I’ve Lost Track of All the Brands. By John Hendrie

The lodging Brandscape has exploded with new Brands announced, some in the pipeline, others on the drawing board.  Due to the fluidity of the market, properties are changing hands, reflagging, or just plain closing.  So, here is the poor vacationer and business traveler trying to make a decision, looking for clarity and value, finding naught.

No wonder the User Generated Reviews are gaining sway.  There is nowhere else to turn for guidance and perspective.  As the industry continues to create choice and Brands continue to expand their portfolios, we need a Hospitality Sherpa to guide the way.

The Consumer mind set is different this time around.  They seek value, honesty, authenticity – the real deal.  We all were slammed with the economic downturn.  Up until 2007-08, the battle was on to outdo, out-spend, out-market each other.  Amenities did not creep, they sprinted.  It was no longer the “Heavenly Bed” challenge – we all went overboard, appealing to the narcissism of the market, deep pockets, immediate pleasure. 

Then, boom, we all were humbled.  Many hoteliers are still scratching back, while counterparts are offering even more.  However, the market has changed dramatically.  We really do not need more choices or advanced amenities.  We need another look at what we did well initially, a return to the basics – product, service and facility. Those tenets need to be revisited, burnished and promoted. 

We cut back, sliced the edges, even some muscle, but we still have the marrow.  We did not paint the building, replace the worn furniture, or buy new linen.  We substituted lower grade vegetables, removed the flowers, cut shifts and personnel.  We delivered a very Spartan message.  Our audience saw this, understood this from their own lives, and still came to our door.  Reach out to them with thanks and love.

As we surge into this new decade, we cannot lose sight of what we learned in the last decade.  Time and resources are too precious.  Reemphasize the basics, recognizing that Service is always the great differentiator.  Our marketing people are still grasping at straws to address the new marketplace and consumer.  Reinvest on your people and processes, revisit your standards and protocols, reinstate simple courtesies and stop creating all these new Brands.  If the message is muddled and confused, so will be the results.  Embrace the basics, and the Guest Experience will thrive.


Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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