Attracting - BC Hotel Association

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Attracting
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Fall 2012
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www.bchotelassociation.com
BCHA Board of Directors
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Region
Taj Kassam, Sandman Hotel Group, Vancouver
Craig Norris-Jones, Coast Hotels & Resorts, Vancouver
Ken Svejkosky, Rosellen Suites at Stanley Park, Vancouver
David Wetsch, Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver, Vancouver
Ross Dyck, Sylvia Hotel, Vancouver
John Sandor, Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver
Ian Lowe, Crystal Lodge, Whistler
Yannick Simovic, Vancouver Airport Marriot, Richmond
John Kearns, Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, Surrey
Leonard Wiens, Comfort Inn Chilliwack, Chilliwack
Vancouver Island, Victoria, and Gulf Islands Region
Earl Wilde, Victoria Regent Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Victoria
Reid James, Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria
Kevin Walker, Oak Bay Beach Hotel & Marine Resort, Victoria
Ian Powell, Inn at Laurel Point, Victoria
Rick Browning, Best Western Plus The Westerly Hotel, Courtenay
Jonathan Cross, Hospitality Inn Hotel, Port Alberni
Kurt Pyrch, Best Western Cowichan Valley, Duncan
Featured Property
Nita Lake Lodge, page 16
Thompson Okanagan Region
Gavin Parry, Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna
John Douglas, Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge, Sun Peaks
Tim Rodgers, Best Western Plus Kamloops Hotel, Kamloops
Don Brogan, Walnut Beach Resort, Osoyoos
Ingrid Jarrett, Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos
David Gibbs, Prestige Hotel & Conference Centre Vernon, Vernon
Kootenay Rockies Region
Don Lutzak, Elkford Motor Inn, Elkford
Cariboo Chilcotin Region
Pat Corbett, The Hills Health and Guest Ranch, 100 Mile House
Fall 2012
Northern BC Region
Steve Smith, Crest Hotel, Prince Rupert
Al McCreary, Hudson Bay Lodge, Smithers
Sam Mangalji, Inn on the Creek, Dawson Creek
Features
Columns
Attracting GenY Guests
4
President’s Message
10 Digital Marketing & Distribution Trends
5
CEO’s Report
16 Nita Lake Lodge
21 Tourism Indicators
18 Successful Partnering with DMOs
25 BCHA Member Benefits
22 Best Practices in Budgeting
28 Names in the News
BCHA Staff
26 Canada: The Place You Thought You Knew
29 BC Hospitality Foundation
James Chase, Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver 604-443-4750
Cailey Murphy, Director of Comm. & Bus. Relations, Vancouver 604-443-4751
Louise Thompson, Member Services Coordinator, Vancouver 604-443-4756
30 Five Quick Scripts for Responding to
Customer Complaints
29 What’s New?
Executive Committee
President, David Wetsch, Ramada Limited Downtown, Vancouver
Past President, Kurt Pyrch, Best Western Cowichan Valley, Duncan
Treasurer, Al McCreary, Hudson Bay Lodge, Smithers
Vice President, Jonathan Cross, The Hospitality Inn, Port Alberni
Vice President, Ingrid Jarrett, Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos
Vice President, Gavin Parry, Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna
Vice President, Kevin Walker, Oak Bay Beach Hotel & Marine Resort, Victoria
Vice President, Earl Wilde, Victoria Regent Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Victoria
6
Website: www.bchotelassociation.com
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President’s Message
by David Wetsch
The Importance of Engaging our Local Representatives
As we approach the fall season and our
local representatives begin to leave the BBQ
circuit and head for Victoria and Ottawa,
we must again turn to you, our members, for help in delivering our
message and ensuring that our interests are being represented by our
elected officials. Much of our advocacy efforts as a provincial association
depend largely on our ability to effectively deliver our message to the
many representatives at each level of government. We are beginning to
roll out our fall grassroots campaign and we need to use your voice, the
voice of the operator, as our vehicle.
The BC Hotel Association and our partners at the Hotel Association of
Canada (HAC) maintain a strong lobbying presence, but the real power
is in our members. Your knowledge of our sector gives you credibility
and weight on issues that affect the hotel sector and broader tourism
industry. Members of Parliament (MPs) appreciate insights that are
based on their constituents’ real life experience and it is your knowledge
and experience that makes you effective as a lobbyist for the lodging
industry.
Grassroots lobbying occurs when everyday citizens contact their local
representatives, MPs, and MLAs to try to influence legislation and
policy by informing these representatives of the implications in their
local community. Grassroots lobbying is very effective because MPs are
hearing directly from their constituents who will be voting the next time
they are up for re-election. MPs are often the most interested in issues
when they understand the local impact. Grassroots campaigns are your
opportunity to be proactive and get involved before new demands on
your business and bottom line are signed into law.
The BCHA and HAC are calling on all members to meet with their MP
to discuss issues of importance to the tourism and hospitality industry.
4 InnFocus
How to Meet With Your Local Representatives
When preparing to meet with your MP, take some time to review HAC’s
background material online at www.hotelassociation.ca/grassroots. HAC
has provided a number of resources for you, including a document entitled
“The Hotel Lobby” as well as details on HAC’s proposed funding models
for the Canadian Tourism Commission, “Driving Tourism Growth”. These
documents will provide you with background and speaking notes on two
key issues: 1) Funding support for the Canadian Tourism Commission,
and 2) Access to workers through the federal Temporary Foreign Worker
Program and an increase in the number of certificates provided to Provincial
Nominee Programs.
Arrange a meeting with your MP to discuss these issues. You may wish to have
another hotel manager come with you. Before the meeting, be sure to check
HAC’s MP Responsibility list to see if your MP has any other responsibilities,
and take some time to think about how these issues affect your business and
your employees. Be prepared to discuss these with your MP.
Use the meeting as an opportunity to develop a mutual understanding, and
offer solutions that are a win for government, business, and Canadians alike.
Try to keep your messages short and to the point; delivering your message
succinctly while respecting your MP’s time.
Once you have briefed your representative on the issues and the impact on
their community, your job is done! Do not expect a decision or commitment
during the meeting - the purpose is leave the representative with information
to take back to Ottawa to use as a reference when examining policy options
to determine what best represents the interests of their constituency.
When the sector comes together as a team, we can influence many political
issues. We appreciate your efforts in assisting our industry to continue with
a high degree of creditability in government.
CEO’s Report
by James Chase
Member Communications: Striving for Balance and Value
As part of
our ongoing
strategy to maximize our communications
efforts with our members, we will be soliciting
feedback on what you value in our strategy to
date and on how we can improve the ways we
communicate with you.
You may have recently seen a survey from us
asking for your feedback on our electronic
communications and what you view as
priorities. We hope that you will take time
to fill it out, as it is your feedback that helps
us create our communications strategies
and membership outreach initiatives. Your
feedback is the backbone of our deliberations
when deciding the best course of action on
behalf of our membership, and it helps ensure
that we are delivering services to you that have
an inherent value and benefit.
In today’s technological age, there is no
shortage of information being delivered
to your inbox. Through all that noise the
BCHA hopes to remain your go-to source
for relevant information that is pertinent to
the business environment you find yourself
operating within. The goal of our member
communications, whether it is through our
newsletter, this magazine or another avenue, is
to provide you with information and resources
that benefit you as a BCHA member. We
understand that your time is constrained and
that it is our role to make sure industry updates
that impact your business are delivered to you
in a timely manner, while at the same time
balancing the volume of communications with
the ongoing demands on your time.
The primary goal of our current outreach
initiative is to discern what types of updates
and information you find the most valuable
to your operations. Are you interested in our
government relations efforts, developments
in public policy, cost-saving measures and/
or value added programs and benefits offered
by us and our affiliates? We also want to
know where to draw the line; tell us if we are
communicating too much or too little.
We would also like to hear how often you
engage with the information and programs/
services we deliver. Do you read InnFocus
when it lands on your desk or when it shows
up in your inbox via email? How frequently
do you browse the headlines of our InnTouch
newsletter? Do you follow us on Twitter for
daily updates on the sector’s performance and
breaking industry news? Let us know if there
is something you would like to see covered in
these communications that has been missing
or if there are particular issues that you would
like to see more focus given to.
Our office is working full time to develop new
programs, reach out to members, develop
relationships with government, and administer
the host of services that we provide our member
base. Maintaining value and benefit to our
members is our highest priority. Please let
us know how we are doing in communicating
these efforts and updates to you.
Thank you for taking the time to provide
feedback. We will continue to work on your
behalf to deliver information that helps you
better navigate the BC business landscape as
a hotel operator.
InnFocus 5
Attracting Gen Y Guests
by Chris McBeath
As the tidal wave of Baby Boomers heads towards retirement, it is their offspring, the Gen-Yers, 34 years
old and younger, who are now turning social mores inside out. Already comprising one third of all hotel
guests, this youthful populace represents a tsunami of change.
Everything about the Gen-Yer is about instant gratification, WOW factor,
the quality of personalized experience, and the integrity of a company’s
core values. Understand this concept and at least you’re in the game of
unlocking the Gen Y potential.
6 InnFocus
Instant Connectivity
According to the research company, Media Monitors, 86% of Gen-Yers are
online at some point during the day, catching up on the latest news from
their favourite news sources, sharing social networks, and reading emails.
The first generation to grow up with Mickey Mouse and a computer
mouse each holding sway, a virtual world of information has always been
at their fingertips. Social networks, global access, and hyper-connectivity
are integral to their lifestyle, and they access them all with astonishing
dexterity to learn, inform, effect change, and influence peers at lightning
speed - often in less than 140 characters. This is the most impatient,
advertising-skeptical, buyer-aware public we’ve ever known, and it has
left most industries, including the hospitality sector, scrambling to keep
up. Get it right, however, and strategically integrate Gen Y’s dependence
on technology, and a company can win their loyalty and that of their 500
friends on Facebook.
Future Shock
With an eye on the horizon, Westcorp Properties was among the earlier
hotel operators to start targeting this young, on-the-go consumer.
Both its Metterra Hotel, which opened in 2005, and the Matrix Hotel
that followed two years later, are geared to Gen Y preferences. Each
is centrally located in Edmonton with easy access to social, cultural,
and healthy options for recreation and business, and both provide
guestrooms that are fully equipped with technology such as HDTV, iPod
docking stations, modern coffee brewers, cordless phones, and most
importantly, free WiFi.
According to the research company Media
Monitors, 86% of Gen-Yers are online at some
point during the day, catching up on the latest
news from their favourite news sources, sharing
social networks, and reading emails.
“Attracting Gen-Yers isn’t only about location and physical amenities,
it’s about how personal you can make the experience,” says Jane Jess,
who is the regional director of sales and marketing. “Marketing into their
social media frameworks has become an essential component to the sales
matrix. This consumer is internationally aware; they know they have a
voice, and because they really want to make a difference, it’s equally
important to be a company that echoes these values and demonstrates
social responsibility.”
In his book, High Tech High Touch, Micah Solomon comes across as
a 21st century upgrade of Tom Peters, reframing traditional customer
service tenets to cater to this new breed of guest. His chapters on social
media provide the most food for thought for anyone wishing to connect
with the Gen Y demographic. Solomon identifies how Gen Y has grown
up to expect anticipatory technological behaviour and aggregated
information - instantly - and then layers in examples of a hotel’s new
competitive environment.
Solomon writes, “…with a few thumb strokes, they can have the
information they need served up for them concierge style, based on their
IP address or satellite location and other useful clues. Then consider
Hipmuck, which lists travel options along with warnings about long
lay-overs and other agonies, and shows hotels with precise proximity
to your actual destination. And Gogobot where your own Facebook/
Twitter pals have already rated potential trips for you. And of course
TripAdvisor, with its user-generated ratings of nearly everything in the
world of travel.”
InnFocus 7
From a hotelier’s perspective, the reality of this landscape can feel as far
removed from high touch as you can get. Ironically, though, Gen-Yers
are all about experiences that are less predictable, hotels that are less
traditional, and high tech amenities that provide choice.
Fast Changing Realities
This youth-prevailing attitude is driving hotel design, guest services,
booking methods, and marketing at such a rapid pace that harnessing
the psyche of Gen Y has become a specialty.
In design, look for guestroom layouts where beds face oversized windows;
large, flat screen TVs within one-stop connectivity entertainment centres
for multiple electronic gadgetry such as PDAs, cell phones, mp3 players
and laptops - where guests can watch a movie from their iPad or work
on a PowerPoint presentation. Elsewhere, in-the-vibe elements include
ever-busier lobbies with conversational, entertainment, and lounge
areas alongside a range of self-serve options such as check-in kiosks (no
more chest-high counters) as well as hotel apps that sell in-hotel services
from spa to food and beverage specials. That same app can even enable
Groupon-style, spur-of-the-moment offers to in-house guests.
The Burrard Hotel, Vancouver, has been on the fast track ever since it
launched its “shabby done chic” Gen Y brand in the summer of 2011. In
spite of the physical limitations of an older building, the hotel’s central
location and Gen Y specific amenities have created a hot value commodity
in Twittersphere.
8 InnFocus
“Gen Yers are looking more for a unique destination, and an exciting,
central location which they can explore, so the fact that we don’t have
a restaurant is of no consequence to them,” explains Dani Pretto, its
general manager. “We do, however, offer as many in-room free services
as possible. These include WiFi, an espresso machine, branded bottled
water, HDTV, movie and sports channels (Gen Y does not “do” Pay for
View) and 100% bio-degradable, branded bathroom amenities.”
In terms of reaching these guests, The Burrard has created an edgier
website, revamped its social media platforms (Blog, Facebook, Twitter and
Foursquare), and invested in a separate mobile site so that browsing and
booking a room is on-the-go easy. “We’ve had guests making a reservation
as they’re walking through the door,” Pretto admits. “But it demonstrates
how fast this medium works; lead times are very, very short.”
Keeping up with the pace is an art unto itself. Like many hoteliers, Pretto
is adding a social marketing specialist to her staff. Operationally, she is
pursuing smart check-in services and is working with a provider to have
tablets placed in every room. “Although the pads are equipped with GPS
trackers in case of loss or theft, we prefer to contract this service rather
than take on the financial risk ourselves.”
iPad Concierge
The Opus Hotels are joining the ranks of several leading chains in
providing guests with tablets, placing customized v2 iPads in every
guestroom. Each gadget is loaded with favourite apps and weblinks that
reflect the personality of one of the hotel’s five virtual Lifestyle Concierges,
pointing out their favorite places to shop, dine, exercise, relax, and spa. Every
iPad 2 boasts GPS and mobile technology, encouraging guests to wander through
Vancouver accompanied by their virtual lifestyle concierge. As new and different
options become available, each virtual concierge suggestion will be updated,
keeping content fresh and relevant.
This move to self-service is very much part of the self-empowered Gen Y profile.
Several third-party software developers are now on the scene, geared to helping
hotels and airlines digitize their concierge services in a myriad of platforms be they iPhone, BlackBerry or Android systems. The result is high tech touch:
hotels are introducing apps to browse hotel amenities and local attractions,
order theatre tickets, request wake-up calls, schedule housekeeping, message
other guests, and arrange car service. In some instances, the app direct-connect
to the kitchen has seen room service orders climb almost 20%.
Community Updates
Most hotels are still in exploring this brave new world, and while chain brands
such as the Starwood Group are focusing on website and iPhone apps to keep
patrons brand loyal, it’s still largely left up to individual properties to have their
Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube platforms current and fresh.
For independent, rural destinations such as the Rockwater Secret Cove Resort
on the Sunshine Coast, social media is now a vital link to building occupancies.
“We tweet and Facebook most of our events,” says Ivan Mansanet, Front Office
Manager. “We include weddings, guest comments, and special activities because
most of those guests are Gen-Yers who relate to other Gen-Yers, and so help
promote the resort to the same target market.” The power of social media is
evident. TripAdvisor just awarded Rockwater with a Certificate of Excellence,
in recognition of the resort’s “excellent” ratings that climbed from 55% to 98%
since the start of the year.
For all the exploding influence of online communities, there are those who
still opt for “old-fashioned” hospitality and service standards to keep guests
coming back. Although these properties tend to cater to the older crowd, the
common wisdom is that within only a handful of years, the Gen Y demographic
will dominate the marketplace.
In today’s vernacular, if activities such as Tweeting, Blipping, Blogging,
Bookmarking, Facebooking, Flickring, Linking-in, Yammering, and Yelping
aren’t on your agenda, watch out. You’re about to be bypassed!
Ideas at Work
>>> When it renovated its 28 suites, Toronto’s Windsor Arms
Hotel, Toronto, added musical instruments, baby grand pianos,
acoustic guitars, and harps into the mix, all of which are playable.
It also introduced comprehensive vegan menus to its regular F&B
offerings, including room service.
>>> In its 360° Package, several Luxe Hotels in Los Angeles, offer
elements specifically for the Gen Y market, such as the use of an
iPad 2 for the duration of a guest’s stay, a personal Town Car to
get them to/from the airport, a luxurious room upgrade, and a
complimentary bottle of Shiraz wine.
>>> The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona sells a “Dinner on the 9th
Green” package through its app as well as spa specials at specific
time slots that otherwise would go unbooked.
>>> The recently opened Inn at the 5th, Eugene, Oregon, has no
check-in lines. Hotel staff carrying iPads greet and deftly guide
guests through the check-in process, customizing requests for
preferred in-room mini bar stock, breakfast delivery as well as spa
and restaurant reservations, all in one seamless experience.
>>> MGM’s new program, M Life, has taken loyalty programs to the
next level by tracking guest preferences to create individualized
rewards. For example, if someone attends a Madonna concert,
that guest may receive an offer to Lady Gaga, or the company may
send out an entertainment coupon, rather than the traditional
gambling offer.
>>> Instead of traditional food groups like appetizer and entrée,
Marriott’s 5-10-20 menu is organized by whether the food takes
five, ten, or twenty minutes to prepare. This smart move speaks
directly to on-the-go business travellers and lunch-breakers, and
eliminates the server’s automatic (and not always accurate) “Oh,
everything’s pretty quick.”
InnFocus 9
Digital Marketing & Distribution
Trends in Hospitality
by Max Starkov
Now is the perfect time to reflect on what digital marketing and distribution trends have made the
greatest impact on the industry so far in 2012 and what action steps should be taken moving forward
this fall and into 2013.
So much is going on: from search engine algorithm updates and the
explosion of the mobile channel to the emergence of SoLoMo (the
convergence of local, social, mobile) and new social media platforms
such as Google+ and Pinterest, myriad new headlines have emerged
so far this year.
Independent Hotels Are Overly OTA-Dependent
With so many new “hot topics”, it is easy to overlook what really matters
in hotel marketing and distribution in favour of marketing initiatives
that do not produce much-needed revenues or distribution formats that
erode the property’s price and brand integrity.
Last year, more than 76% of online bookings for non-branded hotels
came from the OTAs. Just 24% of online bookings came from the hotels’
own websites, based on research by STR and the HSMAI Foundation.
Independent hotels have traditionally fallen prey to the OTAs due to
10 InnFocus
Below are a number of industry trends - coupled with concrete action
steps - I believe are of utmost importance at this time.
a lack of focus on, and understanding of,
the economics and cost-effectiveness of the
direct online channel as well as their lack of
negotiating power with the OTAs.
Independent hoteliers must budget for a
major expansion in their direct online channel
efforts through the rest of 2012 and in 2013 if
they want to decrease their over-dependence
on the OTAs and the bottom-line killing flash
sales sites such as Groupon, Living Social,
etc. and last minute discounters such as
HotelTonight.com.
Branded Hotels Are Overly BrandDependent
Major hotel brands are doing a fine job of
brand building and online marketing at the
global and national levels, but they simply
do not have the bandwidth to cover regional,
provincial, and local markets. Branded and
franchised hotels that are over-reliant on their
brands’ online marketing efforts are missing
serious incremental online revenues from
local, provincial, and regional initiatives. For
example, HeBS Digital has a number of very
Today it is not enough to merely have a hotel website. Most hoteliers
who need a website already have one. The real question is, what
kind of website do you need today?
proactive franchised hotel clients that are
consistently enjoying higher revenues from
their vanity websites than from Brand.com.
Hoteliers - branded or independent - must
focus on the direct online channel; employ
best practices in online distribution channels;
increase direct online revenues via hotel
website re-designs and enhancements (vanity
websites for full-service and leisure traveldependent branded properties) - SEO, SEM,
re-targeting, mobile marketing, etc.; and
utilize the OTAs only as part of a balanced
distribution strategy.
Direct Online Channel Should Remain
the Main Focus
The explosion of mobile and social media
channels and the emergence of the new tablet
channel presents a major challenge to hotel
marketers: creating and managing digital
content across three distinct distribution
and marketing channels - desktop, mobile,
and tablet - as well as publishing the hotel’s
latest special offers and promotions on the
hotel’s social media profiles on Facebook,
Twitter, Google+.
First and foremost, your website must be “in
good health” in order to comply with best
practices in hotel distribution. Make sure
your current website adheres to industry’s
best practices for design, site architecture,
and SEO. Most importantly, make sure it is
compatible with the recent Google Panda and
Freshness algorithm updates.
Today it is not enough to merely have a hotel
website. Most hoteliers who need a website
already have one. The real question is, what
kind of a website do you need today? The
hotel website must:
InnFocus 11
• accommodate new travel purchasing behaviour by the increasingly
hyper-interactive travel consumers;
• employ the latest website and digital marketing technology;
channel, especially for drive-in and last-minute travel markets. The US
hospitality industry is experiencing staggering growth rates in leisure
and unmanaged business travel bookings via the mobile channel:
2010: $99 million
• handle stringent new demands imposed by the search engines;
2011: $753 million
• generate maximum revenues from the direct online channel; and
2012: $1,368 million
• act as the hub of the hotel’s multi-channel digital marketing efforts.
Many hoteliers are mistakenly led to believe that not investing in the
property’s website re-design or optimization will save money. Wrong!
Not investing in your website will lose money and severely damage the
hotel’s bottom line.
Be sure that all site content is engaging, unique, and branded. Create
dedicated pages as well as specials and packages that appeal to key
customer segments, including business travellers, extended stay guests,
weekend travellers, and others.
Bring SoLoMo (social, local, and mobile) initiatives to the forefront of
your hotel’s targeted digital marketing strategy. The convergence of
these three content and marketing platforms allows the hotel to deliver
more personalized, relevant content to existing guests and customers
in real-time like never before.
Embrace the Mobile Channel
The mobile marketing and distribution channel is exploding. It
has already become a viable travel planning and hotel distribution
12 InnFocus
2013: $2,155 million
Source: PhoCusWright
HeBS Digital’s own data shows that having a hotel mobile website
generates incremental revenue through mobile and voice reservations,
which without a well-optimized, content-rich, property-specific mobile
site, would have gone to the competition or the OTAs. So far this year,
more than 5% of website visits and 5% of online bookings came from
mobile devices across HeBS Digital’s hotel client portfolio.
Hotel guests and travel consumers in general are already mobile-ready,
and hoteliers and travel suppliers have to respond adequately to this
growing demand for mobile travel services. Fifty percent of US adults
and 80% of business travellers already have smartphones. Twentyfour percent of leisure travelers and 36% of business travellers have
already purchased travel via their mobile devices, based on research
by PhoCusWright.
Consider a Major Push in the Tablet
Channel
Tablets are rapidly emerging as a separate
device/channel category from desktop and
mobile. According to eMarketer, global tablet
sales are projected to exceed 232 million in
2016, growing from 64 million in 2011. Next
year, there will be 75.6 million US tablet users
vs. just 13 million in 2010.
Search engines and many major media sites
already consider tablets as a separate, distinct
device category, characterized by its own
unique user behaviour and best practices for
user experience and content delivery.
According to Google’s 2012 company data,
7% of all searches already come from tablets
vs. 14% from mobile devices and 79% via
desktops. Google also reports different search
dynamics across the three device/channel
categories and a dramatic increase in hotel
queries in the mobile and tablet channels:
• Overall (desktop/mobile/tablet): +34%
• Mobile devices: +120%
• Tablet devices: +306%
Hotel and travel marketers should consider
either enhancing their desktop website for the
touch-screen tablet environment or building
a tablet-only version of their website, in
addition to their desktop and mobile sites,
all managed via a single digital content
depository-enabled CMS.
Social Media is NOT a Distribution
Channel
Social media is not a distribution channel,
and it was not designed as a sales platform
to sell rooms. Use social media instead for
consumer engagement, customer service,
customer relationship management (CRM),
branding, awareness, etc.
Social media is best managed at the property
level and needs to be monitored 24/7/365.
Establish onsite champions who will speak
with a consistent brand voice, provide
exemplary customer service, and serve as
models of the hotel’s product.
Use a full-service digital marketing agency
for training, auditing, recommendations and
technical design and build-out for custom
tabs, backgrounds, widgets, sweepstakes, etc.
Post, tweet, respond, and repeat!
Use the OTA Channel Correctly
Use OTAs smartly and only for need periods:
weekends, group cancellations, low season,
etc., and not as a replacement for or alternative
to the direct online channel. Any sale or
promotion via an OTA should be used only
as a last resource and should be promoted
equally via the hotel website and support
marketing (SEM, email, mobile, social).
When 24- or 48-hour sales on OTAs
are “necessary” to increase occupancy
immediately, do not neglect the hotel’s
own website. Sales on OTAs should be
cross-promoted on your website and via the
property’s direct marketing campaigns.
InnFocus 13
Don’t Participate in Flash Sales/Social
Buying Sites
With heavily discounted rates out in the open,
flash sales have inherently flawed business
models, causing your hotel to rebuke the
principles of rate parity (one of the do’s
of hotel distribution!), to breach existing
agreements with corporate accounts and
OTAs, to diminish its brand integrity, and to
create the perception that rooms are always
on sale!
The most powerful reason to forget flash
sales and social buying sites is “The Law
of Unintended Channel Share Loss.” Any
booking via the most discounted channel (i.e.
flash sale sites like Groupon, Living Social,
BloomSpot, or OTAs) is one fewer booking
for the same hotel via its own website, call
center or GDS. These sites also lead to the
cannibalization of the hotel’s existing loyal
consumer base as 65% of daily deal buyers are
already frequent (38%) or infrequent (27%)
customers of that business, based on findings
from ForeSee.
14 InnFocus
Any sale or promotion via an OTA should be used only as a last
resource and should be promoted equally via the hotel website and
support marketing.
Don’t Do Last-Minute Discounts via
OTAs or Mobile Discounters
Both hotels and airlines manage perishable
inventory, so rather than launching a lastminute Groupon or sale with HotelTonight,
why not take a cue from the airline industry?
The closer to the date of departure or checkin at the hotel, the higher the rate - not the
other way around.
Mobile is, by nature, a last-minute distribution
channel. Most hotel mobile bookings are for
the same or following night; therefore, these
bookings will occur in any case without
discounting. Use mobile SEM and SMS
marketing for last-minute reservations, but
market your true best available rates and
avoid the temptation to discount.
For additional same-day bookings and lastminute sales, opaque sites such as Priceline
and HotWire are preferable to flash sale sites
as they maintain brand integrity until the
booking is completed.
Max Starkov is President & CEO of HeBS Digital,
the hospitality industry’s leading full-service digital
marketing and direct online channel strategy
firm (www.HeBSdigital.com). HeBS Digital has
pioneered many of the best practices in hotel Internet
marketing, social and mobile marketing, and direct
online channel distribution. The firm has won more
than 200 prestigious industry awards for its digital
marketing and website design services. A diverse
client portfolio of top-tier major hotel brands,
luxury and boutique hotel brands, resorts and
casinos, hotel management companies, franchisees
and independents, and CVBs are benefiting from
HeBS Digital’s direct online channel strategy
and digital marketing expertise. Contact HeBS
Digital’s consultants at (212) 752-8186 or success@
hebsdigital.com.
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Nita Lake Lodge
A New Style of Excellence
by Chris McBeath
As the recently appointed general manager of the luxurious
Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, Roger Soane has found his
nirvana. “This lodge is nothing short of spectacular,” boasts
Roger, formerly the GM of The Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
“The opportunity to manage a luxurious, boutique-style
experience in a community that my family and I have come
to love is truly a gift that doesn’t come along very often.”
For a hotelier who has managed some 21 properties in his
38-year career, it’s a gift that is returning him to the concept
he calls “pure hoteling”.
As one of BC’s most respected general managers, not only
does Roger Soane bring with him an extraordinary depth of
experience to Nita Lake Lodge, he also exemplifies a style of
collaborative leadership that puts the lodge front and centre
in hospitality circles. For example, during his tenure at The
Fairmont Empress, Roger served as Chairman of the Board
of Tourism Victoria, and currently he is in his fourth year
as Chairman of the Board of Tourism Whistler.
16 InnFocus
Creating the Best
For a comparatively small property, comprising 77 rooms
and suites, Nita Lake Lodge has impressive facilities such
as a small spa, steam room, hot tub, plunge pool, gym
with professional coaching, a purpose built yoga studio,
and access to water recreational activities. Don’t forget its
top-draw destination restaurant Aura, which overlooks the
shores of Nita Lake, and is arguably the best outdoor patio in
the Whistler area. It’s a combination whereby TripAdvisor
ranks the lodge number three of 57 Whistler hotels as well
as a 2012 Travellers’ Choice.
The vision, however, is for more. “We want to be recognized
as one of the top boutique experiences in Canada,” explains
Roger. “And in terms of making that a reality, it means
creating a service culture, a responsive product, and an
experience that is very Canadian, regionally authentic, and
exceptionally welcoming without being pretentious.”
Guided by these tenets, he’s already making his mark. Smart-yet-casual
staff uniforms have replaced formal suits, the ashram-themed spa has
been refocused to reflect a broader approach to wellness; and true to
his earlier career in the kitchen, Roger and Michael Guy, the lodge’s
executive chef, have streamlined the menus to incorporate a fresh take
on regional cuisine, including using home-grown herbs and vegetables
from the lodge’s rooftop garden.
Emphasizing the Experience
Roger Soane,
General Manager
Because Whistler has so many accommodation
options, Nita Lake’s quieter location has made
it an afterthought for many visitors, especially
those looking for mountainside access. Yet
contrary to perception, “we’re as far from
Whistler Base - about 500 steps - as is the
Four Seasons, so skiing, boarding and summer
hiking are within very easy reach,” Roger
describes.
To further support the accessibility message, the hotel provides
a complimentary shuttle into the village, and in summer offers
courtesy cruiser bikes so guests can explore the Valley Trail.
Stretching 35km through Whistler’s valley, the Valley Trail
connects Nita Lake to all of Whistler’s neighbourhoods, lakes,
and parks with a paved and scenic path that’s perfect for biking,
jogging, rollerblading, walking, and sightseeing.
The lodge also works closely with the Rocky Mountaineer.
Since the hotel was specifically built to accommodate the train
station, it is the natural stay-over spot for travellers en route
to Jasper as well as other rail patrons and getaway guests from
Vancouver. Summer overnight packages include a stunning
rail journey along the Sea to Sky corridor aboard The Rocky
Mountaineer’s new bi-level Dome Service, a food credit at the
lodge’s Aura Restaurant, and lake activities such as a lake tour,
or for the more adventurous, a stand-up paddleboard lesson.
Shoulder Season Invitations
Although winter is always on Whistler’s radar, the
lodge’s unique mix of amenities lends itself to a range
of packages, especially in the shoulder seasons. “We
do exceptionally well with the wedding market, and
have high appeal to youthful boomers and fit-aware
Gen-Yers who want to be close to the action, but far
enough away to enjoy some serenity. These key markets
present real opportunities in the wellness area that
can take advantage of our yoga studio, our Innovative
Fitness program, and quality spa facilities.” Ideas
include yoga-raw food retreats, and specialty winepairing programs as well as wellness walks, hikes, and
spa-style cuisine. “These concepts are a natural fit for
our type of property.“
With his experience managing hotels in city centres,
on mountains, beside beaches, and with golf courses, it
sounds as if Roger is well on his way to establishing nirvana
at Nita Lake Lodge for more than just himself.
InnFocus 17
Successfully Partnering
with DMOs
by Lacy Lauks and Ed Mansfield
In BC there are over 40 Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) that each are dedicated to marketing
regions and communities as destinations for leisure, meeting, and event travellers, and to increasing
overall visitor activity and spending. In addition to attracting visitors, DMOs carry out a variety of
initiatives aimed at local residents, encouraging them to participate in local tourism events and products.
Due to the central role it occupies in the tourism industry, it is natural
that the accommodation sector plays a prominent role in the activities
of DMOs. Indeed, most DMOs would state that a strong partnership
between a DMO and its accommodation sector is a key factor in being
able to develop, implement, and deliver initiatives effectively.
While many aspects may contribute to the establishment of a successful
and ongoing partnership between DMOs and hotels, there are five
18 InnFocus
principal areas that, if focused on, can help to provide a solid base for
long-term success.
· Alignment of marketing efforts. All members in the tourism
industry ultimately share the same goal - to sell the destination. Given the
vigorous competition for visitors, it is important for the accommodation
sector and DMOs to work together, through a coordinated approach,
to market a destination in a complementary fashion rather than by
sending mixed and confusing messages. By
maintaining relationships at various levels
within DMOs, hotels can stay current on
DMO marketing initiatives, can determine
synergies between marketing plans, and can
align their individual focus and associated
efforts with the initiatives of DMOs. Within
BC there are many examples of how this
alignment can produce benefits. One such
example is found in Whistler where Tourism
Whistler leads a resort-wide packaging
strategy that requires collaboration between
the DMO, the accommodation sector, and
other tourism related businesses. This “book
early and save” strategy - which aligns the
efforts of airlines, the Whistler Blackcomb ski
resort, activity and adventure companies, and
the accommodation sector - places Whistler
in a prime position to attract early bookings.
· C ombined marketing ef for ts.
DMOs can coordinate and combine focused
marketing efforts in a cost-effective way that
produces the largest return on investment.
With the limited marketing budgets that may
be available to individual operators, the efforts
of DMOs can be viewed as an extension of the
By maintaining relationships at various levels within DMOs, hotels
can stay current on DMO marketing initiatives, can determine
synergies between marketing plans, and can align their individual
focus and associated efforts with the initiatives of the DMO.
accommodation sector’s individual sales
and marketing efforts. This collaboration
between both parties can result in an efficient
and effective use of resources that avoids
duplication of effort. As well, DMOs can be
particularly helpful in coordinating marketing
efforts in long-haul and emerging markets.
This was illustrated recently by Tourism
Richmond, which brought the knowledge,
resources, and contacts to coordinated sales
missions for Richmond-based hotels to three
cities in China.
· Data-driven decision making. The
research done by DMOs provides information
and statistics related to local and global
trends in the tourism market, which is useful
information for planning or operational
purposes. This type of citywide or regional
information can also be used by the DMO
itself in formulating marketing and sales
initiatives designed to maximize the growth
of the tourism industry. A BC leader in this
field has been Tourism Vancouver, which
generates room demand forecasts, produces
outlooks for overall visitor demand, and
provides a wide variety of other industry
and market information that helps to lead to
informed data-based decision making.
· Use of best practices. DMOs can
provide the accommodation sector with upto-date information on the overall tourism
competitive landscape, changes in the
marketplace, and efforts made by other
destinations with respect to increasing
InnFocus 19
visitor activity. DMOs also share information and educate members
through workshops and training sessions on a variety of topics including
e-commerce, marketing, and industry updates. A good example of the
information that can be provided through engaging workshops and
training sessions is a recent workshop hosted by Tourism Richmond
in collaboration with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.
Close to 80 members were provided with information related to ways
in which members can work effectively with Chinese visitors. Finally,
through the contact networks of DMOs, members are provided with
additional sources of information. For instance, DMOs that are members
of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) are
continuously updated on best practices in other destinations and share
this information with individual properties, so that they can incorporate
this knowledge into their own marketing plans.
· Developing campaigns targeted at residents. DMOs can
collaborate with the accommodation sector in launching initiatives
aimed at increasing resident activity. For instance, Tourism Vancouver’s
annual Dine Out Vancouver (DOV) program is a highly anticipated event
designed to encourage locals as well as visitors to turn their attention to
local food and drink. The program affects over 300 members in a variety
of categories including restaurants and hotels. As part of the program,
Tourism Vancouver works with the accommodation sector to create DOV
hotel packages.
Collaboration between DMOs and the accommodation sector is key
to maximizing the benefit from the partnership. To help drive this
collaboration and to produce the most benefit from the partnership,
hotels can do the following:
20 InnFocus
· Get close and get involved. Accommodation sector members that
actively engage with DMOs derive the most value from their relationship
with their DMO and, as a result, benefit from increased access to industry
contacts, assistance with formulating strategies and planning, and
access to best practices. Hotels can increase their level of engagement by
participating in meetings, joining advisory boards, and hosting events.
In addition, engagement levels can be increased by maintaining a good
level of proactive communication.
· Take advantage of DMO networks. DMOs can open doors to
multiple contact networks. For example, DMOs work with convention
centres and meeting planners to attract conferences and meetings to
destinations, thereby generating room demand. Hotels have found that
they would not have this same level of access to meeting planners without
the assistance of the DMO.
· Be patient. DMOs often focus on long-term strategies that are
important in building a destination’s brand. It is important that members
of the accommodation sector remain patient when working with DMOs
that are working towards longer time frames and collaborate with DMOs
on these initiatives.
Lacy Lauks, MSc is a Consultant in the Advisory Services Practice in the Vancouver
office of MNP LLP with several years of consulting experience for clients in the
private and public sectors. She has managed studies relating to the tourism industry.
Ed Mansfield, PhD is a Partner in MNP’s Vancouver office where he leads its
economics practice. Ed has over 20 years of experience in consulting on economics
and statistical issues, and has led many studies on the tourism and major event
industries across Canada. Included in his past assignments are: development of a
framework for multi-year study on the financial, economic and social impacts of
the 2010 Winter Olympic Games (carried out for the Federal and BC Governments);
a study on the economic, social and community impacts arising in 2011 from the
activities and initiatives of Tourism Vancouver; and ongoing data collection and
analysis for Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Whistler, and Tourism BC.
Tourism Indicators
BC Customs Entries
Provincial Occupancy & ADR
March 12
April 12
Year-to-date
US Total
% change
272,954
4.9%
285,548
-0.2%
1,026,262
1.6%
US Overnight
% change
159,145
8.7%
163,808
-1.3%
579,350
1.9%
Asia/Pacific Overnight
% change
46,331
17.9%
47,188
2.3%
186,758
9.6%
Europe Overnight
% change
23,932
14.6%
22,084
-12.4%
86,124
4.1%
236,430
11.7%
239,603
-2.0%
877,209
4.0%
Total International Overnight
% change
Occupancy
% change
Avg. Daily Room Rate
% change
March 12
April 12
58.1%
2.9%
57.4%
1.3%
Year-to-date
53.6%
1.8%
$124.56
3.4%
$124.51
3.7%
$124.20
2.4%
All percentage comparisons are versus the same period in 2011.
Customs entries include international visitors who cross Canada Customs in BC. These figures
do not account for all visitors to BC since domestic visitors are excluded as well as international
visitors who cross Canada Customs outside BC yet still travel to BC. Likewise, customs entries
include visitors that cross Canada Customs in BC, but who continue on to other provinces.
Sources: Statistics Canada, PKF Consulting, and www.tourismbc.com
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InnFocus 21
Best Practices
in Budgeting
by Romy Herrera
Budgeting - the word alone is enough to strike fear and dread in the hearts of executives and managers
in any industry, yet it’s the essential foundation of any successful business. Following are some best
practices to develop an excellent financial plan for your property.
Budgeting Defined
Budgeting Processes and Function
A budget can be defined as a plan by which the resources required to
generate revenue are allotted. In larger hotels, the management or
executive committee is usually responsible for budgeting, providing the
financial framework within which all the departments operate. Typically,
department managers take care of creating budgets for their areas and
the financial controller and the general manager will give final approval.
The budgeting process presents a formidable challenge to hotels,
regardless of the size or the type of operation. Indeed, budgeting can
cause stress and conflict, and often ends up requiring a lot of valuable
hours to prepare. Most general and department managers have been
through the drill of preparing budgets many times, and experiencing
stress and tension is quite common. However, a realistic budget is
certainly worth all the time and the energy put into the process. It is
common knowledge that budgeting is a crucial element of financial
management and is a tremendous indicator of a hotel’s success or
insolvency.
The budget provides an opportunity to take a critical look on the costs
and expenses of the departments, review past history, and then plan to
take appropriate actions to accomplish better results in the next financial
year. In this way, a budget acts as a guide that provides standards to
measure the success of the operation. In a nutshell, a budget serves
as an instrument that can be used by management for controlling and
directing activities, especially guiding managers in the purchasing of
goods and services.
22 InnFocus
Budgeting processes are very helpful in ensuring the flow between planning
phases as well as identifying the most efficient procedures. Current
spending should be evaluated and the setting of realistic goals should
take into account the short and long-term financial objectives of the hotel.
Explore Strategy
Continual changes in the business climate
challenge hotels to find more effective
business strategies and plans. First a primary
business objective must be set to take the
hotel to the next business level. There are a
number of business strategies that a hotel
can use to identify non-essential costs and
help the hotel focus. Flexibility, accuracy, and
control are vital. Financial controllers need to
get a better grasp of the big picture by having
the flexibility to evaluate and understand the
effect of all strategies by using complete and
comprehensive financial data.
Your Financial Plan
Each company’s financial plan needs to
include the following:
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Historical Room Supply and Demand
figures
• Market Segment Reports
Leading hotels use planning processes that can quickly adapt to
external and ever-changing market conditions.
• Comparative Monthly Occupancy and ADR
• Summary of Profit and Loss and
Departmental Statements
• Cash Flow Analysis
• Sales & Profit Forecasts
KPIs are financial and non-financial metrics
used to quantify objectives to reflect the
strategic performance of the hotel. They
also give a greater understanding of key
business drivers, which can ultimately allow
for effective financial investments. Examples
of commonly used KPIs are revenue growth,
earnings growth, debt reduction, and EBITDA
margin. As a best practice, limit the KPIs to
only those factors that are crucial for the
hotel to reach its goals, and ensure they are
measurable. With all departments of the
hotel relying on the same benchmarks, the
hotel improves internal inefficiencies and
clarifies goals.
Leading hotels use planning processes that
can quickly adapt to external and everchanging market conditions. Businesses
perform more efficiently with the ability
to respond to the business climate, to
consolidate financial data, and to analyze
information, all in a timely manner. The
key practices to develop flexible processes
include the use of monthly re-forecasting,
rolling forecasts, and what-if analyses. The
forecast needs to be continually re-evaluated
based on market conditions and the actions of
your competitors. This will often necessitate
changes to the budget. The ability to reforecast and revise the financial information
is very important, especially in today’s market
situation when actions may need to be taken
on unexpected changes.
Hotels gain more insight on variables and
trends are easier to spot when the financial
data is up-to-date, thorough, and readily
InnFocus 23
available. More informed decisions in all areas are made possible by
considering cash flow projections, price and product changes, and
organizational changes.
Marketing plans are like road maps. They not
only show the destination, they indicate the stops
on the way.
Marketing Plan
So which comes first, the financial budget or the marketing plan? In
my opinion, it just makes sense to draft the budget first because the
marketing plan should show how those numbers will be achieved. The
general manager has to know the amount of investment needed to
reach those goals. Opportunities need to be considered along with the
company’s potential to capture that projected marketshare - especially
in your competitive set.
Marketing plans are like road maps. They not only show the destination,
they indicate the stops on the way. In order to achieve your financial
goals, your marketing plan should outline the steps in your concentrated
effort to generate revenue in desired segments. These plans should be
realistic and achievable. Following are some steps recommended for
preparing an effective marketing plan:
• Print the latest copy of the STAR Report
• Complete a competitive analysis on the hotels that are in your STAR
Report
• Consider information on upcoming conventions in your area
• Make a list of target transient accounts - this group pays the highest
rates
• Meet with your staff or regional office to discuss what they are
expecting from the marketing plan
• Forecast revenue by month from all market segments
• Plot the strategies and action plans on a calendar
Implementation
Once the budget is finally approved, support and maintenance is
necessary to keep the plan successful. Everyone is a visible participant
of the budget, and adhering to the strategies and plan is vital. Be sure to
communicate with every employee via email, newsletter, and/or open
forums, gathering their valuable ideas and input. Providing a supportive
and open environment improves the chance of creating a successful
financial plan.
Romy Herrera, CPA, is Financial Controller for Coast Coal Harbour Hotel and has
over 25 years hospitality experience in management positions for hotels in Canada,
the US, and Asia. He is a past president of Hotel Financial & Technical Professionals
and a faculty member of Imperial Hotel Management College.
24 InnFocus
BCHA Member Benefits
Here at the BCHA, we are constantly
striving to reach as many of our members
as possible by email to ensure that everyone
is kept updated on important industry
issues, events, or new membership
programs.
Although we have a continually expanding database holding email
addresses for our hotel members, associates, and potential members, as
you can imagine, it needs constant monitoring to weed out any defunct
email addresses.
To ensure that your employees are kept current on industry issues
with our e-newsletter InnTouch and membership alerts, we ask that
you either login to update your membership listing yourself (and add
as many employees as you like) or if you prefer, simply email me the
names, titles, and direct email addresses and we will happily add them
for you. Each record has a primary contact, and then either you or the
BCHA can add as many additional contacts as you like. Some properties
have added as many as 10. These can be editted at any time.
by Louise Thompson
has a circulation of 1,500 per edition and offers a great opportunity to
promote your company. Feedback from our members for both options
has been very positive.
Our 150 associate members offer products/services that might apply
to different co-workers at your property. For example, Housekeeping
might be looking for newer, more efficient washing machines, or your
front desk may be looking for options on a new PMS system. By having
access to our online associate members directory as well as our online
marketplace, everyone can quickly find what they’re looking for.
If you know of any nearby hotels that are not currently BCHA members
but may be interested in joining, just contact me by phone or email.
Many of our hotels sign up due to “word of mouth”, or having attended
a local hotel meeting where they heard about the BCHA. Additionally,
if you know of any companies that would be great BCHA associates,
just call or email us.
If you’ve forgotten your login codes that enable you to immediately access
the “Members Only” area of our website, please contact us.
This year our annual conference has a new name - Host 2012
(wwwhostconferencebc.ca). This exciting event is being from November
4-6. As the conference will have a new look, we hope to reach as many
prospective delegates as possible to make this the best conference ever.
Our e-newsletter, InnTouch, often has articles of interest for various
departments in your hotel or company. Remember, you can also place an
ad in our e-newsletter or on our website for a small fee. The e-newsletter
Please don’t hesitate to contact me at 1-800-663-3153 ext. 756 or
604-443-4756, or email me at [email protected] if I can
assist you in any way.
InnFocus 25
Canada
The Place You
Thought You Knew
by John Wright
In 1971, I was 13 years old and got my first dollar-a-day job as a Boy
Scout pushing wheelchairs for visitors to the newly minted Ontario
Place. Our country was mainly English and French, and very white. Our
top 10 new immigrant countries were the UK, USA, West Indies, Italy,
Portugal, Greece, Yugoslavia, India, China, and France. We were more
rural with a focus on natural resources. We had national policies on
railways, healthcare, energy, language, etc. The power base was run by
white men in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. The people were trusting
of authorities and experts and were self-governed by the principles
of peace, order, and good government. And as a nation, we could be
characterized as fearful, paternalistic, conservative, judgmental, and
reflexively anti-American.
In 2012, a mere one and a half generations later, Canada is a totally
different place. Our country is more urban and more multi-cultural: the
top 10 immigrant countries of origin are the Philippines, India, China,
UK, USA, France, Iran, UAE, Morocco, and South Korea. Just think, 45%
of Toronto’s current population is foreign born and 39.6% in Vancouver,
26 InnFocus
which compares to Los Angeles (34.7%), Sidney (31.7%) and New York
(27.9%). We are world traders with a growing focus on services. We are
older and more are female. As a people we are tolerant, opinionated,
demanding, and difficult. We are post ideological Libertarian (neither
left nor right), less engaged with our traditional institutions. And we’re
aggressively Canadian.
With this massive shift, there are five basic ground rules for any business
in Canada, especially for the hospitality industry:
1. Pay attention to demographic market signals. Your business
doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Statistical data on changing settlement
patterns, ethnic origins, and the age of the consumer market is easily
available from Statistics Canada and other sources. If you aren’t
incorporating this data into your business planning, you run the risk of
being swept aside by a major trend that your competitors spotted, but
that you missed.
As a people we are tolerant, opinionated, demanding, and difficult.
We are post ideological Libertarian (neither left nor right), less
engaged with our traditional institutions. And we’re aggressively
Canadian.
2. Demography isn’t destiny. Demographic trends can be muted or revised
by changing market reactions including
attitudes, values, beliefs, and government
actions. You need to be on top of all of
this. One piece of federal legislation could
drastically alter your long-term projections.
Like demographic trends, public opinion
can be measured and understood. There’s
a lot of information available on public
opinion that should be factored into your
planning.
3. Learn from Canadian politics. All
political strategies in Canada are geographic;
business strategies should be geographic too.
The game is ultimately won on the ground.
Different parts of the country are aging at
different rates, or are attracting more or fewer
immigrants. Successful political parties factor
all of this into their electoral strategy. Do you
factor it into your business strategy?
4. Your biggest challenge will always
be attracting and retaining talent.
This includes competing for foreign workers.
What are you doing to plan for your future
workforce needs? For example, are you
encouraging your local university or college
to develop foreign affiliations? Are you fully
informed about Canada’s new immigration
laws and how they could work for your
business? Senior executives should have these
issues at the top of their to-do lists.
5. New Canadians are Canadians first.
They want to buy into their adopted culture.
While effective marketing to new Canadians
will always need to be calibrated to have an
appropriate “accent”, don’t shy away from
Canadian cultural symbols and touchstones.
Any sales representative, marketer, analyst or
CEO steeped in the old assumptions of Canada
won’t get, or at least deeply internalize, any of
these key strategies and they will fall behind,
drastically. Those who see the country and
the world around them, as it is, and embrace
the new realities will win the day.
So, what’s your view of Canada and the world?
This is just a snapshot of what my business
partner, CEO Darrell Bricker, and I will be
covering at the Host 2012 conference in
November. On top of this, we’ll introduce
you to a new, 24-country survey of tourism
travel types that will help you calibrate your
marketing muscle.
John Wright is Senior Vice President of Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs.
InnFocus 27
Names in the News
The BCHA welcomes Ian Lowe from the
Crystal Lodge as the new director for Whistler.
Welcome to the following new BCHA members:
Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa, Victoria;
Chateau Kimberley Hotel, Kimberley;
Creston Ramada , Creston; Crown
Resort Hotel, Penticton; Douglas Guest
House, Vancouver; Edgewater Motel,
Campbell River; Happy Day Inn, Burnaby;
Piccadilly Motel, Radium Hot Springs; and
Taylor Inn, Taylor.
Welcome to the new BCHA associates,
Colliers International Realty Advisors,
Kelowna; It’s On Electric Company Inc.,
Surrey; ServiceMaster Clean, Surrey; and
Willowest Enterprise Co., Richmond.
Congratulations to the new general managers
at the following properties: Bryce Beatty,
The Westin Grand Vancouver; Garth Cairns,
Dilworth Inn, Recreation Inn, Kelowna;
Paul Dodds, Best Western Tin Wis, Tofino;
Peter Huming , Four Seasons Resort
Whistler; Jamie Lewis, Quality Inn - Victoria
Downtown; Vito Romeo, Shangri-La Hotel,
Vancouver; Robert Simpson, Adara Hotel,
Whistler; and Karen Young, Travelodge
Salmon Arm. Travis Greco is resort manager
at the Ocean Resort in Campbell River.
The Talisman Inn in Quesnel is now known as
the Quality Inn & Suites. Leona Norn is
the new manager. The Riviera Motor Inn is now
known as the Riveria Suite Hotel. Athena
Fan is the new manager. The Westwind Motel
is now the Days Inn - Chetwynd. The
Travelodge Kelowna has changed its name to
the Abbott Villa on the Lake.
28 InnFocus
be Debbie Minke
Hank Stackhouse has been elected as the
new Chair of the Hotel Association of Canada’s
Board of Directors. Hank is an accomplished
industry veteran with 30 years of experience
in the Canadian hospitality industry. As the
recently retired President and Chief Executive
Officer of Delta Hotels and Resorts, he led a
team of over 8,000 colleagues and oversaw a
portfolio of 46 hotels and resorts with more
than 13,000 guestrooms across Canada.
Six new corporate board members have
also been elected to serve as HAC corporate
officers. They include: Robert Pratt ,
President, Coast Hotels & Resorts; Nora
Duke, President & CEO, Fortis Properties;
Irwin Prince, President & COO, Realstar
Hospitality; Philippe Gadbois, Senior
VP Sales & Marketing, Atlific Hotels &
Resorts; Satinder Dhillon, Vice President
Operations, Westmount Hospitality Group;
and Vito Curalli , Executive Director,
Canada, Latin America & International Sales,
Hilton Worldwide.
Kenneth M. Greene has been named
President & Chief Executive Officer of Delta
Hotels and Resorts. Based in Hong Kong,
Ken was most recently President & Managing
Director, Asia Pacific Region for the Wyndham
Hotel Group.
Faheem Adam has been named the 2012
Businessman of the Year by the CanadaPakistan Business Council. Faheem is CEO of
Marina Textiles.
Days Inn - Golden has just opened its
doors, offering 81 newly renovated, spacious
rooms. Amenities include an onsite restaurant,
indoor pool with waterslide, free high-speed
Internet, meeting facilities, and more.
Four Points by Sheraton Kelowna
Airport is scheduled to open in the spring
of 2013. Located at the entrance to Kelowna’s
expanding airport, it will offer 120 guestrooms,
4,500 sq. ft. of meeting space, indoor pool,
24-hour fitness facilities as well as other
amenities.
The Sooke Harbour House is up for
sale. After more than 30 years of running the
famous restaurant and 28-room boutique inn,
Frederique and Sinclair Philips are moving on.
This oceanfront property has received many
awards, and is listed on Condé Nast Traveler’s
2012 Gold List of World’s Best Hotels and
Resorts.
The Inn at the Quay, New Westminster’s
126-room boutique hotel, was sold to Temple
Real Estate Investment Trust.
cascades® ultra soft bathroom tissue was
voted Product of the Year 2012 by Canadian
consumers. Unique in North America, ATMOS
technology gives the ability to produce an ultrasoft tissue paper with recycled fibers, while
consuming less energy and releasing 60% less
greenhouse gases.
Correction: Shell Vacations still owns
and operates 42 of the 76 rooms at the
Mountainside Lodge in Whistler, and is still
doing business under the Mountainside Lodge
name. Executive Hotels & Resorts purchased
34 of the rooms and operates them separately.
If you have any noteworthy community contributions,
please email the details to Debbie at debbie@
emcmarketing.com.
BC Hospitality Foundation
The annual BC Hospitality Golf Tournament,
held on July 16 at the beautiful Westwood
Plateau Golf and Country Club, was a rousing
success. The sell-out crowd of 216 golfers
enjoyed fantastic weather as well as a wellsupported silent auction and raffle. More
than $80,000 was raised for the foundation’s
work!
“Those who attended had the opportunity to
learn firsthand the importance of our work
through the poignant case of Bruce James,
a 2012 beneficiary of BCHF funds, as he told
his story over dinner,” explained Alan Sacks,
BCHF Executive Director.
The BCHF was also thrilled to announce
that it has joined forces with the Thompson
Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA),
which named the foundation as its main
charitable beneficiary and pledged to
strongly promote the foundation’s charitable
and fundraising initiatives to the 6,000
stakeholders involved in the Thompson
Okanagan’s tourism industry. BCHF Chair
Bing Smith and TOTA Chair Ingrid Jarrett
signed the memorandum of understanding
(MOU) in Coquitlam at the golf tournament.
TOTA President & CEO Glenn Mandziuk
said, “The MOU represents an exciting and
significant step for the Thompson Okanagan’s
tourism industry. We’re delighted to partner
with the BCHF to promote awareness and
foster development of its important work. We
have a common interest with the foundation
to support and help the people in our
industry... We will work actively to promote
awareness about the foundation to everyone
in our region.”
Meanwhile, Sysco Kelowna has announced
that proceeds from its September 18th golf
tournament will benefit the BCHF. The event
by Renee Blackstone
is being held at the Predator Ridge Golf
course in Vernon. Entry forms are available
for download on our website at http://
bchospitalityfoundation.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2012/07/Sysco-KelownaCustomer-Registration-Form.pdf.
In other BCHF news, $10,500 was raised
for the BCHF and Children’s Charities of
the United Way of the South Okanagan as
wine-lovers, film makers and media gathered
in Osoyoos in mid-June for the 3rd Annual
Vinos Wine Film Festival. The weekend
marked the grand opening of the new $1
million Wine Experience Centre at Black
Hills Estate Winery as the winery celebrated
its annual Nota Bene Release Party.
It’s part of the growing presence of the BCHF
in the minds and hearts of those who support
its mandate of “helping our own” in the
hospitality industry, which this year includes
the Tip Out to Help campaign that is held
year-round but goes into high gear in the fall.
Last year’s Tip Out to Help campaign was
an outstanding success, raising nearly
$120,000. This year’s goal is $200,000, and
the foundation’s website has a full banquet of
fundraising ideas - everything from coin and
bottle drives to auction-your-chef contests
and speed-dating nights. “The beauty of Tip
Out to Help is that it is a simple campaign that
allows everyone - from floor worker to CEO
- to take part. BC has some 250,000 people
employed in the food, wine, and hospitality
industries. Imagine if each one gave just one
toonie. We’d reach and exceed our goal in no
time,” noted Sacks.
What’s New?
by Debbie Minke
Crossover® CEE Tier 3 by Wascomat has
qualified for the highest level of energy efficiency.
There are three levels of CEE (Consortium for
Energy Efficiency) tiers, with the highest number
being the most energy efficient. Crossover, the
world’s first and only commercial-standard small
chassis washer, was introduced in June 2011 after
four years of intensive development. Crossover
products include a 22+ lb. stand-alone washer,
dryer and stacked washer & dryer combo, all
engineered specifically for the demanding laundry
environment. Crossover is built to last 15,000+
cycles - more than double the life of appliancetype front loaders and top loaders.
VingCard Elsafe and Lutron Electronics
have developed a total guestroom control
solution integrating Lutron’s lighting, drapery,
and shade control modules with VingCard
Elsafe’s Orion energy management system as
well as guestroom door locks, electronic safes,
and minibars. Using this solution, hotels can
provide their guests with total in-room comfort
and increase energy efficiency with the option to
automatically turn lights on, adjust shades, and
adjust the temperature when the room becomes
occupied, and automatically turn lights off, adjust
shades, and adjust the temperature when the
room is vacant. Through advanced occupancysensing technology, the comprehensive solution is
designed to address the industry’s growing need to
implement energy-saving strategies. In addition
to maximizing guest comfort, hotels can expect
to experience a 20-30% reduction in energy
expenditures through the combined savings
produced by light and temperature controls in
unoccupied rooms.
Renee Blackstone is a freelance journalist who sits
on the BCHF Advisory Board.
Advertisers
BC Hospitality Foundation
29
BCHA25
Bed Bug Mutts
26
Bell Satellite
15
Coinamatic Commercial Laundry
20
Coldstream Commercial Sales
BC
Colliers International Realty
14
Fortis BC
7
Gordon R. Williams
12
Host 2012
27
Host 2012 Expo
Independent Supply
Intirion Corp
It’s On Electric Company
Jordan Mattress/Restonic
Kaba Ilco
Landmark Dividend
MGC Construction Ltd.
MJB Law (Pulse)
Northern Feather
23
22
13
4
10
5
IBC
11
28
24
Restwell Sleep Products
19
Rising Tide Consultants
18
Shaw Hospitality & Design Origins
24
Simmons Canada
IFC
Tex-Pro Western
14
Tricom9
Western Financial Group
30
Western Safety Surfacing
8
Worksafe BC
8
InnFocus 29
Five Quick Scripts for Responding
to Customer Complaints
by Ron Kaufman
The last thing a customer with a complaint wants to hear you say is,
“You’re wrong.” What they want to hear is that you understand them,
appreciate them, and agree with them on the importance of the value
they have cited in their complaint.
• Too Slow - Your customer says: “I’ve been waiting forever. Why did
it take you so long to help me?”
Here are a few quick scripts to use when responding to customer
complaints:
• Bad Website - Your customer says, “Your website is terrible. I
couldn’t find the information I needed.”
• Rude Service - Your customer says, “Your staff was rude and totally
unprofessional.”
You say, “You’re right to expect courteous, respectful, and professional staff.”
• Too Many Rules - Your customer says, “Your policies are rigid.
Your company is so bureaucratic.”
You say, “I agree that we should be as flexible and user-friendly as
possible. Your suggestions can really help.”
• Overpriced - Your customer says, “This isn’t anything like what I
was promised. And your price is way too high!”
You say, “I am on your side in this situation. You have a right to be
satisfied with whatever you purchase from us. You deserve good value
for your money. Let’s review what you have purchased and see if there’s
a better option for you.”
30 InnFocus
You say, “We understand that in today’s world speed counts. You deserve
fast, friendly service.”
You say, “You are right to want an informative, user-friendly website.
What information couldn’t you find? Your suggestions on how to improve
the site are a big help.”
Notice how your responses make the customer feel right. We don’t argue
over the facts: rude staff, stiff policies, or poor value. But we do actively
agree on the importance of what they value most.
Let’s face it - the customer is not always right. However, customers are
always important, and we can make them feel much better by agreeing
with them on the importance of the service dimensions they identify
and value.
Ron Kaufman is the author of Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your
Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet www.UpliftingService.com.
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