How COVID-19 is Inspiring New Ideas in Food Retail

With social distancing rules in place, and restrictions on eating out to stop the spread of COVID-19, food retailers have been forced to reinvent their business models to maintain cash flow.

From restaurant kitchens turning into bakeries, to bars home delivering drinks packages, and takeaways turning to food apps, many are stepping up in how they connect with their customers and tap into new demand, boosting their readiness for future trends.

In Australia there are about 60,000 venues affected by measures to prevent people gathering, which include closing food courts, and allowing only takeaway or delivery options for cafes, bars and restaurants. In many cities across the world, venues have shut altogether.

The speed of the outbreak has forced retailers and landlords to think quickly about how to adapt to these new norms, when the sector was already subject to evolutionary pressures including e-commerce, increased urban living and changing shopping and social behaviours.

Necessity leads to invention

Around the world, there are pockets of quick and inspired thinking. With licencing restrictions in Australia relaxed to allow bars to deliver alcohol, Sydney bar Dulcie’s have put together a ‘Quarantini-hour’ pack, including glasses for hire, and a link to the bar’s playlist.

In London, the healthy meal delivery company and deli chain Detox Kitchen is working alongside its produce supplier to create food boxes for consumers with goods usually sold to restaurants, such as vegetables, fruit, eggs and dry ingredients.

“We’re also making sure shopping centre websites and social media accounts are listing all these details and that their profile and reach is being leveraged to support their retailers. It’s not just about writing a ‘we are still open’ post and hoping for the best. There’s a lot of strategy and some really techy stuff that goes into good social media.”

To support retailers and landlord through this period it refers to as ‘business unusual’, Brain and Poulter has created a ‘triage package’ for retailers including best practice guidelines for takeaway and delivery services, as well as cost management advice.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 138 - Adjustments To Consider For Your Hotel Advertising Right Now

These are unprecedented times and they call for us to rethink our advertising approach. In this episode, we discuss some simple considerations that you should be thinking about when updating your hotel advertising.

At Fuel, we think a little differently. We believe that we’re making the world just a little bit better by connecting people with the right products and services. “Travel Marketing…Simplified.” That’s our motto and our commitment. Headquartered in the heart of the travel and tourism industry in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Fuel provides all digital services in-house through a team of experts who understand the potential of well-executed, effective online marketing

For more information please visit below mention website:

http://www.fueltravel.com/?utm_source=Hotel+News+Resource

Hilton Garden Inn Monterrey Obispado Opens in Mexico

Hilton announced the opening of its new Hilton Garden Inn in Mexico — Hilton Garden Inn Monterrey Obispado. Owned by Real State Agency ALORA and developed by Promotora DEVI SA de CV, the 176-room hotel is located within Torre TOP, a new mixed-use project with LEED Gold Certification for sustainable buildings. Upon completion, Torre TOP will be recognized as Mexico’s tallest skyscraper.

Located two miles away from San Pedro Garza Garcia, Hilton Garden Inn Monterrey Obispado boasts 176 guestrooms that offer panoramic views of the Monterrey mountain range. The rooms also feature the brand’s signature bedding, which includes fresh, white duvets and crisp linens; a spacious and clutter-free work desk with an ergonomic desk chair; and an in-room “hospitality center” with a mini fridge as well as a coffee maker. 

Situated in front of the San Pedro corporate and financial area and surrounded by important medical establishments such as Christus Muguerza Hospital and Sierra Madre Hospital, the hotel boasts convenient access to downtown tourist attractions, such as Macroplaza, Santa Lucia walkway, Metropolitan Cathedral, Mirador del Obispado, Fundidora Park and Museo del Acero Horno 3. Guests can take advantage of a complimentary shuttle service to reach destinations within five miles of the property. 

Hilton currently has a portfolio of nearly 160 hotels and resorts across 25 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, including just about 70 properties in Mexico. The company is actively pursuing additional Caribbean and Latin American growth opportunities and currently has a robust pipeline of more than 100 hotels throughout the region, including 30 hotels in the pipeline in Mexico.

SureStay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley Makes Its Debut in California

The SureStay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley has opened its doors in Fairfield, California.

The SureStay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley will provide guests with an experience they can count on and the amenities today's travelers have come to expect. The SureStay service promise reflects the brand and the hotel's commitment to providing quality service and value to its guests.

Located at 3331 N. Texas St. in Fairfield, California, the hotel features 100 guest rooms

The property's location near world-class wineries and delicious restaurants makes it an optimal place to call home base when visiting Napa Valley. Also nearby is the Anheuser-Busch Budweiser beer brewery with a tasting room and tours and the Vacaville Premium Outlets which boasts 120 stores.

For more family fun, the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom theme park and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord water park are also in the area. Also nearby is the Travis Air Force Base, home to the site of the largest military aerial port in the United States.

"It has been a pleasure working alongside Sona Sales & Management to introduce SureStay Hotel Group to Fairfield," adds Daniel Knuckles, Regional Manager of SureStay Hotel Group. "We are confident that David Chin and his team will deliver on our service promise."

India Daily Hotel Occupancy Drops to 11%

As COVID-19 concerns and restrictions have intensified in India, the country’s daily hotel occupancy dropped to 11% during 23-29 March, according to preliminary data from STR.

. “The story was different in March, especially during the later portion of the month with year-over-year occupancy declines in excess of 80% for the last nine days we have processed

Along with a steep downward trend in occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) have also dropped significantly in India. ADR, which has decreased year over year by roughly 20% or more for eight consecutive days, went as low as INR4,924.18 on 28 March. RevPAR reached its lowest absolute level (INR537.54) on 22 March.

For more information click on below mention link :

https://str.com/data-insights-blog/coronavirus-hotel-industry-data-news

CHART Announces Membership Access Program to Support Hospitality Trainers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

To support hospitality trainers in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART, www.chart.org) is providing free membership through a newly created Membership Access Program to new members, and is providing pay-what-you-can renewal for current members who are unable to renew their membership due to the crisis.

“Hospitality training professionals are at the forefront of helping the restaurant, foodservice, and lodging industries get back on their feet and get employees ready to serve guests again in the coming weeks,” said Serah Morrissey, CHART President 

CHART membership includes access to:

• Ask My Peers – a private, members-only online discussion group that actively shares solutions and best practices

• Virtual Training Forums – newly-created to address timely and critical COVID-19 topics

• Regional Training Forums – in-person and virtual meetings across the U.S.

• Hospitality Training Magazine – articles and member blogs with practical training content

• Hospitality Trainer Toolbox – an arsenal of research, publications, and ideas

• Member Directory – contact information for the nation’s top hospitality trainers

APPLICATION INFORMATION: New members must meet the eligibility criteria of being in (or recently in) a hospitality training position for an operator business. Free membership will be offered through May 31, 2020 and will last for a period of one year.

DONATE: CHART, a non-profit association, is accepting donations to offset the cost of this program.

The hashtag for this program is #BetterTogetherCHART.

Restaurants Get Tax Breaks, Deferments from CARES Act

The CARES Act signed into law by President Trump postpones but doesn’t eliminate the inevitable — taxes. But the temporary changes in tax law can help ease the burden restaurants face during the uncertainty of the coronavirus crisis. Here’s a summary of some of the changes.

• Delays in tax filings/payments. The tax filing deadline will be extended from April 15 to July 15, and you can postpone estimated tax payments (both personal and business) due until October 15, 2020, with no cap on the amount of the payment you postpone. Social Security taxes also are deferred, with half due on Dec. 31, 2021, and the remaining half at the end of 2022.

• Employee Retention Tax Credit. Restaurants that closed or whose business declined 50% or more due to the coronavirus – compared with the same quarter last year – get a refundable payroll tax credit for 50% of wages paid to employees during the crisis. The credit applies to the first $10,000 of compensation paid, including health care benefits, from March 13, 2020 through December 31, 2020. What wages qualify vary somewhat depending on whether you have more or fewer than 100 employees.

• Tipped employee wage adjustment. Since table service has been discontinued in most states, and servers are no longer able to earn tips, you can base your payroll costs on the wages you’re currently paying waitstaff for the jobs they’re doing now, instead of the wages plus gratuities they collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can use these wages when you compute loan forgiveness.

• Cap on sick leave expenses. Your sick leave expenses are capped at $200 per day and $10,000 in the aggregate for each employee. Outlays for paid family leave are capped at $200 a day or $2,000 in the aggregate for employees attending to a quarantined child or family member.

• Modifications for Net Operating Losses (NOL). This provides that a loss from 2018, 2019, or 2020 can be carried back five years, and temporarily removes the taxable income limitation to allow a NOL you incurred to fully offset income.

Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno Airport Opens in California

Home2 Suites by Hilton, part of Hilton's All Suites portfolio, opened on March 27th, its newest property, Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno Airport. Designed for travelers who want to maintain their normal routine, the hotel features 111 suites and a range of value, tech-focused and eco-conscious amenities. Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno is situated conveniently located 90 minutes away from 3 National Parks; Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia. In the Central Valley, visitors spend $4.5 billion on tourism and hospitality which supports 46,600 jobs generating $258 million in State and local tax revenues in 2018.

“Clovis’ proximity remains a destination to visit for both international and domestic traveler’s and we are excited to bring our modern extended stay accommodations to Clovis,” said Stephanie Rodriguez, General Manager, Home2 Suites by Hilton. “Guests enjoying the area will love our convenient location and customizable suites that fit the needs of every unique traveler.”

Located at 810 Santa Ava Avenue, just 4 miles north of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Home2 Suites by Hilton Clovis Fresno Airport offers guests convenient access to California State University, Lamonica Stadium and variety of eateries and wineries.

OYO CEO and the Executive Leadership Team to Take Voluntary Salary Cuts

COVID-19 has impacted the global hospitality industry significantly with occupancies of various hotel chains being affected drastically. In this unprecedented and difficult period, Ritesh Agarwal, the Founder & Group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes, has decided to forego 100% of his salary for the rest of the year. The company’s entire executive leadership team has taken a voluntary pay cut starting at 25%, with many opting for an additional uncapped amount, and some going up to 50% to enable building the runway for the company. This would be effective April 2020 and the entire company is standing together to tide over these times.

It has been a matter of pride for OYO Hotels & Homes that it has retained each and every single leader in the CXO group in the history of the company, and in a difficult time like this, the executive leadership has come together as one strong entity as true partners of the company.

Commenting on the development, Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO said, “The current situation the world over is deeply concerning to each and every one of us. OYO is doing everything to support the world with its limited resources in this pandemic from making isolation centers to finding a safe place for first responders. Given the current business situation, which is unprecedented for our industry globally

Daily Hotel Occupancy Falls to As Low As 12.9% in Lima, Peru

As the impact of COVID-19 broadens in South America, Lima’s daily hotel occupancy fell to as low as 12.9% on 19 March, according to preliminary data from STR.

That occupancy level came one day after the Peruvian government imposed a nightly curfew to combat the spread of COVID-19. STR’s most recent data for 22 March showed that just 13 of 100 rooms on average were occupied in the city.

“Despite the fact that corporate tourism is not strong during January and February, daily occupancy in Lima was as high as 70.1% on 19 February,” said Patricia Boo, STR’s area director for Central/South America. “The market’s daily occupancy was above 40% as late as the 12th of March, with the exception of 29 February and 8 March when occupancy was roughly 38%, but has been declining recently by more than 70% in year-over-year comparisons.”

STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for global hospitality sectors. For more information, please visit str.com.

Distressed Hotels: What to Do with Distressed Hotels. Lender (and Borrower) Guide - By Jim Butler

When a hotel loan gets in trouble, a lender should immediately perform a Comprehensive Situation Analysis. Borrowers should do the same and be fast to approach lenders with candor and an actual plan demonstrating what is needed and how it will work. This Comprehensive Situation Analysis is the foundation for making some of the most important decisions that the lender and borrower will face on what to do with a distressed loan or asset. When the Comprehensive Situation Analysis is completed, what’s next? What do the amassed facts indicate? How do they tell the parties what to do? What are the alternatives for dealing with a troubled hotel loan? Basically, the alternatives for a lender with troubled hotel asset are:

1. Do nothing (or sell the loan)

2. Workout the loan

3. Appoint a receiver

4. Seek a deed-in-lieu

5. Commence foreclosure

6. Seek Relief in bankruptcy proceedings

The matrix below shows how many of the relevant factors will suggest the appropriate alternative to select.

For matrix please visit below mention link :

https://hotellaw.jmbm.com/files/2020/03/Alternative-Strategies-for-Trouble-Loans.pdf

Hotel Sales Teams: Two Sales Tasks You Can Do This Week To Get Ready For The Rebound - By Doug Kennedy

About Doug Kennedy

Doug Kennedy is President of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. a leading provider of hotel sales, guest service, reservations, and front desk training programs and telephone mystery shopping services for the lodging and hospitality industry

Since 1996, Doug’s monthly training articles have been published worldwide, making him one of the most widely read hospitality industry authorities

For most hotels in North America, the sales team is entering week three of the Covid19 disruption. The first week or so was just crazy, as salespeople from all market segments endured a frantic wave of cancelations and postponements.  Just as that wave was starting to pass, most sales leaders had to make the difficult move of furloughing or laying off sales staff to pare down the payroll costs

Rather than signing off work early, here are two sales-related tasks you can do right now to get ready for the rebound, with more to come soon in my future blogs published here.

1) Reach out personally to your key client contacts.Instead, use your time to connect personally one-to-one.  For your very top tier, long-term clients, consider a phone call during their local business hours. State upfront that you are just calling to check on them personally. For most clients, a personal email is the best medium. While it’s okay to start with a template for an opening and ending, be sure to include something in the first few sentences that shows the receiver it’s genuine, not generic.

2) Master the use of your sales CRM.  When travel fully reopens, the competition is going to be greater than ever for the leads that resurface first.  

Instead, they use a mixed bag of inefficient tools such as flagged emails, calendar appointments, post-it notes and handwritten notes scribbled on print-outs of RFP’s.  This is a great time to become hyper-organized so you can be efficient later when the pent-up demand breaks through the barrier.

Register for the online tutorials that most sales CRMs offer, or to schedule a screen-share meeting with a coworker or friend to share tips and tactics.  Clean-up your CRM “task lists” and eliminate the past-due ones that have been haunting you for too long now. Get with your system administrator and redo the “auto-tasks” that occur when business goes definite, so they match what you truly need, and don’t clog-up your future lists with red flags.

Marriott International Notifies Guests of Property System Incident

Hotels operated and franchised under Marriott’s brands use an application to help provide services to guests at hotels. At the end of February 2020, the company identified that an unexpected amount of guest information may have been accessed using the login credentials of two employees at a franchise property. The company believes that this activity started in mid-January 2020. Upon discovery, the company confirmed that the login credentials were disabled, immediately began an investigation, implemented heightened monitoring, and arranged resources to inform and assist guests. Marriott also notified relevant authorities and is supporting their investigations.

Although Marriott’s investigation is ongoing, the company currently has no reason to believe that the information involved included Marriott Bonvoy account passwords or PINs, payment card information, passport information, national IDs, or driver’s license numbers.

At this point, the company believes that the following information may have been involved for up to approximately 5.2 million guests, although not all of this information was present for every guest involved:

• contact details (e.g., name, mailing address, email address, and phone number)

• loyalty account information (e.g., account number and points balance, but not passwords)

• additional personal details (e.g., company, gender, and birthday day and month)

• partnerships and affiliations (e.g., linked airline loyalty programs and numbers)

• preferences (e.g., stay/room preferences and language preference)

  Marriott is sending emails to guests involved. Marriott has also set up a dedicated website (www.mysupport.marriott.com) and call center resources with additional information for guests. The call center resources can be reached by calling the numbers listed on the dedicated website. The email sent to guests and the website also contain a list of steps guests involved can consider taking and information about enrolling in a personal information monitoring service that Marriott is providing.

Radisson Hotel Group continues to expand in China’s most dynamic destinations with new signing

Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town is a striking new upper-upscale hotel being developed in Nanjing South New Town, a rapidly emerging commercial area that will become the city’s new CBD.

Scheduled to open its doors in 2024, Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town will feature 300 contemporary rooms and suites. The property is being developed by Nanjing South New Town Exhibition Centre Development Co., Ltd.

“Nanjing has always been one of China’s most important cities; its name literally means ‘Southern Capital,’ which reflects its historical influence. Today, Nanjing remains one of China’s 21st century most vibrant destinations and the rise of Nanjing South New Town will further enhance its development

With its world-class accommodation, facilities and conference space, Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town will be a central landmark in this exciting new district

Live Survey Reveals 50 Percent of Hotels Not Planning to Close Properties Due to COVID-19

Knowland, the leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced the results of a live survey of more than 700 hoteliers conducted during its informative webinar “COVID-19 Preparing Today for Success Tomorrow.” Knowland’s VP of product management, Kristi White provided insight and guidance during a webinar held on March 25, 2020 

Throughout the webinar, hoteliers were eager to respond to a series of questions about how they were handling the COVID-19 crisis. Questions such as “Is your hotel closed?” and “What percentage of cancellations have you received for the next 90-120 days” were asked in order to gain insight into the current situation.

• Survey reveals “stay the course” mentality – While 70 percent have had 75 percent plus cancellations over the next 90-120 days, 50 percent of participants indicated that they are not planning to close their hotels and were “staying the course” during this time. This may be due to the fact that many hoteliers are hoping the new CARES Act stimulus bill will help keep them from shutting their doors and their teams capable of prospecting business over the next 60-75 days, however approximately 23% of attendees reported that closing their hotel was “under consideration.”

• Pivot and train your sales teams – White advised attendees to evaluate sales team members to determine those that are best qualified to conduct outreach based on compassion and assistance, as opposed to “making the sale.”

• Identify and cater to local market opportunities – The survey also revealed that 50 percent of participants conducted local sales outreach earlier this year, compared to 38% in 2019. Corporate, government and local catering, as well as smaller and regional events and local drive market will bounce back first. Knowland provides key profile indicators such as what businesses have held local events, the history of their performance (such as what they did during the 2008 recession) to help sales teams better identify potential local customers.

Radisson Hotel Group Expands Its Presence in Brazil

“Our partnership with Atlantica Hotels allows us to bring the bright, inviting and balanced feel of the Radisson brand into vibrant cities like Anápolis, Brazil,” said Frances Gonzalez, vice president of Operations for Radisson Hotel Group in Latin America. “We believe every modern traveler should have a hospitality experience that allows them to find more harmony in both their work and leisure lives, and we are excited to continue creating these experiences in destinations around Latin America.”

Atlantica Hotels is a licensee for Radisson Hotel Group’s brands in Brazil, including Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED and Park Inn by Radisson.

Kimpton Charlotte Square (UK) has announced the appointment of Kieran Quinn as General Manager

Kimpton Charlotte Square, has announced the appointment of Kieran Quinn as General Manager. Kieran will oversee the 199 room property located in the heart of Edinburgh and brings over 20 years of experience

He began his career in hospitality in his teenage years in his native Donegal in Ireland. He then qualified with distinction from Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland

His most recent position was General Manager for Crowne Plaza Edinburgh Royal Terrace where he was instrumental in completing the hotel’s renovation, increasing average rate and achieving record revenues for the hotel

Commenting on his new position as Hotel General Manager, He said: “The Kimpton ethos is one I'm incredibly passionate about. We believe that heartfelt human connections can really make a difference to people's lives. This goes for the team as well as our guests. It's the authentic personal touches that we deliver day in day out here at the hotel that make a real difference to our guests' experience.

A Mexican Chef Makes History As The First Mexican Woman To Win A Michelin Star

The 36-year-old leads the team at the Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura restaurant in Florence, Italy. She’s also the sole female to be named in the 2020 Michelin Guide Italy.

 Michelin’s review of her restaurant: “The cuisine of theatrical chef Massimo Bottura has arrived in Florence, demonstrating openness to the rest of the world, with influences and reinterpretations of dishes from other countries, as well as Italy and Modena in particular. A visit to the Gucci Garden, an elegant museum on the upper floors dedicated to the famous fashion house, is highly recommended.” We love how the review includes that López is including perhaps Mexican influences in her Italian creations

For more info please visit below mention link:

https://wearemitu.com/culture/karime-lopez-chef-michelin-star/#brid_cp_Brid_12348598

Hilton Partners with Leading Companies to Find Temporary Jobs for Displaced Hotel Team Members

As the hospitality industry responds to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Hilton is partnering with leading companies to connect workers from temporarily suspended hotels with hundreds of thousands of short-term jobs created by the global pandemic.

Hilton Team Members, and others in the industry seeking employment, will be given direct access and in some cases expedited access to temporary jobs on the Hilton Workforce Resource Center at companies such as Albertsons, Amazon, CVS, Lidl, Sunrise Senior Living and Walgreens.

These partners recognize the power of a service culture and the value of hospitality skills training Hilton Team Members are known to receive. With a diverse range of experience reflected in the eligible candidate pool, these Team Members are an ideal fit to quickly step in and assist organizations in temporary assignments.

Hilton hopes to expand the program globally and plans to welcome these Team Members back when travel resumes.

Russia Closes State-Run Hotels, Resorts Over Rising Coronavirus Cases

Russia ordered its vast network of state-run hotels, resorts and recreational facilities to shut down from March 28 until June 1, as its number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose past 1,000.

The official tally of confirmed cases jumped by a record daily amount for the third day in a row on Friday, bringing Russia’s total to 1,036 a day after it moved to suspend all international flights. Four people have died.

Russia’s mass domestic tourism and recreation sector is still dominated by the state, a legacy from Soviet times. Millions of Russians still holiday each year at vast state-run hotels, resorts, health spas and children’s camps.

An opinion poll by the Moscow-based Levada Centre showed the majority of Russians, some 59 percent, do not believe the official figures. Twenty-four percent said they “absolutely” did not believe them and 35 percent said they only partially believed them, the poll showed.