Motel | KRG Hospitality

May 17, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Leverage These 3 Sports for Growth

Leverage These 3 Sports for Growth

by David Klemt

Sports receive more than three million mentions daily on social media and in online communities, and three sports are driving conversations.

Media-monitoring and SaaS platform Meltwater‘s recent report shows growth in media mentions and community engagement. The report, “2023 Industry Snapshot: Sports,” also identifies three sports that are growing globally.

Most restaurant and bar concepts, at least throughout North America, can benefit from sports. They have televisions, at least decent audio, and the proper licenses to air sports and other programs.

At the risk of oversimplifying, that means that any bar or restaurant can be a sports bar. Before anyone begins furiously hammering out an email to send me, I’m not saying any bar or restaurant can automatically become a great sports bar because they have TVs. I’m simply saying that operators who want to leverage sports and specific sporting events are at a good starting point to do so.

With that caveat out of the way, let’s check out what Meltwater has uncovered regarding sports.

Sports Conversations

According to Meltwater, sports is a hot topic every day of the year. On average, there are 3.16 millions mentions of sports each day.

And that’s just on a “normal” day. Last year, that number jumped to well over 12 million mentions during the FIFA World Cup.

Meltwater identifies 2022 as a particularly strong year in terms of growth for sports conversations. That boost is expected to carry into 2023, providing savvy operators with opportunities to leverage sports.

Per Meltwater, sports social media handles, hashtags, and keywords have grown by more than 20 percent. That’s significant growth.

Now, let’s look at the sports driving much of that growth.

Football

When I say “football” in this context, I mean the sport some people call “soccer.” So, not American football, which Dave Grohl and Crown Royal pointed out is a Canadian invention during Super Bowl LVII.

For the past few decades (at least), much has been made of Americans maligning football (soccer). Well, all the tropes of that mockery may be wearing very thin.

Last year, mentions of football keywords were up 56 percent—in the US. The second-place country was Nigeria with an increase of 33 percent.

Globally, the sport’s online conversations went up by 32 percent. The day of the FIFA World Cup final? That number exploded to 630 percent. Could be smart for operators to begin planning their World Cup promotions soon.

Baseball

There are some interesting stats surrounding baseball and online conversations.

Last year, conversations of this sport grew by just three percent. And for a country that claims the sport as their national pastime, American baseball convos saw a notable dropoff: a decrease of 11 percent.

However, baseball grew by nine percent in Canada in 2022. Japan saw an increase of 36 percent, and Venezuela was up 22 percent.

Unsurprisingly, the sport’s two largest organizations dominate baseball conversations.

Leading the charge, Major League Baseball mentions grew by 16 percent in 2022 globally, and by 54 percent in Japan. Right on MLB’s heels, Nippon Professional Baseball 23 percent globally and 28 percent in the US.

For those who are curious, three teams stood out in the baseball conversation: the Los Angeles Dodgers (+59 percent), New York Yankees (+55 percent), and NY Mets (+46 percent). However, LA Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani saw truly incredible growth with an increase of 74 percent.

An important takeaway: Baseball fans in America appear quite interested in watching (or listening to) NPB. That gives operators another organization—and all their scheduled games—to leverage.

Formula 1

Ah, my favorite sport. I’m happy (for the most part) to see this motorsport growing around the world. In fact, Formula 1 keyword mentions grew 13 percent globally, and #F1 was among the hashtags used most in 2022.

On July 3, 2022, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, Jr. (driver #55) won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (#11) took second and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (#44) took third. And on this day the F1 conversation skyrocketed, growing by 338 percent.

The country leading the way for F1-related keyword mentions in 2022 was Japan, growing by a staggering 91 percent.

Much of the increase in interest in F1 can be traced back to Netflix and its Drive to Survive docu-series (some call it a reality-TV drama).

Looking at American interest in the sport, it helps that there are now three races on the calendar that take place in the US: the Miami Grand Prix, the US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix. That’s three opportunities (Miami has already happened) for American operators to take advantage of this sport’s growing popularity.

Last year, former Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel ($5), Red Bull driver Max Verstappen (current champion and #1), and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (#16) saw the most growth in terms of individual drivers.

I can only hope that my other favorite motorsport, MotoGP, starts to become more popular throughout North America.

Takeaways

Some operators may find that sports don’t work for their concept, such as a high-end cocktail bar or fine-dining restaurant. Those are two venue types that tend to eschew televisions as they don’t work with their vibe and aesthetic.

That said, each operator must choose how to best implement sports and related promotions. This includes understanding which sports, teams, and players their guests like. Then, of course, it’s also a matter of gauging interest.

With that determined, operators must also decide how to make sports work with their concept. Some things to consider are themed F&B menus, sports-related LTOs, FoH uniforms, and how far to go with promotions. That latter consideration will depend on how rabid a fan base each operator is targeting. A truly dedicated fan base encourages some bars to “officially” support a certain team.

Another important consideration? Will leveraging a particular sport or team alienate other guests due to rivalries or a lack of interest or comfort? Sometimes the cost of implementing promotions includes pushing away a percentage of guests on particular days.

Because I live in Las Vegas, I have an array of venues available to me around the clock. It’s conceivable that I could find a home bar or restaurant to watch F1 and MotoGP. Personally, the capability of comfortably watching my two favorite sports would boost my loyalty and visits. However, there may not be a large pool of people like me in this market. Would a bartender want to turn on an F1 race just for me?

There’s a lot to consider when choosing how to best leverage sports. The upsides include converting customers to loyal, repeat guests; a realistic idea of what to consider in terms of labor and inventory for specific days, weeks, months, and seasons; and boosts in traffic, revenue, and online engagement (which in turn can translate to more traffic and revenue).

Image: Photo by PRAT clement via Pexels

Several spray paint cans next to one another

May 16, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Raise the Bar: Service vs. Hospitality

Raise the Bar: Service vs. Hospitality

by David Klemt

During the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, Mia Mastroianni, Art Sutley, and Phil Wills addressed what separates service from hospitality.

For the sake of those who are unfamiliar, a brief summary of each member of this informative panel. Art Sutley is a nightlife and hospitality expert recognized by Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and Thrillist (among other publications).

Phil Wills and Mia Mastroianni should be recognizable to anyone who has watched Bar Rescue. Wills co-founded Spirits in Motion, a beverage consulting agency. He’s also a bartender’s bartender who’s passionate about hospitality. Mastroianni, equally as passionate about the art of hospitality, is a seriously talented bar professional and hospitality expert who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

It’s difficult to imagine a more qualified trio when it comes to discussing the differences between service and hospitality.

What is Service?

Before they all dove in, Sutley shared a simple but impactful take on the guest experience.

“It’s checking boxes,” said Sutley. “We want each guest to check every box, and a few extra.”

That description helps draw a line between service and hospitality. Per Sutley, Mastroianni, and Wills, service is a transaction and meeting expectations. Reinforcing this idea, Wills said, “Service is black and white; it’s simple.”

Operators and their leadership teams, after developing their steps of service, can literally or figuratively track the service transaction. Training staff—from onboarding to pre-shifts—on the steps of service and an operator’s non-negotiable standards ensures the guest experience transaction is delivered as expected.

Worryingly, Mastroianni expressed her concern that the quality of service appears to be dropping. If that’s true, however, that provides an opportunity.

Per Sutley, the industry is getting more difficult. There are more competitors out there, and guest expectations are becoming increasingly stringent. So, if Mastroianni is correct and more concepts are failing to deliver on the expected service transaction, operators who commit to building and training teams that deliver high-level service will stand out.

What is Hospitality?

If service is black and white, guess what hospitality is?

“Hospitality is color,” said Wills. “And we go above and beyond to relate to guests.”

Going further, Wills said that how an operator and their team chooses to “paint the picture” defines the level of hospitality they deliver.

For Mastroianni, if service is transactional, hospitality is emotional. Hospitality is how a restaurant, bar, nightclub or hotel team makes a guest feel. Drilling deeper, hospitality is how we in this industry connect with guests on a deeper level than simply transactional service.

To throw in my two cents, I like to think that even brand-new operators understand the transactional part of hospitality. It’s the people part, the guest experience element, that catches many operators and their teams out. Service without hospitality is mediocrity in motion.

Regardless of where one stands on the topic of service vs. hospitality, it’s crucial that operators become acutely aware of the experiencing they’re giving their guests. What do they see when they look at the picture they and their team paint each shift?

Image: Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Exterior of Ocean Casino Resort at sunset

May 15, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Ocean’s Summertime Celebrations

Ocean Casino Resort Summertime Celebrations

by David Klemt

Ocean Casino Resort is celebrating an impressive milestone all summer long through creative local business partnerships.

This summer, the resort will reach its fifth anniversary. The festivities will begin May 26, a month before Ocean’s “birthday.”

However, rather than focus solely on the resort and casino, Ocean is choosing to celebrate the community it serves as well. These fifth birthday activations and initiatives are an excellent lesson for operators across all hospitality business categories.

I’m sure operators—all hospitality professionals, really—will agree that restaurants and bars are integral elements of any community’s bedrock. Increasingly, the same can be said of hotels. In fact, large hotel groups are investing in the development of smaller imprints that are tasked with the mission of serving locals and local businesses.

When a restaurant, bar, hotel, or nightclub reaches annual milestones, it’s largely due to community support. Sure, businesses in destination cities benefit greatly from tourist visits. However, for most markets, longevity is anything but assured without local backing and buy-in.

It’s clear that the importance of local support isn’t lost on Ocean. This summer’s celebrations include several local partnerships and community initiatives to pay that support back.

Local Partnerships

Last year, the Ocean leveraged the demise of the Choco Taco. So far in 2023, Ocean has supported Philly and KC during the Big Game, and gotten creative with cocktails that raised funds for the Girl Scout Troops of Southern and Central New Jersey.

Local partnerships are key to Ocean’s five-year celebration:

The Seed: Created Seeds of the Ocean for Ocean’s five-year anniversary.
Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall: Seeds of the Ocean lager will also be available at this local beer hall.
Rhythm & Spirits: Joining forces with Little Water Distillery to feature their gin in the Oceans 5 cocktail.
Little Water Distillery: Their Rusted Revolver Indigenous Gin is the star of the Oceans 5 cocktail, mentioned above. The distillery has also created the Chocolate Cake Martini, featuring Bar 32 chocolate shavings.
Hank Sauce: For those who prefer their celebrations spicy, Ocean and Hank Sauce have collaborated on Across the Boards. This hot sauce will accompany food items at restaurants inside Ocean.
Tony Boloney’s: They’ve created the High 5 pizza to celebrate Ocean’s birthday. This is another collaboration within a collaboration, as it features Seed of the Ocean lager and Across the Boards hot sauce.
Bar 32: What celebration is complete without something sweet? Bar 32 (a bean-to-bar chocolatier) and Ocean will be offering three commemorative chocolate bars: the Berry Pretzel Bar, Party Pretzel Bar, and Salty Peanut Butter Bar.
Mudgirl Studios: Ocean has commissioned several handmade, one-of-one pieces from this non-profit that will be featured not just in common areas on the property but also in some of the guest rooms.
Atlantic City Arts Foundation: To help celebrate its fifth birthday, Ocean has collaborated with the ACAF for a three-panel mural that will have a home at Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall.

Creative & Compelling

What I find most notable about these local partnerships is how several of them intertwine.

Not only did Ocean commission an exclusive beer, a local restaurant chain is using it for a pizza. That same restaurant chain is also using a hot sauce Ocean had created to celebrate their milestone. There are other collaborations that bring Rhythm & Spirits, Little Water Distillery, and Bar 32 together.

However, Ocean is doing more than just supporting a select group of local businesses. Mudgirl Studios employs and empowers at-risk, homeless and formerly incarcerated women. The ACAF, as one would imagine, inspires and empowers people to pursue the arts. Both support and strengthen communities throughout Atlantic City, and Ocean is giving back by supporting them.

In addition to all of that, the celebrations kick off on Memorial Day Weekend with a $300,000 sweepstakes. All in, there will be more than $5 million in promotions and giveaways in play over the course of this summer. From June 24 to July 4, Ocean is putting up one million dollars for a second sweepstakes.

Then there are Tesla giveaways, birthday fireworks, the Birthday Bar Pop-up Experience at 1927 Lounge inside Ocean Resort Casino, and Ocean’s sponsorship of the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival.

Nola's Bar & Lounge inside Ocean Casino Resort

Look for Ocean’s birthday drinks at property bars like Nola’s Bar & Lounge

Again, it would be easy for Ocean to have simply planned a celebratory weekend, week, or month, focusing solely on themselves. Instead, they’re involving several small businesses and community organizations.

Takeaways

Do I expect restaurant and bar operators to somehow offer $5 million in giveaways to celebrate a milestone? Or even $300,000? Perhaps a Tesla?

No, of course not.

However, I do think operators should really put thought into celebrating their annual milestones. Surviving the first 12 months is a huge achievement. Making it through the first 18 months and hitting the two-year anniversary is just as challenging.

So, operators should take four to six months to plan their celebrations. Additionally, they should view these events as a way to thank the community for supporting them. And, of course, that includes being grateful for beneficial business relationships.

When considering marking these achievements, it’s wise to include local businesses. Craft brewers and distillers, local farmers and vintners, non-profit organizations… All the better if the selected partners can collaborate with one another to make the celebration and partnerships that much more impactful.

Operators should take a page out of Ocean’s celebration handbook and look for creative, thoughtful collaborations. Doing so lifts up others and pays local support forward, in turn making the entire community stronger.

It’s perfectly acceptable for an operator to be proud and celebrate milestones. But it’s even better for operators to celebrate those who help them thrive.

Images courtesy of Ocean Casino Resort

April 18, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Sticking to Your Standards

The Importance of Sticking to Your Standards

by David Klemt

One crucial task for all restaurant, bar, nightclub, and hotel operators is to set the acceptable standards and commit to maintaining them.

Hospitality operations are subject to an interesting paradox. We’re all told to prepare for things to go sideways during any given shift. We’re also told that adhering to our standards of service will help us weather a storm of challenges. Oftentimes, however, the first thing to slip at the first sign of trouble is: our standards.

When a client signs on with KRG Hospitality, they are given the task of identifying their core values. There’s an exercise for this key development step; it’s part of our standards.

Your core values inform your standards (and so much more): leadership team standards; front- and back-of-house team member standards; and standards of service. Additionally, you should spell out these standards during the onboarding process, utilizing an employee manual—which new hires must sign and date—and practical training.

It’s absolutely crucial that you and your team commit to your standards fully. They’re inviolable, what both KRG president Doug Radkey and Chef Brian Duffy call your “non-negotiables” during speaking engagements and when working with clients.

Are people going to make mistakes, including you? Yes. On occasion, a standard is going to slip. The key is understanding that maintaining standards helps reduce these occasions; panicking and allowing them to slip just drops us deeper into quicksand.

Someone on the team is going to miss a service step. Something will occur during a shift that’s not up to standards. What’s important in those moments is the ability for the team to recognize the slip quickly and correct course immediately.

Setting Standards

There are different ways for operators to select their standards. The example I provide at the top of this article is one approach KRG implements.

Michael Tipps, co-founder of Invictus Hospitality and friend of KRG Hospitality, has an intriguing approach of his own. He shared this during the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas.

“Standards separate operators and their teams,” says Tipps. While he doesn’t encourage operators to look at every other operator in their market as competition, he does advocate for differentiation.

Tipps shared a three-step approach to standards. (Step two, by the way, is the one I find intriguing.)

Create your standards. Again, there are different approaches.
Pick your committee. I’m going to explain this further.
Set standards against the grandest vision of your venue.

So, what does it mean to “pick your committee”? Well, it means surrounding yourself with people you respect…real or imagined. As Tipps explained during BRE, he has people in his life that he considers his committee. The real-life members of this committee are a sounding board for any number of ideas, questions, challenges, and even mistakes.

And yes, his committee also includes “imaginary” members, such as Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. These are people that he doesn’t know personally but are known to have incredibly high standards. They’re high achievers and, of course, many have biographies and we can know their standards. Tipps has “asked” these committee members, “How should I handle X?”

This creative approach isn’t for everyone but every operator should at least give it a shot. When we step that far out of our comfort zones the results can be incredible.

The Cheat Code

On the specific topic of service standards, Tipps has a cheat code for operators: hotels. “The hotel mindset is a hospitality cheat code,” says Tipps.

How so? It’s quite enlightening.

Think about your restaurant. Now, think about it as the first-floor cornerstone of an upscale hotel. Imagine that there are 250 incredible boutique hotel rooms above your restaurant. These rooms command rates of several hundred dollars per night. Now think about how you would treat each guest in these expensive rooms if they ask for a straw.

“Make the effort to care like nobody else can,” says Tipps.

Always bear in mind that hospitality is how you make people feel. Your mission should be for each and every guest to feel relevant.

Generally speaking, most people don’t want to be alone. They’re not just coming to your restaurant because they’re hungry, to your bar because they’re thirsty. In reality, as Tipps would tell you, they’re coming to be around other people. They’re using your F&B as a reason to be around other people and feel relevant.

Your mission is to ensure people feel relevant when they spend time at your venue with your team. The package you send to accomplish this mission is your standards of service.

“Self-inflicted mediocrity is the result of laziness and lack of accountability,” Tipps says.

Hold everyone accountable for enforcing your standards—including yourself—and you’ll level up in every facet.

Image: Owen Michael Grech on Unsplash

April 10, 2023by krghospitality krghospitality No Comments

Loneliness and the Entrepreneur

5 Steps Entrepreneurs can take to Combat Loneliness

by Jennifer Radkey

Author John Donne may have penned the quote, “No man is an island,” in the 17th century but, like many truths of human nature, it’s still relevant today.

We’re all attached to each other in some way; our humanity is intertwined. It’s when we lose sight of this that we may start to feel lonely. We may also feel as though we’re in isolation from the world around us.

Entrepreneurs often walk a lonely road. The success of your business relies on the effort you put into it daily. With a drive to succeed and a passion for what you are doing, it can often be hard to separate life as an entrepreneur from anything else.

There can be a level of pride in the entrepreneur’s journey that makes it challenging to acknowledge that there’s genuine struggle. When society paints a rosy picture of the life of the entrepreneur—setting your own schedule, doing what you love, earning your own riches, etc.—it can feel as if you aren’t doing something “right” when you’re running a successful business yet feel stress, loneliness, and gloom.

Being an entrepreneur has its perks and many would tell you they can’t imagine doing anything other than running their own business. However, this doesn’t mean that the path is easy or without its risks of social isolation, anxiety, burnout, and depression.

It’s time that we acknowledge all aspects of being an entrepreneur—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to peel back the façade of perfection. We need to allow space for honesty, connection, and self-care.

Below are five steps entrepreneurs can take to combat loneliness as an entrepreneur.

1. Find like-minded individuals who can relate.

Often, entrepreneurs may feel as if no one else understands them, no matter how well-meaning or supportive friends and family may be.

Connect with people who you can be honest with and who will listen with little judgement. This can be through a social group that connects entrepreneurs not for the purpose of business growth and networking, but to build friendships and share stories.

If a group like this does not exist, consider starting one yourself.

2. Practice mindfulness with your external relationships.

Share with loved ones when you’re feeling particularly disconnected or stressed. They may not understand life as an entrepreneur, but they have your best interest at heart and can help you find balance between your work life and personal life.

Finding time to spend with the people who care for you as a whole person is important. Doing so can remind you to acknowledge and respect all the different sides of who you are, not just the entrepreneur side.

3. Learn how to be in a healthy relationship with yourself.

Acknowledge when you need social time. Recognize when you’re not getting enough sleep. Take time to enjoy hobbies or participate in physical activity. Take time to appreciate your accomplishments and feel proud of what you achieve.

Try journaling or participating in the things you loved doing before you became an entrepreneur to create connections and feel less alone.

4. Share the burden.

As an entrepreneur you often quietly place a tremendous amount of responsibility onto your shoulders. This can lead to feeling entirely on your own—even if you have a team surrounding you.

Learn to place trust in your team and to release some of those responsibilities to others. If you are a solopreneur, perhaps look to other professionals to whom you can outsource some of your tasks ( virtual assistant, social marketer, etc.).

5. Seek professional help if needed.

If you feel alone in the process and don’t have anyone you feel you can speak to, consider seeking a professional to help.

Consider hiring a professional life coach If you’re looking to create stronger social connections; need help with work/life balance or stress management; or wish to manage external relationships better.

If you suspect a mental illness, such as an anxiety disorder or depression, reach out to a registered therapist. There’s no shame in asking for help if it means living a well-rounded life that’s successful not only professionally but personally.

Entrepreneurs are masters of paving the way for their visions to come to life. However, the road they pave doesn’t need to be a lonely one. Applying the same drive to your personal well-being as to the success of your business will only have positive outcomes!

Cheers to your personal and professional growth!

Image: Gustavo Zambelli on Unsplash

November 15, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

The Most-stressed Cities in the US

These are the Most-stressed Cities in the US

by David Klemt

There’s a simple argument to be made that one characteristic the happiest cities share is being among the least stressful to live.

Yesterday we took a look at the happiest cities in the US, according to WalletHub analysis. Click here in case you haven’t yet read that article.

Today, let’s check out the most- and least-stressed cities in America. As with their happiest and least-happy cities list, WalletHub ranks 182 cities based on stress levels.

Of course, “least stressed” doesn’t mean “stress-free.” Nor should it—some stress is good for us. After all, stress can push us to perform our best, bring out our problem-solving creativity, and even energize us.

The rankings below may surprise you. Like me, you may even find yourself raising an eyebrow and disagreeing with some of them.

However, it’s a compelling list worth reviewing if you’re an operator, leadership team member, hospitality professional, or in the site-selection portion of opening a restaurant or bar.

The Top 25 Cities of Stress

When determining their results, WalletHub ranked 182 cities according to four main categories. Those categories are: work stress; financial stress; family stress; and health and safety stress. The categories consist of 40 key metrics in total.

I think it’s safe to assume that no city wants to be in the top 25 of this list, or even the top 50. Neither, I’m certain, does any city want to wear the crown of “Most Stressed US City.”

Unfortunately, someone must be number one. Below, the top 25 “Cities of Stress,” per WalletHub:

Cleveland, Ohio
Detroit, Michigan
Gulfport, Mississippi
Baltimore, Maryland
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Memphis, Tennessee
New Orleans, Louisiana
Birmingham, Alabama
Louis, Missouri
Toledo, Ohio
Augusta, Georgia
Jackson, Mississippi
North Las Vegas, Nevada
San Bernadino, California
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Akron, Ohio
Wilmington, Delaware
Houston, Texas
Montgomery, Alabama
Shreveport, Louisiana
Cincinnati, Ohio
Newark, New Jersey
Mobile, Alabama
Columbus, Georgia
Indianapolis, Indiana

Alas (I don’t get to use this word much), Ohio has four cities on this list. In fact, the Buckeye State has two cities in the top ten.

Of course, Ohio isn’t the only state with multiple cities in the top 25 stressed cities. Alabama has three cities among the top 25. Also, Mississippi and Louisiana each have two cities on this part of the list, unfortunately.

Cities 26 Through 91

As you’ll see below, Ohio shows up a couple of times in this portion of the list. However, so do a handful of other states.

For example, ten Texas cities land on this part of the list. That means Texas has 11 cities among the “top” half of the most-stressed US cities.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Las Vegas, Nevada
Huntington, West Virginia
Springfield, Missouri
Dover, Delaware
Norfolk, Virginia
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Chicago, IL
Newport News, Virginia
Washington, DC
Dallas, Texas
Richmond, Virginia
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Bridgeport, Connecticut
San Antonia, Texas
Atlanta, Georgia
Glendale, Arizona
New York, New York
Tucson, Arizona
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbus, Ohio
Knoxville, Tennessee
New Haven, Connecticut
Brownsville, Texas
Rochester, New York
Casper, Wyoming
Vancouver, Washington
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jacksonville, Florida
Corpus Christi, Texas
Charleston, West Virginia
Henderson, Nevada
Phoenix, Arizona
Modesto, California
Wichita, Kansas
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Little Rock, Arkansas
Moreno Valley, California
Louisville, Kentucky
Stockton, California
Spokane, Washington
Fresno, California
Miami, Florida
Kansas City, Missouri
El Paso, Texas
Salem, Oregon
Hialeah, Hawaii
Los Angeles, California
Fort Smith, Arizona
Fort Worth, Texas
Denver, Colorado
Arlington, Texas
Buffalo, New York
Greensboro, North Carolina
Bakersfield, California
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Providence, Rhode Island
Tacoma, Washington
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Lewiston, Maine
Laredo, Texas
Cape Coral, Florida
Grand Prairie, Texas
Garland, Texas
Aurora, Colorado

Cities 92 Through 137

This is where things begin to turn around, at least mathematically. This is the “bottom” half of the list.

Or, to phrase it another way, this section starts identifying the least-stressed cities in America.

Portland, Oregon
Ontario, California
Lubbock, Texas
Reno, Nevada
Huntsville, Alabama
Sacramento, California
Amarillo, Texas
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Tampa, Florida
Long Beach, California
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Fontana, California
Tallahassee, Florida
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Worchester, Massachusetts
Orlando, Florida
West Valley City, Utah
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Peoria, Arizona
Riverside, California
Mesa, Arizona
Nashville, Tennessee
Des Moines, Iowa
Nampa, Idaho
Tempe, Arizona
Irving, Texas
Oakland, California
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Charlotte, North Carolina
Rancho Cucamonga, California
Boston, Massachusetts
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Honolulu, Hawaii
Oceanside, California
Pearl City, Hawaii
Anchorage, Alaska
Warwick, Rhode Island
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Petersburg, Florida
Chesapeake, Virginia
Billings, Montana
Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
Durham, North Carolina
Santa Ana, California
Jersey City, New Jersey

Cities 138 through 182

Finally, we reach what cities, according to WalletHub analysis, experience the least amount of stress.

Salt Lake City, Utah
Aurora, Illinois
Santa Clarita, California
Glendale, California
Manchester, New Hampshire
Paul, Minnesota
Garden Grove, California
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Yonkers, New York
Chandler, Arizona
Oxnard, California
Juneau, Alaska
Anaheim, California
Santa Rosa, California
Chula Vista, California
Charleston, South Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
San Francisco, California
Huntington Beach, California
Omaha, Nebraska
San Diego, California
Gilbert, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Rapid City, South Dakota
Austin, Texas
Seattle, Washington
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Missoula, Montana
Boise, Idaho
Nashua, New Hampshire
Plano, Texas
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Lincoln, Nebraska
Portland, Maine
Irvine, California
Burlington, Vermont
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Bismarck, North Dakota
San Jose, California
Columbia, Maryland
Fargo, North Dakota
Overland Park, Kansas
Madison, Wisconsin
South Burlington, Vermont
Fremont, California

Twelve of the cities on this part of the list are in California. Further, the least-stressed city in California: Fremont. If you read yesterday’s article, you know that WalletHub ranked Fremont, California, the happiest city in the US.

Image: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

May 4, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

SevenRooms Reveals Hotel Guest Study

SevenRooms Reveals Hotel Guest Study Results

by David Klemt

Americans eager to get back to normal and make up for lost time are traveling in droves, and hotels will have to adapt in order to earn their business.

To give hotel and resort operators an edge, SevenRooms today reveals the results of their latest study.

“Booking Behaviors: Exploring Hotel Guest Loyalty,” contains datapoints all hotel operators should know.

The report, a collaboration with YouGov, focuses on two types of travelers.

Competitive Incentives

Before I address the who, let’s take a look at data that highlights the what.

According to the SevenRooms and YouGov report, nearly half of consumers say that loyalty programs are important. Per SevenRooms, loyalty programs influence hotel choice for 44 percent of guests.

Regarding American hotel guests specifically, 34 percent of guests will consider rebooking if their loyalty status receives recognition upon check-in.

However, loyalty status recognition isn’t enough for guests to book a hotel again. To understand what will influence that decision we need to take a look at SevenRooms’ traveler types.

Leisure

SevenRooms and YouGov look at two travelers for their report. There’s the Personal Patron and the Business Traveler.

Let’s focus on the former first. Per SevenRooms, to say the Personal Patron is eager to return to travel is an understatement.

The Personal Patron is a leisure traveler who has been climbing their walls for more than two years. They’re planning to travel “with a vengeance” this summer.

Diving deeper, the Personal Patron is most probably a female over the age of 35.

While recognizing this traveler for their loyalty program membership is smart, it’s not enough to influence a rebook. Rather, the Personal Patron places greater value on:

receiving more loyalty program points in exchange for dining and drinking at property-operated restaurants and bars;
enhanced credit card rewards; and
earning dining credits upon reaching a new loyalty program tier.

However, there’s a problem inherent to the Personal Patron and loyalty programs. Just 45 percent—so nearly half—of this traveler type are loyalty program members.

The reason for that low program buy-in? Almost 60 percent don’t think they travel enough to benefit from hotel loyalty programs.

Per SevenRooms, there’s a rather simple solution: local benefits. Tempt Personal Patrons with staycations and access to amenities at hotels in their home markets. Another idea is to offer points exclusively for dining that this traveler can use where they live.

Business

Obviously, the business traveler is now different. In fact, SevenRooms considers two versions of the Business Traveler.

On the one hand, there’s the extended-stay version traveling all over the country. And on the second hand, there’s the long-distance Business Traveler who’s seeking a midweek “home base” hotel.

Either way, the Business Traveler is most likely a male aged 18 to 34.

Per SevenRooms—and as most hotel operators likely know—this traveler probably doesn’t have time (or interest) in exploring off property. Therefore, the Business Traveler can be influenced to rebook through incentives that make their stays better.

These include:

receiving more loyalty program points in exchange for dining and drinking at property-operated restaurants and bars (like the Personal Patron);
receiving recognition for being a loyalty program member; and
getting a complimentary drink on check-in; or
being given a choice of an F&B amenity on arrival.

Unsurprisingly, the Business Traveler is more likely than the Personal Patron to join a hotel loyalty program. Per SevenRooms, 55 percent of Business Travelers say that the ability to participate in such a program influences their hotel choice.

Focusing on perks that “reward” the Business Traveler for their hard work can convert a Business Traveler to become a loyal guest for a particular hotel or hotel group.

SevenRooms suggests priority reservations for the lunch daypart at restaurants on property. Also, providing their favorite drink (wine, cocktail, beer, etc.) with their room service orders can be influential.

Takeaway

Travel is gaining steam, restaurants and bars are seeing an influx of reservations, and hotel operators need to prepare for summer travelers.

As a reservation, guest experience, and guest retention platform, SevenRooms can ensure operators can easily collect guest data. Guest data, for example, like F&B and room preferences.

More importantly, the platform makes it simple to use that data responsibly, effectively, and simply.

To learn more about SevenRooms, click here.

Image: JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Unlit hotel sign against blue sky background

December 22, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Hotel Trends to Watch in 2022

Hotel Trends to Watch in 2022

by David Klemt

Partially driven by the pandemic, in part driven by the march of innovation, these are the hotel (and motel) trends to watch in 2022.

As is the case with restaurant and bar trends from the last two years, these trends are likely to quickly evolve into industry standards.

Once slower on the uptake in comparison to other industries, hospitality is now embracing tech innovations rapidly.

Of course, not every 2022 and beyond trend relies on tech. However, most of the big changes involve tech in some way.

Below are the trends (soon to be standards) to watch and adopt next year.

Digital Room Keys

We do everything on our phones. So, why shouldn’t we access hotel and motel room keys via the devices always in our hands or pockets?

Many tech-forward hotel properties have made it possible to unlock hotel rooms via phone apps. As consumers feel more comfortable that it’s safe, secure and reliable, we can expect physical room keys to become obsolete.

One can also make the argument that doing away with millions of plastic keycards is a more sustainable practice.

Your Face is Your Passport

Points* to anyone who gets the movie I just referenced. (*Points have no value and are not redeemable for anything. But we think you’re cool for racking them up regardless.)

Some properties will make it possible to access a hotel room via biometrics. CLEAR travelers will already be familiar with this tech process.

In short, a guest will be able to unlock their room with their face. In terms of personalization—a guest expectation that’s only growing—facial recognition tech can instantly deliver on a guest’s temp, lighting, and other preferences.

I can also see this technology permitting guests to access clubs; club levels; health centers; pool areas; and order and pay for everything from food and beverage to their entire visit.

Of course, this form of tech relies heavily on people’s comfort levels concerning privacy. So, operators will need to prove themselves responsible with guest data.

Touchless Everything

Convenience works both ways. Guests want frustration-free visits. Operators and managers want to eliminate pain points wherever possible.

Guests are becoming familiar and comfortable with checking in via their phones or kiosks. In some hotels, guests navigate the lobby without ever engaging with an employee.

With the proliferation of digital assistants in homes, guests are already comfortable with voice-based functionality. Ordering room service, turning on the TV and streaming, playing music, drawing automated shades, adjust room temperatures and lights… Digital assistants eliminate several more touchpoints.

AI tech also means hotels can operate with smaller teams effectively. So, hotel design is likely to keep evolving: lobbies will look different, as will rooms, restaurants, bars, and other amenities.

Virtual Room Selection

Speaking of AI, what about VR?

Tech-savvy guests will appreciate being able to “tour” different room options in the virtual space. Such a feature can start a guest’s visit off on the right foot before they ever step onto property.

They’ll know they’re getting the features and views they want, setting up a positive experience. It’s likely VR room tours and selection will also help hotels upsell guests on rooms and features.

Cryptocurrency

There are already hotels and resorts out there accepting crypto. There’s no reason to believe this will fall out of favor any time soon.

In fact, it’s likely guests who prefer to pay via digital currency will be able to pay for every element of their visit with crypto. For these guests, a tech-heavy experience will be appealing:

Check out room options via virtual reality before booking;
Book their room in the VR space.
Utilize digital check-in, then unlocking their room via phone or facial scan.
Paying for premium amenities and F&B via crypto ties to biometrics.
Contactless check-out.

Guest Who

Unsurprisingly, business travelers were the first to return to hotels during the pandemic. A percentage of these guests sought out hotels that could offer them a work-from-anywhere option.

For the most part, these guests simply needed a fast, reliable WiFI connection. Of course, many of them chose properties for more leisure-focused amenities. This led to the coining of a new industry term: bleisure, a portmanteau of “business” and “leisure” travelers.

It’s likely hotels, motels and resorts will see more traffic from bleisure, solo, and staycation guests in 2022 and beyond.

Many guests will also make property selections based on a brand or group’s sustainability efforts. So, operators will need to ensure they’re being provably sustainable and not just green-washing to attract these guests.

As we can see, technology will feature heavily in the changing hospitality landscape. Initial outlay may be pricy, but as innovations become more commonplace, costs will be driven down. But offering the features that will increase traffic and guest spend? A healthy bottom line is worth it.

Image: NeONBRAND on Unsplash