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UBS study: «Prices and Earnings» 2009
New Media explored at Tourism Society event
First 100 Agents to register for ASTA’s IDE at THETRADESHOW receive complimentary Turkey tour
Economic downturn continues to weaken Tourism Industry in the USA
Universal Travel Group appoints new chief financial officer and audit committee chair
Michel Couturier of MCIntl becomes first allied member to earn Certified Destination Management Executive designation
Sharjah Chamber announces budget of AED 10 million for "Sharjah Ramadan Festival 2009"
Media One Hotel to offer 200 career opportunities across management and operations levels
Etihad Airways and American Airlines codeshare gains approval
New roles for Rydges Hotels and Resorts managers
Juhani Sotka appointed as area General Manager for Rayong and Koh Kood
Small Luxury Hotels of the World named ‘Hotel Brand Management Company of the Year’
Connections introduces new European itineraries in its 2010 Programme of Elegant River Cruises
Elegant Ireland spreads Irish pride to US travellers with comprehensive tourism website
NBTA enhances CSR Toolkit with emerging concepts
Family Travel Forum and Teen Ink partner to promote teen literacy
Denver International Airport plan to build solar project to power its fuel facility
Egyptian Tourism Group TRAVCO Acquires Steigenberger Hotels
Mobile Marketing, Distribution Is Here
Taj Debuts VivantaIn The Maldives
Cornell: Security Features Inconsistent
Hanley To Lead US Hotels Expansion
Supply Growth To Stifle U.S. RevPAR In 2010
Westin Launches Sleep Hot Line
Hotel Security: The Costly Errors
Demand Decline To End In Q2 2010—PKF
Booking Pace Is Accelerating
Video: Cosslett Discusses IHG's Second Half Outlook
More Americans Planning To Travel
Blackstone Denies Hilton Breakup Planned
Mexico Tourism Has Long-Term Strength
Caribbean Hotel Profits Hit Hard
U.S. Recovery Slow In Coming: STR
Hyatt To Go Public
Taj To Virgin Gorda For Caribbean Debut
Hotel Management Study finds safety and security features differ by location, age, and price of Hotel
American Express business travel launches new research practice
Travel industry embraces .travel and reaps the benefits
Visitbritain appoints Joss Croft as Regional Director for Europe
Stay green - guilt-free travel with Design Hotels
American Airlines continues its high-flying domestic expansion
Special promotions lined up to make Al Hamra Mall a focal point of Ramadan observance in Ras Al Khaimah
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts opens new Tala Bay property
Pink Sands Resort in The Bahamas announces Mark Kitchen as General Manager
Blanchard named CEO of deSter
Sandos Caracol welcomes guests to revitalized eco property with launch of free eco tours
The Sandalwood welcomes guests from Middle East
New Executive Chef brings world of experience to Movenpick Hotel Saigon
Bid to capitalise on tourism marketing power of Thai cuisine
Outrigger in Asia announces two senior appointments
New Distribution Management Tool connects directly to expedia
NBTA Technology Committee releases new online booking tool
ARINC supports the opening of Cairo Terminal 3 with 14 advanced airport systems installed and running
Crown Prince of Brunei launches new tourist attraction
Video: Recovery 18 Months Away, Preferred Hotels CEO Believes
Dusit, Bird Group Expand In India
World's Most Expensive Hotel Suites 2009
Usher's Pricey Passion For Fashion
Will A Whisky Ban Hurt Scotland?
Zebra-Print Ponyskin Clutch, Handbag of the Day
Hotel Beds Go On Sale
Lindsay Lohan Robbed In Hollywood
Johnnie Walker Black Label 100th Anniversary Bottle
Georgian In San Francisco, Estate of the Day
Vacheron Constantin Malte Moon Phase Power-Reserve Watch
The Bentley Continental Supersports Makes Algae Go Really, Really Fast
Spielberg Spotted at OPTYX by gruen in the Hamptons
Will Dubai Drivers Wear Gucci Seatbelts?
Keyshawn Johnson's Big Home Improvement Bills
Conde Nast Traveler's "Gold List"
Marni Alpaca Tote, Handbag of the Day
Your Own Private Beach Cabana
Argentina Puts Wine On Ice
Moving Up In The Hollywood Hills, Estate of the Day
Is Apple Fifth Avenue's Top Destination Retailer?
Kenny Chesney's New Fashion Line
Gresso Gets into the Race with Carbon-Fiber Grand Monaco
Citroen Releases New Premium DS3
Bonhams To Hold Big Sales At The Venetian In Las Vegas
King Fahd International Airport managed sees 7% traffic growth
New Gulf Air Chief Executive officially announces review to define airline’s future business model
Religious tourism in KSA expected to generate USD 7 billion in annual revenues, stimulate overall growth of tourism sector
Live the life of luxury in Dubai’s designer hotels
Steve Jones accepts role of General Manager at the Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel
New business network partner joins Etihad Guest loyalty programme
Adventura launches new website to support re-Brand
New winter schedule offers greater flight frequencies
Emerald Point Marina remains open despite low lake levels
Cornell's School of Hotel Administration partners with HVS on South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference
Maserati Releases New GranCabrio Ahead of Frankfurt Show
Perrelet Watch Event At The Lussori Store In Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA
WTTC launches 'Call for Entries' for 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
Travel Daily News to launch online business TV service courtesy of yBC.tv
Pegasus Solutions launches industry data reports
NBTA Convention will result in economic impact of $330 million over five years
Virgin Atlantic becomes first airline to implement joint e-ticketing with Eurostar
Sandals Resorts purchases Four Seasons In Great Exuma
Abu Dhabi Airports Company honours summer student ambassadors
Four Star, Five Star, Does It Matter?
Luxe Links Around The Web, 08/26/09
Christie's To Store Fine Art In Brooklyn
Scott Storch Finally Loses His Miami Home
Absolut Chooses The Flavor Of Boston
Anybody want a X-Bow? Track Toys Sitting Unsold at Austrian Factory
Lexus Scrambles to Meet Demand for New Luxury Hybrids
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Marni Pierced Wool Bag, Handbag of the Day
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Isleview Place, Estate of the Day
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Sandals Picks Up A Four Seasons Resort
Green Awareness Up, But Travelers Unwilling To Pay Extra
Ancona Launches New Flagship ISA 120 Megayacht
Chocolate High Tea in Cape Town
Luxist Drives the 2009 Mercedes-Benz G550, and it Makes Us Glucklich
Bovet Trilogy Three-In-One Watch For Only Watch 2009
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Chinese travellers’ love to surf the ‘Net
Singapore concluded new Open Skies Agreement
Corporate Travel Professionals gather in San Diego to discuss industry advancement
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Utell® Hotels & Resorts Sees a Further 35% Increase in Number of Hotels Accepted into Global Corporate Travel Programs
Liverpool awarded key green business tourism award
Rotana Opens the Al Marwa Rayhaan in Saudi Arabia
Travel Indochina nominated for Responsible Tourism Awards 2009
New appointment at Sunset Resorts Jamaica
American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge continues 70th birthday celebration
Egencia introduces powerful new package of solutions
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New York City's Skinniest House On The Market
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Valentino Paillette-Embellished Tote, Handbag of the Day
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Domaine De Luxe, Luxury Rentals In Europe
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Holland & Holland by Overfinch: The World's Most Luxurious Range Rover
Maui Prince Hotel Facing Foreclosure
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Ramsay Proteges Fare Better Than Ramsay In London Restaurant Survey
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Lexus Celebrates Twenty Years of Luxury Automobiles
Major Charlotte Construction Project Stalled
Russian Polonsky Eating His Words
Britain’s great res-cape
The world of ambiguous airports
Trafalgar Square top of tourist trail for foreign travellers
Phuket luxury villa transactions THB 3.5b. in H1 2009
Regal expands in China with 5-Star deal in Shandong
Etihad to open new premium lounge at London Heathrow
Celebrity Cruises introduces 'Celebrity Select' flexible dining option
TRAVCO Group International Holding acquires Steigenberger Hotels AG
Premier Holidays’ magix quarter
YooTravel becoming top budget travel site in UK
Hotel Indigo opens property in Durham, NC
Exclusive offer for Air Miles members at Abela this Ramadan
ARTA and ARTA Canada meet with United Airlines
Greece seeks investors for 1 bln eur Crete airport
Fairmont Hotels raise funds for California “Save our Parks” campaign
Wizz Air rescues SkyEurope passengers
Celebrate Oktoberfest in... Prague
Warner Leisure Hotels lays foundations for expansion
Alvear Palace Owners To Expand 'Brand'
Vietnam’s Visionaries: Indochina Land
Are You Prepared?
W Hotels Unveils the Future of Luxury Suites
Daring Diners: British travellers favour local fare over ‘Full English’
Zambezi Airlines signs content agreement with Travelport GDS
RCI Research Measures UntappedTimeshare Resort Supply, Demand
Heffner Performance Lamborghini Murcielago Twin-Turbo
QLOCKTWO Spells the Time
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Salvatore Ferragamo Mini Vara Capra Shoulder Bag, Handbag of the Day
QLOCKTWO Spells the Time
Heffner Performance Lamborghini Murcielago Twin-Turbo
The Classicist: Cruise like J.P. Morgan in the Corsair Nero for $105 Million
Learn to Ski or Board in North Lake Tahoe this Winter
Lotus Welcomes new CEO with new Special Editions
Hotels.com reveals literary faux pas for holidays
PhoCusWright projects 17% Asia Pacific online travel growth
Travellers optimistic about 2010 holiday plans
BU Professor elected as youngest member of International Tourism Academy
OMA and NH Hoteles open new hotel in the Mexico City International Airport
Business "booming" as gay travel moves into Brighton
Astudo Hotel & Resort Group's innovative campaign
Vi-Spring beds specified on-board Princess Yachts
Air France to offer employees a voluntary redundancy plan
Tropical Sky expands down under - With tours and holidays to Australia
Agoda and Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd announce online partnership
LAN remodels Mistral VIP Lounge in Santiago
Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello opens new conference / meeting facility
ZUJI Australia removes online travel booking fees
Focus Hotels appoints Travel PR Specialists Bacall Associates
Brazilians ready to explore the Cape
Pegasus Airlines’ new-look website flypgs.com
Experient and CMC form strategic partnership
Jet2.com launches new Blackpool to Jersey link
Royal Caribbean International announces diverse retail lineup
Accor remains firmly committed to expansion in India
Aloft Dallas downtown opens in a revitalized former railroad depot
Expedia reinforces its commitment with its partners through the supplier summits
Air France KLM leads Dow Jones Sustainability Index Airline Sector
SWISS teams up with The Peninsula Hong Kong
Review: 2009 BMW 335d, Performance and Fuel Economy
Daymond John On The Future of Bling
$28 Million Superjet Made in Siberia
Accidental Destruction of Banksy Art
Messy Divorce Leads To Listing Of Kiddington Hall
Will A Beatles "Butcher Cover" Sell For A Price Set By John Lennon?
Sally Hershberger Intros Luxe Layers Hair Stying Gel
Keep in Tune with the Novitec Rosso Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Alfa Romeo Says It's All in Your Jeans
Calling All Cognac Experts, Answer This Question
Get Used to Shorter Spa Treatments (for Now)
Valentino Buisson Rose Tote, Handbag of the Day
The Unique Collections Of Severin Wunderman Up For Auction
Vincent Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka
A Hundred Years of Men's Style
St Pauls, Estate of the Day
Dior Christal Tourbillon Diamonds And Rubies Watch
Queen's Silver Jubilee Chess Set from Geoffrey Parker
Italian Crystal Lighting from Masiero
European hotel prices increase for the first time since May
Hotels.com loyalty study shows many programs fall short
Hurricane season peak day approaches
ACTA encourages Air Canada to continue recognition of the agencies value
NTA and IATO form partnership
Inaugural Gulf Air flight arrives in Baghdad
Air Miles unveils bonus air miles campaign
Barcelo Hotels & Resorts joins the Choice Privileges Rewards Program
Classic British Hotels implements RTSuite to manage online sales
Eight Hotels has launched Eight Residences
Etihad Holidays launches Eid breaks programme
Iceland Express increases its London schedule
Hotels.com partners with WeddingBook
Ryanair raises fee charges for check in bags and sports equipment
Cyprus Airways goes live with Mercator’s CRIS
Rin Grand Hotel, Bucharest : 250 rooms to be turned into office spaces
Quest Apartments to add $6m. a year to Mackay economy
Tourism Portfolio expands into Africa
Greys of London entered into a business partnership agreement with WEA
The ‘world’ of meetings and incentives choose to exhibit at EIBTM 2009
Mediterranean’s newest luxury resort Borgo Egnazia Hotel-Villas-Golf-Spa
The UK’s only LGBT travel publication goes quarterly
Warner Leisure Hotels is awarded four stars and rosettes by the AA
Four Seasons Launches Online Lifestyle Magazine
The Fashion Statement: Hoof It
Lexus Teases new LF-Ch Concept Hybrid Premium Hatchback for Franfurt Show
Robert Isabell Auction
Mercedes-Benz to Unveil Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid Concept in Frankfurt
Forbes' List of 'Billion Dollar Donors'
Au revoir, Cafe des Artistes
Leibovitz Deadline Passes, Nothing Happens
Unique Tax Changes for the Rich in Connecticut
Kirkland Ranch Winery Has A New Life As A Custom Crush Facility
McLaren Unveils All-New, All-Conquering MP4-12C Supercar
Stay At The Wynn, Play In The Sky
Mercedes' latest Flagship Supercar SLS AMG Appears Online Ahead of Frankfurt Debut
Madoff Yachts To Be Auctioned Off
BMW Catching up to Lexus in Luxury Car Sales
Fendi Peek-A-Boo Tote, Handbag of the Day
Leica Unveils Next Generation M9 & X1
Ritz-Carlton Atlanta Celebrates Its 25th With Redesigned Foyer, Lobby & Lounge
Mackage Opens First Retail Store, Chooses NYC
Dilling House, Estate of the Day
Airlines all over the globe post big ancillary revenue gains
?ow Americans plan to vacation this year
Airline on-time performance improved in July 2009
Off Piste and Avalanche Awareness Tour returns to the UK
Geotourism makes its mark on Portugal
New campaign to promote the Azores Islands
Disruptions and cancellations on the Jet Airways network
IHG opens its second hotel in Vietnam
Seven Barcelo Resorts in Mexico attain Green Globe Certification
St. Maarten attracts meetings & conferences
Harbour Hotel & Residence in Dubai joins Marriott International portfolio
ebookers.com launches innovative hotel functionality
Thomson launches excursions website
Air Arabia and Travco Group to launch new low cost carrier in Egypt
Corporate travel leaders gather in Canberra
TUI Travel chief in hot seat at WTM
The Siegel Group acquires distressed St. Tropez Hotel in Las Vegas
First delivery of luxury Phoenix CRJ
Moscow's Iconic Hotel National joins the Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts
South african airports get set for FIFA World Cup 2010
Vacation.com honored with two travel weekly 2009 Magellan Awards
AVIAREPS appointed by CheapTickets.de
TCEB - Bring Thailand as the best exhibition destination of ASEAN
.travel heading to Las Vegas for THETRADESHOW
Istanbul Tourist Areas SafeDespite Flooding
Legal Battles Ahead For Starwood Capital
Spain Suffers More Than European Neighbors
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Betsey Johnson To Design Plaza Suite
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The Search For Missing Moon Rocks
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Price Collier Estate, Estate of the Day
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Guardia de Corps first member centre in Spain to join HCCE
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Are You Prepared?
Are You Prepared?
Swine flu is expected to return with a vengeance this winter. Readiness can have
long-term impact on business—positive or negative.
-- Hotels, 9/1/2009
With so much time these days spent on driving revenue and controlling costs, how
well prepared are hoteliers to best handle staff and guests should the H1N1
"swine flu" virus invade their hotels? One need only look at how hoteliers in
Mexico suffered earlier this year when the outbreak first took hold there. Even
though many of the country's great resort destinations were not affected by the
virus, perception was enough to destroy business for two months. During the
winter ahead, health experts say the H1N1 virus could mutate and become even
more severe.
In the United States, officials say 20% to 40% of Americans could become ill
from swine flu over the next two years, and expectations are similar in other
parts of the world. By mid-July in Argentina (the Southern Hemisphere's winter),
the death toll from the swine flu pandemic reached 137, causing many travelers
to cancel trips and leading to travel- and tourism-related revenue losses
estimated at US$150 million weekly.
It looks increasingly likely that, at some point, hoteliers will face staff or
guests who either contract the virus while on site or come to the property while
stricken with the virus. As a result, hoteliers must be vigilant in protecting
their staff and guests, as well as be prepared to face the media.
The purpose of this report is to provide information and ideas on what hoteliers
can do to prepare for the potential impact of this pandemic. This is not an
all-inclusive report, however, and hoteliers should consult with their local
health authorities or hotel associations for the best advice.
Taking A Leadership Role
Based on the reticence of most hotel companies to respond to interview requests
for this report, one is left wondering how well prepared hotels are to handle an
outbreak of swine flu. While most hoteliers have shied away from talking about
it, a handful of hotel companies did step up to offer some guidance and industry
leadership. "We have chosen to address this from a leadership and reputation
standpoint," says Peter Shaindlin, chief operating officer of Halekulani Corp.,
which, among others, runs the famed Halekulani on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.
"Our operations procedures become a reflection of that approach. People have
high expectations from us in what we deliver in a positive sense. If there is an
emergency, they will have an equal level of expectancy in terms of the quality
and attentiveness in how we address a crisis like this."
Shaindlin says guests will look to whoever is a leader to assess the profundity
and tone of the situation, and will react accordingly. "We want to minimize fear
with education and information—it is about overt transparency, as when you try
to minimize or dismiss something, it only becomes worse," Shaindlin says. "We
need great communications protocols which suggest an immediacy of information.
What we know we share, and we do so openly and accurately. We should talk to
them before they even ask, and this goes to two groups—our guests and staff.
It is our house, and we should be ready with a response that is straightforward,
non-political and health-oriented."
Communication Piece
Proper communication to engage staff and guests, as well as to get ahead of any
rumors or bad publicity (see sidebar on how to work with media) appears to be
one of the most important aspects of any crisis management plan. "It is always
about engaging in conversation, as opposed to interrogation. One can allay fears
and instill trust through conversation," says Mathew Evins, whose New York
City-based marketing communications and public relations firm counts the
Halekulani, among other luxury hotels, as clients. "There should be no reason to
be reactionary if proper guidelines, protocols and procedures are in place,
which will define what to do and how to be proactive."
Protocol at the Halekulani includes the funneling-up of any information, such as
recognized flu symptoms in a guest or staff member, to a property-level
executive, who then works closely with the corporate team to react
appropriately.
In fact, the Halekulani takes communication to another level with its
"multidisciplinary swat team" (legal, medical, insurance), which regularly meets
via conference call to keep up on any potential crisis situations. "Most
companies silo these resources and no one knows what each other is doing,"
Shaindlin says. "We make a concerted effort otherwise."
At the property level, staff at the Halekulani are trained to first answer
questions from guests as best they can and then offer to find a manager to make
sure they are comfortable with the response. "We shoot for the highest manager
possible and try to get the general manager," says Shaindlin, adding that every
shift has at least one staff member to handle multiple linguistic needs. "We
want to exceed expectations with our response."
At Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Montvale, New Jersey, General Counsel Sarah Woodfin
Wynn has developed a companywide pandemic preparedness plan that includes a
pandemic management team composed of individuals at the corporate and property
levels across three functional groups: HR/workforce, supplier/technology and
communication. Each team has specific responsibilities for managing issues that
impact operations, as well as the health and safety of guests and employees.
Dolce's plan provides for: frequent communication with staff, guests and
vendors; liaising with local health authorities to manage things like notifying
staff and guests should an outbreak occur; whether and how to screen staff and
guests; active monitoring in each hotel; continued distribution of personal
protective supplies; development of backup supply chains; and reinforcement of
employee training for personal hygiene and best practices for sanitization.
For AMResorts, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, CEO Alex Zozaya says the first
thing he communicated to reassure his team of 4,000 employees across Mexico is
that everyone would be taken care of by private medical care should something
happen to them.
Official channels of communication were set up at AMResorts to avoid mixed
messages. At the property level, guest communication comes through the
concierge, butler or the executive committee. Staff also might use the in-house
voice mail or television systems. In addition, AMResorts also has a
communication policy for guests to immediately report any sickness.
"In general, we need to be prepared to explain what standards and practices we
have in place, including what brands we use to clean and where we buy our food
and beverage products," Zozaya says. "We cannot deny or hide any situation,
specifically in places where customers would go for information, like the
reservation center or front desk. The better informed the employees are, the
more confidence we can transmit to the guests."
In a crisis, social media can be used as an effective tool to disseminate
information—not fear mongering. The Halekulani has a protocol for this
communication tool, and Merrie Spaeth, CEO of Spaeth Communications, Dallas,
suggests using a forum like Twitter as an alert mechanism to drive people to a
hotel Web site. She warns, however, that Twitter can encourage people to say
whatever comes to mind. Be very careful with the message, she says, adding that
it is probably best to get the "we care" message out right away and direct
readers somewhere else for detailed information.
Procedural Advice
If someone contracts swine flu while on hotel property, what do you do? First,
it usually requires notification of local health authorities and an assessment
of the situation. Is the situation isolated? If another case does not manifest
itself within five to seven days, chances are it is isolated, as the
communicable phase tends to last about five days. However, if subsequent cases
develop, appropriate disclosure is called for and additional screening might be
the best course of action. Staff should be trained to look for the signs of
sickness, and hoteliers should check with local health authorities for proper
procedures and contract with a reliable medical organization to administer
screening.
The Halekulani has retained an infectious disease specialist and has direct,
regular communications with a director of communicable diseases at a local
hospital. "If the virus were to get widespread, we have access to medical
supplies (Tamiflu or Relenza) and have established an appropriate par stock,"
Shaindlin says.
If isolation is required, one hotel company in Europe has set up a plan wherein
a guest would be housed at the end of a corridor and away from congested areas
like meeting spaces, executive lounges and spas. It should also be in an area
less frequented by team members, and disposable bags should be used for laundry
or anything taken from the room.
If a staff member is found to be contagious, he or she should be generally
advised to report the illness, seek treatment and not to return to work until
all of the symptoms have cleared. Zozaya says he asks stricken staff not to
return for at least two weeks.
Preventative Measures
Of course, the best course of action is to be as proactive as possible to keep
hotels clean and avoid the spread of disease. While high-quality surgical
masks—if properly worn and disposed of—have some limited effectiveness,
using hand sanitizer and cleaning with bleach is probably the overall best
advice.
First and foremost, Evins advises finding an infectious disease specialist to
evaluate housekeeping protocols, sanitary procedures and quarantine protocols.
In May, Dolce conducted refresher training for all housekeeping, food and
beverage, and operations staff to ensure they followed specified practices for
cleaning and sanitizing surfaces in guestrooms, public areas and food
preparation areas.
The Halekulani has been particularly vigilant in its kitchens and restaurants
because there is so much physical handling of product. "It comes back to
preventive things like washing hands, proper hygiene before coming to work and
constant re-emphasis of those things," Shaindlin says.
Shaindlin adds that the hotel's executive chef suggested using materials that
require less handling by staff and customers. For example, intricate napkin
folds that required seven touches have been replaced by a simple flat French
fold.
The Golden Tulip Val Monte, Berg en Dal, Netherlands, has placed "hygiene
stations" in spots, where guests can use tissues to blow their noses and
disinfectant to clean their hands. Also, extra rounds are being made by staff to
clean door knobs, toilets and other frequently-touched surfaces, according to
General Manager Steven Eijberts.
AMResorts has increased the potency of the chemicals used to clean restaurants,
bathrooms and guestrooms and increased the temperature of water used in
dishwashers and in laundry. It also temporarily stopped its "green" program that
gives guests the option of not changing sheets and towels daily. In addition,
customary handshake greetings by staff were replaced with a bow and a hand
placed over the heart. These measures have been scaled back, but Zozaya says
they are at the ready to reinstitute if the outbreak escalates again.
While business interruption insurance specifically addressing swine flu might be
either impossible to find or afford, Shaindlin says the best way to address
potential liability issues is with prevention and making sure standards,
procedures and protocols are thorough and adhered to in an extremely proactive
style well beyond the call of duty. Do everything possible for guests and staff
to address their concerns. "When we say preventative, we mean it," Shaindlin
says. "We are not fearful of litigation because we think we are able to execute
properly."
Direct comments to: jweinstein@reedbusiness.com
A Dozen Talking Points
Messages go out of alignment and face competing messages when there is an issue
like swine flu, according to Merrie Spaeth, president and CEO of Spaeth
Communications, Dallas, who was director of media relations in the White House
during the Reagan administration and now consults with corporations, including
hotel companies, on effective communication. She offers the following advice on
how to influence what people hear, believe and remember in a crisis situation.
Repeat good words that represent the soul and value of your brand and avoid
bad words.
Do not make any mistakes to avoid the risk of repeating and denying negative
words as people pick up and repeat each other's words.
Deliver words with passion and enthusiasm, and sound conversational and
authentic.
Remember your inspirational headlines and articulate them with passion, such
as, "Your safety is our top concern." Rehearsal before need is paramount.
Do not say "we have tried to take every precaution," because people will
think this time it did not work.
Stress transparency and timeliness and stay with the positive message,
because if you do not have something else to say, you will say something
wrong or nothing at all.
Create a cascading message of safety, preparation, diligence and commitment
to have the right thing to say should an incident occur.
Do not say, "We don't respond to rumors," as that merely confirms that there
are rumors.
"No comment" fuels rumors. Say, "I haven't heard that and what I can tell
you is that we are committed to your safety and you can count on us to keep
you up-to-date."
Get your online message out as soon as you have an inquiry. Respond
immediately with an inspirational headline within the channel in which the
query came to you, such as a blog, telephone call or TV inquiry. Say, "We
are looking into this and will get back to you as soon as possible." Assign
a time limit for the next response.
Use visuals. Scrub down your kitchen, invite a TV crew, say the right things
about cleanliness and hygiene and watch the TV lights bounce off the clean
stainless steel, obliterating any negative verbal message.
You cannot accomplish any of this and manage through a crisis effectively if
it is not rehearsed first.
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