Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in tested hotel rooms

In the most comprehensive testing of hotel cleanliness in Canadian history, CBC Marketplace uncovered some disturbing findings. In a test of 54 hotels across six major hotel chains, every hotel contained some form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Specifically, the findings of C. difficile and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were extremely alarming. C. difficile and MRSA are not rare bugs, with an estimated 5% of the population carrying MRSA without showing symptoms. However, these super bugs can pose a great threat to those with weakened immune systems.

Marketplace’s test found the worst bacterial hot spots in hotel rooms to be: bed comforters, bathroom faucets, and TV remotes. It also recorded hidden camera footage of maids using cleaning techniques that would actually help spread bacteria.

If you think about lack of sanitation and the sheer volume of people coming and going in hotels, these bacterial contaminations aren’t all that surprising. When you start finding these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, then you start realizing that this is a real issue that needs to be addressed.

As scary as these findings might be for consumers, this study brings light to the matter of hotel cleanliness. It is clear that cleaning practices in hotels need to be drastically ratified. This study has already driven some of the studied hotel chains to re-train and update cleaning procedures and protocols. Let’s hope that studies like this one continue to address the issue and force hotels to examine their cleaning standards and ratify them if need be.

USA’s Biggest Hotel Chains Considering Pulling Free WiFi

Massive usage in internet bandwidth is leading some of the biggest hotels in the US to ponder whether they should keep offering completely free WiFi.

Currently, all hotels are still offering WiFi, but many large hotel chains like Marriott International and Carlson Hotels are now giving guests a choice of an upgraded connection that offers faster speeds and more bandwidth, for an additional cost, of course.

The demand is growing out of control with free internet access being the most highly requested amenity offered during a hotel stay. With the increase smart phone and laptop presence for travelers, hotels are seeing bandwidth demand rise.  Dave Garrison, the CEO of iBahn, references data acquired in the months of March 2011 to December 2011, saying they have seen a 50% increase in data usage from hotel internet connections.

The increase of bandwidth usage increases the costs for the hotel to provide smooth internet service. Hotels have been beefing up their connections, and with the additional costs on their end, they are open to the idea of offering different speeds of internet with different cost brackets.

IBahn recently stated that 40% of their guests have 2 different WiFi devices, while a 1 in 4 of their guests are carrying 3 or more.

This battle for bandwidth could spell additional fees for travelers.

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, believes this is the wrong decision to make. "When more than 70% of travelers saying internet is the single most important service offering. Just like TV, this service should be for free as it is a business and life requirement for us to stay connected." 

Hotels Inside of Airports Becoming More Common

Airports have evolved into substantial commercial centers in recent decades with expanding restaurant, bar, and shopping options. The recent trend of on-site hotels has made some major airports even more encompassing (next they'll have elected leaders and their own form of currency).

The chain Yotel, with locations in major European hubs like London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, provides travelers with the option of renting a room by the hour as needed (not quite the same as other hourly motel options I don't think, but in Amsterdam, who knows?) or for the entire night. A four hour block costs about $45 and an overnight stay runs at roughly $90.

Other hotels inside of airports include the Hyatt Regency inside the Orlando airport, the Marriott in the Tampa airport, and the Sheraton in the Bradley airport in Windsor Locks, Conn.

These higher-end hotel chains have extensive plans to continue to expand the hotel-attached-to-your-terminal market even further. Msnbc reports, "last year, Hilton Hotels & Resorts opened a 320-room hotel inside Terminal 3 of the Beijing Capital Airport in China"- and visitors can be sure to visit one of the seven restaurants and bars, 21 meeting rooms, spa, fitness center, and cigar bar.

According to msnbc, "the Hilton chain expects to open hotels at JFK airport in New York and the Frankfurt airport in Germany in December and three more hotels inside airports in Nigeria, in Ghana and in Alberta, Canada, by 2014." This market may prove to be particularly popular for business travelers with little to no time to partake in anything touristy, those with gruelingly long layovers, and people just wanting a shower and a place to freshen up between flights or before a big meeting after arrival.

Find more details here: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/11/8271262-more-hotels-opening-in-airports

Hotel Occupancy- and Rates!- Rising

A new projection from PricewaterhouseCoopers Hospitality and Leisure Practice predicts that the average daily hotel rate in the United States for the full-year of 2011 will increase by 3.6% as compared to 2010 rates. An additional 5.1% rate increase in 2012 is expected to follow.

Despite this, demand for hotel rooms has been abnormally high in 2011, especially in July, when, according to Smith Travel Research, 105 million room nights were booked- the highest number of room nights ever sold in one month, even with a 3.9% average daily rate increase for that particular month. The only other single month (in any year) that more than 100 million rooms were sold in the U.S. was in July 2010.

It will be interesting to keep an eye on whether the predicted price increases for the average daily hotel rate will have a substantial adverse effect on the increasing occupancy rates, or if travelers will continue to book more hotel rooms regardless of price increases. It would be unfortunate if hotels detracted potential customers with a continuation of inflated rates; however, considering the data above, this scenario does not seem to coincide with the findings of the conducted studies.

Hilton ends franchise deal with Las Vegas hotel

I have been to this hotel two times this year for site inspections. I instinctively knew something was going on.... so, this is not surprising although sad.
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Hilton Worldwide will terminate its franchise license agreement with the owner of the Las Vegas Hilton on Jan. 1.

The casino hotel, built in 1969 by casino magnate Kirk Kerkorian, opened as the International Hotel. It was sold to Hilton in 1970 and was renamed the Las Vegas Hilton in 1971.

At 2,956 guestrooms, the hotel is the largest Hilton in the world. It is next to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The current ownership group, led by Colony Capital, has owned the Las Vegas Hilton since 2004.

Hotel resorts file for bankruptcy

According to a report in Bloomberg, five resorts filed for bankruptcy after a lending group, including Paulson & Co., Winthrop Realty Trust and Capital Trust Inc., took over from Morgan Stanley’s real estate funds. As of Nov. 30, the resorts totaled $2.2 billion in assets and $1.9 billion in debt. The lending group will continue to keep the hotels open while they restructure the debt. The resorts are The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa in Hawaii, The La Quinta Resort & Club PGA West in California, the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami; the Claremont Resort & Spa in Berkeley, Calif.; and the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix.

Chapter 11 papers were filed yesterday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York City. The property bankruptcies are due to the drop in occupancy rates and average room rates, as well as the fact that hotel guests spent close to $100 million less in spas, restaurants and stores at the resorts in 2010, compared to 2007. bloomberg.com

The best way to protect yourself from this is travel insurance. Any licensed agency, like POTHOS, can provide individual or group insurance protections.

Hotel revenue from phone calls, in-room movies drying up

below is an LA Times article that I think is important. In my opinion, internet connectivity should be FREE and it seems like many of the chain hotels are agreeing with me. Frequent guests at Hilton, Starwood & Marriott no longer pay to be connected and they don't have to stay at the limited service properties to get this service!
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More guests are bringing their own devices, taking a small but significant bite out of the bottom line as the hospitality industry struggles to pull out of a deep slump.

The nation's hotel industry, already struggling to pull out of its worst slump in decades, is now suffering from another loss in revenue because of the booming popularity of cellphones and laptop computers.

In the past, hotel operators could expect to collect extra money by charging guests for in-room phone calls and on-demand movies.

But today most guests check into a hotel packing cellphones and laptop computers that are linked to the Internet and loaded with movies, games and music.

Proceeds from phone calls and movies have represented only a small share of a hotel's overall cash flow, but the sharp decline in revenue from those sources comes as the recession-wracked hospitality industry tries to rebound from the lowest occupancy numbers and room rates in decades.

It has hotel managers scrambling to make up for the loss by offering other entertainment, such as Saturday night movies by the pool, Sunday morning brunches, live music and spa treatments.

"In this economy, any loss of revenue and you are going to pull your hair out," said Bruce Gorelick, general manager of the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.

Hotel managers such as Gorelick have been frustrated by the loss of revenue since the start of the recession, when demand for hotels plummeted, pushing room rates to their lowest levels in years.

The industry's recovery has been slow, even though leisure travelers began to loosen the purse strings a bit on summer travel. Analysts with Smith Travel Research forecast a modest 4.4% increase in occupancy rates for 2010 and daily room rates that remain flat.

But the industry has a long way to go to overcome a slump that pushed down the average hotel occupancy rate in the U.S. to about 56% in 2009 — the lowest it's been in more than 20 years. Revenue per room dropped so sharply that hotel foreclosures in California quadrupled last year.

"Occupancy is starting to inch up," said Jeff Higley, a spokesman for Smith Travel Research. Still, he said analysts believe that room rates won't return to pre-recession levels for at least two or three years because managers are reluctant to charge too much. "Rates have really taken a beating."

At the same time, revenue from phone calls and in-room entertainment has been drying up.

Annual revenue collected by U.S. hotels from phone calls dropped to an average of $178 per room in 2009 from $1,252 in 1999, a decline of 86%, according to Colliers PKF Hospitality Research. Meanwhile, income from in-room movies and games dropped to $126 per room from $171, a decline of 26%, according to the research firm.

Cheryl Anker is a prime example of the trend.

She travels often managing Off 'N Running Tours, a Los Angeles-based company that organizes running tours and races. During a business trip to San Antonio last year to manage a 5-kilometer race, she said she entertained herself in her hotel room by watching Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest," which she uploaded from the Internet onto her laptop computer.

"So I nestled in with my wine and snacks," she said. "A very good evening."

But hotel entertainment companies such as Lodgenet Interactive Corp. would not call it a good evening. The Sioux Falls, S.D., company is one of the nation's largest providers of in-room entertainment systems, serving nearly 2 million hotel rooms worldwide.

In 2009, Lodgenet revenue dropped by nearly $50 million, or 9.3%, to $484.5 million from the previous year, according to a company earnings report. Lodgenet attributed most of the decline to a drop in sales of on-demand movies, games, music and other interactive services delivered through hotel televisions.

Lodgenet's downward trend continued through the second quarter of 2010 when the company reported a net loss of $3.1 million, according to an earnings report.

Lodgenet blames some of the losses on the recession and predicts that the future rollout of interactive, high-definition televisions in hotel rooms will "allow for the introduction of a broader array of services for guests and new revenue opportunities for hoteliers," company spokeswoman Ann Parker said in a statement.

As for hotel operators, many have given up hope of recapturing the boost from in-room entertainment.

"That revenue is gone," said Matt Greene, general manager of the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. "It's nonexistent."

In fact, by embracing the technology that guests demand, such as free Internet access, free computer applications and docking stations for iPod media players, hotels have cut off potential revenue sources. According to a recent survey by J.D. Power & Associates, 55% of U.S. hotels offer online access at no charge.

"The reality is that hotels have to find different ways to drive revenue," Greene said.

At the Renaissance Hollywood, Gorelick is trying to do just that by offering guests new entertainment options, such as a Sunday brunch accompanied by live jazz and outdoor movie nights every Saturday at the pool, to entice families to stay at the hotel for food and entertainment.

"Today, every penny count," he said. "Every revenue stream counts."

hugo.martin@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

quality and service is in direct relationship to price; NOT always

I am in the mood for a rant.

Earlier this year, I was in Omaha and decided to stay at a Holiday Inn with a very large aquatic park as part of hotel facility. I knew there would be kids and heck, I wanted to swim too but the sleeping rooms were so old and felt so dirty that I wore my socks to walk on the carpet. Haven't hotels every heard of steam cleaning carpets... maybe once a quarter would be good. I dont even want to think about what was spilled or the amount of dead skin we all shed.

On my current trip I first stayed at the Four Points at Chicago Ohare. I realized quickly there was a reason that room was so cheap. Maybe in bottom 10 of all Four Points.
Then on to a Doubletree in Little Rock. Wow, that property rocked; new renovation and property was fresh and up to date even though it was build in early 70's. I can certainly tell that more than 60% of its business is corporate. Very friendly staff, horrible breakfast; just no passion and flavor (eggs were so old they were green! which is the reaction they have with the aluminum chaffing dish. Not harmful as we ate green eggs all the time in Navy but not appetizing). I cant wait to go there again in 3 weeks. I will just eat breakfast elsewhere.
Then to Sheraton Atlanta Airport. Rooms are fine (only so much you can do with really small bathrooms; just part of construction and this building is at least from 70's) but, the public space carpets and bar & restaurant are in desperate need of a face lift renovation.
Lastly, I have a client at Ritz Carlton Maui. Not a cheap place; $1000+ a night for the residential suite. I arranged for hotel to pick him up at airport in a limo. I get a call that no limo is there and he is sitting there waiting. I call the hotel; took 5 times before they answered. I called Carey Limo in Maui (this is the vendor the hotel uses); they run on Island time, closed after 7:30pm! So, after 30 minutes of trying, the hotel manager on duty, Chris, said he will call the guests mobile and tell him to take a taxi. Seriously!? Ritz Carlton service?!?!?!?!!? Take a taxi when a limo was booked? I suggest they have a frank discussion with Carey Limo (their preferred vendor) and the PBX at hotel at 9:30pm Maui time.
Geez!

Hotel observations, NBTA & airline news

These last two weeks have been very busy with travel & events.
I will try to summarize a few "musings";

1. The Holiday Inn that shares a building with FEMA in DC is interesting. After the rent a cop, armed security frisk you, check under your car, under your engine hood & trunk, you get the privilege of paying $30 to park! The breakfast buffet is super expensive and gives you little more than what a Residence Inn provides for free. However, they have a very nice BBQ lunch in a center outdoor courtyard on Thursday's. It seemed as popular with local workers as with hotel guests.

2. The Four Points on K Street in DC does seem much from the outside but it has very good staff, especially Doria the convention services manager, Norma in sales and Mark in banquets.

3. The National Business Travel Association annual conference in San Diego was again the epitome of excellent planning but the San Diego convention center served cold lunches. That was disappointing to say the least. This conference does not offer breakfast's so, in essence, there was no hot food. The conference was very sparsely attended by buyers but the speakers were exciting; Jay Leno & President Bill Clinton.

4. The airlines are again raising their checked baggage fees, AGAIN. Enough with the nickel & diming please? The overheads will be bursting at the seems as people know if they bring onboard a huge bag, they can gate check it at no charge.