Soundbites Archive

Everyone is welcome at Big Mama’s

David-Friedemann Henning, CEO & Co-Founder, of Big Mama Hotels, joins Jason, from his office in Leipzig, Germany.

David explains the ‘all-welcome’ experience that turn first-timers into repeat guests, talks about the adjustments needed for his city-center hotels (Berlin, Leipzig), using their CRM to keep guests informed, and a couple of sellouts in Nov-Dec.

Though Germany continues to be in lockdown, he sees a light at the end of the tunnel, and is staying positive.

Finally, he lets us in on how the name, Big Mama Hotels, came to be.

Guest: David-Friedemann Henning, CEO, Big Mama Hotels, Berlin

Will hotel staffing suffer from demand shock?

Ryan MacDonald, VP of Revenue & E-Commerce, with Palm Holdings, joins Jason from his home in Toronto, Canada.

Guest: Ryan MacDonald, VP of Revenue & E-Commerce, Palm Holdings,Canada.

Video is worth 10,000 words

Amy Draheim, Owner, ABD Creative, joins Jason from her office in Bend, Oregon.

Amy talks about her hotel clients shutting down at the onset of the pandemic, her conviction that hotels should not stop communicating with the market, despite the lack of travel, the origins of her How To Share communicate podcast, and breaks down where hotels should be communicating their story, and the importance of video and user generated content.

Guest: Amy Draheim, Owner, ABD Creative, Oregon

Life Happened

Rika Robertson, Hotel Manager, with Citrus Hotel, joins Jason from her hotel in Eastbourn, England, home of the white cliffs and possibly, the stairway to heaven.

Rika’s been ‘working her socks off’ with staff being furloughed and their ability to stay open, hosting key workers. She talks about the changes that have had to take place, her opportunity to ‘take stock,’ and their marketing and sales efforts. She also wrote a book a while back that is so applicable to our current times, ‘Life Happened.’ You can get it free at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/516829.

Guest: Rika Robertson, Hotel Manager, with Citrus Hotel,Eastbourn, England

Revenue and Marketing under one hat

Jonathan Liu, Director of Revenue and Marketing Strategy with glh Hotels, joining Jason from London, England.

Jonathan talks about glh’s diverse 18 hotels, including the Hard Rock London, how and why revenue and marketing are falling under his purview, moving his website to a new CMS platform to have more dynamic activity, configuring a new CRM, and looking at revenue management systems, trying to bring everything they’re doing from a marketing perspective and relate it back to their revenue systems how they price and yield, trying to make a seamless eco-system of everything coming together.

Guest: Jonathan Liu, Director of Revenue & Marketing Strategy, glh Hotels, London

Revenue Management in Latin America

Florencia Benaim, Founder, MOI consultancy, joins me from Argentina.

Florencia talks about Argentina’s struggles, her 3x rescheduled wedding, her boutique, revenue management consulting firm, the lack of RMS’s in Latin America, how her clients in Mexico are doing, and how Instagram has brought lots of bookings!

Nature Called Last Summer

Matthew Taormino, General Manager, Dunham’s Bay Resort, from upstate New York, joins Jason on this episode of the Soundbites podcast.

Matthew talks about his 20-room, 20-cabin, family resort on Lake George, parenting staff through the pandemic, the stall of their critical wedding business, while enjoying 75%-80% occupancy throughout June, July, August, and September.

Matthew also talks about their in-house management of social media and their successful campaign, ‘100 Days of Summer.’

Guest: Matthew Taormino, General Manager, Dunham’s Bay Resort, New York

Texas is open!

Texas drops virus restrictions yesterday! So, let’s talk to a Business Travel Manager in San Antonio. Jasmin Gutierrez, with the Valencia Hotel Group, joins me on the latest episode of the Soundbites Podcast.

Jasmine talks about how they are handling Texas’ move away from restrictions, and even though their business travel didn’t completely dry up, her role now includes weddings and events. Old hat for Jasmine, back in the day, she worked her way up in hospitality, first as a hostess, then a restaurant manager, and catered for 8 years.

Guest: Jasmin Gutierrez, Valencia Hotel Group, San Antonio, TX

Ask a Concierge

Sarah Dandashy, Travel Expert, with Ask A Concierge, joins me from Los Angeles.

Sarah talks about her recent travels, what hotels are doing well–depending on the location and destination, how good her Mexico experience has been, and where we are headed this Spring and Summer.

Guest: Sarah Dandashy, Ask A Concierge, LA

Poster child for meetings amid the pandemic?

Is Mohegan Sun the poster child for how to conduct meetings amid the pandemic?

John Washko, VP of Expo & Convention Sales at Mohegan Sun, joins me from Boca Raton, Florida, to explain.

John talks about re-opening his 5.5MM square foot facility 😮 last June, and hosting some 50 meetings since it’s re-opening.

He goes on to describe how their world-class indoor arena has been transformed into a international broadcast center, the ‘bubble’ environment they’ve managed to create, spending over $1MM in implementing safety protocols, and much more!>

Guest: John Washko, VP of Expo & Convention Sales at Mohegan Sun, Florida

What has happened to a hotel’s data amid the pandemic?

Kelly McGuire, Managing Principal at ZS, joins me from Washington, D.C.

Kelly talks about ZS and their focus on commercial and analytics, a recent article she published on what has happened to a hotel’s data amid the pandemic. She walks us through categorizing our data:

• leading signal
• evolving signal
• stable signal
• experimental signal
• and fine-tuning analytical models

Guest: Kelly McGuire, ZS, Washington City

News from Mews

Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews, the Amsterdam-based PMS, joins me from New York City.

Richard talks backing off their big push to sell in the states after their series B funding in 2019, to focusing on further development of their PMS in wait of travel’s rebound, their latest projects, and the two-way interface with our CRS, Windsurfer.

Guest: Richard Valtr, Mews in Amsterdam, New York City

No one is traveling to Amsterdam at the moment

Dave Overeem, Corporate Revenue Manager with Inntel Hotels, joins Jason from Amsterdam.

Dave talks about the lockdown in Amsterdam, building 2 new hotels, how his role has changed, and travel’s near term future.

Guest: Dave Overeem, Inntel Hotels, Amsterdam

A real live ‘Derry Girl.’ The GM of Shandon Hotel & Spa, Donegal, Ireland.

I found myself a real life Derry girl! Of course, I’m referencing the hit Netflix show by the same name, ‘Derry Girls.’

My latest guest, Carolynne Harrison, indeed grew up in Derry, Ireland. Now residing in Donegal, Carolynne is the GM of Shandon Hotel & Resort.

Carolynne talks with me about being closed for 8 months, grateful for the time throughout the pandemic spent with her girls, learning how to cook and clean :), wanting to get back to work, the frustration her and the 160,000 out of work hospitality folks are experiencing with no clear date of when the lockdown will be lifted.

Guest: Carolynne Harrison, GM of Shandon Hotel & Resort, Donegal

Insights from a Scandinavian Hotel Marketer

Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge, Founder and Creative Director of Room22 Agency, joins me from Denmark.

Based in Berlin, with clients throughout the Nordic countries, Cecillie’s company helps market hotels throughout Europe. She talks about the positive energy amongst hoteliers amid the challenges, producing great and authentic content on Instagram and Facebook that tells a story, and activities that are building community.

Guest: Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge, Berlin/Copenhagen

A Cali Sales Dir in Philly

Brandi Baker, former Regional Director of Sales, for HEI Hotels & Resorts, joins Jason from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Brandi talks about her journey through the pandemic, educating herself, staying on top of the industry, how the sales role has changed, and what Philly will look like this summer.

Guest: Brandi Baker, Philadelphia

Lean luxury at Ruby Hotels in Germany

Tobias Koehler, Group Director Systems & Commerce, at Ruby Hotels, joins me from Leipzig, Germany.

Tobias talks about Ruby’s ‘lean luxury’ brand, what that means for their hotel tech stack, and how the pandemic has changed his role and hotel stacks in general.

Guest: Tobias Koehler, Germany

What are hotel marketers doing well, amid the pandemic?

Nicoletta Pilardi, Founder of NP Collection, joins me from London, England.

Nicoletta is a 3-generation hotelier from Italy and has worked in London for 20+ years.

She talks with me about working with her hotel clients, what hotels are doing well and what hotels could improve upon.

Guest: Nicoletta Pilardi, London

Ecommerce and Accounting in Revenue Management

Rodger talks about his experience over the course of the pandemic–he got married!, gives us an update on Hawaii, his continued education despite being let go, how ecommerce and accounting is becoming a big part of revenue management.

Guest: Rodger Wada, Hawaii

These luxury hotels are doing okay

Connor talks about his luxury, event, food & beverage-driven hotels, how he’s had to adjust his role given the pandemic, helping out more with demand generation, how his pricing strategy hasn’t changed too much and how the level of cancellation has helped forecasting.

Guest: Connor Langton, Corp. Dir. of Revenue Management, Refined Hospitality, New Jersey

Selling and marketing a hotel in Munich amid COVID-19

Hiren talks about his experience through the pandemic, what Germany is like now, his hotel, how his role has changed, and how they are selling their hotel.

Guest: Hiren Mazgaonkar, DOC, Steigenberger Hotel, Munich

Re-thinking your hotel space

John talks about creative ways to sell hotel space and keeping the brand top-of-mind, amid the pandemic, i.e., podcasters, musicians, artists, physical therapists, and more.

Guest: John Knowles,Roger Smith Hotel, New York

Better hotel operations

Scott talks about his 20 years at Reneson, teaching himself to code, and the creation of his Operations and Guest Text platform, GuestEQ.

Guest: Scott Curran, COO, Reneson Hotels, California

Revenue Manager Staffing Marketing in Europe

Roland talks about the state of revenue management staffing in Europe, its outlook for 2021, his advice for hotels as well as Revenue Managers.

Guest: Roland Seddon, Managing Director, MRK Associates, London

Getting ready for travel’s rebound

She also addresses branded vs independent.

Guest: Ingrid Summerfield,California

State of Boutique Hotels

Ariela talks about how boutique hotels have faired amid the pandemic, with some leaving for brands while also finding branded hotels, de-flagging.

#1 reason boutiques move to brands? Distribution. But, she explains that many hotels are finding ways to develop and execute a strong distribution plan and make more money without those brand fees.

Guest: Airela Kiradjian,Los Angeles, California

Devonne Takes On Revenue Management

Davonne Reaves, hotel owner and Founder of The Vonne Group, joins me from Atlanta, Georgia.

Davonne and her college roommate are the youngest Black women to ever co-own a property under a major chain (Hilton).

Davonne talks about buying a hotel amid a pandemic, her proven methodology for doing so, ‘Pathway to Hotel Ownership Plan,’ and her take on revenue management.

Guest: Davonne Reaves, Atlanta, Georgia

Success amid the pandemic

Dury Kim, Regional Director of Revenue Management, with Real Hospitality Group, joins me from New York City.

Dury talks about the happenings and success Real Hospitality has managed despite the pandemic, how her role as a revenue executive has changed, and more.

Guest: Dury Kim, Real Hospitality Group, New York

Have a plan for your re-opening.

Shona Whitehead, Managing Partner, Cogent Blue, joins me from just outside London.

She talks about what hoteliers are doing well amid the pandemic and not so well, i.e., not communicating a clear safe travel policy, not adjusting terms and conditions on pricing.

Guest: Shonna Whitehead, Managing Partner, Cogent Blue, London

Hawaii is open for business!

Jenna Villalobos, CRME, Vice President Revenue Strategy, with Outrigger Hospitality Group, joins me from Honolulu, Hawaii.

Jenna reminds us–Hawaii is open for business! She describes Outrigger’s island destinations, the adjustments she’s had to make in her role, how she is pricing and forecasting her hotels, and how revenue is now part of a revenue-generating team with Sales and Marketing.

Guest: Jenna Villalobos, CRME, Vice President Revenue Strategy, Outrigger Hospitality Group, Hawaii

Predictive Attribute-based and Product-based Pricing

Sharad Kapur, former head of Revenue and Distribution Strategy at Hyatt Hotels, joins me from Zurich, Switzerland.

Sharad talks about some trends amid the pandemic: predictive attribute-based and product-based pricing, the technology considerations needed, and he also touches on Total Revenue Management.

Guest: Sharad Kapur, Zurich

Guest Relations in a Boutique Hotel

David Bowd, Owner of Salt Hotels, joins Jason Emanis while in Miami, Florida.

David talks about his boutique hotels and ‘over-the-bar’ guest relations, that is, guests will communicate their challenges, likes, and dislikes to front-line staff like bartenders and front desk employees and how they take that information and make decisions to ensure an exceptional stay.

Guest: David Boud, Owner of Salt Hotels, Maimi

What we learned in 2020 (Revenue Management) Report

Ally Northfield, Managing Director, with Revenue by Design, joins me from London, England.

She talks about her recently released report, ‘What we learned in 2020,’ a collaborative effort with hospitality industry experts from around the world.

We discuss the scrutiny Revenue Managers faced early on during the pandemic, whether or not to outsource the revenue management function, what hoteliers should do with technology, and how hotels are forecasting given historical data is next to useless.

Guest: Ally Northfield, Managing Director, Revenue by Design, London

Helping Hotels Through the Pandemic

Jennifer Bouchard, GM at Heritage Inn Hotel & Convention Center, is also consulting to help hotels get through the pandemic.

She talks about how the pandemic has changed how she performs her role and what to look forward to.

Guest: Jennifer Bouchard, GM at Heritage Inn, British Columbia

Revenue Management at HEI Hotels & Resorts

Jeremy See, VP Revenue Management, talks about his full-service hotels across the US, the adjustments he’s had to make amid the pandemic: less oversight, reduced staff, keeping the team engaged and making sure the basics are executed well.

Guest: Jeremy See, Vice President Revenue Management, HEI Hotels & Resorts Berkeley, CA

Christoph, Hotel Revenue Strategy Consultant, Canada

Adele Gutman Milne, Founder, Aspire Reputation Marketing, talks about how hotels can use their CRM to move out of survival mode and into gaining market share as we start to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel (we think).

Guest: Adele Gutman Milne, CHDM, Aspire Reputation Marketing, Charleston

Christoph, Hotel Revenue Strategy Consultant, Canada

Christoph talks about hotels moving out of survival mode and into market share grabbing mode.

Guest: Christoph Hütter Revenue Management, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Hotel Revenue Management with Trevor Stuart-Hill

Trevor Stuart-Hill, Founder, Revenue Matters, talks about what hotels with no revenue management function can expect moving forward through the pandemic and beyond–loss of market share! He gives advice to hotels on how to get started building a proper revenue management function.

He also talks about how seasoned revenue teams should respond amid the crisis.

And, he gives us some Q1 trends to consider.

Guest: Trevor Stuart-Hill, Founder, Revenue Matters, Denver, CO

Rod, CEO, SHR, Houston, Texas

Rod talks with me about SHR’s business amid the pandemic, how our clients are doing, and what to expect from us in 2021.

He unexpectedly drops a product announcement in this interview, Bridge. Bridge is an automation management platform for hotels. It will initially be deeply integrated to API’s within SHR’s core products – Windsurfer CRS, Wave RMS, Maverick CRM & Rate Shopper Application – as well as with relevant 3rd party API’s. Bridge will act as a connected hub to enable the hotelier to create and manage automated workflows.

Guest: Rod Jimenez, CEO, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, Houston

Stephanie, SVP Marketing, Sightline, San Francisco

Stéphanie Versin, SVP of Marketing, with Sightline Hospitality, joins me from San Francisco.

Stéphanie talks about her personal experience, her hotels closures and re-openings, tactics their using to stay relevant and drive bookings.

Guest: Stéphanie Versin, Sighline Hospitality, California

Ana, former Revenue Manager, IHG, San Francisco

Ana Gutanu, former Revenue Manager with IHG, talks about her journey to the U.S. from Romania, her dream job, how she learned hospitality from podcasts and LinkedIn and it’s industry groups, and more!

Guest: Ana Gutanu, Revenue Manager, San Francisco

Jason, Dir Marketing, Aparium Hotel Group, Chicago

Jason Pirock, Director of Marketing for Aparium Hotel Group, joins me from Chicago, Illinois.

Jason talks about his boutique hotels, recent awards (USA Today, Condé Nast), adjustments to marketing the hotels amid the pandemic, collaboration with other departments, tactics used to promote the hotels–dinner in an alley?, and his advice for hoteliers as we continue through travel’s struggles.

Guest: Jason Pirock, Director of Marketing, Chicago

Kristina, Group Revenue Mgr, JMK Group, Dublin

Khristina Quigley Ridge, Group Revenue Manager, for JMK Group, joins me from Dublin, Ireland.

Khristina talks about setting rates 18 months out, how to prepare for the return of group business, a 2021 commercial plan, the lack of online marketing, and a channel strategy.

Guest: Kristina, Group Revenue Manager, Ireland

Matt, National Sales Mgr, Omni Hotels, Oklahoma

Matt Keim, National Sales Manager for Omni Hotels & Resorts, in Oklahoma, talks with me about opening a convention property in an underserved market, amid a pandemic–the adjustments made in selling amid a pandemic, the Q1-Q2 outlook, and more!

Guest: Matt Keim, National Sales Manager

Juan with Baltimore’s Sagamore Pendry, Spirit of Now

Juan Webster, GM of Sagamore Pendry Baltimore talks about what drove their summer bookings, whiskey tastings, what the next few months look like, and the power of an Inn Keepers mentality–very well put, my friend! Check it out!

Guest: Juan Webster, GM, Sagamore Pendry Baltimore

Claudia, VP Revenue Strategy, Margaritaville, Orlando

Claudia explains the Margaritaville brand, how they benefited from revenge travel, how the brand has promoted travel amid the pandemic, how revenue management has changed, internal communications, the holidays, Q1 2021, and Thrive, Women in Travel.

Guest: Claudia Infante, VP Revenue Strategy, Margaritaville, Orlando

Sandra Gannon, Puzzle Revenue, Dublin, Ireland

Sandra is a 20-yr hospitality veteran that came highly recommended to me by Khristina Quigley (Ridge).

Sandra talks about her journey, how the pandemic has changed the way we do revenue management, pricing challenges, and more!

Guest: Sandra Gannon, Puzzle Revenue, Dublin

Scott, Cluster Dir of Sales, Meliá Hotels International

Scott Brown, Cluster Director of Sales, for Meliá Hotels International, joins me from Manchester, England.

Scott talks about joining Meliá just before the pandemic hit, the impact on his hotels due to the 2nd lockdown, selling a hotel amid a pandemic, and more.

Guest: Scott Brown, Cluster Director of Sales, Meliá Hotels International

Krunal, Director of Revenue Mgt, The Belfrey Hotel & Resort

Krunal talks with me about the securing a positive future for one of England’s most celebrated resorts, the encouraging last couple of months, how revenue management has changed, the data looking at to forecast, and much more.

Guest: Krunal Shah, Director of Revenue Mgt, The Belfrey Hotel & Resort

Mandy Morris the Therapist on Job Loss Part 1

Mandy Morris, Therapist, Co-owner & Co- Clinical Director of Mosaic counseling group, joins me to talk about what the number one thing hoteliers who have lost their job should be doing.Job loss is as big an event as loss of a loved one and divorce, and she suggests grieving as such should take place. Sound odd? Watch to learn more.

Guest: Mandy Morris, Therapist, Co-owner & Co- Clinical Director of Mosaic

Mandy the Therapist on Managing Job Loss Part 2

Mandy Morris, Therapist, Co-owner & Co-Clinical Director of Mosaic counseling group, continues our conversation on the massive job loss in hospitality and while previously covering what hoteliers who have lost their job should do, this episode she talks about what should not be done.

Guest: Mandy Morris, Therapist, Co-owner & Co-Clinical Director of Mosaic

Berengere, acting Group Revenue Director of Good Hotels, London

Berengere is the founder of My O.C. Consulting and managing revenue for the non-profit or social business, Good Hotels. Berengere talks about making the best of our situation, re-thinking revenue management, her focus on the digital side of managing revenue, the communication between the teams, and much more.

Guest: Berengere, acting Group Revenue Director of Good Hotels, London

Siim, Chief Revenue Officer, a&o Hostels, Berlin

Siim Karu, Chief Revenue Officer at a&o Hostels, joins me from Berlin, Germany. 8,000 rooms, in 24 cities across Europe, Siim talks to us about the way he and his team have changed how they do revenue management–he fully automated it.

Guest: Siim Karu, Chief Revenue Officer at a&o Hostels

Kristi with Knowland from Arlington, Texas

Kristi White, VP of Revenue Management talks with us about group meetings and the hotels who are landing these gigs as the pandemic continues, that it’s not as bad as some think–180% increase in meetings over the last 60 days, most being corporate meetings, and hotels are already seeing some good signs for 2021.

Guest: Kristi White, VP of Revenue Management, Knowland, Texas

Jasson Joins from Rotherham England

Jason Gossop, Sales and Revenue Manager, for Carlton Park Hotel, in Ratherham, England, joins me to talk about the impact COVID-19 has taken on his corporate hotel, the change in revenue management, and the data he’s looking at to forecast.

Guest: Jason Gossop, Sales and Revenue Manager, Carlton Park Hotel, England

Hotel Alessandra’s Tiffany Charros

Tiffany Charros, Business Travel Sales Manager, joins me from Valencia Hotel Group’s downtown Houston property, Hotel Alessandra.Tiffany talks about the challenges over the past few months, the passion of hoteliers, and state of her hotel.

Guest: Tiffany Charros, Sales Manager, Hotel Alessandra, Texas

Marta, Director Revenue Strategy, Barceló Hotel Group

Marta Varela, Director of Revenue Strategy, with Barceló Hotel Group, joins me from Madrid, Spain.Marta talks about her 8 hotels in various locations, the changes she’s made as a revenue manager, and how to move forward.

Guest: Marta Varela, Director Revenue Strategy, Barceló Hotel Group, Madrid

Josie with Cobblestone

Josie Kilgore, Brand President, with Cobblestone Hotels, talks with us about cooperation between Sales-Marketing-Revenue while running lean, some things they are doing to drive bookings, their tech stack, and more.

Guest: Josie Kilgore, Brand President, Cobblestone Hotels

Chris from Red Lion Hotels

Chris Trick, SVP, CMO, with Red Lion Hotels, talks to us about dependencies and cooperation between Sales-Marketing-Revenue departments, how Red Lion is structured, and what their aligned strategy is designed to accomplish.

Guest: Chris Trick, SVP, CMO,Red Lion Hotels

Monika from Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Monika Nerger, Global CIO, with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, talks about trends she’s seeing in terms of market mix and travel behavior, how Oriental’s technology stack has supported these trends, and other changes she sees moving through the pandemic.

Guest: Monika Nerger, Global CIO, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Olga with Nobu London

Olga Sommer, Director of Revenue Management, for the soon-to-open Nobu London Portman Square, talks about opening a hotel amid a pandemic, how the pandemic has changed revenue management as well as the data used to forecast, and much much more.

Anja, formerly with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Anja Luthje , formerly with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, now founder of Unique Hospitality Solutions, coming to us from San Francisco, California.Anja will be participating on a panel at #cyberhitec you won’t want to miss, ‘How Women in Hospitality Technology Shape the Industry.’

Guest: Anja Luthje, San Francisco

Annmarie on upcoming Taktikon metasearch webinar

Another Revenue Forum webinar brought to you by Taktikon will be November 5th and cover metasearch.

Guest: Annemarie, Taktikon Metasearch

Paulina from Drury

Paulina Levo, Assistant General Manager, with Drury Hotels, joins me from St. Louis, Missouri. No Drury hotels have closed, so all the learning to function amid a pandemic happened on-the-fly.

Guest: Paulina Levo, Assistant General Manager, Drury Hotels

MCR buys StayNTouch

Guest: Jacob Messina, Vice President Digital Operations, MCR

Mike with Focal Revenue Solutions

Mike, President and co-manager of Focal Revenue Solutions shares how he is optimistic about revenue optimization. Rethink business and becoming more strategic with revenue management with more integration of commercial disciplines.

Guest: Mike Medsker, Focal Revenue Solutions

Casino Hotel Revenue Management with Resort World Casino, New York

Harold Henning Jr., Director of Hotel Revenue Management with Resort World Casinos, joins me from Jamaica, Queens, New York. Having re-opened a month ago, business is good, all things considered, with loyal guests clamoring to in.

Guest: Harold Henning Jr., Director of Hotel Revenue Management with Resort World Casinos

Nobu Gets an App with Sam, Dir Sales & Marketing

Sam Riches, Director of Sales & Marketing at the soon-to-open, Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, joins me.

Nobu is coming out with a mobile app that I wanted to talk with Sam about.

Guest: Sam Riches, Director of Sales & Marketing, Nobu, London

Francisco, GM at Cliveden House outside London

Francisco Macedo FIH, GM, Cliveden House, joins me from outside London. Clivedon not only closed down for 3 months, but Francisco lived there to ensure all adjustments needed to re-open were in place.

Guest: Francisco Macedo FIH, GM, Cliveden House, London

Kristie, GM with The Dewberry Charlestown, in South Carolina

Kristie Santora Rasheed, CRME, General Manager of The Dewberry Charleston joins me from Charleston, South Carolina.

A luxury, independent property working to keep safe and profitable, Dewberry is now only open 5 days a week—close Mon afternoon and open Wed afternoon.

Guest: Kristie Santora Rasheed, CRME, General Manager, The Dewberry Charleston

Emanuele, Hotel Manager with HOTEL illuster, in Zurich, Switzerland

Emanuele COSOMATI, Hotel Manager with HOTEL illuster coming to us from outside of Zurich, Switzerland. While Switzerland has been lauded as the model for managing the pandemic, their border country lockdowns have not helped their hotels.

Guest: Emanuele COSOMATI,, Hotel Manager Outside of Zurich

Corporate Event Status Amid COVID-19

It’s a real treat that a friend of mine is able to join me on Soundbites, someone I reconnected with on LinkedIn, someone I’ve not spoken with since leaving high school, Amy Bates, CEO of Bates Events.
Come to find out, Amy runs an events business in Arkansas. She talks about her experience, what her corporate clients are saying, and her take on moving forward.

Guest: Amy, CEO, Bates Events, Arkansas

Dana, VP Revenue & Distribution from CoralTree

CoralTree is one of those rare instances amid the pandemic, finding themselves in a growth mode. 19 hotels in 6 different cities, with a mixture of resorts, conference centers, urban boutiques, and a couple of brands.

Guest:Dana Cariss, CRME, CHDM, VP of Revenue Strategy and Distribution at CoralTree Hospitality

Boutique Hotels Leveraging Live Entertainers’ Following

Jonathan Holcombe, Corporate Director Revenue Strategy & Distribution for Storey hotel joins me from San Francisco, California during my day of recording at Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe. Mostly boutique properties in California, with a motor inn, currently leased out to the government for first responders, a property in Napa closed for renovation, and a larger, 255-room property, due to open in April 2021.

Guest: Jonathan Holcombe, Corporate Director Revenue Strategy & Distribution for Storey Hotel

Hotel Tech to Consider Even Amid a Pandemic

Adele Gutman Milne, CHDM, longtime VP of Sales, Marketing, and Revenue at Library Hotel Collection joins me from South Carolina. I’m coming to you from the magnificent, Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe | Houston.

Adele is a native New Yorker, who studied dance in Houston, Texas, then hotel management.

Guest: Adele, Longtime VP of Sales at Library Hotel Collection

Resorts Have Faired Well Amid the Pandemic with Dustin, Sales Mgr, Margaritaville Lake Resort l Lake Conroe

Guest: Dustin Mathews, Sales Mgr, Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe

Nicole Updates Us on SHR Revenue For Hire Clients

It’s been awhile since our Director of Revenue Management Services, Nicole Adair, CRME, has joined me, and I wanted to see how our clients were doing amid the pandemic. Good news is, not too bad.

Guest: Nicole Adair, CRME, SHR

Bianca talks about the hotel tech stack amid COVID-19

Bianca Porto Barga gets nerdy, joining me from Los Angeles, California, to rapid-fire through the necessary technology—or seriously considered technology—for every hotel looking to work their way out of this mess. Hold on to your boots, she’s rolling fast!

Key technologies discussed: (PMS) Property Management System (CRS) Central Reservation System Channel Manager Booking Engine (RMS) Revenue Management System (CRM) Customer Relationship Manager Price check widget Chatbot Online reputation management Have a question about these? DM Bianca (or myself) and we’ll do our best to help you out.

Guest: Bianca Porto Barga

Opening a Hotel Amid a Pandemic with Stephanie from Nobu Hotel

Opening a hotel amid a pandemic?! Well, yes, and Stephanie Wan, Front House Manager and on the pre-open team, for Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, gives us some insight on why and how.

Stephanie was moving from her Barcelona hotel to start the pre-open for Nobu when the pandemic hit. While it’s been a tricky few months, like most hoteliers, she is resilient.

Guest: Stephanie Wan, Front House Manager NOBU Hotel London

Where Do We Go From Here With Dan Wacksman

Dan Wacksman, CHDM, CRME, CHBA, Chair of HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board and Principal at Sassato LLC joins me while quarantining in New York City.

I ask Dan, ‘Where do we go from here?’

Guest: Dan Wacksman, CHDM, CRME, CHBA

Tom Finn, Revenue Management Recruiter

Thomas Finn joins me. Director at Edwards & Finn, a revenue management recruiter, coming to us from New Castle, England.

Guest: Tom Finn, Revenue Management Recruiter, New Castle

Wilco, VP Global Revenue & Digital Strategy with Kempinski Hotel

Wilhelm K. Weber, VP Global Revenue and Digital Strategy with Kempinski Hotels, joins me from Switzerland. I had the pleasure to be recording at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. Kempinski is a diverse portfolio of luxury and iconic hotels, both city, and resort.

Guest: Wilhelm K. Weber, VP Global Revenue and Digital Strategy, Kempinski Hotels, Switzerland

Rachael from The Houstonian Hotel, Club, and Spa

Rachael Larson, Group Sales Manager, joins me in her hotel, The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa.

Her first day of work, was the day Houston’s mayor gave our first ‘stay at home’ order—didn’t even have her email address yet.
After a temporary close, the hotel is back open, and booking rooms.

Guest: Rachael Larson, Group Sales Mgr, The Houstonian, Houston, Texas

Priya, VP Revenue Management, Benchmark Hospitality

I am joined by Priya Chandnani, Vice President Revenue Management for BENCHMARK, A Global Hospitality Company, coming to us from New Jersey.

Guest: Priya Chandnani, Vice President Revenue Management, Benchmark Hospitality

Hospitality Job Market Amid a Pandemic

Jeremy Nichols, CPC with Gecko Hospitality (Corporate) joins me from Tampa Bay, Florida. Jeremy gives us some insight into the hospitality job market–bleak, but not dead.

Guest: Jeremy Nichols, CPC with Gecko Hospitality, Tampa Bay, Florida

Alyssa, Sales & Marketing Mgr, Compass Hospitality

Alyssa Milton, Sales & Marketing Manager, with Compass Hospitality, joins me from Cardiff, Wales.She talks about Compass’s 39 hotels located in the U.K., Thailand, and Malaysia.

Guest: Alyssa Milton, Sales & Marketing Manager, with Compass Hospitality

Leanne from Rosewood Hotels and Resorts – Bangkok

Another amazing woman hotelier! Leanne, Cluster Director Sales & Marketing, with Rosewood Bangkok joins me to talk about her experience and their amazing hotel and spa.

Guest: Leanne, Cluster Director Sales & Marketing, with Rosewood Bangkok

Revenue Manager Job Market in the UK Amid the Pandemic

Spent some time with Derek Brewster, CRME, Director of Revenue Management with Lotte New York Palace NY Palace.

Despite my horrible audio 😭—does anyone else have problems with Zoom where you hear no crackle, but there is indeed—crackle?!, we did have a good talk about his hotel and, news flash, in spite of recent reports, New York City is not dead.

Guest: Derek Brewster, Director of Revenue MGt. at Lotte New York Place

Christian, Group Operations Director, St. Pancras Hotel Group, London

Christian Kaberg SJS, Group Operations Director at St Pancras Hotels Group Limited, joins me from London.

Guest: Christian Kaberg SJS, Group Operations Director at St Pancras Hotels Group

Ryan, VP Revenue Management & E-Commerce, Palm Holdings, Ontario

Ryan MacDonald joins me from Toronto, Canada. He is the VP of Revenue Management and E-Commerce at Palm Holdings. Palm is a collection of hotels: branded in the U.S. and Canada, and independent in the U.K.

Guest: Ryan MacDonald, VP Revenue Management & E-Commerce

Shelley Williams with Hard Rock in Atlantic City

I am joined by Shelley Williams, Vice President of Sales for the Atlantic City Hard Rock Hotel and Casino while recording at Valencia Group Hotel’s College Station, Texas property, The George.The hotel and casino closed down in March by governor order, putting over 26,000 people out of work, but the Hard Rock family lived up to their motto, ‘Love all, serve all,’ by giving out gift cards to help during the pandemic.

Guest: Shelley Williams with Hard Rock in Atlantic City

Khristina Ridge, Group Revenue Manager, JMK Group Hotels, Ireland

Olivia with O’Donoghue Ring Hotels

Olivia Frawley, Director of Sales & Marketing, with O’Donoghue Ring Hotels, joins me from Ireland. Once again, I’m coming to you from a Valencia Hotel Group property, The George, a hotel in College Station, Texas, home of my alma mater.

Guest: Olivia with O’Donoghue Ring Hotels

Ivan from Alannia Resorts, Spain

Ivan Corzo, Director of Sales at Alannia Resorts, joins me from southern Spain. Ivan’s first day on the job with Alannia was the day Spain shut everything down. 😲 But he’s got himself on-track as well as the hybrid resorts which are doing well given their offering of stand-alone bungalows, glamping tents, and caravan campsites. Just what the doctor ordered amid a pandemic.

Guest: Ivan Corzo, Director of Sales, Alannia Resorts

Jessica from The George Hotel

Another amazing woman in hospitality joins me, Jessica Wells, Group Sales Manager for Valencia Hotel Group’s, The George and Calvary Court hotels. Both across the street from each other and my alma mater, Texas A&M University.

Guest: Jessica from The George Hotel

Revenue Hacks

Guest: Khristina Ridge, Olga Sommer, Susanne Williams, and Ally Northfield

Christine, EVP Sales & Revenue at Aparium Hotel Group

Christine Saleh, Hotel Dalata Group

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Guest: Christine Saleh, Hotel Dalata Group

Angela from Rockliffe Hall Hotel, England

A golf and spa resort hotel in the England countryside, Angela, the hotel’s Corporate Sales & Events Executive, has had to pivot from selling corporate gigs to golf outings and spa packages due to the ongoing pandemic.

Guest: Angela from Rockliffe Hall Hotel, England

Robin from STR Europe

Guest: Robin from STR Europe

Diego from Palladium in Ibiza

Diego Fernandez Perez De Ponga, the Corporate Director of Revenue Management for Palladium Hotel Group, joins me from Ibiza.

Guest: Diego Fernandez Perez De Ponga, Palladium Hotel Group

Where Marketing Meets Revenue and Distribution with Alessandro

Alessandro, the Direct Booking Coach, talks about a couple of case studies he presented at ARMA’s latest Revenue Management Summit, during his presentation entitled, ‘Where Marketing meets Revenue and Distribution.’

Guest: Alessandro, the Direct Booking Coach

Marcella from the Yucatan Peninsula

Formerly with Malia, Michelangelo Resort, Blue Diamond, and more, Marcella is a seasoned-operations professional.

Guest: Marcella

Laura, Regional Director of Revenue, with Mr. C Hotels

Laura is the Regional Director of Revenue and Distribution for the luxury brand, Mr. C Hotels, who works out of Miami, but had traveled to New York City at the time of the interview. She talks about her entry into NYC, and what her experience has been over the past few months, starting with cancellations in February, all the way to today’s slow opening.

Guest: Laura Bombardi, Regional Director of Revenue, Mr. C Hotels

Your hotel’s group business amid a pandemic

She’s back! Bianca Porto Barga joins me again, and brings a friend, Paula Ruthenberg, Director of Group Sales, with One&Only Resorts. We talk about group sales amid a pandemic. That’s right! Group sales. There’s an angle here that is working and these two pros break it down for us.

Guest: Paula Ruthenberg, Director of Group Sales, One&Only Resorts and Bianca Porto Barga, formerly VP of Distribution at Luxe Collection Hotels

Cypriana with Sandals in St. Lucia

Cypriana George, Services Manager with Sandals Resorts International, joins me from St. Lucia. With 6 hotels open on the island, the Caribbean is showing signs of re-opening. Cypriana has some good advice for hoteliers out there: 🗹 stay vigilent 🗹 make sure safety protocols are up to par 🗹 stay in touch with staff, make sure they are okay.

Guest: Cypriana George, Services Manager, Sandals Resorts International

Tori from Omni Chicago

This Sales Manager might be young and inexperienced, but she’s taking this pandemic with grit and thoughtfulness. With many employees from the hotel gone, including 10 from her own team, she’s doing jobs around the hotel she never thought she’d be doing, but appreciating the experience of knowing how things work and get done. Chicago is slowly starting to open, and while corporate and group business is going to take a while to come back, Tori is resolute.

Guest: Tori Engle, Sales Manager, Omni Chicago Hotel

Be looking over your rate strategy–and here comes 2021!

As VP of Distribution, Performance, and Membership for Luxe Collection Hotels, Bianca Porto Barga, was seeing the COVID-19 storm coming out of Asia as early as last December, and was putting together a plan. But, before she could put the plan into action, all of Luxe’s senior leaders were let go. While she may be another hospitality victim of COVID-19, Bianca presses on and wanted to pass along a few ‘distribution-marketing’ action items from her plan for those hoteliers still at work, like check your rates, explore your rate strategy and don’t forget 2021.

Olga, award-winning revenue specialist, from the U.K.

Olga Sommer MIH, SJS, the award-winning, revenue management specialist, joins me to talk about the U.K. market. Formerly with Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Rocco Forte Hotels, Firmdale Hotels PLC, The Westbury Mayfair, A Luxury Collection Hotel, London, and more, Olga brings a wealth of experience. She’s got some good advice for hoteliers as we continue recovery.

Guest: Olga Sommer MIH, SJS, the award-winning, revenue management specialist

Canadian resort paints picture of recovery

After shutting down for more than two months, Long Beach Lodge opened June 3. Their Director of Revenue Management, Heather Riddick, tells how the hotel’s recovery included the resort posting 62% occupancy that same month.

Guest: Heather Riddick, Director of Revenue Management, Long Beach Lodge Resort

Jan from the boutique hotel, Orania, in Berlin

Berlin is opening up and on its way to recovery, and Jan, Orania’s Director of Revenue and Reservations, is seeing bookings, mostly domestic. The hotel is drawing the locals in with their Michelin star recipient chef, Philipp Vogel. Jan talks about what he sees for Berlin in the next few months and gives a little advice for other hoteliers.

Amanda from Solay, the resort chair & cabana reservation app

No better time than now, amid COVID-19, for Solay, the mobile app that allows guests to reserve a resort lounge chair or cabana, real-time. Amanda’s new venture also provides hotels a back-end dashboard to manage inventory block out dates, pricing, and, oh yes, accommodate social distancing requirements. Learn more at solayapp.com.

Linda from Latvia

Linda Dumpe is a digital marketer from Latvia, went to Spain, and began building her agency, that is until COVID-19 hit. She’s back in Latvia and finding her way with the hotels that are re-opening there. Hotels are slowly starting to re-open, with international travelers visiting Riga, and hotels outside the capital targeting staycations. She tells us August is predicted to be a big month for travel in the U.K., even with travel abroad search terms down by half, there’s a 103% increase in U.K. travel searches.

A Travel Advisor’s take on travel amid COVID-19

A travel advisor who plays mostly in the luxury space, Albert is seeing some hotels really doing well, in particular, those offering premium rooms. He’s impressed with hotels staying on top of the travel advisor community in order to communicate their offers effectively. He brings a perspective on MICE, and how guests are booking. Listen in.

An Events Manager talks recovery from COVID-19’s impact on travel

Karolina is the Events Manager at Hotel Arłamów, in Poland. The leisure hotel shut down for a bit, but re-opened a few weeks back and is seeing strong bookings due to restrictions being lifted on pools and spas, and hey, it’s summertime.

Metasearch 101 amid COVID-19

Are hoteliers using metasearch amid the COVID-19 recovery? If so, how effectively? Dorian answers these questions along with what you need to know about metasearch: 1. Understand where your travelers are coming from, 2. Understand which types of travelers they are, 3. Choose the right platform, 4. Be present online.

Alternative revenue streams from your hotel amid COVID-19

Scott talks about closing his hotel

Was all set to talk to Scott about the re-opening of his hotel when his owners called the night before to tell him they made the difficult decision to remain closed amid COVID-19. A tough but candid discussion.

Shona talks revenue management amid COVID-19 recovery

Shona Whitehead, from Cogent Blue Ltd, out of England, talks with us about the U.K. hotel re-opening and revenue management amid COVID-19 recovery.

Kristen from Hilton

Formerly a Hilton performance brand manager, Kristen, saw the negative effects of COVID-19 coming to the US early on. Hilton was able to prepare their US properties with sanitation guidelines as well as providing discounts to front-line workers. With occupancy rates starting to climb, she is seeing about a 1/3 of the US is traveling–leisure travelers. She recommends auditing all your digital channels and marketing promotions, leaving nothing to chance.

Hotel marketing amid COVID-19

Loss of staff, limited know-how, no budget, what’s a hotel to do about marketing amid the pandemic? Katie Hokin gives us some tips.

Sanna with View Hotels in Melbourne

Director of Sales at View Hotels, a collection of 4-star, boutique hotels, talks with us about how their hotels have fared amid COVID-19. While not having to close, they’ve kept busy installing a new PMS, general clean up, and finalizing a re-branding effort. They’re patiently waiting for states to open up travel, and sports to come back.

Guest: Sanna Griffin, Director of Sales, View Hotels, Melbourne

WeTravelForward.com

I talk with Amy Ogden, co-creator of www.wetravelforward.com, a site where hotels have the flexibility to promote any offer they want, from gift cards to add-ons, and more.

Will hotels compete with vacation rentals?

How are hotels going to compete with the current advantages of vacation rentals brought on by COVID-19? A hotel’s cancellation policy? Exterior entry or corridor? Cleanliness guarantees? 10 local restaurants delivery vs eating-in every meal? Social distant entertainment, like we are seeing in Sweden? And, how could we get through a chat without mentioning Google? We couldn’t.

Guest: Charlie Osmond, Chief Tease, Triptease
Nicole Adair, Director of Revenue Management Services, SHR
Andrew Warner, CMO, Digital Hotelier

Google Hotel Ads ‘pay-per-stay.’

Guest: Charlie Osmond, Chief Tease, Triptease
Nicole Adair, Director of Revenue Management Services, SHR
Andrew Warner, CMO, Digital Hotelier

The strength of extended stay and recovery amid COVID-19

Chris talks about the current strength of extended stay and economy class hotels, how low staff levels are hurting hotel performance, how vendors and consultants need to be there for these hotels, and the big question marks around LNR segment.

Catching up with Becky with IDM in Wisconsin

Caught up with IDM Hospitality Management’s Becky Rogers to hear how her independent boutique hotels and staff have been doing. Highlights: – 9 hotels, 9 cities, 5 states. – Bookings are starting to trickle in. – The marketing message is about comfort, not $. – Group business? Banquet staff? – Boutique = nimble and cater to the one. – Authority of the staff present. – Staff update. – Domestic travel… and, more!

A Hotel’s Digital Appearance & Revenue Management

Revenue Manager, Alex Cao, breaks down the importance of a hotel’s digital appearance and the impact it has on executing their revenue management strategy

Guest: Alex Cao, Director of Revenue Management, SHR

It’s Consortia Season! What Your Hotel Needs To Do, Now!

Luz sits down with Jason to talk about considerations for getting ready for the 2020 RFP season, what’s working for the hotels and how they are standing out among their competition.

Guest: Luz Harvey, Consortia Manager, SHR

5 Things Every Hotel Should Do To Prep for Summer Season

Maila joins the show with a critical list for any hotel gearing up for the summer season.

Booking the Transformative Traveler via Travel Agents and the GDS

Spend 3 minutes with Matt and Jason as they break down the ‘transformative traveler’ and how hotels can leverage travel agents and the GDS to book these adventures.

How to choose an RMS with Zoltan from Danubius

Guest: Zoltán Bogár’, Group Director of Revenue and Distribution, Danubius Hotel Group

How to Automate Your Revenue Management Without an RMS!

Not buying a revenue management system anytime soon? Here’s a quick breakdown, from SHR’s Corporate Director of Revenue Management, of what your hotel should consider when automating the execution of your pricing strategy.

Metasearch. It is a big deal!

Client Success Manager, Jessica, joins Jason to chat about why metasearch continues to be a great option for independent hotels.

Choose a Tech Vendor Who Shares Your Values

Meet Amanda, HSMAI’s Arizona Professional of the Year 2017, and a major player in the development of GreenTree Hospitality Group. She says, “who we partner with has a direct and powerful impact on our franchisees, and how they see our capabilities in helping them.” You can read all about her journey, state of hotel tech, the CRS, vendor selection and on-boarding, and more in here.

Combating Rate Parity With Ian Kemp

Jason cites interesting stats from RateGain research that highlights how bad rate parity remains for hotels and Ian Kemp, Director of Client Success at SHR, provides a little advice on how to manage.

Getting the Most Out of Your PMS-CRS Integration

PMS data access and use are huge for hotels! But, how many systems must you hunt through to locate the data that means the most? Jesse gives our audience tips on getting the most out of your PMS-CRS data exchange.

Selecting Your Hotel Tech Stack With Craig From The Durham Hotel

The Durham Hotel’s Director of Sales & Marketing passes along the most valuable advice he’s received regarding selecting the technology that runs his hotel.

Guest: Craig Shipley, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Durham Hotel

Managing 9 Hotels Without a Revenue Manager

Becky helps me tease our latest Client Spotlight, IDM Hospitality Management, by answering the question, ‘How does IDM manage 9 properties without a Revenue Manager? Read about Becky and IDM here.

Talking Google Hotel Ads With Nathan

Client Success Manager, Nathan, talks about the huge impact Google Hotel Ads is making for hotels.

Put OTAs to Work For Your Hotel

SHR’s VP of Marketing, Jason Emanis, talks OTAs and a proper channel mix for independent hotels with Matt Braddy.

Guest: Matt Braddy, Key Client Success Manager, SHR