HB EXCLUSIVE: Forbes Travel Guide Launches Online Luxury Service Training

ATLANTA—Forbes Travel Guide has developed a digital program for luxury service training and certification with Lobster Ink, an online hospitality training company. Tailor-made for hospitality professionals, this comprehensive program, in combination with Lobster Ink’s learning library, offers on-demand training with interactive video lessons and real-time feedback.

“Forbes Travel Guide is proud to have partnered with Lobster Ink to develop an exceptional hospitality training program on Lobster Ink’s next-generation training platform,” said Jeff Wielgopolan, SVP, learning and development at Forbes Travel Guide. “The program delivers a scalable, interactive way for hospitality professionals to build a solid foundation on Global Luxury Standards.”

Forbes Travel Guide Online Luxury Service Training offers department-specific courses and customizable learning paths, aimed at teaching the philosophy of luxury and how best to implement service standards that are true to each hotel’s brand.

“The videos are not standard-specific or brand-specific that we really wanted to make sure that anyone from an aspiring young hospitality professional to a very seasoned hospitality can find value in them,” Wielgopolan told Hotel Business.

The program consists of 13 courses that provide new team members with an introduction to luxury service and standards, while enabling existing team members to refresh their knowledge and upgrade their existing skills. It empowers teams to identify opportunities, proactively make decisions and deliver unparalleled guest experiences confidently and authentically.

“Bringing Forbes Travel Guide’s world-renowned luxury service training into the digital realm has allowed us to create a one-of-a-kind training program,” said Wolfgang Lindlbauer, CEO of hospitality with Lobster Ink. “As an ex-operator myself, I know that there is no ‘how-to’ guide for luxury—it takes years and years of experience, insight and a genuine love of hosting to consistently deliver memorable guest experiences. And that’s what we’ve managed to capture together with Forbes Travel Guide.”

The program provides a holistic training solution for every department in luxury hospitality and fully complements existing live-training initiatives. With 43 video lessons and 16 interactive lessons, the program covers an overview of luxury standards, arrival and departure services, housekeeping services, food and beverage services, as well as bar, lounge and in-room dining services. Participants will learn to appreciate and apply the philosophy behind the standards, use their technical skills and develop an eye for the details that create an atmosphere of luxury with every guest interaction.