How to Identify and Evaluate What's Stressing You Out by Kaustav Sen

Kaustav Sen is a distinguished contributor.

Don’t just let stress build in the back of your mind. Take back control by bringing it front and centre.

1. Name the problem. Simply giving the problem, or cause of your stress, a name can begin the process of resolution. By identifying the specific problem, you eliminate all other possibilities, making it more concrete and manageable.

2. Examine your automatic thoughts. "Automatic thoughts" are the things you say to yourself without realizing it. When automatic thoughts are constructive, you cope well. However, when stress levels are high, you often subject yourself to negative messages that may or may not reflect the reality of the situation. These messages contribute directly to stress. It's rare that you stop to consider what you tell yourself, but your automatic thoughts reflect your internal assumptions and beliefs. Test your assumptions by tuning in to your automatic thoughts. What words pop into your mind? Write them down and look at them objectively. Often, you'll find that they're exaggerated; for example, do you use negative words (i.e., failure, disaster) to describe yourself or the situation?

3. Correct errors in logic and revise your assumptions. Examine your automatic thoughts for errors in logic. Instead of calling yourself a failure and assuming that a disaster will certainly occur, be objective and think constructively.

4. Develop alternative hypotheses. Even though you may leap to the worst-case scenario, there may be other hypotheses that could explain the situation. Try to think objectively.

5. Give yourself a reality check. The problem may not be as bad as it seems and easier to solve than you initially thought. While positive amounts of stress elicit clearheaded thinking, too much stress exaggerates reality. This causes our imagination to blow a small problem out of proportion. Look at a situation from as many different viewpoints as possible—what might initially seem disastrous could in fact offer exciting new opportunities.

---

About The Author

Kaustav Sen

Cluster Director of Human Resources & Training at Crowne Plaza & Staybridge Suites Yas@AUH/HR Committee-Yas Plaza Hotels

---

All views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer, organisation, committee or other group or individual.

CDC Study Suggests Dining at Restaurants Poses Greater COVID-19 Risk

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of a study of COVID-19 patients and the activities they participated in and the interactions they had in the two weeks before they tested positive for the respiratory illness.

Eating at a restaurant also seemed to be a bigger determining factor for a positive test than a number of other activities, including going to an office, visiting a hair salon, going to a gym, riding on public transportation, or attending a religious service.

www.foodandwine.com/news/cdc-covid-study-restaurants-dining-out

Soneva Fushi unveils world’s largest one- and two-bedroom overwater villas

Soneva Fushi’s new Water Retreats are soon to be ready to welcome guests, adding yet another facet to the original barefoot luxury resort.

Guests can expect innovative designs and some new changes to the iconic Water Retreat designs that can be found at Soneva Jani.

Soneva’s floating villa concept, Soneva in Aqua, is a luxury two-cabin yacht that sets sail from Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.

There is a multi-purpose facility that encompasses the Maldives’ only hot glass studio, the glass gallery, and boutique where guests can learn the art of glassblowing.

Source

Radisson adds dual-brand property at Heathrow

Radisson Hotel Group has welcomed two new brands at London Heathrow, joining forces under one roof.

The new Radisson Red hotel features 258 bedrooms showcasing the bold and playful design of the brand.

The other bedrooms, of which there are more than 600 in the neighbouring Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow, follow the Scandinavian-inspired Radisson style, nodding to the heritage of the group.

Family rooms with bunk beds able to accommodate up to four people are featured at both properties.

IHG Signs Two New Hotels in Bangladesh

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Evalona Limited for two new build hotels in Bangladesh. The 200-room Holiday Inn Resort Kuakata is due to open in early 2026 and the 150-rooms Crowne Plaza Kuakata will open its doors to guests in Q1 2028. Located on the second largest beach in Bangladesh, both hotels will be best in class products in the country.

Affirming an optimistic mid-long-term outlook despite on the ongoing global pandemic, this marks the third signing across four hotels for IHG in the SWA region since Q2 2020.

Located approximately 280 kms from Dhaka, Kuakata is a beach town on the banks of the Bay of Bengal in Southern Bangladesh. A beautiful destination on its own, the beach is 18 kms long and 3 kms wide and offers a full view of sunrise and sunset. The location can also be accessed by speed boat from the Sundarbans (mangrove forests) and is in close proximity to Payra Seaport development, which is set to become an important seaport in the country.

A perfect destination for MICE events, Crowne Plaza Kuakata will offer a ballroom accommodating 800-900 guests, two function rooms, two meeting rooms, a business centre and a boardroom (2,475 sqm in total). Offering a wide range of F&B options, the hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant, two specialty restaurants and a lobby lounge & bar. For guests to rejuvenate, Crowne Plaza Kuakata will feature a spa, a fitness centre, an outdoor pool and a recreation area, as well.

Positioned as a great destination for leisure travelers, on opening, Holiday Inn Resort Kuakata will feature an all-day dining restaurant, a fitness centre, a retail area along with an indoor and outdoor recreation area. The hotel will also offer a meeting room and a boardroom for guests with business requirements.
Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG commented: "We are pleased to announce the signing of two new hotels in Bangladesh in partnership with Evalona Limited. Being built at an excellent location, Crowne Plaza Kuakata and Holiday Inn Resort Kuakata will be amongst the first international hotels in Kuakata and will benefit from the latent demand for international, branded holiday and MICE destination within Bangladesh.

He added: The signing is testament to our long-term commitment to grow in the SWA region and introduce right brands to key markets with the right partners. Despite current challenging circumstances, we are confident in the mid-long-term outlook of the industry – it is great to see that our owners share the same sentiment and are investing in our trusted brands."

Sadiq Rahman, Managing Director, Evalona Limited said: "We are excited to partner with IHG for our first hospitality project and bring Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands to the beautiful beach of Kuakata. IHG has a strong reputation in the country with their existing portfolio and a robust pipeline. We are confident that we will benefit from their experience, expertise and operational excellence, and that both hotels will be successful on opening in the future."

IHG has 39 hotels in SWA across mainstream, upscale and luxury segments and 54 in the pipeline. *

*numbers as of June 30th 

Year-Over-Year the Global Hotel Construction Pipeline Continues to Increase

The latest Global Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE) states that the global hotel construction pipeline stands at 14,779 projects/2,412,736 rooms. Year-over-year (YOY) the pipeline increased 5% by projects and 4% by rooms with several stages of the pipeline hitting their peaks by project and rooms counts.

Brands leading in the pipeline for each of these companies are Marriott’s Fairfield Inn with 431 projects/50,249 rooms; Hampton by Hilton with 775 projects/102,815 rooms; IHG’s Holiday Inn Express with 712 projects/90,479 rooms; and AccorHotel’s Ibis Brands with 319 projects/44,817 rooms.

Throughout the first half of 2020, the world opened 891 hotels accounting for 131,921 rooms

Source

Avani+ Ho Tram Resort under construction in Vietnam

Avani Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of the first Avani+ upscale resort in Vietnam - Avani+ Ho Tram Resort. The property is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2023.

Currently, the brand has a total of three properties under construction in Ho Chi Minh City, Doc Let and Cam Ranh, as well as two hotels in operation in Hai Phong and Quy Nhon

Source

Hotel JAL City Fukuoka Tenjin to Open in 2021

Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., announced today that it will open Hotel JAL City Fukuoka Tenjin in 2021.

Sekisui House, Ltd., a renowned Japanese construction company, is now building the hotel and aiming to complete it by January 2021.

Based on Hotel JAL City's brand concept “smart simplicity”, the new hotel will offer a smart and simple stay experience, providing check-in and check-out and room key functionality by means of guests’ smartphone

Source

Ginger Hotels Announces The Signing Of Three New Hotels

Ginger Hotels announces the signing of three new hotels –two in Chennai and one in Patna –designed around the brand's lean luxe philosophy. The two Chennai properties will take the total number of Ginger hotels in the city to five, while the Patna property will be the brand's second hotel in the city.

Chennai and Patna are both high demand markets. With the addition of these hotels in different micro-markets, the Ginger brand deepens its market penetration in cities that are important commercial hubs of India

Source

Radisson Hotel Group Signs Pakistan’s First Internationally Branded Serviced Apartments

Radisson Hotel Group announced the signing of the Radisson Blu Serviced Apartments, Islamabad in Pakistan, the first internationally branded serviced apartments in the country

This marks the group's second hotel in Pakistan, accelerating its ambition to have 10 hotels and 2,000 rooms in operation and under development across the country by 2025.

The new-build hotel will form part of a mixed-use development, which includes offices and a retail mall

Source

Domino's Give Away,Freebies Club

Dominos is giving away 2 FREE Large Pizzas per family to everyone this week to support the nation during Corona Pandemic. Click here to get: www.dominos.co.in-freebies.club

Thai hospitality firm Dusit International announces re-entry into India

Thailand-based hospitality firm Dusit International has announced its return to India with a plan to open at least two Dusit-branded hotels per year 2021 onward in tier I and tier II cities.

The company will focus on markets such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru – as well as key leisure destinations such as Goa.

Source

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS ABOUT HOTEL INDUSTRY by Deepanshu Chawla

Deepanshu is a Certified Hospitality Trainer , a Six Sigma-Green Belt and has been associated with top luxury hospitality brands in India and the Maldives. He is instrumental in driving Employee Performance , Strategy , CSR and Talent Development.

Through his Youtube Channel, Deepanshu aspires to assist and coach students & passionate hoteliers by helping them reach peak performance and by creating content that is not only easily accessible but also one that creates a positive difference and adds value to the viewers.

Here’s his first video!

Occupancy across Egypt crashes to 10 percent in Q2 2020: Colliers

The impact of COVID-19 on Egypt’s hospitality market has been revealed for this year’s second quarter. Data from Colliers International shows how the popular holiday spot for Brits and the Middle East has struggled massively with the virus

Elsewhere in Egypt, Cario and Alexandria have seen occupancy drop by 54 percent and 49 percent respectively.

Source

Report finds 80 percent of hotel guests would rather check in remotely

New research has found only eight percent of guests would feel comfortable checking in and checking out via a reception desk, as consumer habits favour a more digital guest journey during a hotel stay.

Research conducted by UK-based Criton highlighted that 80 percent of guests would download an app that would enable them to check in and check out

Source

Jonathan Bowen Appointed General Manager At Ibis Bridgwater, United Kingdom

Cycas's first UK partnership with Accor, in May Jonathan Bowen, became General Manager of the Ibis Bridgwater (opening January 2021). Jonathan's combination of 15 years' hospitality experience across the South West of England, as well as a strong relationship with Accor, ensures he is well placed to successfully open Cycas's first property in the region early next year.

Philip Steiner Appointed General Manager At Moxy and Residence Inn by Marriott double-decker hotel in Slough, United Kingdom

From September Philip Steiner will take up the General Manager position for Cycas's upcoming Moxy and Residence Inn by Marriott double-decker hotel in Slough(Opening April 2021)

In recognition of his hotel operations expertise, in February 2020 he became the first-ever winner of HSMAI Europe's Young Talent of the Year Award.

Source

Deutsche Hospitality opens second InterCity Hotel in Oman

Germany hotelier firm Deutsche Hospitality has opened its second IntercityHotel-brand property in Oman, part of the group’s plans to expand across the Middle East.

The hotel features 120 keys, as well as a restaurant, a café, and a pool bar. Despite the ongoing challenges presented by the coronavirus, the group has managed to continue this mission with the recent Omani opening.

Source

THE SMILE CONTINUES; Touch-less and distancing adhered. by Salla Vijay Kumar

THE SMILE CONTINUES

Touchless and distancing adhered

Into hospitality and one thing that never changes is the warmth of the smile. During the initial days of our education into the ocean of hospitality we were taught to always wear a plastic smile24 x 7 and the word ‘always’ at personal best, itself sounded a little artificial. We even didn’t know something like this is natural and acceptable. One couldn’t assess the plight of the hospitality professional personal inhibitions who was wearing that tailored genuine smile. It is synonymous to the armed personnel who lead a all time dedicated, community and selfless regime. Our smile here and their dedication there, builds the solidarity. 

Talk about being a customer to any hospitality service and we will experience the smile which is the soul of Indian Hospitality nerves. Through a genuine smile from the heart, we express the acceptance of welcoming and accommodating someone mostly unknown. We express a feeling of ‘may I assist you’. We express the confidence that you are here and everything is going to be just fine. Sit back and be a party to us. We socialize and support one another adapting and adjusting to the change in the current nuclear, joint and bonding of family set up, but the oneness is here to survive.Our acceptance of one’s positive and negative attributes, builds the Vasudeva kutumbam. 

The first positive operational obstacle is the omni presence that is said to spread smile even by not being there. We have volume of studies and literature on communication and barriers to communication. One among it is the telephone etiquettes. This is the most casual, running and swift part of any conversation. Don’t have to be there, to be there. You are at your casual best to converse. Did we know the on-listener can actually feel the smile in our first acknowledgement, like the first impression? The Digital smile. One should assess the willingness to listen, help or share communication. You don’t have to record your own conversations but confess that when you spoke to someone and he or she was sounding busy, rude or not hospitable, it spoiled your mood though for a short while. Vice versa is also true. Formally stated, Newton's third law is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It is important to respect the person's position, time, necessity and the one thing everyone can do is to keep a smile in your talk because more than the words, the tone and poise of our talk, builds the dialogue.

In the face of the lockdown, we have come across the next situational hurdle in advent of the unprecedented lockdown and to counter the spread of the virus, when the world is shying off from human communication; it is advised to wear face masks whenever engaged in social front. Though a sustainable and health conscious intervention, we need a curtain raiser to showcase our smile across the face mask to our athithi. Now this is interpreting professionalism at its core and unanimously declares we are the best at spreading smiles. The Perceived adept Smile. So the hospitality smile across the pardah is a challenge accepted through to maintain the social physical distancing and still show the world “The Smile Continues”. 

---

About The Author

Salla Vijay Kumar, a National Awardee is Sr.Lecturer with IHM Ahmedabad (An autonomous institute under Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India)

You can access all articles by the author at

www.hospemag.me/distinguished-contributors/salla-vijay-kumar

7,400 new hotel rooms open in Dubai despite ongoing pandemic, reveals Colliers

A total of 8,100 hospitality keys entered the UAE market between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020 despite the freezing effect COVID-19 has had on the industry.

Performance during Q4, the peak hospitality season in the UAE, will be the best indicator of the recovery of international tourist demand in 2020, said Colliers.

For More Details Click Below:

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/news/118991-7400-new-hotel-rooms-open-in-dubai-despite-ongoing-pandemic-reveals-colliers