Cuzzie Catch-Up

Blogging has been somewhat light due to our continued therapeutic break away from motel life.

The highlight of our North Island tour has landed us in Hawkes Bay where we have attended a family wedding. We will be also leaving our boy at his boarding school on Monday and for us this is always a sad moment.

The wedding held yesterday was a lavish affair and started off in rain as we boarded a bus in the Havelock Village to be taken to the service at the bride's old school chapel. The sun broke through after the ceremony in time for photos on the school grounds and were once again whisked away by bus, this time landing at the bride's family farm for the reception.

This wedding has been many months in the planning and the gardens and lawns surrounding the farm house were absolutely stunning. Despite an indifferent forecast the sun continued to shine as we paraded in our finery amongst family members on the immaculately prepared lawn. The bandstand that had been built many years before was finally press-ganged into service. Violin music provided a fitting background as we circulated catching up with long-lost rellies and hydrating ourselves with bubbles between plucking food from circulating trays.

We were soon shepherded into the huge marquee and enjoyed probably the best wedding fare we have ever had. The speeches were articulate, warm and heartfelt. There is always something quite strangely voyeuristic about mingling with relatives that share many of your own traits. The whole day was a stunning success.

Oh...and the accompaning photo? Well, this for me was one of the day's many highlights. I got to add to my stamp collection...

Hotel Bed Warmers

I couldn't believe this at first, however it's on the Internet so it must be true!

Three Holiday Inn hotels in London have started offering a human bed-warming service. A hotel staff member will  fully enclose themselves in a fleece sleeper suit before slipping between the sheets and warming the bed up to a comfortable 20 degrees Celsius.

It is unclear why electric blankets or good old fashioned hot water bottles can not be used to appease Brits looking for warmth, however the hotel chain has managed to get a physician sleep expert to endorse the off the wall idea.

It has not been reported how popular this service has been.

Maybe in a round about sort of way we can attribute Al Gore for this innovative bed-warming procedure that has been in response to Britain's recent record breaking cold weather snap? The "Gore Effect" is a joke that keeps on giving.

Perhaps the real reason for introducing the human bed warming service is that Holiday Inn has also marked a milestone of launching 3,200 new Holiday Inns worldwide. Publicity from this amusing news story will no doubt assist raise public awareness of the brand.

Source: Click HERE

TripAdvisor's Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels

TripAdvisor has created some perennial surveys that are eagerly awaited. 

The Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels are based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews is perhaps the most widely distributed and commented on survey.

We have had a few conversations with accommodation industry folk that wonder why we at times focus on the more seedy side of commercial accommodation?

Well, our answer is simple. It amuses us and we believe that ANY conversation about the accommodation industry is positive.  The exposure to the light of unsavory accommodation options available takes away the mystery and in fact exposes that the majority of accommodation providers offer enriching experiences for the traveling public.

Sometimes you need to expose the extremes in order to appreciate the overwhelming positives.

Besides, all hotels that gained all top 10 positions in this survey are not surprisingly located in America. Worlds away from the array of fantastic accommodation options available in Kiwiland.

So without further ado, here's the top-10 list that accommodation owners would not wish to appear on:

• 1. Heritage Marina Hotel, San Francisco, California
• 2. Days Inn Eureka/Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri
• 3. Tropicana Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• 4. Super 8 Virginia Beach/At the Ocean, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• 5. Quality Inn, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
• 6. New York Inn, New York City, New York
• 7. Parisian Hotel & Suites, Miami Beach, Florida
• 8. Capistrano Seaside Inn, Capistrano Beach, California
• 9. Desert Lodge, Palm Springs, California
• 10. Continental Oceanfront Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

On The Road Again

It is a perennial question that moteliers often ask themselves - should we take a break away from the motel when it' quiet or when it is busy?

We'll wimp out on a definitive answer to this age-old question and sit on the fence by saying that there is probably logic in taking a break somewhere in between. However, we have decided to throw caution to the wind by taking a break during our busiest time of year and have left our able motel minders to it.

After spending the last several days ambling around the North Island, we have settled in a motel in Taupo and are happy to spend some time on the other side of the reception desk.

We will be continuing our voyeuristic journey from a motel guests' perspective until the beginning of February.

We may see you on the road;-)

Wowzio

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Excruciating "Romantic Weekend Getaway"

 

Meet  Chicago couple Duane and Edna Schumacher.

Like so many other longtime married Kiwi couples, the Schmachers have a long-established marital routine. So it came as an unwelcome surprise when their daughters gifted them a weekend at the FantasyLand Suites for their 30th anniversary.

Read more about the Schmachers unbearable motel ordeal from check-in, to check-out HERE

Motella's Social Responsibility

I have to admire the self-starting enterprise of one of my housekeeping staff members that has been busy fund raising for the last few months to attend an AC/DC concert in Wellington.

We have contributed to this worthy cause and are wondering where we can show this on our Qualmark Responsible Tourism Checklist?

Minimum Wage

Every year we go through the inane performance of debating what level the minimum wage should be set at. Business groups get sucked in and advocate either the status quo or a small increase pegged to the rate of inflation while the usual pinko suspects howl that they are owed a substantial increase.

The question we should be asking is if the government should be setting a minimum wage all?

Purchasing labour is no different than buying any other product or service. If the product or service costs more - you will buy less. If it costs more to hire labour - fewer workers will be hired.

Ironically the low skilled workers that minimum wage legislation is supposed to protect are the ones that are adversely affected.

Government meddling in the trade of labour by imposing price fixing only distorts the market that can more efficiently set a price if left alone.

The numbers of relatively low skilled workforce working for motels can be severally affected by impositions on employment freedoms including minimum wage requirements. Employment legislation is an important advocacy cornerstone for any trade association. 

The minimum wage debate appears to be territory where our industry representatives have been historically afraid to tread, so we were encouraged by a press release issued by the Motel Association of New Zealand (MANZ).

MANZ Chief Executive, Michael Baines stated  

 “We would ask the Government to show restraint in looking at any movement in the Minimum Wage” 

“This is a far more complex issue than is being portrayed. Small businesses have only two choices they either cut workers hours to suit their wage budget and pick up the work gap personally or they take less return themselves” 

And

"We urge the Government to exercise common sense and keep the Minimum Wage at its current level”

We would have suggested that the government should cease control of wage fixing altogether, however it is pleasing to see that MANZ have established a position and are speaking out against an important issue that directly affects running a motel business.

Source: Click HERE

In Search of the mythical 75% off deal

Let us say right off the bat that we like Online Travel Agents (OTAs).

As an accommodation operator, we have no problem with paying them a 10% commission rate for every successful reservation made with us. OTAs do the leg work, they advertise and expose my inventory to a bulk market that I am unable to reach.

We like the fact that OTAs are promoting the desirability of travel and are operating in a space where potential guests like to contemplate and research travel - including the MSM.

An unintended bonus for accommodation operators using OTAs is "The Billboard Effect". Many guests will only use listings on OTA websites for research purposes. The exposure provided by OTAs generates complimentary reservations through other direct channels as the guest "books direct" by using the accommodation provider's own website, 0800 number etc.

There are also may guests that will make an initial booking via an OTA and maintain a regular relationship with the accommodation property by making future reservations direct.

As accommodation operators, we should be skilled in yield management with OTAs as part of our usual business. OTAs allow ease of adding inclusions, adding minimum stays, are able to be switched on and off and rates manipulated according to demand.

If accommodation operators work in partnership with OTAs they are able to gain additional business and grow average tariff.

We are aware that OTAs receive some flack from operators. While we do not entertain industry whining about paying a 10% commission  for services received, we do have some sympathy for those that claim that OTAs focus too much on tariff based promotions. 

Wotif.com's sub $99 and 50% off promotions that  were supported by Tourism New Zealand caused some rumblings from accommodation operators that accused Wotif of normalising guest expectations of deep discounting. 

We suggested on this blog that operators should be considering quality and adding value before sending tariff through the floor.

...so what about OTAs promoting 70 - 75% discounts?  

One practice that is been used by OTAs that we do not approve of is "bait advertising" by promising savings on accommodation of up to 70 - 75% on search results. 

As an example, if you do a Google search on "Auckland accommodation" you will have the following Adword (paid advertising) links on top of the results:

Wotif.com has developed the following landing page that appears in the main body of the search results.

We used Auckland as an example, however similar results are achieved when doing Google accommodation searches for other popular New Zealand locations.

So what's the problem?

The problem we have is that we challenge anyone to easily find savings of up to 75%.

We believe that OTAs over promising unrealistic savings are doing a disservice to potential guests, themselves and the accommodation industry.

Sorta makes you wonder what the Commerce Commission would make of it?

November Accommodation Survey - Baby Steps

The latest accommodation survey results for November have been released by Statistics New Zealand. 

Overall it's reasonably positive news with total guest nights in short-term commercial accommodation for November 2009 inching up by half a percent compared to November last year.

The game of two halves continue between the two Islands. When compared with November 2008, guest nights in the North Island were down 2 percent with the South Island propping up overall guest nights by achieving a 4 percent gain. 

Eight of the 12 regions recorded more guest nights in November 2009 compared with November 2008. Significantly, the regions showing the largest increases continue to be in the South Island:

• Otago, up 23,000 (7 percent)
• Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman, up 7,000 (5 percent)
• Southland, up 6,000 (8 percent)

The region showing the largest decrease was Auckland, down 18,000 (3 percent) and Taranaki/Manawatu-Wanganui, down 14,000 (10 percent).

International visitors boosted overall  guest nights in November 2009 with an increase of 2 percent compared with November 2008.

Disappointingly, domestic guest nights fell by 1 percent in November 2009 compared with November 2008. Accommodation operators looking for a strong rebound in the domestic market for the peak season may be somewhat disappointed. We suspect that the trending decline in domestic guest nights may continue into the critical month of January.

In November 2009, two of the four accommodation types had more guest nights than in November 2008:

• backpackers, up 26,000 (7 percent)
• holiday parks, up 14,000 (3 percent)
• motels, down 6,000 (1 percent)
• hotels, down 22,000 (2 percent).

Hotels had the highest occupancy rate (60 percent) of all the accommodation types in November 2009, followed by motels (50 percent), and backpackers (44 percent).

Source: Click HERE

The Unlimited Potential of Knitting Tourism

Dr Ian Yeoman appears to have the perfect job. He is described as the world's only professional crystal ball gazer or tourism futurologist.

Dr Yeoman is an Assoc. Professor of Tourism Management at Victoria University and is a popular speaker at tourism gatherings.

From what we can fathom, Dr Yeoman's job involves making a few outrageous predictions on the future of tourism based on a few pithy observations that provides quirky fillers for odd-spot sections in newspapers and social networks. The best aspect of Dr Yeoman's job is that there is no accountability. By the time the future rolls around your future predictions made long ago would have been forgotten and the focus would be on your next set of headline making forecasts.

Brilliant!

You may remember that we wrote about one of Dr Yeoman's revelations last year that predicted the rise of Robot Sex Tourism.

So the question needs to be asked - what is Dr Yeoman's latest revelation?

Well, the tourism industry needs to brace itself for the next big thing: "Knitting Tourism".

That's right, the future of tourism will be accommodating hoards of tourists armed with wool and knitting needles that wish to have a quiet, inspirational spot away from home to churn out an assortment of jerseys, scarves and mittens. 

Before you dismiss this as being silly, there appears to have been extensive research to back this prediction.

Apparently there is all sorts of social change going on right below our noses, without any of us being aware. Dr Yeoman observes on our behalf that consumers have a renewed interest in heritage and tradition.  Consumers are feeling the guilt of being seen in designer labels and embracing vintage, authentic and natural goods. 

We are seeking crafts and old fashioned skills. It is claimed that there is a surge in knitting clubs as highly educated, single urban folk are huddling together to form wool based social networks.

I bet you weren't aware of that! 

And of course New Zealand with its natural woolly flecked landscapes is in the perfect position to appeal to this apparent high yielding tourist opportunity.

The only thing that concerns us is what's going to happen to all those horrible "homemade" woolen jerseys?