Category Archives for Hotels.
Expect hotels to look at ways to cut costs anywhere they can and to use coronavirus as an excuse. Even better when changing consumer preferences make it easier to impose cost savings. Several chains already say they’re trying to make their increase investments in cleaning cost-neutral.
Some hotels are realizing that requiring COVID-19 tests can be a marketing tool. Just as seeing everyone else wear face masks on a plane makes many other passengers feel more at ease about their situation.
Right now it’s difficult to feel safe going out into the world. There’s a lot of fear, even beyond what’s warranted by the uncertain conditions of the world. So how can a resort convince you it’s safe to stay? By telling you everyone else there has been tested.
Business Insider suggests that Airbnb’s are safer in the current climate than hotels, because there are fewer people occupying any given Airbnb than occupy a hotel. I’m not so sure that’s the right answer.
A 35 year old married couple is suing the DoubleTree Denver Stapleton North because they believe they were spied on while having sex inside the room.
The wife says whomever was looking in might have captured “intimate moments” or naked time at the oh so sexy DoubleTree Stapleton.
This is a horrible idea, that undermines trust in the brand completely. It’s trust in the brand that drives value for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. They really risk undermining their business.
If a surcharge is needed to cover the cost of making a hotel safe from SARS-CoV-2, then it’s not part of a hotel’s basic practices. the room rate doesn’t buy a safe stay. That communication is downright scary. And hiding the ball on price is untrustworthy and what’s needed to bring travelers back more than ever is trust.
Hotels can and should adjust pricing to generate the most revenue they can. That’s called the room rate, and hotels publish numerous different rates every day and vary their rates as needed. They can also incentivize use of on-property facilities, or raise and lower prices at those.
The worst approach would be for hotels to act in a deceptive manner, and undermine trust, when they’re struggling to fill even 40% of rooms and need that trust to get customers to travel let alone choose them for that travel. And raising pricing when occupancy is low, in the middle of a severe recession, seems like the height of stupidity.
One man has spent the past two months living in the W Barcelona hotel. He’s in charge of maintenance. The property closed in mid-March but Daniel Ordoñez stayed inside. He “agreed to self-isolate inside in order to avoid any deterioration of the premises that could delay its reopening, whenever that might be.”
At first he thought he’d be there for two weeks. It’s been more than eight. He lives by himself on the 24th floor of the hotel, and cooks his meals alone in the huge hotel kitchen. He washes his socks in housekeeping’s gigantic industrial washer.
Within hours of the story hitting several media sources, a Homewood Suites by Hilton has reversed course and will refund $10,000 owed to a 5th grade class in Florida.
In a rather bizarre story the Homewood Suites by Hilton Washington DC Downtown wanted to charge an elementary school $20,612 when they weren’t able to travel to D.C. in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The hotel eventually agreed to take just $10,000, withheld from the group’s deposit. In an unexpected twist, the kids are getting the money back thanks to intervention by an incarcerated rap artist.
Incarcerated rapper Kodak Black, in prison until October on gun charges, grew up near the school and has offered to pay for a future trip if Hilton refuses a refund. Black’s attorney is representing the school PTA as it seeks a full refund from the hotel.
First is an offer of gift cards at a discount. Gift cards usually sell to merchants for less than face value, and you can often buy them at a discount on the secondary market, but when you can buy them directly from a brand you have less to worry about in terms of fraud or technical glitches.
Second Marriott is offering points with the biggest bonus we’ve seen – you are prepaying for stays, effectively, at a discount here as well. And while gift cards can’t be used at Marriott’s homesharing service they’re offering a discount on those bookings as well, for two days only.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
