Cool designs

I spent a day in Chicago last month at the NeoCon event, and besides learning that there were more types of chairs than I ever imagined, I saw some amazing design ideas. To my new-to-the-industry eyes, here were three that stood out:

1. Panelite panels, in addition to being cool, are ... cool. Well, in an insulating sort of way, that is. These honeycomb-like structures, made of glass or polymers, are available in a dizzying array of colors, styles, and shapes. I felt their Basel Lounge was a creative twist on the product, which is usually used for walls, doors, and the like. 

2. Vancouver-based Molo Design, Ltd. has a line of textile softwall and softseating products that can be arranged and rearranges to create unique public spaces. The products are made from a highly durable polyethylene non-woven fiber. The fiber is tear, UV and water-resistant ... and is 100% recyclable. The seating can be stretched into myriad shapes, such as long, winding benches, ottomans, or lounge chairs. Magnetic end panels allow two or more of the same size forms to be connected.

3. Quality glass always makes a statement, and I was intrigued by the work of Meltdown Glass Art & Design. They have a broad focus on industrial and hospitality projects, and their work is quite varied. They claim that their kiln-cast glass is easier to maintain than regular glass, as fingerprints are not visible. It's also sanitary and safe in highly traffic areas. Designers can even create fire-rated doors and transparent wall systems.

Adding games to increase guest satisfaction

As you've no doubt heard, guests are leaving many hotels unsatisfied according J.D. Power and Associates' latest survey. Room enjoyment, F&B satisfaction, service experience, cost agreement—it's all down. Personally, I see one way out of this: bocce!

Bocce is an Italian game you may have played at a family reunion in someone's backyard where you roll balls close to a smaller white ball. The Hotel Montgomery, located in downtown San Jose, Calif., is nearly 100 years old and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. According to Max Schultz, director of sales, and Lorenz Maurer, general manager, its typical guest is a business person by weekday and a leisure (somewhat affluent) person by weekend. In 2004, the hotel underwent a sizable renovation, and part of that renovation was the installation of a traditional sand/crushed oyster shells/limestone bocce court that fit its Mediterranean motif.

The attractive part of this game for leisure guests at a hotel is it can be played while eating and drinking, which The Hotel Montgomery has taken full advantage of with its courts. "Alcohol and appetizers are allowed in the Bocce play area and are easily serviced via the outdoor service bar and/or the nearby Paragon Bar & Restaurant inside the hotel," Schultz said.

"If a guest decides to play bocce or takes part in a bocce event s/he will certainly remember the hotel for it. It creates a memory and special experience which s/he will remember come time to choose a hotel in San Jose again," Maurer said.

Maurer and Schultz both say that guests are "pleasantly surprised" by their enjoyment of bocce. I find this fascinating because bocce is one of my favorite pastimes. If I stayed at a hotel with no air conditioner, rocks for pillows and an outhouse instead of a bathroom, I would still list my stay as satisfactory if I could go play some bocce. I'm outside of the norm, but I also think the Hotel Montgomery is onto something. Bocce is a reasonably inexpensive investment that, I think, would increase guest enjoyment. My theory is give people something fun and unexpected, and they will unconsciously remember their stay as (perhaps) better than it was.

And this strategy isn't just limited to bocce. Westin Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Nintendo to outfit its hotels with the popular Wii video games. The Seaport Hotel in Boston has Guitar Hero tournaments. The Nick Hotel in Orlando has putt putt. The Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix has a huge croquet area. I think small-scale additions of popular videogames and accessible leisure sports (bocce, horse shoes, croquet) is a cheap way for a hotel to entertain guests, an inexpensive way for guests to entertain themselves, a way for a property stand out and a way to attract the coveted Generation Y and Generation X demographic who value fun, sociable situations (in which alcohol can be consumed).

Overall, I think bocce best exemplifies this concept. It is a fun, niche sport that most people have heard of and anyone from any socioeconomic background can play. A hotel with even one bocce court, inside or outside, could push more food and beverage, host tournaments (I'm in one this weekend that's $125 a team), start a league and, like the Hotel Montgomery, give guests a reason to remember your hotel—in a positive light.

Pipelines and PIPs

After months of unrelenting, negative news out of the lending markets related to the mortgage meltdown, hotel developers nationwide seem to have finally curbed their enthusiasm for aggressive growth. Hospitality consulting firm Lodging Econometrics yesterday released its U.S. Construction Pipeline Report for Q2 2008, announcing 5,883 projects with 785,547 guestrooms in the total pipeline.

LE President Patrick Ford noted: “Showing only a moderate quarter-over-quarter increase, project and guestroom counts in the total pipeline are at new peak levels, but appear to be cresting. New visibility on the economy, the lending crisis and lodging operating trends emerged during the second quarter, which served to dampen developer sentiment considerably.”

Ford continued: “For some time, there has been no financing available at either the Wall Street or National Bank level. During Q2, balance sheet problems began to surface in regional banks and some community banks, too. It is becoming increasingly difficult to source financing for 100-200 room projects, which account for 44 percent of the total pipeline, as well as the majority of upscale and mid-market projects currently in the pipeline.”

LE suggested that the withdrawal of lending from the economy is growing more serious for developers. And, with few signs that conditions will change before mid-year 2009 at the earliest, pipeline totals will likely decline over the next 4-6 quarters.

That said, all is not doom and gloom. Development and renovation projects do go on, especially among highly credentialed investor groups and those with existing equity holdings. Case in point: Hyatt Regency today announced a $1.3 billion investment in revitalizing its portfolio in North America.

The company reported that dozens of Hyatt Regency properties in key business, convention and resort locations are undergoing transformation as part of a multi-year revitalization project. Seventeen properties have been renovated or opened in the past three years and 31 additional hotels are scheduled to be revamped or to open by the end of 2010 (the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, Fla. is pictured above).

The current business environment may be challenging, to say the least, but savvy developers know now is not the time for timidity or fear. Reinvigorating instead of retrenching: that’s what it’s going to take for this industry to remain vigorous and competitive. Hyatt Regency gets it.

Guest satisfaction takes a plunge

A study by J.D. Power and Associates shows that overall customer satisfaction with hotels is down significantly from last year. Worth noting, however, is that even in a poor economy that has caused brands to try out a number of cost-cutting efforts (at times unsuccessfully), several top contenders were able to once again take home the prize for best in their segment.

Overall, five out of the six brands that received awards this year in the 2008 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study have hung onto that designation for at least two consecutive years: The Ritz-Carlton in luxury (second year), Embassy Suites Hotels in upscale (second year), Hyatt Place in mid-scale full service (first year), Drury Inn & Suites in mid-scale limited service (third year), Microtel Inn & Suites in economy/budget (seventh year), and Homewood Suites in extended stay (second year).

Perhaps they can serve as models for what can be successful despite challenges facing the industry, which saw an overall drop in satisfaction across four out of the six segments (upscale, mid-scale full service, mid-scale limited service and economy/budget), according to the study. The research looks at responses by more than 53,000 guests in regard to their level of happiness with reservations, check-in/check-out, guest rooms, food and beverage, hotel services, hotel facilities and costs and fees.

In a tough segment for the 2008 study, Microtel managed to pull out its win in economy/budget for the seventh consecutive year – something J.D. Power credited as never happening before in the study’s 12-year history. However, overall, guest satisfaction with the economy/budget segment saw the largest year-over-year decrease of any segment in that same 12 years. The brunt of the drop came from poor ratings for guest rooms and food and beverage. Microtel was ranked by guests as “among the best” for all categories but food and beverage, where the brand suffered like many others with a drop to a designation of “about average.”

Another notable is Drury Inn & Suites, a family-owned brand with 120 hotels across 19 states, which beat out big names like Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Hotel Inn and Suites. Drury received ratings of “among the best” in each category measured and succeeded this year in reaching a three-year high in overall satisfaction, according to the report.

I’ll be taking a closer look at the results in our September 1 issue of Hotel & Motel Management. In the meantime, take a look for yourself and tell me what you think so far.

Previewing politics

I have a feeling the August issue of Hotel & Motel Management is going to be a big hit.

The entire team poured a lot into this issue--our biggest of the year--and the result is a top-to-bottom forecast of how this upcoming presidential election will affect the lodging industry. We outlined AH&LA's top political issues and how Obama and McCain stand on each of them. We talked to hospitality experts and got their opinion on who will be best for the industry. And we tracked down some great pictures of presidents at hotels and hotels named after presidents.

When it comes to liberal or conservative, I usually fall somewhere in the middle ... I like to decide each issue separately instead of siding Republican or Democrat on every issue. You could probably call me a flip-flopper because, not only do I spend a lot of time in flip flops, but there are many issues in which I see both sides of the story. For example, I can see why business owners like President Bush's tax plan and I agree there needs to be some incentives for operating a business. But, at the same time, I agree it is unfair for a handful of hedge fund operators, making more millions than they can even keep track of by means of capital gains, to pay less taxes than their secretaries.

One issue I can't seem to see both sides on--probably the most important issue to the hospitality industry--is "card check." I'm probably missing something somewhere, but I don't understand why anyone would want the Employee Free Choice Act passed. Sure, I think it should be any worker's right to unionize and, after working in the struggling newspaper industry for years, I see the need for a louder voice to stand up for workers' rights. But why force those workers to vote for unionization in public? If the majority of a hotel's employees really want to form a union, can't they do that through a private ballot? Someone please help me understand this issue better.

Overall, I learned a lot about current political issues, especially the ones that will affect the hotel industry, while working on the August issue of H&MM. When you get your copy, I hope it provides similar insight.

Is your pool compliant?

Pools are important to many guests, especially familes traveling with young children — but they are also an area where safety issues are paramount.

In December, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was signed into law, and this new Federal law supercedes all state pool codes. Named after the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker, this law requires all public pools (including hotel pools) to be equipped with anti-entrapment drain covers compliant with ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 performance standards. And in an effort to prevent hair entanglement, covers may not have a suction/flow of more than 1.5 cubic ft/sec. If a pool or spa is not currently equipped with a compliant cover, it must be retrofitted by December 18, 2008.

According to the non-profit Pool Safety Consortium, anti-entrapment safety devices are recommended, including:

1. Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS) — Ceases operation of pump, reverses the circulation flow, or otherwise provides a vacuum release at a suction outlet when a blockage is detected. It also must meet ASME/ANSI standard 112.19.17 or ASTM International standard F2387. An SVRS can be installed in under an hour for about $500 - $700. Representative brands include Vac-Alert Industries, Stingl, Hayward Pool Products, and A.O. Smith Co.
2. Suction-Limiting Vent System – While not widely used, these systems introduce air into the suction line thus causing the pump to lose prime and relieve the suction forces at the main drain. The installation of this system will require a rebuild of the pool.
3. Gravity Drainage System – These have gained popularity in states such as Florida, and are practical for new pool construction only. This device uses a collector tank with a separate water storage vessel from which the pump draws water. Water moves from the pool to the collector tank due to atmospheric pressure, limiting drain suction forces significantly.
4. Automatic Pump Shut-Off System – A device that senses a drain blockage and shuts off the pump system. Some SVRS devices may meet this definition. Currently, there is no industry standard for automatic pump shut-off systems. However, the current SVRS standards provide release and response time of under three seconds.
5. Other Systems – Any other system determined by CPSC to be equally effective as, or better than, the systems described above. This will allow the development of future products.

For more information on the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, contact the Pool Safety Consortium at 877-222-4289 or visit their website, www.poolsafetyconsortium.org.

New brand neighborhood

I’m here in Lexington, Mass., taking a peek at the new, side-by-side aloft and Element hotels that opened this month. The corporate-owned properties are a showcase for developers, said Denise Coll, who was appointed president, North America for Starwood at the beginning of the year.

It seems like a long time since Starwood’s Project XYZ was christened aloft during The Lodging Conference in 2005. It was the year of the loft-style room, with John Russell introducing NYLO just down the hall at The Arizona Biltmore.

The anticipation is finally over as alofts are popping up from Chicago to Beijing. Lexington is the first Element open.

So the question for my one-night visit: aloft or Element? It was like deciding between fraternal twins. I’ve been watching these two brands since they launched. They’re cut from the same Starwood cloth, but oh-so-different offerings.

I stayed at the Element because it’s the first one open. There are more alofts open because the brand launched a year earlier than Element, so I’m hoping to stay at one soon.

Paul Sacco, who was recently appointed senior VP of development, said four more Elements and 18 more alofts will open this year. Next year, he expects 10 Elements and 40 to 50 alofts.



So my first impression: For a minute, I felt like I was missing the party. It’s quiet here at Element. But then I listened to the silence and realized this was just my speed on a stormy afternoon (I have an adorably noisy soon-to-be one-year-old at home, so some quiet is good). While the Element lobby was empty around 5 p.m., guests were gathering across the way at the aloft lobby bar, W XYZ.



I wonder how these two properties in Lexington will fare as neighbors. Everything is green (and green-certified through LEED), white and brown here. Serene and light. A hop and a skip away, aloft is colorful and exciting.
Will guests at Element get the feeling they’re having oatmeal while next door they’re having chocolate cake for breakfast? (Element serves up a free breakfast, by the way, and oatmeal is not on the menu. Think smoothie shots and egg-white breakfast burritos). I guess that’s the point.

Denise Coll had the perfect solution: Play at aloft and wake up for coffee at Element.

So how many of you have experienced the new Starwood brands? Tell us what you think.

Luxury Hotelier garners two big awards

I'm here in Kansas City, home of fountains, jazz and bar-b-que, at the annual National Editorial Conference for ASBPE, the professional society for trade magazine editors. As part of the conference, the National Awards Banquet was held just hours ago. I'm proud to announce that out of more than 2,300 entries, our own Luxury Hotelier brought home two Gold awards, one in the editorial category and one in the design category:

* Gold in the New Publication category

* Gold in the Contents Page or Pages category

At right is myself, along with current ASBPE National Vice President, Amy Fischbach.

Congratulations to our whole staff ... those who worked so hard in 2007 to launch this amazing publication, as well as those who continue to work at it each issue—to keep up our high standards and provide luxury hotel owners and operators the quality information they want in a very attractive, readable package.

At home with Carlson in Minneapolis

Last week I visited Minneapolis to stay in a Country Inn & Suites by Carlson as a guest of the company. I cover the company as part of my job on Hotel & Motel Management, but this was my first time staying in a CIS. Minneapolis is Carlson's headquarters city so it was a pleasure to visit not only the Country Inn & Suites Bloomington at Mall of America , but two Radissons as well, including the company's first Radisson, the Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis.

The trip was a nice chance to meet with Steve Mogck, executive VP of franchise operations for Carlson Hotels Worldwide's select-service hotels, and Nancy Johnson, executive VP of franchise operations for Carlson's full-service hotels.

The CIS Bloomington and Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis are owned and managed by Carlson so the company often rolls out new projects and prototypes there. For example, the CIS had just completed an $8-million renovation that began at the end of March.

The entire hotel was gutted and all rooms and public spaces were refitted and redecorated. It's the largest CIS in the brand family, with 234 rooms, and much of the business is leisure, driven by the Mall of America just across the street. (On a marketing note, the mall provides the property with endless marketing package options, which are a big hit).

Two elements I noticed: Multimedia is important at this property. Families travel to the mall, kids bring iPods and video games. Every room is outfitted with a custom Phillips multimedia unit, installed right below the flat-screen TV, that allows for easy plug-and-play.

The other thing I noticed were the plastic cups, but they weren't ordinary plastic cups. As Steve Mogck explained, the brand does a lot of testing at that property and a new line of corn-derived coffee and drinking cups is part of the program.

Downtown at the Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis, another Carlson-owned and -managed property, the focus was on the business traveler. With 350 guestrooms and 21,000 square feet of meeting space, this property is clearly special to the company's portfolio. Food and beverage is vital to this hotel's operations--on the Friday afternoon I visited, chefs were preparing homemade rose petal ice cream for a wedding that Saturday, and fileting fresh salmon.

What I notice most about hotels when I visit is the atmosphere. This trip was no exception. At CIS, the lobby was in constant motion, with kids racing up the staircase as their parents tried to grab a rest on the couches. The morning breakfast was controlled madness and clearly everyone was enjoying it as they prepped themselves for a marathon mall visit.

At the same time downtown, the Radisson was quieter, with power-lunchers enjoying a business meal in Fire Lake, the signature restaurant.

I have enough big brothers

A recent reader of our blog requested that he learn a little bit about us, so we are no longer faceless names.

A little bit about me. That seems like a harmless request.

I include an "About me" section in my Facebook profile that includes all that I think anyone needs to know that they haven't gathered from my extensive list of favorite movies, television shows, music, interests, activities, times of day, pizza toppings, world flags, gang symbols ... the categories are endless. Currently, the only thing I think people should know is, "I love TV, summer and candy."

Simple enough. I'm a simple girl.

But it seems to me that the world knows more "about me" than I realize. One day, while surfing my favorite website, SomeEcards, I noticed an abundance of hotel advertising on the site. I had vaguely noticed more and more banner and skyscraper ads from hotel brands dirtying up my up-to-the-minute celebrity trash on People.com, but I brushed it off as an impressive advertising increase by the folks at La Quinta or Howard Johnson.

Now, I knew that on Facebook, the skyscraper ads often drew from my profile. For example, advertisers just LOVE to offer me Arrested Development T-shirts, based on the fact that I list the witty but short-lived show as an all-time favorite. And I was fully aware that Gmail perused my e-mail messages to snag the fact the word "mom" from my e-mails and give me ads for "World's Worst Mom" (which, by the way, is not mine and I would never speak of her in this manner). But now hotel advertising is popping up all over any site I visit because of the fact that I'm an avid fact checker and insist on typing hotel names into Google for verification at least 80 times per day.

After uncovering this fact, I decided to do some investigation (read: I did a Google search and clicked on one legit article) to find out more information. It turns out that large Internet companies are tracking what people search for online in order to predict content and advertisements the reader might like.

It makes sense, in a way. When I pick up my latest copy of Glamour off the newsstand, chances are I don't want to see ads for the newest line of John Deere tractors. Magazine sales reps understand that, and it's for that reason they do their job so well. So doesn't it make sense that advertisers for websites be afforded that same privilege of targeting exactly who the readers are and where their interests lie?

In short, I think, no. Not that I want to hurt any hard-working advertising exec's job—it's just that what I search for online, at my own personal computer, is my information, not anyone else's. So while I may not be searching for anything embarrassing, what if it turns up that my mom uses my computer and gets wind through an advertisement of a vacation I'm planning for she and my dad? The entire idea seems a bit "Big Brother"-ish to me, and no, I don't mean like the quality entertainment of the TV show Big Brother.

And it seems I'm not the only one who views this as an overstepping of bounds: According to a University of California at Berkeley study referenced in the New York Times article I mentioned previously, 85 percent of California adults included in the study thought websites should not be able to track their Web-styles to show them ads.

But when is it OK? What are the benefits? What are the other downfalls? Let me know, I'd love to learn.

Hotel Improvement

Did anyone here watch Home Improvement? Snicker if you will, but I enjoyed that show. When a quality rerun comes on in the afternoon—like when he brought the suit-in-a-bag to Jill's high school reunion—I will still sit and watch.

Anyhow, Myson, a company known for its heating products, just introduced a new product that flashed me back to the Man's Bathroom episode. Remember that one? Tim created a bathroom on Tool Time for men that had such amenities as a reclining toilet and a TV. I remember thinking as a lad, "Wow! A TV in the bathroom? That is the greatest thing ever!" This thought is based mostly on a personal maxim that still holds true, which is: TV is awesome. Well, 11-year-old Chris, the greatest thing ever is now a reality with Myson's Reflection mirror/TV combination.

I can't vouch for if the product works. I don't know if the mirror is that clear or if the picture on the TV is that visible (it's magnetically secured to the back and is only seen when you turn it on), and I'm not even sure if it's entirely necessary. But what I am sure of is that TV is always enjoyable, and any time TV is implemented in a way I haven't previously seen before (like when I first saw a restaurant that had TVs in the floor), I will make sure to applaud the innovation. Televisions usually make or break my experience somewhere. So, if you're like me and feel that TV is greatest thing ever, maybe you should get Myson's Reflection as a stylish/functional/entertainment amenity for your hotel or spa.

Or maybe you should get it because once you were a 11-year-old who dreamed of having his own Man's Bathroom.

Lexington Collection webcast

During a web-based conference this afternoon, Steve Belmonte, CEO and president of Lexington Collection, shared with the group’s hotel owners and members that he actually met Roger Bloss, president, CEO and founder of Lexington’s parent company Vantage Hospitality, when he served as a motivational speaker at Bloss’ conferences years ago.

When listening to his mid-year brand update, I didn’t doubt that fact one bit. Belmonte wasn’t short on vigor as he candidly and enthusiastically discussed Lexington’s momentum in moving forward on domestic and global expansion, marketing campaigns to build the brand and what’s in store for everyone as the date for Lexington’s next conference was announced for Dec. 8-10 at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The live event, lasting well over an hour, was one that brought the Lexington figureheads together with the owners and operators of its hotels worldwide. International development was a key topic in the webcast, and one that is being taken advantage of both at home and afar.

For example, Belmonte pointed out that the dollar’s weakness against even just the euro might end up attracting business to the U.S. So, getting the Lexington brand name out through developments in foreign countries will bring a familiarity to the same customers when they travel to America, he said. Lexington is focusing its push on China, India, Eastern Europe and Canada. “The reason for that is the first three, the economies in those places are extremely strong. There is a dramatic shortage of hotels, and there is a crying need for brands,” Belmonte said, adding that Canada remains a major market for the U.S. and holds a strong hotel base.

While several projects are under way and in the works across those regions, here at home, Lexington is launching all-out marketing warfare through a variety of channels to build awareness of the brand to not only attract more members but also more customers. Lexington has plans to do everything from working more closely with online travel agents and reaching out to meeting planners to beefing up what it has to offer at upcoming tradeshows and implementing a public relations campaign to hit an assortment of Internet and print media.

What the effort has done so far appears to have paid off. Jordon Langois, VP of brand management, showed a 100-percent growth in reservations from January through June compared to those numbers in 2007, including a jump in reservations by 85 percent from last year through its website, www.lexingtonhotels.com, and a 250-percent growth in reservations made through its own call center.

Issues on tap for discussion at the conference in December will be premium bedding, TVs, wireless versus wired Internet access, clock radios, glassware and employee rate incentives. Any additional ideas from those who will be attending can be sent directly to Belmonte at sbelmonte@vantagehospitality.com.

NABHOOD, Day 2

My last day at NABHOOD has been an enjoyable one, and I think all in attendance have been impressed with the sessions and networking opportunities. Andy Ingraham, the president/CEO of NABHOOD, has done a phenomenal job in putting everything together.

This morning was highlighted by some remarks by Ash Patel, chairman of the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). The audience heard more about the Employee Free Choice Act., this time from Patel. He also told attendees that they needed to be aware of the potential rewriting of the ADA (Americans with disabilities act). "Some of the proposals out there that have been set forth would completely hinder you to become successful in your business. There are proposals out there that would take away all grandfather clauses off your property," he said.

Patel said there are better things to come, and urged attendees not to let the economic troubles discourage them. "There are deals to be made, they just need to be where they're sensible. I know that lending is tough, and hopefully this ride is short."

He also noted that the next AAHOA conference will take place at the Gaylord Washington D.C., on April 22, 2009.

Dr. Debra Blair, an assistant professor at Temple University, also gave an engaging talk, describing how multicultural tourism is a growth market. She explained that the face of America is changing, and the lodging and travel industry must adapt.
"By 2009 ... buying power among African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native American populations [will be] a combined $1.5 trillion," she said.

More on NABHOOD

Thursday's program at NABHOOD also included a lunchtime talk by Steven Rudnitsky, president/CEO of the Wyndham Hotel Group. Rudnitsky said that it's not all gloom and doom. "We're riding the down curve. ... While occupancy is actually down 2+ percentage points year over year, average daily rates are up nearby 5%, which yields a national average RevPAR gain of 2.5%."

He also recalled how after 2001, everyone panicked and discounted their prices. "It took years for the industry to recover from those discounts, because customers came to equate low rates with the value of products."

Rudnitsky stressed that hoteliers need to take a longer view of what is happening in the market.

Attendees were also encouraged to take a look at franchising; Rudnitsky said he was surprised by the low rate of African-American participation in the lodging industry. He applauded NABHOOD for its efforts, as well as the AH&LA's multicultural and diversity council. He also gave three reasons why these efforts are critical to all involved.

"First, African-Americans represent a significant percentage of the population, and therefore, a market of lodging services, without question. Second, we're looking for new ideas ... a diversity of thought. And insights into the needs of African-American guests and those of other, underserved communities is absolutely vital, in order for all lodging entrepreneurs to be successful. And third, African-Americans should broaden their piece of the economic pie by investing in the lodging industry," he said.

Those wacky airlines

It seems like an awful lot of hoteliers are talking about airlines these days. It's sort of a trickle-down effect. High oil prices are putting an awful lot of hurt on the airlines, so they're reducing flights and capacity, if not just plain going out of business.

A recently publicized Open Letter to All Airline Customers, signed by 12 airline CEOs, blames a portion of the oil price hikes on unnecessary speculative costs ... maybe as much as $30-60 per barrel. Readers are sent to this website. I was curious to see if any hotel chains were among the list of supporters. I didn't see any, but did see AH&LA listed. Should we, as an industry, join in on this effort?

The other item that comes to mind is the recent PKF study, which found (surprise) that U.S. hotels are extremely vulnerable to sharp declines in airline capacity. The report's points include:

• U.S. hotels could face a decline in lodging demand greater than that experienced during the turmoil following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  Under a worst-case scenario, a 1% decline in the number of seats flown within the U.S. will result in a 0.39% decline in the demand at the nation’s hotels. 

• A 3.9% reduction in lodging demand for the year would translate into approximately 40 million fewer room nights occupied, or $4.3 billion in revenue, on an annual basis.
• Airlines are eliminating flights that are in least demand and lowest in fuel efficiency. Some portion of the demand that would have booked a flight that is no longer available will simply adjust the timing of their travel plans. Trips will still be made.

Many attendees at the NABHOOD summit here in Atlanta voiced their concerns about rising oil prices. But in reality, no one knows whether any of the solutions commonly expressed—from going to alternative energy sources to more offshore drilling—will change things in the manner we hope they will. There are no easy answers. What are your thoughts? What can our industry do to help?

(An interesting side note from the NABHOOD conference here today ... someone I was speaking with made an interesting comment about economy hotels. Many are located along interstate highways. While we tend to think about high gas prices affecting the traveler, and that affecting road trips, and that affecting the hotels, there's another angle. Many jobs at these hotels are at or near minimum wage. The workers often don't have public transit options, given the fact that these hotels may be somewhat remote. So those workers, too, are being squeezed in a particularly uncomfortable way.)

NABHOOD update

Today's sessions at the NABHOOD Summit, being held at the Marriott Atlanta Century Center, have been excellent, with an impressive array of speakers. Here are a few highlights.

Barron H. Harvey, Ph.D., the dean of Howard University's School of Business, introduced the first general sessions, "Industry update—where is the lodging market going?" and "Owning, developing & acquiring hotels in turbulent times."

Jan Freitag, VP of global development for Smith Travel Research, told attendees that the industry has made it through tough times before. He explained that between 1996 and 2001, the U.S. hotel industry saw 46 consecutive months of occupancy declines while rates increased above the level of inflation. "We can do it," he said, "Occupancies will decline, yes, big deal. What happens to rates is the question ... you have to hold rates; you have done it before."

AH&LA's excecutive VP, public policy, Marlene Colucci, gave a detailed overview of the association's lobbying activity, including a description of their fight against the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, S. 1041), better known as the Card Check Bill.

Tom J. Baltimore, president of RLJ Development LLC, presented his thoughts on the economy and the hotel industry . He noted that Continental Airlines made profits of about $4.50 per share last year, and is now expected to lose about $4.50 per share for 2008. "Dramatic swings like that are going to impact us," he said. He also noted that there are opportunities even in a depressed market. "Brand matters, and it matters even particularly more in today's environment."

Baltimore also noted that "fortunes will be made," in the coming years by those who invest intelligently in the lodging industry. But discipline and structure are critical, he said.

Blacklisting your guests

Years ago, I took my grandmother to a casino for the weekend. I booked a room at a chain that I stayed at regularly. To make things simpler for us, I asked the reservation agent for an ADA-compliant room. It wasn't until about 6 months—and several business trips—later that I realized that my profile had been tagged as needing an ADA-complaint room. Sure, I'd noticed that I often been given a room with handrails in the bathroom or some other quirk like a stand-up shower, but brushed it off as, "It was probably the last room they had." It wasn't until I booked a particular room over the phone, and the agent said, "And of course, we'll make sure you get your handicapped-access room." The proverbial light went on in my head, and thinking back, I realized what must have happened.

I offer this as a sort of warning to the fact that databases are only as good as the people who create them, modify them and use them. Or probably, only as good as the weakest link in that chain.

A lot of hotels tout the fact that with their databases, they know all sorts of good things about their guests. Whether they want a queen or king bed ... smoking or no smoking ... what kind of pillows they prefer. But some hotels are also moving in the opposite direction, keeping track of bad things about their guests.

There's an interesting discussion about hotels blacklisting guests on MSNBC. This is a great way that our industry can use information technology to keep track of the bad habits of less-than-desirable customers. Recently, I read an article in our newspaper about a local woman who, some felt, was scamming a particular cruise line. She wrote lengthy complaint letters to the line about every perceived slight and problem with each cruise she took. She even posted information online on different travel forums. Some of her peers felt she was in the right, but others seemed to think that she was simply angling to get all the free trips and discounts she could out of the company. Eventually, they caught wind and told her she was no longer welcome on their ships.

This kind of behavior could certainly be the kind of thing that a blacklist database could catch. One or two complaints aren't out of the norm, but when a customer is repeatedly showing up as having encountered a problem, the question becomes whether they're a chronic grump.

But I'm still a little worried about the possibility of mismatching people who are blacklisted with those who are innocent, but have similar names. Although this seems to be brushed off in the original link above, the craziness that has ensued with the government's no-fly list certainly gives one pause. It will be interesting to see how much better our industry handles our database data in the coming years, to make things better for both the guests and the properties.

Now, how do I go about getting "prefers fruit basket and bottle of pinot grigio on arrival" added to my profile, in lieu of that ADA-accessible thing ... ?

A new girl's take on customer demands

So I'm the new girl. Let's get that out of the way first.

I started just days ago as a Senior Editor with Questex. And I'll be honest, I don't know much about the hospitality industry. This may sound familiar as my co-worker Chris Crowell touched upon his similar situation in his own blog post. But having a good month on me in the group here, Chris' short seniority I'm afraid makes me the ultimate novice.

And while I might not yet know the ins and outs of this industry, I do hold a small amount of insight being, at the very least, a customer.

While settling in here in the office and learning the ropes, I began editing a few pages for the upcoming August issue of Hotel & Motel Management. I came across a column written by Renie Cavallari. In it, she talks about how to target women as customers, especially those over the age of 40, and notes their purchasing power and brand/product loyalty.

Renie touches upon how women talk, exchange opinions and take advice from others' experiences. While still in my 20s (OK, late 20s, but we don't need to talk about that right now), I found myself nodding my head in agreement with what she was writing and forgetting about my initial task at hand (Don't tell the boss).

She's right. I never book a hotel without visiting at least three travel sites online and reading reviews; there are accomodations I absolutely expect without additional cost; and the ease of the experience overall without a doubt dictates my happiness with it. And more often than not, despite the outcome, I always tell my friends about my stay.

I realized all too quickly that, even when just dealing with me, you all have your hands very full.

And helping you balance all of that has suddenly become my business. I look forward to learning what goes into each day at a hotel or motel, where trends are heading and how we here at Questex can lead you toward success when someone like me walks into your lobby.

While I settle in here, please remember to check out the August issue and see what Renie has to say about what women want.

The reluctant blogger: now read this!

My colleagues have ribbed me mercilessly over the past few weeks at my reluctance to embrace our blogging initiative. Normally, I consider myself a team player, I really do! I good-naturedly step up to the plate to pitch in on deadline, to buy the first round of drinks (well, when Happy Hour specials are in effect) and to hesitantly sample our editorial director’s latest baking effort. And yet, (in my mind, at least) I’ve been branded a slacker, a curmudgeon and a dinosaur when it comes to participating in this newer form of communication.

So be it. Hey, I’m the oldest staff member and probably the sole Baby Boomer (albeit, born at the very tail end of that storied generation). I proudly wear my years and experience. I good-naturedly shrug my shoulders when the office talk turns to the genius of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II, Grand Theft Auto IV or the latest episodes of Gossip Girl and America’s Top Dog. (Say, has anyone viewed the Jane Austen marathon on PBS this week? Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy….be still my heart). And yet, I hardly consider myself an Andy Rooney crank (yet) roundly criticizing pop culture while ruminating nostalgically about the glories of paper clips and phone booths or the sad decline of Big Band music.

I’ve always been the mostly anonymous editor toiling in the trenches of trade journalism until recently, when I joined Hotel Design and today, as editor in chief, am charged with giving the magazine a “face” and “personality.” I am happy and excited to share my years of experience in the lodging industry trade press, to network at industry events and to moderate the occasional trends roundtable.

My issue with blogging, I guess, is a reluctance to assume that readers are at all interested in my more petty observations. I find many blogs narcissistic and frankly, insipid. (the postings of my esteemed and talented co-workers are an exception, of course!). I mean, really, who cares about my whining about lumpy hotel mattresses or musings on Marriott’s latest marketing campaign? How about my exclamations of joy and wonder over my beautiful new grandson, Patrick Jamison? PJ…what a doll. Have you ever seen a more beautiful baby? (see photo) He coos, he cuddles, he drools incessantly, he has big fat leg rolls and tootsies I love to kiss. Omg, stop me. I’ve been sucked into the blogosphere.

You know, this process has been strangely….cathartic. I’m beginning to feel the groove. I think I could learn to like this blogging thing. What shall I write about next? The collapsing condo-hotel market? RevPAR growth among declining occupancies? Say, how about my growing anticipation over the upcoming premiere of the Mama Mia movie? Or the pride I felt when awarded first place for my karaoke rendition of Abba’s Dancing Queen? Stay tuned…I insist!

Hospitality questions from a newbie

When it comes to the hospitality industry, I'm about as green as they get. No, not green as in I rollerblade to work and wear dress shirts made of hemp—green as in I'm a newcomer. I just started at our magazine network a little over a month ago, and although I'm learning every day, there is still a ton I do not understand about this industry—and quite frankly, I'm not sure any of you understand some of this stuff either.

Our Hotel & Motel Management staff took a field trip to the Intercontinental Cleveland, and two (well, three) things didn't make sense to me. Now, one (well, two) of these things were little. For example, in the lobby, I noticed that a lamp cord was dressed up with a frilly, beige sleeve, which, I'm assuming, was to disguise the fact that it was a lamp cord. Personally, when I see a lamp on a table, I expect to see a cord going into a wall. I know how a lamp operates. I'm not offended to see electricity at work. Because of this, I found the decorative cord-hider unnecessary and weird. How much did it cost? Were there complaints about seeing lamp cords? Basically, I found the cloth to be more distracting than a simple lamp cord.

Anyway, that's a small personal problem and possibly something designers, luxury hoteliers and people who don't rely solely on Cleveland Browns t-shirts to fill out a wardrobe, feel is a sign of good taste. But I think it makes my other question even more strange: Why don't luxury hotels provide free Internet access for guests?

From what I gather in my short time in the business, a lot of mid-scale and economy hotels provide free Internet access, and high-end, luxury hotels require their guests pay a fee. What? Doesn't this strike everyone as totally counterintuitive? Someone staying at the Michigan suite at the Intercontinental Cleveland will pay somewhere around $2,000 a night, but need to pay extra to check their fantasy baseball team from their laptop.

Maybe it makes sense because the more money someone has, the more likely they are willing to pay for amenities they want. But in my mind, a place that is willing to spring for decorative lamp-cord cover sleeves should also provide its guests the same amenities that an economy hotel would.

(The final thing that I didn't understand was how the movie "Eddie" ended up in the hotel's DVD rental collection. Really? "Eddie"? How many times has that been rented? Is there an underground market for movies where Whoopi Goldberg inexplicably becomes the coach of the Knicks? If you have an answer, please let me know. Like I said, I'm new here.)

BigBusinessTube

When I started college 14 short years ago, my archaic e-mail inbox was filled with forwarded “humor” lists (100 Ways to tell you’re stuck in the ‘80s), creepy warnings (Child dies after being injected with a heroin-filled hypodermic needle left in a McDonald's ball pit) and hoaxes (Congress to charge postage for e-mails). They were usually written in all caps and contained a lot of exclamation points followed by an order to forward the message to all friends and family and any other unlucky souls in your address book.

These days, it’s links to videos that are shared. And a lot of the videos are on YouTube (If you made your way to this blog, I doubt it’s necessary to explain that YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload and view video clips).
The video clips are a lot more entertaining than the lists and much less annoying than the hoaxes.

Lately I’ve received a few YouTube links to videos from hotel companies. Hotels are just one of the many industries populating the site with advertising.

Performer David Elsewhere is using his pop dancing moves to promote TownePlace Suites By Marriott’s new design (viewed more than 19,000 times). It’s a smart move by Marriott because Elsewhere already was a popular performer on YouTube. Yesterday, Best Western launched Best Western TV on YouTube with the intention of reaching younger travelers. YouTube comedian Kevin Nalty helped produce an online show for Holiday Inn Express last year. Tool around YouTube and you can find videos of everything from tours of virtual prototypes (aloft) to commercials for individual Hilton properties.

Advertising, like everything else, is becoming more interactive. And obviously hotel companies realize that word-of-mouth is one of the marketing tools they need to leverage. Best Western is kicking off the launch of its YouTube site with a contest called the Worst Summer Job Ever, where they’re asking people to submit videos of their worst summer job experience. The winner gets an all-expense paid vacation.

This new aspect of marketing puts some control in the hands of consumers and gets them involved and talking to one another. It’s easy to find negative feedback—including video—on the Internet from disgruntled hotel guests. Now hotel companies are taking the initiative to seek positive videos from guests. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is asking guests to “Share your story” by uploading videos to its website.

Some of the video content is on hotel company’s websites:
-InterContinental Hotels Group’s www.intercontinentalvideo.com features episodes of InterContinental concierges talking about their hotels and their cities.
-Starwood Hotels & Resorts launched Spg.tv, a site with hours of videos about its properties and their locations.

These travelogues take trip planning to a new level with some cool footage and local tour guides.

Sometimes I wonder who has the time—or the inclination—to watch all these videos. But I’ll take them over a chain letter any day. By the way, if you don't forward this blog to 25 of your best friends within the next two minutes, you're going to have bad luck for 10 YEARS!!!!

Steve Porter & IHG

UPDATE: This news release just came across our desks from the people at InterContinental Hotels Group:

Statement regarding Stevan Porter, President Americas Region

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), announces that Stevan Porter, President of IHG's Americas region, is undertaking medical treatment which necessitates him relinquishing his responsibilities.

IHG Finance Director, Richard Solomons, has been appointed President of the Americas region on an interim basis, in addition to his existing duties, with immediate effect.

_______________________________

Here at the Questex HotelWorld Network, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Porter family, and we will update you when we learn more about this situation.

A little bit about us

A recent comment to the blog asked who we were. And that's a valid question—one of the general complaints about blogs is that the barriers to entry are tiny, so how is anyone to tell who's an expert vs. the guy next door? When you read any blog, do you really know who you're listening to?

This blog is a creation of the HotelWorld Network, which is a group within Questex Media, an international publisher of b2b (business-to-business, or trade) magazines serving industries from pest control to quarrying. Our group comprises four print publications, all targeting the lodging market: Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel Design, Luxury Hotelier and The Hotel Times. Our editorial team is made up of eight journalists (soon to be nine) with a variety of backgrounds. I hope that each one of them will post some information about themselves in the coming weeks, but I'll start off with myself.

I'm a newcomer to the group and to the lodging industry, although I feel like it's been a lot longer than the 10 weeks it has. I have found that people on our staff and in this industry are very ... well, hospitable. I've been in the b2b industry for 13 years, most recently with an engineering trade magazine that served the fluid power market. I had a lot of involvement on that magazine's move into the online space, from the website to blogs to social networking sites and more. I look forward to working with our team here—as well as all of you—to create more online opportunities to talk about lodging.

My past also contains a stint as president of the b2b editors' professional association, and that experience introduced me to so many amazing editors in vastly different industries. I continue to draw on their strength, creativity and tenaciousness. Personally, I live in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, along with my wife and two sons. I enjoy running, photography, the beach and ... yikes, why do I feel like this has disintegrated into a personal ad? Sorry.

In all seriousness, though, I'm very excited by the prospects that this group has, and I look forward to your getting to know all of us here at the HotelWorld Network. Please let us know your opinions and ideas.

iGoogle adds to customer experience

My family had our first experience with the Hyatt Place brand a few weeks ago in the beautiful little city of Roanoke, Virginia. I will say that we were impressed with the concept ... everything had a very nice design aesthetic at a reasonable price. Strangely enough, my wife raved about the bed, something I can't recall her ever doing in a hotel before. And the 42-in. flat panel TV was a big hit with my son.

But another little touch caught me by surprise. While logging onto the complimentary wireless Internet in my room, I was sort of stopped dead in my tracks by the landing page for the hotel. I've seen dozens if not hundreds of these things in my business travels, and can't say that I've ever paid more than 2-3 seconds of attention on any single one. But this one was so well done, with very cleanly laid out weather forecast for Roanoke, hotel information, travel and restaurant details, and more. 

Once I returned from vacation, I contacted Amy Patti at Hyatt to pass on how impressed I was. And it turns out that Hyatt is using iGoogle, which I suppose is to be expected. Where isn't Google these days?

“When we developed Hyatt Place, we realized reliable, complimentary access in all areas of every hotel was crucial but that’s only the first step."   said Alison Kal, vice president, marketing, Hyatt Corp. "We wanted to ensure relevant information was immediately accessible so we integrated iGoogle – a product of one of the world’s leading technology firms – to provide guests with content they need while on the road.”

“Users want immediate, at-a-glance access to the information wherever they are – at home, at work, even when traveling,” said Dan Stickel, responsible for Google Partner Products. “With the customized iGoogle webpage, Hyatt Place guests can tap into the simplicity of Google search, while accessing the information they look for on a regular basis, like local weather, flight schedules, maps, calendars and Gmail, within seconds of logging on.”

So once again, Google appears to conquer one more aspect of life in today's world. Now, if they could only do something about the price of gas ...

I am one in 80 million

I am a typical millennial. And, as a millennial, I feel obliged to inform you that, in general, what you've heard about us is true: I wish I could wear flip-flops to work, I can text message with my eyes shut while talking on the phone and instant messaging a coworker, and, it's true, I have more than my fair share of "participation awards" busting out of shoeboxes at my parents' house. Awards that I received for just that—participating in an event in which I couldn't quite muster up the muscle to eke out a win.

However, as one of 80 million millennials—those individuals born between approximately 1982 and 2000—I also feel a pressing need to tell you that we millennials are a different breed of worker: We are not "business as usual," we don’t take no for an answer, we are tech savvy and we have loyalty issues. We expect to change jobs many times over the years, and we don't see anything wrong with that. But when we get into a job where we see potential staying power, we expect to move quickly through the ranks, surpassing menial entry-level tasks and moving right on up to managerial roles or executive positions.

So when the Hotel & Motel Management team visited the InterContinental Cleveland on Wednesday, July 9, I wasn't surprised when GM Campbell Black said the hotel is having a tough time recruiting for housekeeping and other back-of-the-house positions. As he said, students are coming straight out of hospitality school and expecting to be a GM. Millennials don't want to pay their dues—we want positions to be handed to us.

Call it delusions of grandeur, call it naivety, call it a generation of children whose parents told them they could be whatever they wanted to be. We millennials have aspirations for success—and many of us don't see success as starting from the ground level.

The question becomes, then, how do you recruit for these not-so-prestigious positions? These jobs—the housekeeping staff, the wait staff, the front-desk staff—are critical to keeping a hotel running. These jobs cannot be outsourced to another country for a cheaper price. They must be filled here, and they must be kept full.

Estimates show that recruitment and retention of millennials already has cost companies more than $50 billion. A few tips for those of you looking to retain millennials, from a millennial:

-Keep the lines of communication open. We want to give input, and we want to get feedback. We want to always have tabs on how we're doing, whether it's good or bad.

-Keep work fun. I realize that not all situations call for a party atmosphere, but we're not at work just to get a paycheck. We want to make friends, and we want to enjoy our time—after all, we spend about half of our waking hours in the office. Offer company outings or after-work get togethers.

-Keep the work coming. We don't like to be bored, and there's only so long our attention span can last on certain projects. Instead, try giving your millennial worker a little more responsibility. That way, he or she will feel appreciated for the work he or she has done so far, but won't be so quick to expect a promotion. In this case, a little goes a long way.

This drive we millennials have has many suggesting that we could very well be the next "great generation" for a good portion of workplace positions. The issue is—will this workplace include the hospitality industry?

A Blog 4U

There are many different opinions out there on what purpose a blog serves—even within the contributors of this newly created one. Some blogs break news, some are commercials for new products, some offer "tips of the trade." For that, I say read the newspaper, or better yet, a trade magazine.
I think blogs should offer real opinions on real topics that real people care about. And they should do so in the language of the people—a language that is evolving as fast as the social media outlets it is carried on. If you are a hater of technology and social media (AKA Web 2.0), you better get with the program soon. It is starting to affect every industry.
In the hotel industry, travelers rely on social media sites for reviews of properties before they book. If you're looking to increase occupancy or identify some areas where your property could improve, I'd pay close attention to how travelers are communicating online. New technologies are also infiltrating the guestroom, and upgrading to include some of these new products is a must.
So, my personal goal for HotelTalk is to provide readers with a venue for real hospitality industry discussion. We can talk about why I like the $50-a-night Microtel in Youngstown, Ohio, better than the $500-a-night Waldorf=Astoria in NYC. We can discuss the coolest places to hold your convention. And we can talk about products I saw at HITEC that will never make it.
Speaking of HITEC: If you don't believe my views on Web 2.0 becoming the new standard, here are some fantastic examples given by trendwatcher Michael Tchong during his presentation at the opening session:

Read about a lady who fell onto subway tracks and nearly died because she was texting here.

Check out this 13-year-old student who wrote her entire English essay in text-message format here.

Look at this lady who drove her $200,000 Mercedes into a river following GPS directions here.

Review the perfect gift for your wife, a designer crystal USB drive here.

And my favorite, read about the first virtual reporter working in Reuters' 'Second Life' bureau here.

The advertising quandary

I recently read this column from MSNBC.com about the hotel industry's lackluster television advertising. The writer asserts that not only are hotel ads boring and ineffective, but they are obsolete as well. I think it's an interesting point, but also (maybe) an unfounded one.

The argument I found most effective is that guests no longer need ads (which are boring and uninformative anyway) because of the Internet. It's easy for anyone to compare rates, amenities, locations, ratings, yadda yadda for any hotel in any city they want to visit. Thus, the prospective guest won't care whose graphics are flashier and whose dialogue is realer.

That makes sense.

But if we are going to make that leap—that hotel advertising is useless—then we also have to declare 90 percent of other advertising useless. Think about it; let's use pop as an example (pop is what we modern Ohioans call soda, for those yokels unaware). Who hasn't heard of Coke or Pepsi at this point? Are either of these companies actually affecting anyone with their advertising? Once you try one and like it—for either taste or pricing reasons—isn't that game over? Well, why haven't either of these two giants stopped advertising? Why hasn't any established product with nothing new to offer stopped advertising? I'm guessing it's because advertising, even in some small way, works. Advertising keeps a company or product's image in the heads of society, which, I think, is the most important part. Image isn't everything; sometimes, it's the only thing.

If you've ever read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (and if you haven't, you should), he talks about the human unconscious, and how our initial, visual impressions and internal processes can often have a profound impact on everything we do. A label on bottle you don't like can make your juice taste worse than it does; a singer's bad haircut and weird face can make you think they sound worse than they do. So, maybe, these same processes are what keeps advertising as a whole going. And maybe these processes are what still make hotel advertising important. Maybe if certain brands would put more effort into pleasing these unconscious processes, their projected images would circumvent any modern comparing and contrasting one can do on the Internet.

Or maybe not. What do you think?

It's nice to be a role model

Hotels as models for small businesses? Maybe that's the next big wave of New York Times bestsellers. I recently encountered an "ePublication" called My Little Black Book to Success, written by Tom Marquardt, aka The Profit Repairman. Marquardt's secret is, believe it or not, the hotel industry. He says he's spent most of his life in and out of our field, and he suspected that what he had learned could be applied in other areas.

Marquard says, "I often wondered if the skill set and techniques that I had acquired [in the hotel industry] could be used in my own personal life and other areas of business to make my mission of increasing the success rate of small and mid-sized businesses a reality. Once I started to implement these hotel principles, it was like a secret formula."

True enough, one section of his book is called, "Run your business like a hotel."

For more information, visit The Profit Repairman website.

Architecture off the deep end?

Back on my college newspaper, we would publish a huge April Fools issue each year. One Spring, we included a front page story about the nearby C&S Tower (since demolished) in downtown Atlanta, and how it would be soon rotating.

This building was a 20-ish story, hideous round trash can of a thing, and sat on a small pedestal. The article claimed that it was built to rotate, but after the owners saw the first month's electricity bill, they quickly turned it off. Now, the building was rotated 1-1/4 turns one Sunday each year, to give workers a new view out of their windows. More absurd was the note that the bank picked the actual Sunday each year in a manner not unlike how Easter is determined, basing the date on the equinox and phases of the moon.

Amazingly, perhaps a hundred sorry souls believed this, and got up very early the next Sunday to stand on a deserted streetcorner in downtown and watch nothing happen.

I was reminded of all this collegiate nonsense when I saw the recent release for a pair of turning towers that are scheduled to be built in Dubai in Moscow. Now, not much surprises me about Dubai anymore, and I probably should have expected this. I love good (and groundbreaking) architecture as much as the next guy, but I wonder if this is going overboard. Will this design become the new rage for condos, hotels and offices? I hope not.

At least these folks have jumped on the green bandwagon, and are promising that there will be wind turbines between each floor. So the building will generate its own electricity, presumably for moving its individual floorplates—avoiding that messy hassle of showing the first month's scary electricity bill to the boss.

UPDATE: I spoke too soon ... this crossed my desk today:

Istanbul, Turkey -- July 7, 2008 -- The Marmara Antalya -- the world's first and only revolving hotel -- offers the best view in the house from every room in its revolving building. Perched on the majestic Falez Cliffs in Turkey's southern coast, every room of the resort's 24-room revolving loft offers ever-changing 360-degree panoramic views of the turquoise-blue Mediterranean, the Antalyan coastline and the snow-capped Taurus Mountains.

The revolving loft was designed using shipbuilding specifications. It sits atop a special pool system where water drives the mechanisms that are set to turn the building 360-degrees every seven hours-- although it is capable of completing a revolution every three hours. The innovative design earned The Marmara Antalya a "Best Hotel Architecture" nomination from the prestigious Prix Villegiature Awards, which honor the best hotels in Europe.