Virgin announced on September 20th the launch of the latest addition to its portfolio of brands: Virgin Hotels. So far, the group has reportedly over 300 branded companies, covering everything from mobile phone operator, financial services, Megastores and Formula 1 racing to soft drink, space tourism and, most notably, airlines. After a failed launch in… [Read more…]
September 20, 2010
All-inclusive concepts have always been the private hunting ground of resorts on the Red Sea or the Caribbean making them the perfect place for families to enjoy their holidays without worrying about extra charge, food and beverage bills or activities. But no one, that I know of, dared to “export” the all-inclusive concept in an… [Read more…]
September 16, 2010
We are all thrilled by new technologies and how innovation can influence the way we live and how we run businesses. The challenge we all face is that technology is evolving so fast that by the time we just comprehend the way it works it is already too late. I came across this futuristic, yet… [Read more…]
September 12, 2010
Last July I wrote this post Should Internet access be Free in Hotels. After numerous feed back online and offline and having read several related articles, each one pushing a different opinion, my thinking has slightly evolved over time so I have decided to write this follow-up post. I also felt it was important to… [Read more…]
September 9, 2010
Fifteen years ago when I just started my professional career with zero experience in the hotel industry, I had lunch with a veteran hotelier that was working for the group I had joined. I never forgot what he told me: “Fabrice, the hotel industry is very complex and takes on board numerous factors that you… [Read more…]
September 4, 2010
This remains one of the biggest taboo question in the hotel industry and I have to admit that I have actually hesitated for some time before publishing this post. Should hotels provide condoms in the rooms? We know that in some cases hotels already have them for sale as part of the mini-bar but the… [Read more…]
August 22, 2010
When listing the features that really matter in a hotel we usually find: a comfortable bed, a fast/reliable internet connection, a powerful hot shower and great breakfast in the morning. To this coherent list I would like to add the bathroom amenities. It’s like the restrooms in a restaurant, you don’t choose a restaurant because… [Read more…]
July 21, 2010
I was just reading last week that Tripadvisor just became the #1 most popular travel website ahead of Expedia. Let’s be honest, we all think the same, Tripadvisor is hotels worst enemy and the tool of the cowards. Ten years ago, the only solution we had to express our bitter feelings was the little guest… [Read more…]
July 12, 2010
The Internet in the hotel industry has been a revolution. No doubt about that. It has completely changed the way we find, discover and book hotels within 10 years. I would personally put the big turning point in 2002. However, how much the Internet has actually improved the bottom line in the hotel industry? Have… [Read more…]
July 6, 2010
Interested about branding, my eyes always stop on articles about the great brands of this world. If you look at any chart, you will always find that all the brands listed are always brands that came up with great innovations. Whether it is 5 years ago, 20 years or 50 years ago. Each single one… [Read more…]
July 6, 2010
This is something that is not always known by people outside of the industry but today it is very rare that large hotel companies such as Marriott, Starwood, Accor or IHG own any of their hotels. They own the brand that seats on the roof and are being paid management fees by the actual owner… [Read more…]
July 3, 2010
That is an on going question and I didn’t manage to get my head around it yet. But one thing I know is that what I currently see doesn’t make any sense. Hotels are spending large amount of money to increase the guest experience, upgrading constantly the quality of bed linen, fancy bathroom amenities, sound… [Read more…]
June 26, 2010
Travelling to the East has started in the beginning of the 20th century with the first hotels becoming famous for being the base of some legendary adventurous travel writers such as Graham Greene, Somerset Maugham or Joseph Conrad. The Oriental hotel in Bangkok, Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap, The Raffles in Singapore, The Strand… [Read more…]
June 24, 2010
I travelled to Shanghai really excited with the idea that for the first time I was going to visit a World’s Fair. The Exposition Universelle… The name itself has something magical to it. It did remind me when I went to the Olympics for the first time in Athens, back in 2004. Both names carry… [Read more…]
June 13, 2010
The reason why innovation is such a challenge for most companies is because our life revolves around preconceived ideas and concepts that we have learnt since young age and accepted them as being the norm. Innovation is a change in thought process, so looking at something from a total new angle does require to put… [Read more…]
June 9, 2010
The biggest hurdle to innovation, in any industry, remains in the inability of corporations to take risks and longing for certainty. Now-days, unless innovative ideas are backed up by studies, rationals, ROI %, potential market size and endless consumer surveys, they always stay at the idea stage without being implemented. Lost opportunity. By definition, innovation… [Read more…]
June 7, 2010
The iPad has become the best PR tool for the travel industry since the introduction of telephone handsets in hotel rooms or plane business class seats. I cannot remember how many press releases or articles I read about a hotel or airline introducing the iPad for their guests to use. You can hear the “Wow”,… [Read more…]
June 4, 2010
Hotmail used to be one of the most powerful brand in the world. It used to be at the forefront of online communication. Early 90′s we all went there to get a personal email address like we all get a Facebook account today. We all got one. But in all honesty, who really desires to… [Read more…]
May 30, 2010
First of all, I want to stress that the term “Lifestyle brand” is coming dangerously close to becoming the most overly used and abused term in the English marketing language. Any product line, service provider or even a person which leads the consumer to feel that he or she belongs to a group or culture… [Read more…]
September 26, 2010
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