ANAHEIM, CA—More than a dozen hotel management industry executives discussed how to attract and retain guests during the 2014 Hotel Business Executive Series Management Roundtable: “Managing Expectations: Forging a Better Relationship with Today’s Guest.”
Hosted by Red Lion Hotels Corporation and sponsored by Protect-A-Bed, ProfitSword, LLC and Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc., the roundtable, presented by Hotel Business, was held on March 28th at Red Lion Hotel Anaheim, located one mile from Disneyland Resort.
The influence of online guest reviews on TripAdvisor has defined the purchasing decisions of consumers and put increasing pressure on the brands and owners. “The industry is going through a tremendous transition,” said Ted Knighton, president/COO, Interstate Hotels & Resorts. “Guest feedback is there for everyone to see, and this new generation wants something totally different.” Greg Mount, president/CEO, Red Lion Hotels Corp., added, “In this day and age, if a guest posts a comment, the technology exists to ensure that we can get that comment in real time and communicate with the hotel.”
In addition to presenting hospitality basics such as a clean room, comfortable bed and efficient check-in, Tom Conran, principal of Greenwood Hospitality Group, pointed to his company’s efforts to create memorable experiences within their portfolio. “As we create memorable experiences, people like to talk about that more and more,” said Conran. “We’ve seen a large retention factor by doing so. And they’re willing to talk to more people about the experience.”