make better decisions about where to go and when to fly and buy. The app has now expanded its price prediction service to hotels, saving users $34 to $90 per night, on average, when booking a hotel room through its service.

4. HT-NEXT Awards

HT-NEXT has quickly become the must-attend educational and networking experience for hospitality technology professionals and solution providers. The program combines two leading industry events each year — Hospitality Technology’s Hotel Technology Forum and HTNG’s  North American Conference.

Beekeeper
Award: The 2018 TechOvation Award presented by HTNG (Hospitality Technology Next Generation)
Website: https://www.beekeeper.io/en

Beekeeper has created a workplace app that digitizes hospitality workers who don't sit behind a traditional desk and don't have access to work email. By connecting operational systems and communication channels within one secure, intuitive platform, Beekeeper is helping hoteliers exchange information, share property updates, and communicate best practices within or across departments in 30 languages.

With so many impressive contributions competing for these coveted awards, there is no doubt that the hospitality industry has some incredible, innovative technology in-store for 2018 and beyond. Don’t forget to keep an eye on all off the innovators that pitch during these amazing events as one never knows where the next great idea will be born.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Today, the newly constructed Hilton Des Moines Downtown opens its doors as the only hotel directly connected to the Iowa Events Center, which comprises a world-class convention center and the Wells Fargo arena. The opening of this landmark hotel will further attract large-scale meetings and events to Des Moines and in turn, increase economic activity throughout the community.

"As the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in the city, we look forward to introducing the brand's world-renowned hospitality to Des Moines and fully integrating into the fabric of the community," said Dave Marr, senior vice president and global head, full service brands, Hilton. "Des Moines has many development projects in the works and we know this hotel will play a critical role in supporting the influx of travelers expected to the city."

Reflecting Des Moines' growing status as one of the nation's leading technology hubs, the hotel was designed to celebrate both the agricultural and technological influences of the city. Hilton Des Moines Downtown features windows that are arranged in a binary pattern to resemble barcodes, custom-designed, circuit board-inspired carpets and light fixtures that playfully mimic the appearance of wiring. The tech-centric hotel offers digital check-in, USB ports throughout its vibrant lobby and a tech lounge with complimentary computers and internet. As a nod to the city's agricultural roots, the precast panels on the side of the hotel were inspired by wheat, and the windows and outside façade by corn and soybean rows. The overall aesthetic pulls colors from its agricultural surroundings.

"I'm thrilled to celebrate the opening of Hilton Des Moines Downtown with my colleagues, city leaders and the many people who have helped make this day possible," said Matt Felling, general manager, Hilton Des Moines Downtown. "We appreciate the vision of community leaders and the dedication of the Weitz construction team who made it possible for us to open this landmark hotel ahead of schedule. The 150 Team Members at Hilton Des Moines Downtown are eager to welcome the thousands of new visitors to our city with our signature service and dedication to providing unparalleled travel experiences."

Hilton Des Moines Downtown has 14,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,000 square-foot ballroom that opens onto an idyllic outdoor terrace. All meeting space is located on the same floor, allowing for easy flow among the spaces for multi-function meetings and events. The property is the only hotel in downtown Des Moines that features natural light in every meeting room. Each space pulls through the tech-centric theme of the hotel, featuring technology including touch-screen navigation signage, smart window lighting and Click Share technology in boardrooms.

As part of the Des Moines Skywalk system, the hotel provides a direct connection to the Iowa Events Center, offering the most convenient accommodation option for convention attendees. Located in the heart of downtown Des Moines, the hotel is also situated near the airport and surrounded by some of the city's most impressive dining options, major businesses and downtown attractions like the Iowa State Capitol, Pappajohn Sculpture Park and the city's renowned Farmer's Market.

"Hilton Des Moines Downtown will attract even more people and events to central Iowa," said Greg Edwards, President & CEO, Catch Des Moines. "The fact that the hotel is connected and right next door to the Iowa Events Center is a game changer for us in luring new conventions, sporting events and trade shows to the metro. One of the most powerful elements of success in a community is positive momentum - prior to opening the doors of the hotel, the Catch Des Moines team has already booked over 23 new conventions, conferences and sporting events. These events will have an economic impact of nearly $73 million ($72,942,217)."

The hotel will also be home to Park Street Kitchen, a modern restaurant featuring dishes created with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients and Des Moines' only outdoor, patio fireplace. The restaurant will be led by Chef Nick Marino, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who joins the team from his previous position at Hilton's acclaimed Waldorf Astoria Chicago.

Hilton Des Moines Downtown is located at 435 Park Street, Des Moines, Iowa. For more information or reservations, call +1 515-241-1456 or visit Hilton.com.

Connect with Hilton Des Moines Downtown on Facebook at @HiltonDesMoinesDowntown and online at Hiltondesmoinesdowntown.com.

Throwing out the spreadsheets, The Durham Hotel upgrades to automated revenue management system

MINNEAPOLIS – March 22, 2018 – In July of 2015, The Durham Hotel opened its doors for the first time as an independent hotel property; its historic building previously operated as a local bank for decades. Being in the heart of downtown Durham, NC—amidst a revitalization, increase in market hotel inventory and pricing instability in the market—The Durham Hotel saw the opportunity to change from a manual pricing system to an automated revenue management solution, continuing their efforts to maximize overall revenue opportunities.

IDeaS Revenue Solutions (IDeaS), the leading provider of revenue management software solutions and advisory services, was an easy choice for The Durham Hotel. Using continuous pricing—one of the flexible pricing options offered by IDeaS’ Ideal Pricing, group recommendations and SAS® High Performance Analytics, the hotel knew they found the provider proven to live up to their expectations.

“We knew that to rise above the competition, The Durham would need to stay on top of the technology,” said Craig Shipley, director of sales for The Durham Hotel. “While searching for a company with a robust system, we discovered there was no other provider better than IDeaS.”

The Durham Hotel is a unique, locally owned and operated hotel with 53 guest rooms and a value-centric philosophy. Personalized touches are provided to make any stay delightful, such as locally handmade blankets by Raleigh Denim©, Burt’s Bees© in-room gifts, classic continental breakfast and complimentary connectivity. Being familiar with IDeaS’ solutions and understanding its competitive advantages, The Durham decided it was time to implement IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) to enhance their revenue strategy in a constantly changing market.

“The landscape and competitiveness in downtown Durham has continued to change, and we wanted to evolve with it,” added Shipley. “IDeaS G3 RMS is the best system out there. It has everything we were looking for to help us gain competitive advantage within the market.”

“We appreciate The Durham Hotel’s unique qualities of guest personalization and sense of community,” said Jane Stampe, managing director at IDeaS. “IDeaS is confident in our advanced analytics and that The Durham Hotel’s key performance indicators will offer a clear view into their most important information.”

Presentation to focus on the tracking mechanisms casinos can use to increase profitability

ALPHARETTA, GA – March 22, 2018 – The Rainmaker Group (Rainmaker), a leading provider of cloud-based hospitality revenue and profit optimization software, today announced that Angie Dobney, vice president of casino and gaming sales,  will be a featured speaker at the 11^th Annual Tribal Casino & Hotel Development Conference. The conference will be held March 26-27 at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. Rainmaker is a gold-level sponsor of the event.

Dobney will participate in a panel discussion entitled, How Tracking Every Dollar Spent by Your Patrons Not Only Increases Profit but Also Decreases Cost Throughout Your Enterprise. The panel, which will address new technologies that track guests and their preferences, will include topics such as: uncovering additional profit centers in your hotel and casino; getting the right customers into the casino; player loyalty; and how to make player rewards programs desirable to all age groups.

Dobney, a former Rainmaker customer who joined the company in 2014, brings to her role a user’s perspective on technology. Having worked in both manual and automated environments, she knows firsthand the challenges customers face and draws from personal experience to guide her clients in best practices. Her expertise spans the unique challenges related to revenue optimization, and she is a frequent industry speaker.

Rainmaker offers best-of-breed revenue and profit optimization solutions to hotels, resorts and casinos. Its product suite includes:

• guestrev®, an intuitive and easy-to-use revenue management solution that analyzes total guest value across a hotel or casino property to forecast and price rooms;
   
• grouprev®, an innovative group pricing solution that streamlines the process of responding to group RFPs by analyzing historical data, future demand, and price sensitivity to recommend the best pricing for group business;
   
• revcaster®, a powerful rate shopping tool that gives hoteliers access to real-time actionable market data, so that rates can be set against the competitive landscape; and
   
• revintel®, an intuitive business intelligence solution that improves day-to-day revenue management by mining various data sets and providing deep insights at a granular level.
   

“We are excited to participate in the 11^th Annual Tribal Casino & Hotel Development Conference, both as industry thought leaders and as a gold-level sponsor,” said Mike Cowles, chief commercial officer of The Rainmaker Group. “We are deeply committed to the success of our tribal gaming customers, and this meeting is always a great event.”

The Tribal Casino & Hotel Development Conference is dedicated to the design and development of tribal-owned casinos, resorts and hotels. Each year, tribal leaders gather with industry professionals to discuss the most relevant topics in the business, including government legislation, advancements in technology, and the latest trends in renovation and design. The annual conference is produced by Native Nation Events in Ramsey, N.J.

To sign up for a one-on-one meeting with Rainmaker during the Tribal Casino & Hotel Development Conference, contact Brenna Needham at 470-440-7917 or bneedham@letitrain.com.

Guidance for Hospitality Industry Professionals on GDPR Regulations in Newly Released Whitepaper

ALPHARETTA, GA. — March 22, 2018 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced the release of an HTNG whitepaper on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Stephen Clay, Product Manager, represented Agilysys in the workgroup assembled to discuss the GDPR and its impact on the hospitality industry. The workgroup was coordinated by Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), a global not-for-profit trade association.

The GDPR is a law governing personal data, and it will be enforced starting May 2018. The aim of the law is to protect all EU citizens from privacy and data breaches in an increasingly data-driven world. The extended jurisdiction of the GDPR will have an especially big impact on the business world, as the law will apply to all companies processing personal data of EU citizens regardless of the company’s location. Failure to understand and comply with the GDPR may result in additional risks and significant financial penalties.

The “GDPR for Hospitality” workgroup has met regularly since its establishment last year, to discuss the impact that the GDPR will inevitably have on the hospitality industry around the world. The aim of the group was to provide guidance for hospitality chains, trading partners and vendors to navigate the pitfalls associated with compliance to the updated law.

“Agilysys is passionate about personal data security and we work to make it as simple as possible for our customers and other industry professionals to comply with these new regulations,” said Stephen Clay, Product Manager at Agilysys. “I’m confident that the workgroup’s whitepaper on GDPR provides the information and direction that hospitality industry professionals need in order to prepare and adapt to compliance with the new regulations.”

HTNG is an industry association promoting collaboration and partnership among hospitality professionals and technology providers, to foster the development of next-generation solutions that will enable them to do business globally in the 21^st century. The association is run by IT executives from 22 leading hospitality companies with the support of industry participants and partners.

If you are an Agilysys customer and wish to obtain a copy of the GDPR whitepaper, please reach out to your account manager or contact our Sales department at +1 (877) 369 6208.

By Margaret Mastrogiacomo, VP Strategy

This article is part four in a five-part series that uncovers top strategies for reaching potential guests in meaningful moments throughout every stage of the travel planning journey to increase direct bookings. This article focuses on the fourth stage of travel planning: the booking phase.

Finally, after the daydreaming, advice-seeking, and travel planning comes to an end, the long-awaited moment arrives where travelers are ready to book. This is the moment of truth where your hotel brand must not only be present, but compelling enough to win the direct booking.

Below we explore the booking phase of our five-part series, “How to Capitalize on the Full Travel Planning Journey to Drive Direct Bookings”, to understand how hotel marketers can win the booking during this stage of the online travel journey. We will uncover what online behaviors are most common in this phase, what marketing channels are most effective, and how to measure success.

How does the booking phase take shape?

The booking phase is when consumers have narrowed down their accommodation options and are ready to commit to one. Google refers to the micro-moments throughout this phase as “Lets-Book-It” moments, where consumers’ have decided on the location as well as the brand they want to book with.

According to Google, in this stage, 94% of leisure travelers switch between devices as they plan or book a trip. In these cross-device moments, people often search for "[brand name] + [location]." And, in fact, almost half of these searches happen on mobile.

Mobile bookings are on the rise.

Google also reports that travelers aren’t just researching on mobile, mobile bookings are also increasing. 31% of leisure travelers say they've booked travel on a mobile device, while an even higher percentage of these mobile bookings came from business travelers at 53%. Yet, while mobile bookings are steadily growing, the question remains: while living our lives on a mobile device has become second nature, why are a majority of hotel bookings still happening on desktop?

Mobile may rise, but desktop still wins.

As much as mobile research and bookings have grown, the majority of travelers, especially those traveling for leisure, still book on desktop. Yet, we can’t ignore the role mobile plays throughout the journey. 46% of travelers state that they make their hotel decision on mobile but then move to another device to book.

So, why the hesitation? Fear of not finding the best rate on mobile, and overall mobile booking limitations. 69% of leisure travelers worry that they're not finding the best price or making the best decision, while more than half of consumers switch to desktop to double-check hotel prices.

Not only do hotel brands face travelers switching devices, they also risk losing customers to competitors or OTAs. According to a study with Ipsos Connect, 88% of travelers with smartphones would switch to another site or app if yours doesn't satisfy their needs—that’s a tough statistic to swallow after being there throughout every phase of their journey. In light of this, it cannot be stressed enough that a fully-responsive website with a seamless booking experience across devices is not only a must, it can be a serious deal-breaker.

What digital touchpoints are making an impact throughout the booking phase?

It’s no secret that reaching potential guests in crucial micro-moments throughout the booking phase is the final step in winning the direct booking. In the booking phase alone, a travel consumer can encounter up to 700 digital travel touchpoints, conduct over 52 searches, and consider up to 8 accommodation brands prior to booking. But, throughout these digital touchpoints where exactly are these crucial “lets-book-it” micro-moments?

A study conducted by Think with Google has confirmed that the majority of time spent throughout the booking phase is:

• Maps: 41%
• Flight Provider: 18%
• Hotel Provider: 14%
• Car Provider: 10%
• Google Search: 7%
• OTA: 6%
• Credit Card Rewards: 2%
• Lifestyle: 2%
• Social: .4%
   

With almost half of research taking place on search engines and maps, having a strong search strategy throughout the booking phase should be a top priority. Utilizing top travel ad networks that capitalize on first-party travel planning data from flight providers and OTAs (a combined total of 24% of time spent) is also crucial in this phase. Time spent on OTAs can seem misleading as we know that OTAs typically make up a large portion of a hotel’s distribution strategy. This breakdown of time spent can simply reveal that while a majority of time goes to the official hotel website, search, and maps; due to loyalty, user-experience, and lack of rate parity, the OTAs can still ultimately win the booking.   

What type of content are travelers looking for in the booking phase?

During the booking phase, travel planners are typically searching for websites and resources they have already visited in the planning phase to follow through on their booking decision. The most common searches in this phase are keywords surrounding the hotel brand in both search and Google images:

• [Hotel Brand] [Destination]
• Images of [Hotel Brand]
• [Hotel Brand] [Neighborhood]
   

It’s important to own your branded keyword terms in the booking phase to not only accommodate these top searches as potential guests attempt to revisit your website but to ensure you are present in the top position against OTAs.

The best marketing mix to reach travelers in the planning phase:

SEO with a Focus on Hotel Brand Name and Accommodations: While accommodations pages play a key role in the planning phase and narrowing down the hotel decision, it’s even more important to feature well-optimized accommodation pages on your hotel website in the booking phase. Be sure to include hotel schema and rich descriptions of your room types and amenities, and ideally, each room type should have its own dedicated landing page within your accommodations section. To ensure your room types are prominently displayed as soon as potential guests visit your site, showcase room types on your homepage. HEBS Digital offers a Rooms Showcase Module that allows hotels to display room types in a highly-visual, engaging way that puts a spotlight on room amenities, room size, views, and more. Each room type also has its own dedicated image gallery to better aid travelers in finalizing the booking decision.

Branded and location keyword terms should also be an SEO focus to ensure you are dominating SERPs for common searches regarding your hotel brand.

SEM with a Focus on Branded Keyword Terms, RLSA, and In-Market Audiences for Search: With up to 52 searches conducted on search engines throughout the booking phase, showing up for the right keywords at the right time can make or break your strategy. Hotel name combined with your hotel location like “[Hotel Name] + [Location]” or other branded search terms such as “Images of [Hotel Name]” are some of the top searches in this phase. Be sure that search ads for these top keywords are linking to highly relevant landing pages to ensure a high Google Quality Score which will achieve more cost-effective CPCs.

Implementing Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) is also an effective strategy to reach potential guests who have already been to your hotel website and have shown interest with more relevant and tailored messaging throughout search results. Consider implementing this on branded search terms so your ad copy can be personalized to acknowledge that the potential guest has already been to your website and welcome them back. By utilizing this targeting strategy, you can also bid more for a higher position in search results since you know this qualified audience is potentially more likely to book.

In-Market Audiences for Search, which is currently available for the Google Display Network and YouTube campaigns, will soon be available for search campaigns. In-Market Audiences will allow your search campaign strategy to target users based on intent signals such as recent search queries and website browsing activity. This targeting option for search ads will make it even easier and cost-effective for hotels to reach potential guests with intent to book.

Google Display Network & Remarketing: With millions of websites, news pages, blogs, and Google websites like Gmail and YouTube, the Google Display Network reaches 90% of Internet users worldwide, and similar to the planning phase, GDN continues to play an influential role in the booking phase. With an effective remarketing strategy, your hotel brand can continue to be present at key touchpoints throughout the booking phase that inspires potential guests to take action and help you win the direct booking.

Travel Ad Networks & Dynamic Rate Marketing: Travel Ad Networks that utilize first-party data from travel planning websites such as airlines, OTAs, and other travel planning resources are a great way to reach potential guests during the booking phase in key moments of intent. These display networks allow you to reach users during the travel planning process to your destination with personalized messaging and targeting based on the dates, destination, and price points travel planners are researching.

Dynamic Rate Marketing display ads take this first-party travel intent data to the next level by allowing your hotel brand to display the best available rate in real-time for the exact arrival date a user searched for in your hotel’s destination. This is one of the best ways to reach potential guests with useful rates and information at the exact moment they exhibit travel intent to your hotel’s destination.

Email Marketing: Email marketing is your brand’s opportunity to make potential guests an offer they can’t refuse. What better time than the booking phase to send an email? Email marketing is one of the best ways to reach potential guests that have already established a relationship with your brand and to reach guests that may have already stayed and enjoyed your hotel. Email segmentation and personalized offers are key to success, as well as combining email with other marketing strategies. For instance, many top display and travel ad networks can provide an email remarketing pixel that allows you to retarget people who opened your email campaign but have yet to book. These display ads will keep your brand present throughout the travel planning journey long-after email engagement to help win the booking.

 Facebook Dynamic Ads for Travel: Facebook Dynamic Ads for Travel allow hotels to retarget people on Facebook and Instagram who have displayed intent by visiting the hotel website and initiating a booking. The ads are highly relevant and personalized and can feature dynamic copy and room rates that automatically populate based on the traveler's dates searched, destination, and other details of their trip. With the average person spending up to 50 minutes a day Facebook, this is a great place to reach potential guests directly in their social newsfeeds to better influence the booking decision.

Multichannel Campaigns: While a well-planned multichannel campaign will reach potential guests throughout every phase of the travel planning journey with one cohesive message, the power of these marketing initiatives and phases combined are critical in the booking phase to win the direct booking. A successful multichannel campaign answers the five W’s of any great narrative: Who, What, Where, When, and Why.

Reservation Abandonment: Once you’ve invested in key marketing initiatives and multichannel campaigns to nurture potential guests through the booking funnel, you have one mission: don’t lose the booking. With less than 3% of website visitors ever committing to a booking, reservation abandonment technology plays an important role in winning back the booking if a visitor decides to abandon the booking process. Compelling messaging that ensures a best rate guarantee or even a perk or offer to “sweeten the deal” if they book direct can be a highly effective way to win back your customer.

Measuring the Booking Phase: Getting to the Bottom Line.

In the booking phase, it should be no surprise that KPIs are revenue-driven metrics with a focus on impacting your bottom line. Top metrics include:

• Click-through rate
• Bookings Initiated
• Bookings
• Cost of Sale (COS)
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
• Conversion Rate
• Incremental Revenue
   

Overall, making an impact on travel consumers in the booking phase is your last chance to win the booking. No pressure. Your hotel brand should be present throughout as many meaningful moments of intent in the booking phase as possible, and there’s no better time to be there, be useful, and be compelling.

Award-winning digital workplace app that connects desk and non-desk hotel employees across locations and departments in real time via mobile or desktop will be on display in Booth #1075

SAN FRANCISCO, CA March 22, 2018 - Next week members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. can experience hospitality’s “most innovative technology” at the AAHOA Annual Convention & Trade Show, to be held March 27 to 30 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. The Beekeeper digital workforce platform, considered to be the best employee app in the industry, will be on display in Booth #1075. With Beekeeper, hoteliers can exchange information, share property updates, and communicate best practices with front- and back-of-house hotel employees who don’t sit at a desk or have a company email address. Beekeeper was honored with the 2018 TechOvation Award by Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) earlier this month.

“We are eager to introduce Beekeeper to AAHOA members at this important event,” said Corey McCarthy, Beekeeper VP of Global Marketing. “We understand that most hotel employees don’t have traditional desk jobs. Because they don’t have a work email, they rely on bulletin boards for internal communications. While this system is okay, it doesn’t resonate well with today’s employees, especially Millennials who prefer to send and receive information digitally. Beekeeper connects colleagues across locations and departments in real time via mobile or desktop devices, and it features an intelligent analytics dashboard to help hotels improve internal communication and streamline business processes.

“Beekeeper also links non-desk workers with a hotel’s operational systems, such as payroll, scheduling, file sharing, task management and others,” she said. “This gives staff a sense of belonging and trust . . . it increases engagement and loyalty . . . and it ultimately translates into better individual and team performances. We encourage anyone who wanting to digitize their workforce communication to visit the Beekeeper booth. We’ll show attendees how they can turn employee satisfaction into guest satisfaction.”

With Beekeeper, hoteliers can:

• See what’s happening throughout the day at their hotel and read what’s happening in the company.
   
• Keep all team members aligned and unified by sharing information that is necessary for staff to do their jobs.
   
• Use the Survey feature to poll employees on their satisfaction or request input.
   
• Communicate with team members during a crisis or while a property is closed.
   
• Onboard new team members and engage with them even before they start on their first day.
   
• Update staff on the status of engineering or housekeeping projects.
   

“Our customers often tell us that their favorite feature of Beekeeper is its accessibility,” McCarthy said. “Information can be accessed on a tablet, a smartphone, or a computer. Some hotels even have a communication monitor in their employee dining rooms so workers can see what’s going on while they’re having their breaks. A great employee experience will always translate to a great guest experience.”

Beekeeper joined the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) as an Allied Member in 2017.

To preschedule a meeting with Beekeeper at the AAHOA Annual Convention & Tradeshow, please email Corey McCarthy at cmccarthy@beekeeper.io or request a time at www.beekeeper.io/aahoa2018.

White Paper Details What is Behind The Click When a Guest Opens Their Hotel Room Door and How to Deliver a Perfect Mobile Access Experience  

MONTREAL, QC, CANADA – March 22, 2018 – dormakaba, the provider of Saflok™ and Ilco™ electronic locks, announced its new white paper detailing why mobile access is becoming essential to property success and how operators can deliver it. The paper, “Guests Demand a 21st Century Stay: Secure Mobile Access Unlocks Your Competitive Edge,” reviews the accelerating mobile use in travel, and explains what goes into seamless property mobile access control system delivery. Click here to download the mobile access control system implementation white paper. For more information on dormakaba electronic hotel locks, click here. 

“Sixty percent of travelers say they are more likely to stay at a hotel that allows them to use smartphones to check in and out remotely and unlock rooms,” said Stephen Pollack dormakaba vice president marketing. “Convenience and functionality win the loyalty of the 21st century traveler. Our white paper explains how mobile access control systems work, what to look for in a secure mobile access system, and how to implement it.”

Your competition already has a mobile strategy
Secure mobile access is now a must for hotel operators. Twenty six percent of properties offer mobile access today, an additional 23 percent plan to implement it in the future. “Competition and guest demand are powering the trend to include mobile access in hotel apps,” said Pollack. “But mobile access requires more than a smartphone app and digital door lock.” dormakaba’s white paper explains why security is essential, and describes the step-by-step processes behind a secure mobile access solution.

dormakaba’s mobile access solution is a secure, end-to-end mobile credential application utilizing Bluetooth Low energy (BLE). It integrates seamlessly with brand loyalty apps and chain technology infrastructures, as well as third party mobile integrator apps. Cloud-based dormakaba mobile access enables guests to open their room doors with their own mobile phone or device, including the Apple Watch, as a flexible alternative to a classic RFID keycard.  dormakaba RFID locks manufactured today are compatible with BLE, iOS and Android mobile technology.    

Click here to download the mobile access implementation white paper.

This market pulse provides an overview of the tourism and hotel market in Berlin, Germany. It discusses recent tourism trends, challenges encountered in pushing average rate and provides a summary of the extensive hotel pipeline. 

Click here to view.

By Dr. Isabella Blengini and Dr. Giuliano Bianchi

Elle Darby may not be a household name but this video blogger does have influence in social media circles with some 87,000 YouTube subscribers and 76,000 Instagram followers. According to media reports – some 114 articles in all across 20 countries  -- she contacted the Charleville Lodge Hotel in Dublin, offering the owner exposure on her social media channels in exchange of a free stay for her and her boyfriend over the Valentine’s Day weekend. The hotel owner declined, posting his reply online and publicly banning all social media influencers from his hotel.

This provoked a series of back-and-forth messages between the two parties on social media. As a result, Elle Darby lost some of her followers, while the hotel has been criticized by other bloggers for his generalized attack on social media.

For us, the episode raises concerns about transparency with regard to bloggers and the way they operate in relation to the hospitality industry, as it highlights the role of information and its sources.

By definition, the industry is characterized by what economists call asymmetric information. Often, when services are involved, customers cannot know beforehand what the quality of the service itself will be. How can you predict with any accuracy the level of service on offer?

Hospitality relies on signals and these can come from a range of sources such as professionals (for example, the number of stars attributed to a hotel) but also from previous customers that have already stayed at the hotel and provided their feedback and observations via the likes of Tripadvisor, Booking.com or Expedia.

Nowadays, bloggers have the power to control, in part, or at least influence some of those signals via their social media accounts. Generally speaking, in terms of the economy, if the sources of information are biased, this could lead to market failure and a reduction in social welfare. In plain English, unreliable information could lead customers towards making the wrong decision.

In Elle Darby’s case, she was seeking a personal advantage in exchange for posting ‘unreliable’ information on her social media channels. This is a typical case demonstrating tension between private benefit (Elle Darby wanting a free stay at the hotel) and the social interest (in terms of consumers wanting to choose a hotel on the basis of reliable information). In fact, Darby had implicitly offered positive feedback on her social media channels even before verifying the quality of the Charleville Lodge, which, according to its own website, has been described as ‘palatial’ but is not Buckingham Palace and so guests should not expect 7-star service.

Another hotel may have decided to play along with the social media influencer and she may indeed have provided positive feedback for the hotel in exchange for a free stay over the Valentine’s Day weekend, encouraging paying customers to go there.

The takeaway from the incident and media storm is this: sometimes more is less. The huge amount of information out there online is making it increasingly difficult for all of us who get our news and information from social media channels to verify the sources of that information. The challenge now facing hoteliers is to develop their brands and build on the reputations of their hotels to ensure their messages cut through all the noise.

NEW YORK - March 22, 2018 - Denihan Hospitality (“Denihan” or the “Company”), a full-service hospitality company focusing on developing, owning, managing and franchising boutique luxury and lifestyle hotels, is pleased to announce the promotion of Gul Goknar Turkmenoglu to Regional Vice President of Operations. Ms. Goknar Turkmenoglu will also continue to serve as General Manager of The Benjamin, the Company’s 209-room luxury boutique hotel located in Midtown Manhattan.

In her new position, Ms. Goknar Turkmenoglu will oversee Denihan’s growing operations team including all general managers. She is also responsible for implementing proven strategies and best practices to further elevate the guest experience, improve operational efficiency and increase profitability across the Company’s brand portfolio. A native of Turkey, Ms. Goknar Turkmenoglu has more 25 years of luxury and lifestyle management experience at both domestic and international hotels.

“Gul has proven to be an incredibly valuable asset to the Company, and this promotion is commensurate with her contributions,” said Vera Manoukian, President of Denihan. “Not only has she enhanced The Benjamin’s already strong operating and financial metrics, she has helped institute operational improvements across our portfolio to drive profitability, efficiency and guest engagement. Gul adds depth to our strong leadership bench as we prepare for an important period of growth.”

Ms. Goknar Turkmenoglu’s promotion continues the strategic expansion of Denihan’s well-rounded senior team. In February, the Company announced the appointments of seasoned hospitality executives John Chan as Senior Vice President of Development and Garine Ferejian Mayo as Senior Vice President of Market Strategy and Revenue Management. The depth of institutional knowledge possessed by these individuals will be instrumental in advancing the Company’s ambitious plan to grow its fee-based services business.

Ms. Goknar Turkmenoglu commented, “I am very excited to expand my responsibilities with Denihan and to join what has become one of the most diverse and impressive leadership teams in the industry. We all share the same goal – to utilize our unique skills, knowledge and perspectives to drive the business forward in a way that fuels sustained growth and profitability.”

Prior to joining Denihan in 2016 as General Manager of The Benjamin, Ms. Goknar Turkmenoglu served as Assistant General Manager of the Hudson New York. Prior to that, she was Assistant General Manager of The Lexington Hotel NYC and Hotel Manager for ONE UN New York. In 2006, Ms. Goknar Turkmenoglu relocated from Egypt to join the leadership team at the Waldorf Astoria New York where she spent over six years holding several management roles. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Tourism and Management from Cukurova University and a Master of Business Administration from New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business.

HANOVER, Md., March 22, 2018 -- Live! Casino & Hotel today announced the key appointment of BRIAN COUGHLIN as General Manager of the flagship Live! Hotel, set to open in the Spring of 2018.

In his new capacity, Mr. Coughlin will manage day-to-day hotel operations and raise brand awareness to drive traffic to the hotel, including new staff training, best-in-class guest service, compliance, financial planning and revenue management. He will elevate the Live! brand through his leadership background in hotels within the four and five diamond segments, focusing on ensuring the effective execution of strategies to reflect the hotel's luxury rating.  

Mr. Coughlin has worked with luxury properties nationwide for over 20 years. His most recent position was Director of Rooms at Caneel Bay Resort on the island of St. John, U.S.V.I. Additionally, he has held positions at a plethora of esteemed hotels, including the St. Regis Houston, The Elysian Hotel (now Waldorf-Astoria Chicago), The-Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia and The Hotel Hershey. Mr. Coughlin also served at a private members club in Chicago. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management from the University of Illinois.

"With two decades in the industry, Brian has a proven track record of successful luxury hotel management and increased guest satisfaction," said Bob Tedesco, SVP Operations and Asst. General Manager, Live! Casino & Hotel. "We are confident that his expertise, coupled with our prime location and all-inclusive gaming experience, will allow Live! Casino & Hotel continued growth as a market leader and Maryland's number one tourist destination."  

The 17-story, 350,000-square-foot luxury Live! Hotel that connects to Live! Casino features 310 guest rooms, an event center, 20,000-square-feet of meeting spaces, the Live! Spa, and David's – a 24/7 dining establishment named after Cordish Companies' Chairman David Cordish. Located within the Arundel Mills Commercial District next to Arundel Mills Mall – Maryland's top tourist destination – Live! Casino & Hotel will offer guests an all-inclusive experience, including premier gaming entertainment at one of the country's top commercial casinos, luxury accommodations and world-class customer service. It also is the first hotel to carry the Live! brand, renowned for its spontaneous and fun spirit.

For information about Live! Casino & Hotel, visit www.livecasinohotel.com.

DENVER, CO. – March 22, 2018 - Two Roads Hospitality, the international lifestyle company featuring an unrivaled collection of truly individual hotels, resorts and vacation residences, has assumed management of The Landing Lake Tahoe Resort & Spa, the region’s boutique lakeside resort, as part of its Destination Hotels collection.  Situated on the lake’s pristine southern shores located just blocks away from downtown South Lake Tahoe, the property originally debuted in 2013 and features 77 luxury guest rooms and suites and a full-service spa.  Perched adjacent to the majestic Sierra Mountains, The Landing Lake Tahoe is also minutes away from some of the country’s top ski resorts, hiking and biking trails, stream and lake fishing, and more.

“The Landing Lake Tahoe Resort & Spa is steeped in the natural, panoramic beauty of California and Nevada’s South Lake Tahoe, providing guests with memorable moments and incomparable experiences within an extraordinary resort product,” says Jamie Sabatier, Chief Executive Officer of Two Roads Hospitality. “The debut of Destination Hotels’ second property in the Tahoe region marks a time of great growth and development for Two Roads Hospitality’s luxury, independent resorts.”

Each of the 77 guest rooms and suites at The Landing Lake Tahoe feature a contemporary European design with amenities including stone fireplaces, outdoor private decks, heated marble bathroom floors, and sweeping views of South Lake Tahoe.  The resort offers Jimmy’s Restaurant, offering wood-fired regional California cuisine; several private dining alcoves; five fire pits and a roof deck patio overlooking spectacular Lake Tahoe; and a glass-enclosed wine cellar and lounge showcasing 250 labels from around the world.  The award-winning Spa at The Landing Resort features four luxury treatment rooms and a full-service menu inspired by the locality of Lake Tahoe, showcasing natural botanicals and rich ingredients sourced from the region.

The Landing Lake Tahoe also provides an array of meeting and event offerings, customizable for both social and business needs.  Venue options include a rooftop deck and a heated outdoor Event Pavilion, both ideal for wedding ceremonies and intimate business events.  

Two Roads Hospitality also currently manages and operates Resort at Squaw Creek as part of the Destination Hotels collection. The ski-in/ski-out, mountain property is located at the base of Squaw Valley, minutes from North Lake Tahoe.  

For more information, please visit www.DestinationHotels.com.

Los Cabos, Mexico (March 22, 2018) – Sheraton Grand Los Cabos, Hacienda del Mar announced today that current Executive Chef, Manuel de Luca has been named Director of Food and Beverage and current Executive Sous Chef, Cristian Schwuger will step up to become Executive Chef.

Manuel de Luca, who has been the Executive Chef at Sheraton Grand Los Cabos for the last six years and simultaneously running the food and beverage operations will take on the directorship full time. De Luca has always believed that quality and excellence require dedication and commitment and that is the ethic he will be bringing to his new position.

Trained in Argentina and passionate about French cuisine, Schwuger brings his unique sensibility for creating a fresh approach to the dining experience. Prior to joining Sheraton, Cristian served as the Executive Chef at the W in Santiago, Chile, as well as various positions at several Relais & Chateaux across South America. Schwuger, who joined the Sheraton Grand Los Cabos in July 2016, has quickly moved up the ranks and is ready to take the helm. “My desire to bring great culinary satisfaction to our guests is what drives me every day,” said Cristian. “I am a student of my profession and delighted with my new role. I couldn’t be more thrilled to lead our superior staff.” 

“De Luca has been an invaluable asset to the Sheraton family.  He maintains a high standard for our guests to enjoy an extraordinary culinary experience,” said Renato Mendonca General Manager of Sheraton Grand Los Cabos. “We feel that the strength and partnership of Cristian and Manuel will continue to grow and benefit our property.”

The Sheraton Grand Los Cabos has been nationally recognized for consummate cuisine and exemplary service. In October 2017, its fine dining establishment, De Cortez, one of the most emblematic restaurants in Los Cabos, was awarded the prestigious Five Star Diamond Award, delivered by The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, which is a long-standing organization dedicated to promoting the hotel and restaurant industry by recognizing excellence in service and gastronomy.

For more information on Sheraton Grand Los Cabos, Hacienda del Mar, or to make reservations, please call +52-624-145-8000 or visit www.sheratonhaciendadelmar.com.

The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, March 2018… BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Sean Ruddy executive chef for High Hampton Resort, located in Cashiers, North Carolina. The resort is a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels® property. Tom Garcia, Benchmark’s vice president and general manager, made the announcement.

“I am so pleased to welcome Sean to High Hampton Resort” said Mr. Garcia. “He blends his love for cooking and his profound appreciation of the importance cuisine plays in our guests’ lives with his tremendous love for the south and the region’s unique flavors.”

Chef Sean Ruddy was previously the executive chef for the Greystone Inn of Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. During his tenure there, the property was named to Conde Nast Traveler’s prestigious listing of Top 15 Places to Stay in the United States, and it achieved Four Diamond status.

Sean Ruddy began his culinary career at the young age of 15 working part time in restaurants hear his home. He graduated from Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach following high school. After this, he moved to the Caribbean to the Cayman Islands, where his knowledge of blending the flavors of diverse cultures and using fresh local ingredients and spices was developed. He completed his culinary studies at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California.

“I love taking cooking styles from diverse regions and bringing these to the south,” said Chef Ruddy, who identifies his cooking style as New Southern Cuisine. “Cooking is an act of love and it requires a special touch to make it appealing to everyone.” Sean Ruddy resides in Toxaway, North Carolina.

San Antonio, Tex. (March 22, 2018) – Grand Hyatt San Antonio, a luxury hotel located on San Antonio’s famous River Walk, announces its 10th anniversary on March 22, 2018.  Built in 2008, the hotel has accommodated more than three million guests, hosted more than 5,000 meetings, and has served millions of patrons in its bars and restaurants since opening.  To complement the anniversary and honor guests, the hotel completed a $19 million renovation of guestrooms, meeting spaces, bar, corridors and lobby in time for the anniversary.

“Grand Hyatt San Antonio is thrilled to celebrate 10 years of service to our guests and the City of San Antonio as its premiere meeting and leisure hotel,” said Ed Bucholtz, general manager of Grand Hyatt San Antonio.  “In time for our 10th anniversary, we completed a renovation providing guests with a new luxurious guestroom experience, expansive meeting space with state-of-the-art technology for groups and those hosting elegant affairs, an urbane bar and lounge with contemporary seating serving the latest craft beverages, and a sophisticated lobby to ensure leisure and business travelers are comfortable and feel at home while they are visiting San Antonio.” 

Capturing the essence of the city’s rich culture and its vibrant River Walk, the newly renovated property offers 1,003 modern and luxurious guestrooms including 46 spacious suites with panoramic views of the city.  Guests will experience new Hyatt Grand beds with luxury linens and ultramodern 55-inch flat-screen televisions.  The lavish accommodations are only topped by the plush indigo carpeting, rich ivory wall coverings, and warm-wooden tones of teak and birch to reflect San Antonio’s lush landscape and captivating rivers. The guestrooms are accented by southwestern-style blues and browns featured in its contemporary furniture.  Designed with the latest technology, wireless high-speed internet is complimentary in all guestrooms and public spaces to keep guests connected without ever needing to leave the hotel.

Complementing the newly designed guestrooms, Grand Hyatt San Antonio’s corridors were also featured in the renovation including new carpet and wall coverings.  The floors and landings were modernized with warm, welcoming colors and similar finished wood tones as displayed in the guestrooms.  

Located next to San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and connected to the world famous Alamodome via a foot bridge, Grand Hyatt San Antonio has 115,000 square feet of expansive indoor and outdoor space for company meetings and events.  Supporting groups and organizations visiting San Antonio, the recent renovation enhances the experiences of large meetings and events, while enriching the aesthetics of smaller meetings at the property.  The colors of the up-to-date wall coverings complement the meeting rooms’ new lush carpeting with shades of cornflower blue and royal yellow.  The meeting rooms are modernized with advanced lighting; state-of-the-art reader boards; the latest in audio visual technology; and high-tech special effects to help planners bring their meetings to life.         

Grand Hyatt San Antonio’s newly updated and expansive meeting space provides planners with 13 flexible indoor and outdoor venues from hosting sophisticated weddings and elegant social events in the Lone Star Ballroom to holding large corporate gatherings accommodating thousands of executives in the Texas Ballroom to having more intimate occasions in the hotel’s 29 smaller boardrooms and breakout rooms.  Taking advantage of San Antonio’s perfect weather conditions, the hotel has 5,200 square feet of exceptional balcony space overlooking the bustling city, its inspirational rolling hills, and famous river.

Completing the hotel’s renovation, Grand Hyatt San Antonio has increased the amount of seating in its popular Bar Rojo adding new modernized furniture that incorporates imbedded electrical outlets and wireless technology into the marble table tops and comfortable leather chairs.  The bar is outfitted with a new cherry red colored carpet highlighted by a honey-yellow spherical design.  Contemporary elegant gold lighting fixtures extend from the ceiling accentuating the ultra-modern wine, scarlet and amber colored chandelier inviting patrons to experience the ambiance of the bar while enjoying a handcrafted cocktail or artisan beer.

As guests enter the newly renovated Grand Hyatt San Antonio, they are greeted by exquisite wall coverings decorating the hotel’s main entrance.  Walking through the Italian tile and marble lobby, stylish furniture with easily accessible electrical outlets are positioned throughout the grand entrance to encourage networking and conversations among guests.  The new lobby is furnished with modern fixtures and embellished by contemporary chandeliers that extend from the ceiling and offer an aura of sophistication to the guests’ arrival.

The newly renovated hotel also includes a heated roof-top pool with morning yoga classes; state-of-the-art fitness center with cardio machines, free weights and stability balls; and three restaurants including Ruth’s Chris Steak House.  It is minutes away from San Antonio’s top attractions including the River Walk, The Alamo, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Tower of The Americas, Alamodome, and the San Antonio Zoo.