In response to the death of a colleague who struggled with addiction, Steve Palmer and fellow restaurateur Mickey Bakst established Ben’s Friends, a community of restaurant owners, managers, chefs and other workers who seek sobriety. Palmer tells how Ben’s Friends came to be because he wants to raise awareness of substance abuse in the F&B industry and let those who struggle with addiction know there’s acceptance and help.
Nov 17, 2021
12 min
Lodging Econometrics has tracked the hotel industry since 1998. Its global database includes new-hotel pipelines as well as renovations and brand conversions. Hotel franchisers once eager to launch new brands are focused on converting existing hotels because it’s a faster way to recover revenue lost to the COVID-19 pandemic than through new construction. In Episode 346, Lodging Leaders explores the increasing number of conversions in the U.S. hotel industry and what owners and operators need to consider before repositioning an asset.
Nov 17, 2021
31 min
In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., financiers anticipated a swell of distressed hotel businesses. Some raised rescue funds to respond to what they thought was a pending crisis. Though there are financial rescues taking place, the level of such activity is far below what industry advisers and fund managers expected. Commercial real estate investors positioned to act in the early days of the pandemic held off and are now just beginning to unleash their cash hoards totaling billions of dollars. Episode 345 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the state of capital investment in the hotel industry.
Nov 10, 2021
30 min
Shawn Seipler of Orlando, Florida, founded Clean the World 12 years ago to fight life-threatening illnesses in children who had no access to soap and water. He started by collecting discarded guest-room soaps from a single hotel in his neighborhood. Today Clean the World has recycled 63 million bars of amenity-sized soap from more than 8,000 hotels and resorts and distributed them to 130 countries. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt Clean the World a dramatic blow in its programming and growth strategy. Lodging Leader’s introductory episode in its special series, “Happy To Be Of Service: Stories of hospitality giving back,” features Seipler who talks about Clean the World’s beginnings and how a hospitality industry in recovery has helped the nonprofit pick up the pieces and move forward with its life-saving mission.
Nov 3, 2021
16 min
Hoteliers and allied vendors invested in both lodging and senior-living assets demonstrate how the spirit of hospitality and its best practices extend into other real-estate-asset groups. Episode 343 of Lodging Leaders podcast is the second in a two-part series that explores the hospitality industry’s growing interest in senior living.
Oct 27, 2021
23 min
Boston University School of Hospitality Administration’s Master of Management in Hospitality program launched this fall with a new concentration in senior living. The school believes it is on the cusp of a massive shift in how Americans view aging and where new opportunities lie for the hospitality industry. Episode 342 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores how hospitality professionals are aligning interest and innovation with what one researcher calls “the longevity economy.”
Oct 20, 2021
21 min
Families are driving the hotel industry’s recovery from the pandemic recession. A new report by the Family Travel Association reveals what parents are looking for when planning vacation experiences to enjoy with their children. The U.S. Family Travel Survey 2021 reveals the shift in mindset the COVID-19 pandemic has created in families intending to travel within the next 12 months. Episode 341 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores how hoteliers can use the information to generate business.
Oct 13, 2021
21 min
Episode 340 of Lodging Leaders podcast updates the progress of efforts by hotel industry leaders to open doors and break down financing barriers for women who want to invest in or own hotels. Whether they’re new to the concept or they’ve worked in lodging for years, women are an emerging force in hotel development, investment and ownership. This report features several industry leaders who are making significant strides in building programs that encourage and support women interested in becoming hotel owners and investors
Oct 6, 2021
32 min
Calvin Tilokee's first meme was printed out and hung on his office door. Since then, he's created @revparblems, a hospitality comedy account on Instagram with 20,000 followers. Susan learns how Calvin navigates the highs and lows of being the funniest account on Instagram and helps hotels with social media through his company, RevPar Media. View the show notes for this episode at https://topfloorpodcast.com/3.
Oct 5, 2021
39 min
Squeezing every last ounce of profit from a hotel’s top-line revenue has always been a challenge for hotel operators but the COVID-19 pandemic has tested the mettle of even the most savvy revenue manager. One trend hoteliers are debating is à la carte or attribute pricing for amenities and services that are typically rolled into room rate. Some hoteliers are giving it a go while others are in a wait-and-see mode. Episode 339 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores how the industry may unbundle services and find ways to tap revenue from guests willing to pay extra to craft their own stay experience.
Sep 29, 2021
28 min
Load more