The HNN THE HOSPITALITY NETWORK NEWS
VAMOOS IHI WELCOMES NEW PATRON
ON THE RECORD WITH SEAN O'DRISCOLL FIHI
THE GROUNDWORK A NEW ADDITION TO THE HNN
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17 EXCERPT: Do not forsake our Industry, we are entwined into the fabric of Irish Society
11 EXCERPT: Do not forsake our Industry, we are entwined into the fabric of Irish Society
3 PRESIDENT'S NOTE 4 WELCOME: NEW IHI Members, Business Partners & Patrons 7 IHI EVENTS A Fireside chat with John Brennan 15 The Headlines & The Realities of Hospitality by Wayne Neilon 19 Preparing for the Upturn by David Collins 23 What’s next? Hospitality trends in 2021
9 On the Record With Sean O'Driscoll FIHI
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NTENTS 25 Congratulations: Bookassist Win Big at Hotel Tech Awards
27 FREENOW Green Pledge 29 Guestline Bloomfield House Hotel 31 Sodexo introduce Vital Spaces 32 Education & Training 33 HNN New Contribution: The Groundwork
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PRESIDENT'S NOTE January 2021 Welcome to our first edition of our Hospitality Network News for 2021! At the start of each year, it’s always good to look back and review all that happened and evaluate the achievement or not of our new year resolutions that we had at the start of January 2020. To that end, in penning this note I went back to what I had written in January 2020 and see what our IHI resolutions for 2020 were. Have a look below: “Our resolutions for this year, 2020 include: To continue to very relevant for all our members, associate, student, members and fellows To grow our membership base at a general member level To ensure that the events we run, provide opportunity for continuing learning for all our members and for peer networking. To continue as an Institute to play a strong role in the Careers Oversight Group which is chaired by Paul Hayden in Fáilte Ireland To nurture and recognize the talent within our industry is key to what we do here at IHI and we hope to develop this further in 2020. Develop a greater presence on social media" I am delighted & just a little proud that our board and executive team delivered all of the above in spades in 2020. I also see that we had lots of ambition to host regional events throughout 2020 and grow our membership & relevance across the country. Events overtook us of course and like you our member, we had to adapt, innovate and create new ways of fulfilling our resolutions. The shape of our world changed forever and as an institute we had to create a digital platform which has allowed us to fulfil our resolutions and continue to interact with you our members. Our digital platform allows us to host our ever-popular member coffee mornings, deliver our learning webinars and allow you to interact with us as much as possible. To keep us on track we are conducting some short strategy workshops at board level as we work to set our roadmap for 2021. We promise to keep you posted on our outcomes.
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On February 18th, John Brennan Fellow of the Institute and Chairman of Amaris Hospitality and a strategic advisor to LRC group on all its hospitality investments will join us in a conversation on. John is recognized as a global leader in Hospitality and we look forward to hearing his insights on our changing and challenged industry. Please know that as Hospitality’s professional network we are here to support you as much as we can during this time. At this time of year, don’t be a stranger, if you need an introduction, a connection or a simple listening ear… we’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, I would like to thank all the board members of the IHI, Tina our NEO and Cynthia our Events and Membership Executive for their continued time, commitment and hard work on behalf of the Institute. I hope to see you either at our coffee catch up on Friday January 29th or at our webinar on February 18th.
Meantime, please keep safe and well. Best,
Oonagh IHI President
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WELCOME NEW IHI PATRON
Contact Indre for any questions you have at: indre@vamoos.com +447712416384
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NEW IHI MEMBERS
Liam Moran MIHI General Manager Faithlegg Hotel
Louise Mearley MIHI Hospitality Revenue Consultant
Peter Loughnane MIHI General Manager Ballymaloe House
Christian Schmelter MIHI Group Director of Corporate & MICE Sales The iNua Collection
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IHI
I H I E V E N T S
Events
GM Coffee Catch-Up 29th January 10:30 am HR Coffee Catch-Up 04 February 10.00 am A Fireside Chat with John Brennan FIHI Chairman, Armaris Hospitality 18th February 10:30am
IHI Hospitality Business Management Game & Student Seminar Monday, 8th March
To view a calender of IHI events, please click here. HNN |
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On the Record
O N T H E R E C O R D
This month we talk to Sean O'Driscoll CEO of The iNua Collection IHI Fellow Sean O'Drsicoll is the Chief Executive Officer of The iNua Collection and former Vice President of the Irish Hotel Federation. He is also former National President of SKAL. The iNua Collection currently operate 4 and 5 Star hotels that span from Cork to Sligo, Killarney to Monaghan, Athlone, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Tullamore and include; Muckross Park Hotel & Spa, Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel, The Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan and the Radisson Blu Hotels at Little Island Cork, Limerick & Athlone. We asked Sean a few questions about his career in the hospitality industry. How long have you been a member of the IHI? I joined the IHI in May 2005. What made you decide to choose Hospitality as your career? My transition year placement in school was in a hotel. Prior to this I thought I wanted to do some sort of business degree in College. However, I fell in love with the buzz of the hotel industry and I knew after finishing my placement that this is what I wanted to do for my career. I started working in hotels from the of age 15 and have never looked back. We all have a lot of young people working in hotels at weekends & during the summer months. I don’t think we talk to them enough about the career opportunities in our sector and we need to make an effort to do this better. HNN |
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How many years have you been working in industry and what has been your most difficult role? I have worked in hotels for 25 years. I think my most difficult role was my first General Manager position. I was given the position just before my 25th birthday. It was a steep learning curve and in hindsight another few years in a HOD or Deputy position would have probably served me well. However, it was probably the best training I could have ever received. You need to be allowed to make mistakes to develop as a manager and I was lucky to have a great support network of more experienced colleagues in my first few years as a General Manager. Why do you feel it is important that your teams are also IHI members? The IHI offers managers the opportunity to build a network of friends in the industry around the country. It is great to have that network to learn from and to get support from during the tough times that every manager goes through. The IHI also keeps managers informed about what is happening in the industry and in particular what opportunities are there for further personal development. To me the IHI is both a great networking & learning opportunity for members.
What advice would you give to students who are studying hospitality at the moment, considering the current environment? Tourism is very resilient. When Covid is over, people will want to travel again and everyone is in need of a holiday! I believe tourism will recover relatively quickly and that there will be lots of opportunities for graduates when they complete their hospitality studies. There are few careers that one can move up the ranks so quickly in. Those that are motivated, ambitious, work hard & continue to learn in their first few years in management will be presented with great career opportunities in what I believe is a wonderfully rewarding career. Can you share with us a funny or interesting experience you have had while working in industry?
I had just overseen the last table order go off the hot plate for Christmas lunch when I got a call from reception. Temperatures had been very cold the previous night and it was very icy, but it was a lot warmer on Christmas day and the ice was thawing. The receptionist informed me that a water pipe had burst outside the hotel and there was water gushing everywhere. Suddenly I found myself in a lake of muddy water trying to turn the water off and do a temporary repair of the burst pipe. I was waist deep in muddy water and had to ring my wife who was in the middle of cooking Christmas dinner for our family to drop me in a clean suit. You never know when you go to work in a hotel each day whether you will spend your day as a host, a sales manager, a counsellor, an accountant or a plumber! That is what makes the job interesting.
Every day is different in a hotel. You never know what you will end doing that day. One Christmas day when I was General Manager at The Brehon,
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Beekon Batches is a new category of alcohol. Honey Refresher. Named after the founder, Karen O’Neill ( KON), supported by her partner, Helen, this is something truly unique & differentiated, not to mention Irish made! Think 5% alc honey prosecco & add some fresh fruits/spice infusions. Now think Clean alcohol, Free from sulphites, additives, preservatives or any artificial ingredients. Now think, worth paying more for with a premium proposition, bottled in a bespoke, unique, shelf grabbing beehive shaped bottle & lastly, intriguing 3 flavors, Classic Honey – try mixing it with bitters & wedge of lemon Ginger/lime – lovely alternative to ginger beer – try mixing it with dark rum or whiskey & Elderflower/lemon now available mix it up with gin, it’s delicious! Offering something mature & clean for conscientious consumers who seek better in their lives, a cleaner alternative that is an accessible alternative to wine. cider or beer. At our heart is to create impact as we go. We strive to support the bees through our urban pollinator program, where we provide accounts with wildflower bee bombs, bee hotels or sustainable education, in a bid to cultivate one the largest urban pollinator programs. Just imagine, if every hotelier, publican and store owner did one thing to help the bees?!! Most of all Beekon is more than a refreshing drinks brand. It is a refreshing way to think about life. We invite you to connect with what really matters. WE invite people from all walks of life to reconsider their choices. To think about the impact you want to have, on your friends, on your world, on your own bodies & lives. It’s about creating the change you want to only only see but bee in the world. Available at Classic Drinks sales@classicdrinks.ie 021 451 0066 HNN |
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How To Use Social Media To Grow Your Business In a world where we have everything we could dream of at the tap of a button, a B2C business like a restaurant, quick service, café, gastro bar etc needs to be in your customers viewpoint at all times. Social Media is the perfect place for this. In December 2020 in Ireland, Napoleon Cat reported over 3.5 million users on Facebook, over 2.2 million users on Instagram and over 2.3 million users on LinkedIn. With these figures, imagine the amount of people you could potentially be reaching with your brand message. Not only these but the likes of newcomers like TikTok for example, have exploded onto the social media scene and are the perfect platforms to creatively market your company. Video marketing is proven to be shared more and sees higher engagement than regular picture or text content. This is ideal for social media as you don’t need anything more than your phone to create a short 30 second video showcasing your product. Particularly with Food and Beverage, people buy with their eyes, so uploading a video of your best-selling burger or your delicious caramel Sunday could be the exact thing that’s makes someone pick up the phone on a Friday night and order from you instead of your competitor.
Finally, look at your website visitor demographics and you will be able to see what the prime times for posting are and with tools like Hootsuite, you can pre plan your social media content for the week ahead which will save you both time and effort. Please contact the team on 01-2811960 or sales@slowey.ie if you are interested in a Commission Free Online Ordering Solution for your website.
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The Headlines & The Realities of Hospitality As Group General Manager, I represent the interests of the Connacht Hospitality Group, a local family owned company. The Group operates 5 hospitality businesses in Galway. There is no hiding from the devastation that the Covid-19 pandemic has visited upon the Hospitality Industry, there is no escaping the headlines and the reports. The headlines portray the impact on the wider Hospitality Industry in Ireland, and the adjectives used to describe the outlook are worsening by the week.
Wayne Neilon MIHI, Group General Manager Connacht Hospitality
On 17th March 2020, we all sat enthralled in front of our TV’s as our then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, addressed the nation. We applauded his Statesman like performance and his use of the Seamus Heaney quote struck a chord with the nation and we all played our part. Little did we know that 10 months on, we would still be in the depths of our own Winter of discontent, with no Summer in sight. Would our Industry still applaud the performance of our Government? The intention of this article is not to undermine the seriousness of this pandemic or to diminish the scale of the challenge facing our health service professionals. The escalation in numbers in recent days is truly worrying. There is acceptance that Public Health guidance may necessitate further lockdowns, nobody can predict with any degree of certainty the trajectory of this pandemic. I am writing this to portray the reality for our business. A story which I believe will resonate with many. Where we were: In 2019, we had 400 employees and our intention was to grow this number in 2020. We were operating 4 very well established businesses in Galway and had recently acquired the Galway Bay Golf Resort (November 2019). We had planning permission to develop a 4 star resort style property in Galway Bay, and were due to start this development in April 2020. The timeline was to have this property open by May 2021 with the creation of a further 175 Hospitality jobs. The construction phase of this development would also have supported approximately 100 jobs. Connacht Hospitality Group’s contribution to Galway’s Economy: €10M annual payroll generated in local community, we were on target to increase to €15M by 2021. €4.5M in Food & Beverage Supplies, majority of which supported local suppliers. €5.8M in Departmental & Undistributed expenses, which supported local enterprise. Preparing to start €20M Hotel development in Rinville, Oranmore. Completed €1M refurbishment project in The Connacht Hotel (January 2020), with a further €7.5M spent on Capital Investment projects since 2017. Our hotel rooms accommodated over 200,000 visitors to Galway in 2019, generating further auxiliary revenue in the local community. Similar contributions to local economies are replicated by Hospitality businesses across the country. We started 2020 in a growth mindset; we were focused on performance management & brand alignment. We were going to develop our business and invest in the development of our teams. Finance may fuel business, but people drive them! Where we are: It is fair to say, that like many Hospitality businesses, our focus has switched from performance management to crisis management, it is all about survival. Our employee numbers have reduced to 75, and we are in a state of uncertainty. The last 9 months and the roller coaster of lockdowns & restrictions has taken its toll on our business and on our teams. HNN |
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As a business and an Industry, we were compliant and we will continue to be, we followed the guidelines. It is too disrespectful to those that work in the frontline of our health service not to. There were opportunities to take on more business, the pent up demand was there. We turned away a significant amount because it did not meet the spirit of the guidance. We are looking to the future with positivity, we are committed to growing back better. We are resilient and we will grow again, but the scale of the crisis is deepening, and our Government now need to stop the piecemeal approach and put in place a sustainable sector specific support package to show that there is a viable future on the horizon. Recovery will only come after acceptance of the scale of the crisis that we all face. The time for real Political leadership has arrived, the time to put the Country first! Government Supports: The Government supports to date have been crucial, and if it were not for these supports, many businesses would already have closed permanently, supports included: EWSS and PUP schemes Warehousing of tax facility from Revenue Waiving of Commercial rates Access to emergency Funding (€2 Billion pandemic recovery fund) CRSS scheme The headlines deal in big numbers, make great sound bites for our politicians, and possibly even score points for them. The reality for business is that they are not always as they appear. The headlines do not always match the reality! I know our application to the pandemic recovery fund was not a satisfactory experience, even with a feasible business plan and the appointment of an experienced third party professional to facilitate the application. It was especially disappointing as our application supported the creation of 175 more jobs in Galway. If this is the experience of other Hospitality businesses, then that may explain the low take up numbers reported last week. Our application to some of the other liquidity supports were not always met kindly, one of the main banks did not engage, but then they are in the middle of their own crisis. We applied for the much heralded double payments of CRSS, only to find we did not match the criteria. The EWSS still incurs a considerable additional cost on businesses to protect employment, a cost that is extremely difficult to bear when the doors are closed. Subsidies need to be maintained at higher levels for all of 2021 and reviewed in October’s Budget for 2022. The “Stay & Spend” scheme, the less said about this one the better. This scheme was widely flagged from the outset that it was doomed to failure by those in the industry, another example of where direct consultation with shareholders could have led to a more successful scheme. The money allocated for this needs to be repurposed for a simplified end user voucher scheme to support Hospitality businesses. It made a good headline though. The reduction in VAT was broadly welcomed by all in the Industry, but the benefit will only be realised when we return to a better trading environment, not when our doors are closed. The reduction of VAT should be guaranteed for minimum 5 years post pandemic. There have been many reports submitted to Government on what a support package should include for Industry. Proposals that have been submitted by many Federations & Associations, with input from many Industry experts. We support these proposals, and we believe that the current supports need to go further. It will take a lot more than an additional bank holiday to help our beleaguered Industry. HNN |
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What next? Our country faces a significant mountain to climb, the main issues of the General Election in 2020 still loom large in the background. Our Health Service, Housing & Climate change challenges still need to be solved and to do so will require significant investment. The Health Service is knee deep in this crisis but the true costs of the missed diagnoses of serious illness will only be recognised when COVID-19 has passed. The Billions involved in the NON-bailout of the banking sector (another December headline that might not match the reality), will not meet the stimulus that will be required to position us, as a country, for recovery. An unprecedented situation will require an unprecedented response. There are reports that the Government can access so called “cheap money”, if this is true, then they should do so at their earliest convenience and put in place an Emergency Budget. The vaccines bring hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Government need to prioritise the introduction of a cohesive strategy for the procurement and roll out the vaccines. Mobilise and fund the troops to support the speed and effectiveness of the roll out. Protect the most vulnerable in our society and allow us to hope again. There are worrying reports of the potential impact of new strains of the virus, these are imported. Is it not time for Government to introduce imposed quarantined on arrivals into the country like the Australian model? I am sure you have all seen the updates on social media of Rob Kearney’s experience recently in Australia. Unfortunately, there will be no problem finding availability in hotels. Tourism to be put at the top table of Irish Politics through the introduction of a Senior Minister position with responsibility for Tourism& Hospitality Industry specifically, the current portfolio is too broad for one Minister. Introduction of an immediate Amnesty for tax liabilities arising to PAYE employees because of utilising wage subsidy schemes or accessing PUP, an Amnesty, not a delayed payment facility. Access to Financial injection at favourable interest rates, with amount available commensurate with the size and viability of each business, not a one size fits all approach. Even with supports in place, there has been considerable cash burn in businesses, Working Capital will be essential to stimulate recovery. Our Aviation Industry needs to be protected, we are an Island nation and rely on international visitors to support our tourism product. The support package introduced should include the provision of funding to allow Ireland to compete on a strong footing for International business post Covid-19. There should be a provision for Training & Development Initiatives that will ensure our Industry attracts talent into the future, consideration should be given to the re-introduction of a CERT style training model for people that would like to explore careers in the Hospitality Industry. Insurance Reform must be tackled once and for all. Operating in recent times has become more difficult due to persisting claim culture and Insurance premium hikes. If current practices persist, the trading environment will remain challenging for many. In Conclusion: Do not forsake our Industry, we are entwined into the fabric of Irish Society & the economy of each of our communities. Do not repeat the mistakes of past economic crises and leave an Industry on its’ knees and easy pickings for Vultures to swoop. If you do, then what have the supports to date truly been worth? We are an Industry that can play a vital role in economic recovery and would support a sustainable “living with COVID19” plan. We need to protect our “Ceád mile Fáilte” and all that contribute to making Ireland a great destination, if we do, then our appeal will shine even brighter in a post COVID-19 world. I am speaking out because I want to be able to look my team in the eye and say I stood up for our interests & our livelihoods, as we are all in this together. Yours Sincerely, Wayne Neilon MIHI Group General Manager, Connacht Hospitality Group HNN |
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reparing for the Up-Turn David Collins, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, The Great National Group inc. Revanista
As we begin our 11th year supporting hotels throughout Ireland the UK to achieve their rooms revenue potential, from a very early stage, here in Great National we realised that whereas what we do works and works very well, growing our client base was in fact constrained by the lack of investment in tech within the industry. As a result, our yielding processes and systems whilst very effective were overly manual. This can be said of the industry in general. The challenge we had in essence was how to scale our business at pace. Again a challenge for every independent hotel operator. So early on we looked at various off-the-shelf systems to help us to automate whilst continuing to enable our clients to weaponize their pricing and channel mix. The common denominators of what we looked at were pretty startling: lack of integration across systems, most were at best blunt instruments when it came to managing rate; and all were extremely costly. And this is still the case today. Having waited until the tech was sufficiently advanced, we set about developing our own yielding/distribution platform and with the continued help and support of Enterprise Ireland, we’ve developed our revenue management tool, Revanista. In short, Revanista is now enabling hotels to re-engage with their customers whilst reducing costs and driving room rate. Proof of the Pudding Looking back at 2020, undoubtedly this was a difficult and troubling time for hotels and the wider travel and tourism industry. To say that it was unprecedented would be an under-statement. And yet here in Great National, our online direct revenue performance for our Irish hotels’ websites matched almost exactly that of 2019 ... despite the reduced season. ABV and LoS increased 27% and 12% respectively while in the UK, our clients’ online revenue grew by a massive 35% YoY, ABV by 36% and LoS increased by 12%. Admittedly, there was huge pent-up demand amongst consumers however bear in mind that the only real show in town was the staycation market so no group business, no tours, no corporates ... This performance was largely achieved therefore by proactively and forensically managing our hotels’ digital, distribution and rate strategy. It is reasonably expected that something approaching ‘normal’ trading will return in Q2 2021 and therefore the next 3 months will continue to pose significant challenges for hotels and indeed the wider economies of both Ireland and the UK. Despite the constant stream of bad news and seemingly never-ending portents regarding the ‘end of the world as we know it’, operators need however to maintain a measure of pragmatism and dare I say it, optimism. And they need to prepare for the up-turn. HNN |
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In essence, we’re currently in what is already traditionally a challenging season for hotels, the dreaded ‘off-season’, and most regional hotels at best would be trading on a shorter week in any case. Little or no comfort admittedly but you should nevertheless strive to ensure some level of continuity in your business and whereas it may not be possible to trade, it is vital that you sustain your hotel's visibility so that when there is a pick-up – and there will be you are in poll position to take advantage of this. Direct vs. Indirect One of the biggest changes the industry has seen over the course of the last 9 months has been the re-calibration of direct vs. indirect, OWS vs. OTA. Covid is impacting everyone including the big OTAs: Booking.com announced a 25% cut in its workforce while Expedia announced similar moves plus a pull back on its meta-search activity. Furthermore we are definitely seeing a switch to direct amongst consumers - perhaps as people are staying local they’re also shopping local - which is good for hotels as this channel has a far lower cost of sale. To be clear, OTAs are an essential part of any hotel’s distribution mix: love ‘em or hate ‘em, 3rd party agents can provide brand reach that independent hotels would be unable to achieve and are therefore a critical element in the overall digital eco-system. That said, as OTAs pair back their presence in the market - this does leave hotels with less competition for Page One rankings and therefore now could be the right time – counter-intuitive I know - to invest in increasing your online visibility to drive more direct business. Tips for the Up-Turn So what can hoteliers do to prepare for the up-turn? Here are a few pointers: Re-align your yielding to allow late pick-up Recalibrate your channel mix Renew your focus on direct Encourage repeat/referral Review your website content, watch your PPC Avoid ‘Bucket Shops’ as in junk deal sites Manage your cost of sale Implement a flexible cancellation policy Monitor your competitive set Twice-weekly analysis of pickup, drop-off, pacing, etc. And one final tip. Seriously consider a revenue management tool. With Revanista, we’ve democratised the technology around rooms revenue yielding, making it available to everyone from enterprise level operations to ‘mom and pop’ guesthouses. And at a much more accessible price. Another consequence of deploying Revanista is to reduce not just pricing and inventory errors but also to reduce the amount of labour required to manage yielding. Literally thousands on inventory changes are being implemented daily by the hotels using Revanista which simply wouldn’t be possible if these same hotels were manually yielding. .. Food for thought. (For further details, please visit Revanista.com.)
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What’s next? Hospitality trends in 2021
If there’s one thing we’ve all learned about life over the last ten months, it’s that no matter how sure we are (of anything!) things can still always take a sharp turn, leaving us scratching our heads and marvelling at the lack of control we truly have… Having been forced to face this stark fact, the hospitality industry still did its damnedest to come up with innovative solutions to the issues Covid-19 rapidly threw in its direction and for the most part, adapted quickly and impressively. The world as we know it is a different place to what we understood it as being in January 2020. In order to cope, manage, and eventually thrive again, hotel owners, GMs, sales & marketers, will need to continue thinking flexibly, fluidly, innovatively and openly, and know that the hints of certain trends we saw in 2020 should be invested in on a greater level in 2021. A key consideration when you’re planning for 2021 is to remember what impact this pandemic has had on us collectively (evident when you look back on recent trends and activity). It has turned us all inward, made us question what is truly important. As part of this, it has accelerated the want and need for ‘wellness’, local produce, invigorating an interest in the outdoors, a craving for human contact and reassurance (whether face to face, on the phone or online). Remind yourself of this every step of the way. Take a step back and remember that ‘consumers’ are not abstract robots; they’re people. Here are some trends to watch out for. Try and hone in on these where possible this year. Putting your customers first So this can manifest itself in a few different ways. Firstly, the way to put your customers truly first is to make sure all departments are working holistically together to create the best experience possible for them – sales and revenue, front of house, marketing. In order to make people feel comfortable, it will be important to make sure all the information they need is clearly accessible on your website and socials. It will also be important to make your contact details clear and accessible so people know they can email or phone with questions you’re happy to answer for them. Through the content you produce, use this as an opportunity to connect with people. Don’t copy and paste, try and consider your tone, your language. Writing stuffily and formally will not engage anyone, and in order to engage in 2021, you will need to level with people – people! Not faceless credit card owners. Review your branding and language across all platforms, your socials too. Is your brand coming across as warm, inviting, flexible? Another way of putting your customers first is being mindful of their thoughts, values and beliefs. Make sure your content is inclusive of all people. Not to use too many buzzwords, but now is a time more than ever to be tolerable and open to a diverse range of staff and travellers – and to make sure this diversity is represented where possible in your content. HNN |
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Did you know: 75% of people expect brands to take a stance on the social issues that matter most to them? We can no longer silo ourselves and our businesses off from the rest of the world. We are all many things – we work, we parent, we support, we believe, we think. There can often be a fear as a business to make a stand on social issues. However it’s very hard to come across as authentic if you aren’t showing the world what you’re doing to be more sustainable, or showing the world the steps you’re taking towards being more environmentally friendly. Put some ime and effort into thinking about who you are this year, and how to represent that positively through action and content. It will pay off. On a smaller note, making sure you have technologies in place which mean guests can order food and drink by contactless methods (QR code) and check in via automated means through their smartphones will leave a good taste in their mouths! Keeping watch of your cleanliness standards Wash your hands! One of the most important messages to the public since the beginning of the pandemic, washing hands is a key way of staying safe and protecting yourself from catching the virus. For anyone travelling anywhere last year, whether it was to a local hotel or further afield, it was so important they were made well aware of cleanliness and sanitization policies in place. Customers need to know staff are taking precautionary measures on an individual level, but also that the standard of cleaning in rooms, common areas and bathrooms is consistently high. Communicating this information and making it fully accessible is necessary and ensuring your customer’s questions have a forum and can be answered easily is important, too.
The importance of local 'Organic’, ‘free range’, ‘locally produced’ – some more buzzwords and phrases surrounding trends lists for 2021! With good reason. There’s been a surge of desire for locally produced products in every sense, including and most importantly, with food. While globalization has been an amazing development for the most part, a counter-culture has presented itself which results in this craving to support businesses back at home who are producing beautiful products of an incredibly high quality, at an extremely difficult time financially. As a hotel, it will be important in 2021 to be able to say the food you’re producing is local, it’s free range, it’s organic. What are the stories you can tell around this – do you know the farmers who supply your meat, your dairy, your vegetables. People want to take care of themselves, they want to know where their food comes from. Partnering with local restaurants will also do a job in terms of supporting other local businesses (which is an important cause socially and for communities) and it also lends itself as an opportunity to tell a story. You could potentially create a wine and food trail looking down the line towards summer time and beyond (an outdoor, socially distanced one of course!) The possibilities are endless.‘Local’ also relates back to the conversation about sustainability. The pandemic has made us all much more aware of the importance of supporting local business, impacts air travel can have on the environment and more. Being a brand that shows you care about this will carry you into 2021 on the right foot.
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New ways to engage your guests We’ve heard a lot about the rise in ‘wellness’ experiences. This trend will accelerate in 2021 for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s fair to say that collectively, much of the globe has been through a harrowing ten months! The people who are lucky enough to have the expenditure available to take a holiday will want to look after themselves, nourish themselves, give back to themselves. This is why it’s no longer enough to tack on the word ‘wellness’ in a description of your pool or spa. Are there experiences you can create which guests can enjoy in nature, such as open air exercise classes or outdoor seaweed baths? This is another opportunity to look around your community and partner up with different businesses to create a unique, truly memorable experience. Be creative! Another new way of engaging your guests is considering the new situation many of them now find themselves in: remote working. This one is also a useful way for you to use up free space you may have. Think of your hotel’s surroundings. Most likely it’s beautifully decorated, with plush seats, a calming or pleasing view, high speed internet ticking along in the background. What nicer way to spend a few days of work?! I can’t think of one. Be creative with your remote working packages. How can you provide true value while highlighting relevant, attractive inclusions that will make it worth someone’s while to stay with you during their work week. This is an area that will blow up in 2021, and hotels who can get their innovative caps on the soonest will come out on top.
Garnish your social media with a twist of innovation How can you use your social media more effectively this year, and have it help you go that extra mile? Think a little outside the box. Social media is a key part of the buying experience now, but in order to help that along, as a brand, you can use Facebook and Instagram to promote the joy and excitement around trip planning – not just focusing in on you and what your property has to offer. Help to enrich your guests’ holiday as a whole. Share itineraries, activity ideas, tag other businesses, maybe even create a competition for one lucky guest to win a full day of activities on their trip. All of this helps to increase your reach, but also sends a message about the kind of brand you are.Micro-influencers are another way of utilising social media differently this year. When many of us think ‘influencer’ we think big personality, we think of maybe two or three household names, all of which are most likely already promoting 10+ brands at the moment. Micro influencers are those with 10,000 followers or less. Generally, their engagement rate is actually higher than larger influencers because they have a dedicated follower base that trusts their recommendations. These authentic influencers won’t promote a brand they don’t truly like or feel they can get behind (if they’re doing their job right!) Perhaps do some research and find out who, in your area, would be a good one to partner with, and make a plan together. Using micro-influencers widens your reach in a way that feels natural, feels authentic – it’s a form of advertising that engages your guests completely differently to, say, a paid Facebook campaign. We’re looking forward to providing you with much more helpful, timely content in 2021! Like what you read today? Sign up to our blog for weekly insights straight to your inbox.
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Bookassist wins for Ireland at Hotel Tech Awards
Irish hotel technology company Bookassist (Bookassist.com) has pulled in the awards for Ireland at the International HotelTechAwards. Considered the Grammy’s of hotel tech, the awards rank the world’s best hotel software companies and products based on authentic reviews from real users. Superior unbiased feedback and peer reviews from over 10,000 hoteliers across the globe earned Bookassist the global titles of Best Digital Marketing, Best Website Design and Best Metasearch company. Here's a selection of reviews from Irish hoteliers: "They view your property as their own. Bookassist always gives us the best of attention" "The Bookassist team go the extra mile" "Since switching our website, digital marketing and booking 21engine to Bookassist, we have seen a year on year increase in business" "Their innovative practices all work in perfect harmony together to optimise conversion and increase bottom line revenues" "Although it has been a tough year we feel very positive going forward that we are with the right company for building back our business" Bookassist was the only Irish company to make the Global Top 3 Booking Engine fInalists list, pipped for the top award by tech giant Cloudbeds. Bookassist came in ahead of international company Siteminder who secured 3rd place. Bookassist also fought off smaller local Irish companies Avvio and Net Affinity outranking them in all 4 categories of Digital Marketing, Website Design, Metasearch and Booking Engine. “The ranking process is simple, transparent, and unbiased - judging is based on time tested ranking factors, publicly available data and crowdsourced insights from verified hoteliers who have hands-on experience with each product” - Hotel Tech Report CEO Jordan Hollander. As well as being honoured as a global technology leader, Ireland’s Bookassist was also awarded a coveted People's Choice Award for outstanding customer centricity based on total verified customer reviews, geographic reach of reviews and overall review sentiment and ratings. HNN |
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Winning the highest achievement in the industry during the most challenging year ever recorded for hotels is humbling. We’re incredibly grateful to the hundreds of clients who came out to support Bookassist despite the major challenges they themselves were dealing with. These awards once again recognise Bookassist as a world-leading, customer-centric technology company that hotels can trust to build their direct booking business. Dr Des O’Mahony - CEO and Co-founder Bookassist If you're not currently working with Bookassist but would like to hear more about the value we could drive for your business, simply complete this enquiry form and we'll be in touch soon! Browse more verified Bookassist reviews or find out more about Bookassist -ABOUT HOTEL TECH REPORT Hotel Tech Report is the world's largest online community for technology insights and digital transformation strategies in the massive hotel industry. Our mission is to arm hotel owners and managers with the tools they need to leverage modern digital technologies and solve real-world business problems. Everything that we do is built upon a foundation of trust and transparency provided by authentic verified peer and expert reviews. Each month we help nearly 100,000 hoteliers learn about technology solutions and strategies that make their properties more efficient and solve their most pressing business problems. ABOUT BOOKASSIST Bookassist is The Direct Booking Expert™, working with hotels to build their brand online, drive direct business to their branded website, capture bookings with world class booking technology, help them optimize their online distribution and ensure they grow their profit per booking. Bookassist provides both technology and expert online strategy for hotels, lowering costs and increasing direct online business. We manage the entire online digital strategy for hotels with services to maximise online presence and drive direct booking revenue for maximum margin.
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FREE NOW TO INVEST €6 MILLION IN TO HOME CHARGERS FOR IRISH TAXI DRIVERS Dublin, 13 January 2021 - Ireland’s leading ridehailing app FREE NOW has today announced that it will invest €6 million to help Irish drivers to buy home chargers to alleviate pain points around switching to EVs. The ride-hailing app is also urging the Government to encourage and support drivers financially to buy greener vehicles, which is crucial if Ireland is to meet its emissions targets. The company has already met with stakeholders from across the taxi, transport, charging and business sectors to see how stakeholders can work together to reduce emissions and improve air quality across Ireland.
Data from the ride-hailing app shows that of all 11 countries where FREE NOW operates, Ireland has the lowest share of new cars (only 16% of cars registered after 2015 vs. 63% in average across other markets). A recent survey of drivers found that Irish drivers need more assurance from all parties when it comes to switching, with 68% saying they were unsure about whether they would consider making the switch. This is compared to 37% in the UK 22% in France where the regulation and Government support for drivers is more advanced. Already in the UK, 55% of FREE NOW taxi trips are done in zero emissions capable (ZEC) vehicles. In addition to investing in home chargers for every driver by matching the Sustainable Energy Authority Of Ireland’s grants, the ride hailing app will offset all emissions (backdatefrom 2020 onwards), through preservation and regeneration of forests and planting more than 20,000 trees across European cities. Along with their own commitments, FREE NOW is urging the Government to make some changes to regulation in order to help expedite the switch to cleaner vehicles. In particular these are: In relation to grants, while there are supports in place, the Government needs to review those supports to ensure they are appropriately targeted and consider focussing on a finance model as well as grants. To ensure that we have charging infrastructure in place across the country. While home charging will help, there is a need to ensure a large and dependable spread of chargers. There needs to be a greater number of Electric Vehicles approved for use as taxis to offer drivers choice and ultimately lower the overall cost of purchase.
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Niall Carson, General Manager for FREE NOW Ireland said: “We take our responsibility as Ireland’s leading ride-hailing app very seriously and want to make a significant impact on improving air quality. But we also understand that drivers cannot switch to EVs overnight and they need support from all stakeholders in order to do so. Drivers have highlighted their very real concerns when it comes to price and charging infrastructure. That is why we will help to alleviate some of the barriers to switching by significantly investing in home chargers for every driver in Ireland. “I have written to the Minister for Transport to outline some of the key barriers and ask for action here, this will not happen overnight but all stakeholders must work together to improve Ireland’s position on this issue on the European stage. Taxi drivers are well placed to lead the way to wider switching among private car users and we can all learn a lot from their experience, but we cannot expect drivers to carry all of the costs.” This comes as FREE NOW Europe announces it will be the first mobility platform in Europe to achieve a net zero plan and unveils plans to have at least 50% fully electric vehicle rides by 2025 and a 100% zero emission rides by 2030 in all European markets. FREE NOW Europe will push the electrification of its rides by allocating more than €100 million of resources in the coming five years. In September 2020, FREE NOW launched its “Eco” booking option which enables passengers to specifically choose electric or hybrid taxis to support Ireland’s drive to reduce carbon emissions. A recent survey of passengers by FREE NOW showed that almost 70% of people are now more environmentally-aware in their day-to-day routines, including when making decisions on how to travel, since COVID-19.
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Bloomfield House Hotel gain more guest time by opting for Guestline’s cloud - The four-star luxury hotel leverages Guestline’s technology and partner integrations to automate processes and maximise revenue opportunities One of Ireland’s leading hotels, Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar, Ireland, has selected Guestline’s PMS and distribution solutions to drive bookings, enhance the guest experience and streamline operations. The hotel has also selected Advanced Conference and Banqueting module to help them manage the vast number of weddings, meetings and events they host. With 111 bedrooms and an array of facilities including a spa, restaurant, pool and meeting rooms, the hotel needed to future-proof and integrate their technology platforms to ensure they were operating efficiently, reducing manual processes and maximising revenue beyond the guest rooms. Cloud migration - Migrating to the cloud has now provided the hotel with accessibility, real-time sales and flexibility. Previously the hotel was inputting reservations as they came in, so the new systems will allow the team to be more productive by automatically uploading reservations and readjusting inventory. Likewise, all their events were managed manually which now will be a thing of the past. Local support and guidance - Easily contactable, Guestline’s Support was another factor in the hotel making the move. The hotel was also keen to explore Guestline’s online support portal which has a wealth of training videos, manuals and tips to help team members. Sophisticated event planning - The Advanced C&B tool will change how they manage their weddings and events business. Fully integrated with the PMS, it will save Bloomfield House time with automated processes, deliver more insight with the total revenue forecasts and update all departments with what’s happening day to day with the function sheets that can be exported directly from the PMS. · Partner integrations - The hotel opted for various partner interfaces, and the two-way integration to ResDiary will enable them to effectively manage their restaurant bookings.
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Oliver Gaffey, Sales and Marketing manager at Bloomfield House added, ‘We recognised the need to integrate our systems and future proof them in the cloud. We did our research and found that many hoteliers had opted for Guestline and we were impressed with its intuitive platform that will enable us to run a more productive, streamlined operation and save us time – time which is better spent with guests! During the implementation process, we received excellent training, clear instructions, patience, and good humour from the Guestline trainer which was much appreciated. We’re looking forward to using all the many features and benefits that the system affords and improving our processes for the good of the guests and the team!’ Deirdre Bracken, Business Development Manager commented, ‘The team at Bloomfield have been a pleasure to work with throughout the whole process – from initial consultation, the team were receptive to new ideas, right through to implementation where they were open to change and took to the new system seamlessly. The hotel is stunning with a range of superb amenities and a seamless blend of country-house character and contemporary four-star luxury, ideal for both business and holiday guests. We are delighted they’ve joined us.’ More information: Please visit www.guestline.com or contact Deirdre Bracken at enquiries@guestline.com
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Sodexo introduce Vital Spaces: a new proposition for managing the workplace Sodexo’s Vital Spaces has brought together the company’s diverse expertise to provide employers with a new proposition to help them transform their workplaces through a connected, people-centric approach. The workplace of today is not just about the physical boundaries of an office, but also the employee experience wherever and whenever teams are working. Recent research from Ibec[1], in which businesses were questioned about HR trends arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, show that hybrid working tops the list of peopleled priorities for 51% of Irish organisations. With hybrid working becoming a reality for many organisations from 2021, Vital Spaces will enable a blended way of working, bringing together everything Sodexo can do to support adults at work whether at the office, at home or at a third workspace. Building out from traditional iFM and food services, Vital Spaces offers a wider range of services, from consultancy, space design and planning, benefits and rewards solutions through to employee-focused services like concierge. Sodexo will deliver this through greater integration of its business divisions and partners such as Sodexo Engage, Wx and Circles. Sodexo’s Vital Spaces focuses on spaces and people and has been framed under five service pillars. WorkPlace Strategy: A data-driven, outcome focused approach to workspace including change management. Smart building strategy with consideration given to the environment, sustainability and energy. WorkPlace Design: Supporting the creation of productive and inspiring spaces - where people can be their best. WorkPlace Management: Seamlessly managing safe, compliant and sustainable places where people can focus on the task at hand. WorkLife Services: Including food at work, food delivery, employee & guest services, as well as work from home services, all supporting life for people at work, helping them thrive. WorkPlace Tech and Analytics: Data-driven solutions helping organisations make faster, smarter decisions in areas such as space utilisation, energy reporting, health, wellbeing & environmental analysis. David Fox, managing director, Corporate Services, Sodexo Ireland: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the workplace as we know it, but that transformation was already underway. “Over the last few years, we have seen the gradual shift towards agile and flexible working and, because of this trend, we had already begun to look at how we can support client organisations to maximise the use of their workspaces. “Vital Spaces it is an evolution of Sodexo’s wide portfolio of expertise and services brought together to provide our clients with the solutions to transform their workplaces, bringing a new focus on the working experience whether in an office, at home or at a third space, and drive employee engagement as a result. “We are proud that as an organisation we can support our clients, help them plan for the future whilstgetting the best out of spaces and people.” HNN |
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E D U C A T I O N
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Introducing "The Groundwork" As part of or our continued initiative in keeping our members informed on everything industry related, we are delighted to introduce a new addition to The HNN, "The Groundwork". This new section will include a piece of research related to industry and we are asking our members, particularly those in education to please share their research so that it can be featured. This month we are delighted to share an abstract from:
Growth and Development of Resort Hotels in Ireland By Leanne Corrigan1, Dr. Detta M. Melia2, Dr. Ann T. Conway3, Technological University Dublin (City Campus). Abstract This study investigates the growth and development of resort hotels in Ireland, via the research question, ‘What are the Critical Success Factors of Growth and Development of Resort Hotels in Ireland’. The following objectives were formulated: 1: Examine and evaluate the literature on growth and development on resort hotels; 2: Analyse the growth and development of the first resort hotel in Ireland; 3: Make recommendations for industry and the future research for resort hotels. The research conducted is the first of its kind on resort hotels in Ireland and it aims to highlight the vital role resorts play. Information is limited on the type and style of resort hotels and the primary research aimed to address that. with six main types of resorts identified in the literature: entertainment resort hotel; beach resort hotel; golf resort hotel; mountain based / ski resort hotel; spa health and wellness resort hotel; getaway / back-to-nature resort hotel and eco-tourist resort hotel. There are only 25 out of 823 Irish hotels that brand themselves as resorts in Ireland. A questionnaire was distributed to the 25 resort hotels in Ireland with an in-depth interview case study with “Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa”. Due to the covid-19 pandemic and the closure of the targeted hotels, there was a 0% return from the hotels and so the indepth interview case study was solely employed. The analysis showed that more hotels are branding themselves as resort hotels to aid their business. critical success factors were identified in the hotel that corresponded with literature, with the main factors being, guest satisfaction, product quality, location, large percentage repeat business, selection of amenities, good product to value ratio and location. From the case study it is evident that constant investment is needed to maintain competitor leadership; and that family history can be credited as a driver for a high standard reputation. While critical success factors were identified in primary and secondary research, it is imperative that resorts create their own factors depending on their market, service and type of establishment. The public generally prefer independent resorts rather than chains due to the personal service. Chains can focus on improving this in their service offering. It is also suggested that post Covid 19, people travelling will more than likely prefer to stay in a resort hotel offering all facilities as opposed to using other forms of service. This is an opportunity for resort hotels. Key Words: Critical Success Factors, Resorts Hotels, Ireland, Covid19 Click here for full paper. HNN |
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IHI PATRONS