Marriott opens doors to its 7,000th property, Asia cruises expect growth, independent hotels action plan to win the direct booking and what it takes for hotel sales success in 2019.

Marriott opens doors to its 7,000th property
Friday, 12th April 2019

The new St Regis Hong Kong underscores company’s successful global growth strategy, enhanced by Starwood acquisition and luxury focus. Plus the 1,700 hotels projected to be added globally by the end of 2021 could provide roughly 150,000 jobs >>

Asia Cruise Cooperation expects growth and expansion
12 Apr 2019 : Unique charm of partnering destinations offers diverse experiences for cruise visitors, All destinations ready to receive world’s largest cruise ships within 2 years >>

News from around Europe
12 Apr 2019 : Hotel industry and travel news from around the European region: Marriott now owns AC Hotels 100%, Oaktree acquires 15-hotel portfolio in Italy, Fattal acquires Venetia Palace Hotel in Rome and more >>

Anantara announces Mauritius debut
12 Apr 2019 : Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is entering the luxury hospitality sector on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius with the announcement of Anantara Mauritius Resort – a new luxury property on the South Eastern coast which is scheduled to open in Q4 2019 >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

Independent Hotels Action Plan to Win the Direct Booking
Friday, 12th April 2019

With the explosion of the 'digital way of life,' the traveler’s customer journey has become increasingly complex, which necessitates independent hoteliers to rethink and overhaul their marketing and technology stack strategies and investments.

Today’s online travel consumer is exposed to more than 38,983 micro-moments in any 60-day timeframe. During this timeframe, they visit an average of 18 websites using multiple devices across eight sessions before making a hotel booking >>

Closing the Gaps in Hotel Housekeeping
As far as the public is concerned, housekeeping is the most fascinating aspect of hotel operations, just search a phrase like 'shocking hotel housekeeper secrets' and behold the plethora of results – many of them from major news outlets >>

Sales 'Steps' and 'Funnels' Are SO 1990’s; Here’s What It Takes For Hotel Sales Success In 2019
While the hotel sales environment has completely transformed, hotel sales training models seem to be stuck in the 1990’s and when I meet hotel leaders at industry conferences it seems most recognize the profound changes such as the emergence of third-party planners and the migration to online RFP tools (CVENT, CVB Platforms and social sites such as The Knot >>

Global Update: Who's Where and Doing What - April 2019
Global update of who is moving where and from where - keep track of old colleagues and friends or find lost ones, brought to you by The Boutique Search Firm >>

Design for Life: Rethinking the Office to Promote Activity
Office life has traditionally been sedentary, but as more companies and their employees prioritise healthier lifestyles, workplaces are finding new ways to get people moving.

From locating desks further from printers to providing shower rooms for runners and cyclists, adjustments to workplace facilities and culture can help make employees more active during the working day >>