GDPR at a glance By now you have probably heard about the new privacy law enacted by the European Union (EU) that took effect May 25, 2018. Called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the new law impacts those organizations based in the EU, and it also potentially applies to organizations outside the EU such [...]
SkyTouch Technology launched the SkyTouch University learning management tool, and enhancements to its SkyTouch customer community. SkyTouch customers can now customize training modules to educate staff regarding on-property best practices, and processes for achieving key objectives, such as improving the guest experience and driving revenue. Read full article here.
In this week’s SkyTouch customer spotlight, we travel to the Kensington Park Hotel in San Francisco, an upscale hotel that shares a unique space with five other entities. The building is owned by the Elks Lodge in San Francisco, who occupy several floors including a health club in the basement. As you walk into this [...]
The security of your data is critical to your business. Credit card fraud topped $24.7 billion in 2016, according to Nilson. Hoteliers must follow strict rules based on the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which requires all companies that accept, process, store or transmit credit card information to maintain a secure data [...]
North American hotels are experiencing record revenue as the economy continues to grow, but there is a downside to all this economic growth. Wages in the hotel business are rising faster than rates, which can cut into a hotel’s margins. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that total compensation for U.S. hospitality employees has increased [...]
One of the biggest challenges to a hotelier’s bottom line is guest acquisition costs. It’s why we’re seeing major hotel companies such as Hilton create ad campaigns designed to encourage customers to book direct. According to Forbes.com, third-party online travel agencies (OTAs) charge up to 30% in commission fees per reservation. For a room that [...]
After a winter full of blizzards, many in the Northeast are dreaming of summer right now. This week we travel to upstate New Year to visit a seasonal property that is part of the SkyTouch customer community. The King Hendrick Motel sits on four acres in the heart of Lake George, New York, and features [...]
Hotels are now charging guests more than ever before. But in many markets, new hotel construction is eating away at demand and lowering overall occupancy. That makes it more difficult to continue increasing rates at the same pace as the last several years. According to R. Mark Woodworth, Senior Managing Director of CBRE Hotels’ Americas [...]
North American hotels are experiencing record revenue as the economy continues to grow. In January the U.S. added 200,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the U.S. economy experienced job growth for 88 months in a row, according to a report by NPR. But there is a downside of all this [...]
Rapid new hotel development and increased renovations of older properties have transformed local and regional markets across the United States, forcing many hoteliers to consider new strategies to stay competitive. According to Lodging Econometrics, by the end of 2018, the number of hotels and rooms in the United States is forecast to grow by 2.5%. [...]
