Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Traveling and Keeping to Your Diet

There are plenty of temptations on the road to divert you from your diet - but with some planning, you can stay committed.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
·         Bottled Water
·         Granola Bars
·         Hot Cereal Packets
·         Individual Boxes Of Cereal
·         Individual Cans Of Fruit
·         Camping Utensils

o        1  Avoid "road food" if you can by bringing along your own food on trips. Convenience foods such as granola bars, canned fruit, bottled water, single-serving boxes of cold cereal and packets of hot cereal require no refrigeration.
o        2  Carry around your own utensils so that you're not forced to rely on restaurants for meals. If you must dine out, have your own menu in mind without looking at the restaurant's. Think healthy, such as steamed vegetables, fish and grilled chicken.
o        3  Keep in mind methods of food preparation, calories and portions.
o        4  Give the airline 24 hours' notice and order a special meal if you're flying - you can usually select from a variety of foods. If not, eat before you get to the airport, or consider step 1.
o        5  Keep yourself busy to avoid excess snacking. Do you have an extended wait between connecting flights? Walk the magazine aisles. Anticipating long lines? Bring a book.

Luggage and Security

No one who has kept even half an eye on the news in the last couple of years could fail to be aware of the increasing need for airports and airlines to be ever more vigilant regarding security. Luggage remains one of the most scrutinized aspects of this security, and information is widely publicized regarding general advice and ways in which the public can help airports to maintain this level of risk reduction.

But although we generally understand the need for tightened security I want to give some tips on getting through security fairly easily as well as getting my bag at the end of my trip.  How many black bags look just like MINE! 

Obviously making your luggage easy to identify quickly saves time at the airline baggage carousel. I’ve seen  a brightly colored tape, available at art or office supply stores, and made into an 8 inch tall initial and stuck to the luggage. Easy to pick out, even from a distance. But over all a little ugly.

And how many times have we seen the handkerchief tied to the handle… to many times and what happens if the airline handlers loose it for some reason??  Not that they’re ever rough.

I’ve seen stenciled paw prints on luggage. I think this is a crafty way to make your bag unique.  You can get original stencils from a craft store and you can pick up some colored paint or ink designed for fabric that you like.

Getting through the security lines you may think there’s no help here… it’s just SLOW!  Well here are some tips from TSA themselves to help move you along:

  • Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers – a layer of clothes, then electronics, more clothes, and then any heavier items. This will help transportation security officers see what's in your bag. Innocent items can actually appear to be potential threats in an X-ray image, simply by the way they are packed.
  • When possible, do not pack oversized electronics (laptops, full-size video game consoles, DVD players and video cameras that use cassettes) in checked baggage. However, please be advised that these items must be removed from carry-on bags and submitted separately for X-ray screening. Click here for "checkpoint friendly" laptop bag procedures. Small electronics, such as iPods, can remain in carry-on baggage.
  • Prepare a 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag of liquids before arriving at the airport. For more information on liquid rules: 3-1-1 for carry-ons, click here.
  • Pack all coats and jackets in checked baggage when possible. All coats and jackets must go through the X-ray machine for inspection.
  • Do not wrap gifts. If a security officer needs to inspect a package, they may have to unwrap the gift. Passengers should refrain from wrapping gifts until arriving at their final destination.  
  • Film. Undeveloped film should go in carry-on bags. Passengers will be able to declare film that is faster than 800-speed to a transportation security officer for physical inspection to avoid being X-rayed.
  • When in doubt, leave it out. Unsure if an item is prohibited or not? Travelers should place such items in their checked baggage or leave the item at home. Click here to see the list of prohibited items.

I hope this list helps you get through the security check points… Now if only you can arrive on time!  Good luck traveling and we’ll see you here!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Remember the ‘Crackberry?’

It wasn’t that long ago that the Blackberry was everywhere.  That was the phone to have.  In looking back I think that phone change everything and even began the change in how we went from calling to texting.  They even made a term for the use of that phone… the ‘Crackberry.’

I used to say it, “Oh yeah, their on their ‘Crackberry,’ again,” in reference to some of my friends.  But it was ok they’d say it about me two minutes later when I jumped on mine.

Well what ever happened to all those Blackberrys that owned the mobile phone market only 6 short years ago.  Well along came Mr. Jobs and his iPhone!  Then Android limped in with it’s operating system and the numbers fell off for the Blackberry.

That’s not to say that the Blackberry is going to fade away but it is no where near it’s close to 50% market share that it once boasted.  Here is the current market share breakdown based on Nielson surveys. 

Some forecasters show Android will be the fast growing smartphone over the next year.  And why wouldn’t it be the next giant on the block, it’s owned by Google.  Which brings me to my next point, it’s a Google world and who can fight that?

But how does this affect us in the hotel world?  Well as things change and change fast we have to adapt.  And in order to adapt we have to pick and choose the right apps that can help our travelers find us or where they’re going.  So I say this currently there are more apps available with the Apple system and that system is probably the most user friendly so they have a leg up on things right now from that perspective.

But knowing that Android is powered by Google and it’s financial muscle it won’t be long before the gap in the number of apps available closes if not actually eclipsed by Android.  It’s a market share thing and right now the winner is Google Android.

How does a hotel use Social Media

What’s more social than a hotel?  We host business groups, family events, friend get-togethers, backyard vacations and so much more.  But when it comes to an online voice I have to admit, overall, most hotels don’t have a clue where to go and even when you have an idea it’s not always easy to navigate the waters that are the World Wide Web.

I guess you can say now that you know the www is very tricky then you’re half way there.  But if your walking from here to China, half way there puts you in the middle in the ocean and in many ways social media feels the same way.
So for us we want to make sure you are getting the most from us on every level and social media gives us a chance to find and discuss things we have heard others talking about when traveling into our city.  Of course we think our city is great and our hotel is even better but there are a lot of questions out there when it comes to booking and what to do or what’s good in a strange city or what can happen while your traveling.
Some of it is a crap shoot but most of it isn’t as long as you have the information ahead of time so you can prepare yourself.  That’s how we see the use of our social media.  Whether you connect with us via Facebook, Twitter or our Blog we hope you come out with information that will make your stay here that much more enjoyable because you saw something here that you wouldn’t have seen somewhere else. 

Thanks for listening to me rant and I hope this helps you decide what your next step is when coming to our city.


Thursday, June 2, 2011

Freebies | Hotels Give Some Things for Nothing

Originally reported by Robert Mandelbaum

If guests are going to criticize hotels for "nickel and diming" them by charging resort fees and surcharges, then they should also be aware of the services and amenities that U.S. hotels provide on a complimentary basis. In 2009, a select sample of hotels that routinely offer gratis services to their guests spent an average of $723 per available room (PAR) to provide complimentary food, newspapers, and cocktails. This is the actual cost to the hotel, not the theoretical "retail value" of savings afforded to the guest.

The data comes from an analysis of rooms department expenditures for Complimentary Services and Gifts (GSG) at 1,600 properties in our Trends® in the Hotel Industry database. The Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry defines Complimentary Services and Gifts within the rooms department as the provision of "items used in gratis presentations for promotional purposes to guests…." Examples include newspapers, breakfast, manager's receptions, and fruit baskets. Not included in this expense category are complimentary guest supplies (such as in-room toiletries, writing materials, bottled water, and coffee), the cost of free internet access, or the labor costs associated with these gratis offerings. Obviously the addition of guest supplies, internet access, and labor costs would raise the $723 PAR figure significantly.

The following paragraphs provide further insights into the complimentary service and gift offerings found in many U.S. hotels.

Rising Standards
During the depths of the industry recession in 2009, expenditures for Complimentary Services and Gifts were cut, along with most other operating expenses in the rooms department. From 2008 to 2009, CSG costs declined 6.4 percent in the study sample. However, when measured on a dollar per occupied room basis (POR), Complimentary Services and Gifts expenses actually increased 1.9 percent during the year.

During the recession, in an effort to preserve rate integrity, "value" became a significant marketing factor. To retain market share and guest satisfaction in 2009, hotel managers steadfastly maintained the same level of CSG offered prior to the recession. In fact, most hotel companies raised their standards for complimentary breakfasts and cocktail receptions, the two largest components of CSG expenditures.

Not Just Suite Hotels
As expected, all-suite, extended-stay, and limited service hotels dominate the number of properties that offer complimentary breakfasts and cocktail receptions. However, it should be noted that 18 percent of the properties in our survey sample are resorts and full service operations.

All-suite hotel managers (not including extended-stay properties) spend the most on Complimentary Services and Gifts. On average in 2009, $1,251 PAR or $5.16 POR was spent at these properties. This equates to 3.5 percent of total revenue. The offering of a full hot breakfast buffet and evening manager's reception contributes to the relatively high expenditures at these hotels.

Somewhat surprisingly, the second greatest dollar amount of CSG among the different properties types was spent as resort hotels. In 2009, CSG expenditures at these properties averaged $893 PAR and $4.27 POR. It can be assumed that the stigma against luxury resorts during the recession forced these managers to increase their value proposition by offering gratis food and beverage, a service not historically provided at these hotels.

In aggregate, extended-stay hotel managers spent an average of $808 PAR on Complimentary Services and Gifts, or 3.2 percent of total revenue. However, these figures vary depending on the market position of the extended-stay brand. For upper-tier extended-stay hotels that offer a both a full hot breakfast buffet and a manager's reception, CSG costs averaged $956 PAR. However, for the lower-tier extended-stay properties that just serve a simple continental style breakfast, these expenditures averaged $192 PAR.

Limited service hotels comprise the largest segment of property types that offer complimentary guest services. These operators typically provide a gratis breakfast, but no cocktail reception. Accordingly, limited service CSG costs averaged $532 PAR, the lowest average level of expenditures among all property types.
While managers at full service hotels typically do not offer complimentary breakfast and cocktails on a routine basis to all guests, they do operate concierge lounges that provide gratis food and beverages throughout the day. Among the full service and convention hotels that reported CSG expenses in our Trends® survey, the average expenditure was $557 PAR, or 1.2 percent of total revenue.

Based on our firm's December 2010 Hotel Horizons® forecast, an estimated 30 percent of all hotel rooms occupied in the U.S. in 2010 were accommodated in the Midscale without F&B and Upscale chain-scale segments. These two segments are dominated by all-suite, limited service, and extended-stay hotels, the property types at which complimentary services and gifts are found. In addition, these segments have historically demonstrated strong growth in demand. Hotel guests are increasingly expecting complimentary breakfast, as well as other services not considered in our analysis (i.e. free WiFi). Consumer preferences will most likely result in significant growth in the cost of Complimentary Services and Gifts in the future.

Traveling Allergies

Allergies are on the rise.  Ragweed and mold are your top culprits, right now.  Phoenix tops cities with worst ragweed problems.  Are you traveling into an allergy nightmare?

Some studies are showing that sensitivities to common allergens, including ragweed, mold, two types of house dust mites, cats, dogs and five foods are on the rise by 15%.  The numbers maybe higher than that due to most people with allergies don’t bother to be tested.

The top, or worst, cities for ragweed are:
1.  Phoenix
2.  Las Vegas
3.  Kansas City
4.  Riverside-San Bernardino
5.  Dallas
6.  Chicago
7.  Sacramento
8.  Philadelphia
9.  Denver
10.  Washington
        Minneapolis/St. Paul (tied)

So knowing that you maybe traveling into an area of high allergens what can you do?  These tips work while you at home as well.

Pollens. Shower or bathe before bedtime to wash off pollen and other allergens in your hair and on your skin. Avoid going outside, especially on dry, windy days. Keep windows and doors shut, and use an air conditioner and in your car.

Mold. Open windows and use fans (where available) to increase air movement and help prevent mold.


What medicines can I take to help relieve my symptoms?  (These are our suggestions but please see a doctor before you use any of these)
Antihistamines help reduce the sneezing, runny nose and itchiness of allergies. They're more useful if you use them before you're exposed to allergens.

Some antihistamines can cause drowsiness and dry mouth. Others are less likely to cause these side effects, but some of these require a prescription. Ask your doctor which kind is best for you.

Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine help temporarily relieve the stuffy nose of allergies. Decongestants are found in many medicines and come as pills, nose sprays and nose drops. They are best used only for a short time. Nose sprays and drops shouldn't be used for more than 3 days because you can become dependent on them. This causes you to feel even more stopped-up when you try to quit using them.

You can buy decongestants without a doctor's prescription. However, decongestants can raise your blood pressure, so it's a good idea to talk to your family doctor before using them, especially if you have high blood pressure.

Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray that helps prevent the body's reaction to allergens. Cromolyn sodium is more helpful if you use it before you're exposed to allergens. This medicine may take 2 to 4 weeks to start working. It is available without a prescription.

Nasal steroid sprays reduce the reaction of the nasal tissues to inhaled allergens. This helps relieve the swelling in your nose so that you feel less stopped-up. Nasal steroid sprays are available with a prescription from your doctor. You won't notice their benefits for up to 2 weeks after starting them.

Your doctor may prescribe steroid pills for a short time or give you a steroid shot if your symptoms are severe or if other medicines aren't working for you.

Eye drops. If your other medicines are not helping enough with your itchy, watery eyes, your doctor may prescribe eye drops for you

I hope this helps your next trip!