Mike Hohnen

Coaching for personal growth, change and development

Hotel

How much extra for nice?

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Is the question Seth Godin asks on his blog – it reminds me of a quote i once read from the HR people at South West Airlines: ” It is not technical skills we are looking for it is nice people. We can train people to do anything technical, but we can’t make them nice” .
When I conduct training’s for front line staff I ask them what in your opinion is a wow experience and when did you last have one. Invariable the same happens no matter what group I do this with: a) out of 25 – 30 people only 3-5 have had a wow service experience.
b) when I then ask them to describe in detail what is was, 9 times out of 10 the best experience always have to do with some one who was exceptionally nice – never ever do people mention the chandeliers in the reception area, the 6-foot flat screens in their room or any of the other features that are listed in a hotel brochure – always we come back to nice – my conclusion on this is: wow – what an opportunity, obviously very few people do it and it costs virtually nothing to implement – A huge opportunity indeed as Seth Godin says. I could not agree more.

Read the post here

Food trends for 2008

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This time of year we are all (including me ;-) ) busy trying to forecast what the new food trends are going to be.

I gave a speak on the subject at the UK CESA conference in november – presenting the new and creative concepts that I have encountered in the major cities. Among these a quite unique concept in Barcelona – made by Camper. Watch it here.

Here is an attempt from restaurant guru Michael Whiteman

And here you will find a less colourful attempt from the Magazine Restaurants and Institutions

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One thing I have observed is that the new mantra for buffets and food displays is that less is more – simplicity and quality have replaced volume and variety in some of the best and most progressive concepts I have seen. Tappas and Sushi style bites have replace huge displays.

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The photos here are both from the spanking new Renaissance Shanghai Hotel – note that the cokkie jars are there for quest to take their pick if the feel like a cokkie with their coffee.

What do you think are going to be the dominant new trends in the Food business this year?

Communicating is not as easy as we think

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We had great fun working with communication and problem solving with a group of hotel reception and booking people. How good are we at explaning to our colleagues what we have actually promised the guest? How good are we at understanding what the guest really wants? Good fun and lots of useful learning.

Komunication is not as easy as you think...

“What piece goes where did you say?”

Bangkok's Smallest Hotel LUXX,

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probably the smallest hotel in Bangkok introduces a new taste of luxury for its guests. Going by the theme, “Beyond Hotel…Stay with LUXX,” this home for the young, hip and trendy traveller is bringing design, comfort and experience to a new level. From being a home of one of the owners to a left alone building, a young architect and designer merge a vision to create a premium class accommodation facility to fit the taste of the young, hip and trendy.

LUXX

Instant Room Service

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A branded hotel key card – a nice bit of marketing from MTN:

Jo’Blog

Pillow talk…

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Pillows have become serious business at high-end hotels, where guests are being presented with a broad choice of options, ranging from goose down or allergy-free pillows, to those designed to reduce snoring. At the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, guests have a choice of no less than 12 types of pillows, and at the Skylofts at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a “dream butler” delivers the pillow menu, which includes an option for pillows monogrammed with the guest’s initials

NYT

The worlds most radical hotel

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https://www.yotel.co.uk/
We have had an enormous response to Yotel over the last few months and would like to thank all those that have been in contact and are showing interest. We are working hard to bring you the first Yotel and will announce shortly where the first Yotel will open.

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Fixing A Leak In The Hotel Profitability Pipeline: How To Manage The Costs Of Employee Turnover

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https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000350/4020937.html

One of the most vexing and expensive managerial problems: employee turnover, and particularly turnover of the most productive and effective individuals-continues to plague the hotel industry. A recent study showed that the average turnover level among non-management hotel employees in the US is about 50%, and about 25% for management staff. Thus, small variations in property-wide turnover may have significant financial implications.