Hospitality Veterans Share Tips from Decades of Industry Experience
By Nick Fortuna
Frank Wolfe had just checked into an independent hotel in eastern Tennessee when he suddenly felt like ordering pizza. Maybe it was because the plastic keycard featured the name, logo, and phone number for a local pizzeria, or maybe it was because the phones in the rooms allowed guests to call that restaurant by pressing a single button.
Either way, the pie hit the spot, according to Wolfe, chief executive of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).
Wolfe said the young hotelier operating the property had noticed many of his guests would order from the same pizzeria, and since his hotel didn’t have room service, he saw an opportunity. The restaurant paid for the keycards, and the hotelier got a percentage of each sale.
“Independent hoteliers often can try things out with very little risk, whereas branded hotels have brand standards, so it’s difficult for them to try new things,” Wolfe said. “Take the time to know your neighborhood so you can recognize those low-risk opportunities.”
Hospitality professionals who become experts in the local scene can provide personalized recommendations to guests, enhancing their experience. That’s just the type of customer-service interaction that can build guest loyalty and find its way into online reviews, driving more business to your hotel, Wolfe said.
Ask experienced hospitality professionals for advice to share with the next generation, and you’ll get lots of insightful answers. Here’s a rundown.
1. Attend Events and Expand Your Network
Young hoteliers should soak up knowledge at industry events, including AAHOA’s major gatherings and brands’ investor conferences, to gain a full picture of the industry, according to Andy Ingraham, CEO of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD).
Ingraham, an investor in nine hotels, said the educational components of these events are invaluable, giving young hoteliers a deep understanding of the industry in a relatively short time. In addition, the networking opportunities often lead to enduring friendships and business relationships that can benefit everyone involved.
“If you attend these conferences, you’re going to meet people,” Ingraham said. “When you walk into the room at a hotel conference, the people you meet may become your next partner.”
AAHOA Mid Atlantic Ambassador Montu Patel – also the CEO of Innovative Hospitality Management, which owns and operates 10 hotels – said young professionals tend to find each other at industry events, which is important but insufficient.
More than that, he said, they should be said Laxmidas, a member of AAHOA’s branching out and seeking mentorship opportunities with established hoteliers, who typically are happy to make time in their busy schedules to befriend young people.
Most experienced hoteliers get satisfaction from helping young professionals achieve their goals and avoid the pitfalls they’ve experienced, Patel said.
“Stay humble, be inquisitive, and ask questions from people who have been in the industry much longer than you,” he said. “That’s critical. Don’t just network within your own friend circle or peer group. Talk to people who have been in the industry for decades, and then leverage that knowledge.”
Networking within your community is just as important as networking within the industry, Patel said. Joining local social clubs and civic organizations, and serving on the boards of local charities can lead to meaningful friendships and business opportunities. When entrepreneurs help a community thrive instead of just focusing on their bottom line, community leaders usually want them to succeed, he said.
“You must be civic-minded to be a successful small-business owner in the community you serve,” Patel said. “You can’t just take. You have to be willing to give as well.”
Likewise, HFTP’s Wolfe said some hoteliers in storm-ravaged Florida have endeared themselves to their communities by coming through in times of need. Donating rooms, renting them out at cost, and waiving pet fees and restrictions following natural disasters can establish hotels as community assets and build brand loyalty, he said.
2. Become a Utility Ballplayer
At many hotels, a core group of a dozen or so employees keeps things running smoothly, and ambitious professionals should be able to fill all those roles. They should work alongside experienced employees at the front desk, in room service, in housekeeping, and in every other segment of the business, becoming proficient at every task those employees perform.
That practice will prepare young professionals to pitch in wherever they’re needed, which raises the level of service in a hotel and makes them more valuable. By learning the right way to do things and not just going through the motions, young professionals will gain credibility with frontline workers and set an example.
Young professionals also will become more effective as managers and problem-solvers, giving them an edge in relating to employees and retaining them, according to Patel.
“You must understand and have genuine empathy for every position you gainfully employ,” Patel said. “Do the job yourself and remain humble as you do it, learning from the staffers who do it every day and be their colleague instead of their boss. That means wearing the uniform and name badge. When you’re learning the job, no exception should be granted to you.”
Jin Laxmidas, CEO of Amzim Global Investments, which owns and operates 54 hotels, said young hospitality professionals often want to progress in their careers too quickly, so they don’t take the time to learn the nuances of customer service. Too often, he said, their eyes are on their smartphones instead of helping customers find their rooms or amenities.
“The worst is when they’re checking a guest in and don’t make eye contact because they’re looking down at their phone,” said Laxmidas, a member of AAHOA’s Independent Hoteliers Committee. “That’s a serious issue that’s common among all newcomers to our industry, not just young people. They’re not paying attention to the person in front of them, so they’re not making a personal connection.
“When you see a guest in the hallway, stop and smile at them, and ask them if there’s something you can do to help them,” he added. “Pay attention to details. That’s what is missing nowadays.”
3. Examine Long-Term Trends
When evaluating investment opportunities, imagine what a hotel’s location might look like in a decade or more instead of focusing on what it looks like right now, NABHOOD’s Ingraham said.
Decades ago, for example, many neighborhoods in New York City’s outer boroughs, including Brooklyn and Queens, were considered undesirable, but as Manhattan became increasingly unaffordable, they swiftly became tony neighborhoods for young professionals, he said. Similarly, hoteliers who invested early in fast-growing metropolitan areas in Florida, Georgia, and Texas typically have done quite well.
“You need to understand trends and population growth,” Ingraham said. “If you look at the urban market, hotels are being put in locations today where 20 or 30 years ago, you’d never have thought about building. So, pay attention to where the market is going. Where will it be 10 years from now? As a young professional, I wish I would’ve had more help to understand the real-estate market better because that’s the key.”
Overall, young hospitality professionals who learn the industry, remain patient, expand their network, and work hard have much to look forward to, Laxmidas said.
“It’s a rewarding industry and a rewarding journey,” he said, “but some young professionals get frustrated because they want to move up quickly and they don’t see the rewards of their effort, so they move on to something else. If they’re patient and work through the system, they’ll get where they want to be because there’s so much opportunity in our industry.”
Image: AbsolutVision/Unsplash
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