NATIONAL REPORT—Whether it’s celebrating an anniversary, receiving an award, earning a certification, debuting a new product or expanding the business, hotel companies and vendors achieve new milestones on a daily basis. Here’s a look at recent accomplishments:
Driftwood Hospitality Management Hits 70 Hotels
Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM), a North Palm Beach, FL-based hotel management company, recently celebrated its 70th hotel milestone and surveyed property managers to report mid-year trends they are seeing within the hospitality industry. Trends noted by Driftwood Hospitality Management general managers as part of this survey, looking specifically at Q1 and Q2 2019, included increased digital engagement, unique culinary experiences and sustainable practices.
U.S. News & World Report Reveals Top Travel Rewards Programs
U.S. News & World Report have revealed the 2019-20 Best Travel Rewards Programs. The annual rankings identify 24 hotel and airline loyalty programs with the most rewarding perks for everyday travelers. The methodologies take into account membership benefits—such as free amenities, program-affiliated credit cards and redeemable experiences—network coverage and a strong emphasis on the ease of earning and redeeming free flights or nights. Additionally, U.S. News factors in property diversity for the Best Hotel Rewards Programs and Airline Quality Rating scores for the Best Airline Rewards Programs:
Hotel Rewards Programs
1. Marriott Bonvoy
2. Wyndham Rewards
3. World of Hyatt
4. Choice Privileges
5. Best Western Rewards
Airline Rewards Programs
1. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
2. Delta SkyMiles
3. JetBlue TrueBlue
4. United MileagePlus
5. American Airlines AAdvantage
AAA Honors Top Hotels for Cleanliness and Condition
AAA’s new Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping award recognizes AAA Inspected & Approved hotels that receive the highest possible cleanliness and condition scores. While every hotel must meet expected standards of cleanliness and condition to qualify as AAA Inspected & Approved and receive a Diamond Rating, hotels awarded the Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping designation surpass expectations, as measured during a comprehensive, on-site inspection. All areas of the property must reflect this high standard as AAA inspectors review for evidence of dirt, dust, pests, equipment performance and more.
A hotel’s housekeeping and maintenance attributes are among the most rigorous components analyzed during the unannounced evaluation conducted annually by AAA’s professionally trained inspectors. All AAA Inspected & Approved hotels at all Diamond Rating levels, throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, may qualify for the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping designation. Properties must demonstrate housekeeping excellence for two consecutive inspections and be free of AAA member complaints to meet the criteria for this award, which puts them in the top 25% of all 27,000 AAA Inspected & Approved hotels. AAA’s professional inspectors evaluate and rate properties year-round, so the total number of properties to achieve the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping award varies throughout the year. (All figures listed below are as of July 19, 2019.)
States with the Most AAA Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping Hotels
1. California (982)
2. Florida (485)
3. Texas (468)
4. North Carolina (458)
5. New York (406)
6. Virginia (328)
7. Pennsylvania (281)
8. Tennessee (268)
9. Maryland (238)
10. Massachusetts (215)
Cities with the Most AAA Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping Hotels
1. New York (161)
2. Houston (90)
3. Washington, DC (78)
4. Orlando, FL (69)
5. Charlotte, NC (68)
6. Austin, TX (63)
7. Nashville, TN (61)
8. San Diego (60)
9. Anaheim, CA (50)
10. San Antonio (49)
Dormakaba Releases Video on Ambiance Access Management Software
Dormakaba, the provider of secure Saflok and Ilco electronic door locks, released a video on its Ambiance Access Management Software that demonstrates how the system simplifies secure property access management for operators as it delivers a fully connected mobile guest experience. Ambiance access management software lets operators remotely monitor door activity at one hotel or multiple properties. Ambiance is dormakaba’s next-generation software solution meeting property’s complete access control needs. Managed through configurable user permissions and secured system access, Ambiance allows operators to manage access for guests and staff throughout the property. Hotel operators have the option to remotely monitor door activity via two-way communication to provide the ultimate guest experience in security and guest and staff management.
Maestro Releases Info on Upcoming Conference
Maestro has revealed that its 2019 Users Conference will have record attendance. This year’s conference, themed “Building Tomorrow Together,” features four days of education sessions, one-on-one training labs, the latest hotel software product and service innovation announcements, and networking opportunities at the all-inclusive events. It takes place August 19-22 at the Ritz Carlton Toronto.
The Maestro Users Conference offers something for all levels of property staff and features a range of education sessions customized for those newer to Maestro up to experienced property managers. “The Digitized Guest Journey” and “Mobile Property Operations” are at the top of the education track list that focuses on key industry trends in guest engagement, data security, personalization and centralization. The conference is attended by single full-service properties, multi-property groups and mixed-use collections, with many workshop learning opportunities including front desk operations, revenue optimization, analytics data mining, sales and catering, spa & activities, Marketing data analysis, among others. As in all past years, Maestro will credit the full conference fee towards on-property or online training services.
