New Castle Hotels and Resorts (NCHR announced the opening yesterday of the 103-suite Fairfield Inn & Suites New Orleans Downtown/French Quarter Area, the company’s first project in this top US convention and leisure market. Rockbridge Capital provided financing for the project.

The historic hotel, built in 1910 as the Interstate Electric Company, was acquired by New Castle in April of 2015 and under the direction of New Orleans architect John T. Campo Associates, underwent a $10 million transformation utilizing historic tax credits for the preservation of the building’s façade and interior structures.

“New Castle has a long history of rescuing high-potential historic buildings and transforming them into top-performing, modern hotels that reflect their original character,” said Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts. “This Fairfield Inn & Suites, in the center of New Orleans Central Business District, threads the needle of evolving guest expectations by combining the best attributes of this popular Marriott brand, and the destination-specific details and influences that speak to contemporary travelers.”

“New Orleans is a city whose present and future success is founded on a rich and distinguished history, including our musical, architectural, and the less-appreciated industrial heritage,” said Kurt Weigle president and CEO of the New Orleans Downtown Development District. “Congratulations to New Castle Hotels & Resorts for recognizing the important role the Interstate Electric Company building played in advancing all three elements of our history and for the beautiful job they did highlighting them. This new Fairfield Inn & Suites will contribute nicely to writing the next chapter of the New Orleans story.”

Chase cited the 13-foot ceilings in the guest rooms, exposed original brick interior walls and support beams, and the building’s façade as noteworthy examples of the hotel’s historic character. Jazz-themed lobby decor and a full-service bar, 346Blu, pay homage to the city’s vibrant music scene and elevate the hotel beyond the traditional Fairfield prototype.

“Guests will find that the Fairfield Inn & Suites New Orleans Downtown is in a class by itself when compared to most select service hotels,” noted General Manager Patricia Coulter. “Top-of-the-line finishes, guest suites with two king beds, and full-service hotel amenities such as 346Blu will provide an upscale experience for an exceptional price.”

Located in the Central Business District, and just 15 miles from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, the Fairfield Inn & Suites New Orleans Downtown/French Quarter Area is within walking distance of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Morial Convention Center and Harrah’s New Orleans Casino as well as the city’s famed French Quarter. The hotel also is in close proximity to the Port of New Orleans, Shell Oil, Entergy, New Orleans City Hall and numerous federal government offices.

“New Orleans is on a 10-year run of record-breaking tourism growth, with nearly 10 million visitors spending more than $7 billion in 2015,” said Chase. “This city has a tremendous marketing engine and a world-class infrastructure capable of hosting major events like Mardi Gras and the NBA All-Star game simultaneously next year. They also have a need for new, top quality accommodations to host those guests. We look forward to playing a small role in this city’s tremendous economic trajectory.”

The transformation of the stay of a guest into a positive holistic experience is, no doubt, a formula of success to achieve the differentiation and positioning of the hotel in the current hotel market. This can only be achieved provided that the guest reaches the longed-for emotional states such as feeling pampered, cared for, understood and, above all, important.

When a guest requests a service, it is because he/she sees it as the only way to get out of the state of lack or need he/she is in, which in turn causes an unwanted emotional unbalance. This is why the level of satisfaction of this need will be directly proportional to the degree of pleasure the guest feels, because he/she will be reaching the state of equilibrium that causes pleasure and wellbeing.

Nevertheless, hoteliers not always look for all the necessary ways to accomplish a request of a guest and unfortunately, the guest receives a negative response, without considering its negative secondary effects in his/her state of mind, decision making and future behavior.

Negative responses to requests are an adverse stimulus to the human brain, because they are not only given greater attention, but also last longer in the mind and are more easily shared. On the other hand, the sources of negative responses are considered a hazard to survival by our brain, and they activate the instinctive retreat behavior, characteristic of our reptilian brain, which will set up barriers that consequently will reduce and stop relation-making behaviors.

Now, let´s analyze the reasons why there might be negative responses to requests from our guests:

1 – Unawareness of the processes, standards and procedures.

2 – Getting personal benefits from operative negativity.

3 – Intention of causing the same reaction than through living experiences. Here, we also include the traces.

4 – Rigid conducts due to fear to be questioned when making personal decisions.

5 – Lack of empowerment.

6 – Inflexible design of operational flows.

We should then pay close attention when we say NO to a request of a guest, because this implies limiting the guest´s possibilities to get what he/she wants to feel the way they want, so the guest can see us as the way to attain his/her ideal state, thus being in permanent interaction with us.

Osvaldo Torres Cruz

Experiential Hospitality Consultancy

Whether scathing or glowing, every guest review is a golden opportunity for your hotel to shine or stumble. Guests trust other guests, and the reviews of past experiences at your hotel are one of the most influential factors that can impact future bookings.

You can’t afford to ignore bad reviews and hope they disappear. Nor, is it okay to simply write canned responses that lack a genuine concern for your guests. We understand it can be dismaying to read negative reviews about your hotel or your colleagues. Candid comments about a bad experience, bad service, bad food, or a bad room are hard to swallow. However, it’s more dismaying to know that one horrible (unanswered) review can stop a potential booking dead in its tracks.

Remember, travelers have the luxury of choice. They will form an opinion about your property within seconds, and a negative review can send them running to your competition instead.

Travelers turn to guest reviews to predict their own experience at your hotel. Your thoughtful responses have the potential to turn negative reviews into shining moments that make you more likable and worthy of a visit. So, make sure you always respond with wit, grace and true hospitality.

Here’s how to win with even the ugliest of reviews.

1. Cut the (Corporate) Crap

Not only are canned and corporate responses worthless, they can be downright infuriating. Nowadays, people expect transparency and authenticity from brands. So, if your response feels too uptight and reeks of corporate jargon, it will convey that you are only trying to save face, not that you genuinely care about your guests or their experience.

Instead, be original, sincere and tailor each response. Give whoever is responding on behalf of your hotel the freedom and flexibility to convey candor and personality when responding, while still remaining professional.

2. Give Them Direct Access

It’s important that guests know that someone (an actual named human) is behind every response from your hotel. Especially for considerably bad reviews, consider signing off your responses with the full name and contact details (at least an email address) to a department manager who would oversee the solution to the complaint. This shows you are serious about making things right and that are you are genuinely open to their feedback.

3. Offer Options to Problems You Can’t Control

Guests complaining about the crazy nightclub next door? Or, the lack of parking around your hotel? Understandably, you don’t have full control of all your hotel’s surroundings and every environmental factor that can impact your guests’ stay. However, just because you don’t have jurisdiction over these things doesn’t give you reason to simply throw up your hands and respond, “There’s nothing we can do.”

Instead, let the reviewer know that while you can’t manage the crowd at the nearby nightclub or the amount of parking spaces in the neighborhood, you can share typical Uber/Lyft/taxi fares to popular attractions. You can let them know if car share options like Car2Go or ReachNow are usually available in your neighborhood. Or, encourage them to call and specifically request a room on the side of the hotel that is opposite of the nightclub. While it may seem fruitless to offer these options AFTER the guest has already checked out, remember that you are also writing for potential guests. Your responses to past guests can help future guests achieve the experience they want.

4. Genuinely Own Up to Your Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. Your hotel is no exception. The good news is that people are generally extremely forgiving of properties that admit to their own blunders.  Do it with sincerity and grace, and you will come off as being endearing. This makes these type of responses the easiest to write. Simply write a sweet and brief response owning up to the mistake, thanking them for pointing it out, and reassuring that it won’t happen again.

5. Graciously Correct Your Guests’ Mistakes 

Sometimes, it’s the guest who makes the mistake! Simple misunderstandings result in reviews with false information. Perhaps a guest was upset that the restaurant opened late, when in fact, they misread the opening hours. Or, that they waited over an hour for the airport shuttle, when they were supposed to call and request it. If the misunderstanding is a major part of their complaint, first double-check your part in the misunderstanding. Are the restaurant hours in plain sight? Was the guest informed – via a pre-stay email or from your hotel website – that the airport shuttle is by request only? If it is entirely the guests’ oversight, then briefly apologize for their specific inconvenience (Sorry that you were late to your meeting as you waited for breakfast), followed by the facts (but, our restaurant opens for breakfast at 8am, not 7am, on weekday mornings.)

6. Fix the Problem Already

If guests are constantly berating your hotel with the same complaint over again and again, you probably need to actually take the steps to fix the problem. People will quickly notice a pattern if they read the same complaint and the same lame response promising that things will get better. Don’t be that hotel.

If improving the problem means an investment by your hotel owners, then get this on their agenda, pronto.  Whether it’s ratty carpets, dimly lit and creepy hallways, or unsavory breakfast entrees, print out all the instances that the issue is mentioned in negative reviews and let the owners know this issue is actually impeding direct bookings and can impact your bottom line.

The bottom line: It’s vital… no, necessary, to address unfavorable reviews upfront, right away, with an honest and sensible response.

About Tambourine

Tambourine uses technology and creativity to increase revenue for hotels and destinations worldwide. The firm, now in its 30th year, is located in New York City and Fort Lauderdale. Please visit:www.Tambourine.com

From the birthplace of the brand, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts – part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) – yesterday marked a milestone as its first-ever hotel and celebrated flagship in Paris revealed the completion of its multi-million dollar renovation. Following the hotel’s transformation, Le Méridien Etoile now boasts reimagined guestrooms, suites and the transformation of the hotel’s public spaces, including the legendary Jazz Club Etoile and brand’s signature lobby concept: Le Méridien Hub.

“With a stronger and more globally diverse portfolio than ever before, Le Méridien has hit its stride with guests and locals as well as owners and developers around the world,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts. “We are delighted to have the crown jewel of our brand shining brightly once more in the City of Light, as Le Méridien returns to its roots with distinctive design and bold Destination Unlocked positioning.”

Located in the 17th arrondissement, anchored by Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées, Le Méridien Etoile is the largest hotel in central Paris. The redesign of the hotel’s rooms was led by French interior architect Jean-Philippe Nuel, while London-based firm Michaelis Boyd restyled all the public areas; both draw inspiration from Le Méridien brand’s mid-century modern design aesthetic.

Paris: A Destination & Inspiration

The interiors of all 1,025 guestrooms and suites have been redesigned with residential texture and details inspired by the destination: the lighting and the muted colour palette of grey, light blue and charcoal are underscored by eye-catching accents. Travel and discovery are woven into the fabric of the design, with illustrated maps of Parisian arrondissements that adorn the headboards and deconstructed images of the city that are displayed in the rooms and corridors.

Art and design also provide an element of discovery throughout the public spaces of Le Méridien Etoile. Art Curator Marion Vignal selected four Parisian, contemporary artists to express their unique perspectives of Paris through different mediums. For instance, Arnold Goron, the sought-after sculptor and set designer for several French fashion houses, created the arrival art installation and impressive mural fresco, both composed of brass petals forming a map of Paris.

From the arrival lighting installation that represents the traffic circles of the city, to the custom-tiled accent wall that pays homage to Paris’ metro system, Le Méridien Etoile has transformed the staid, traditional lobby into the brand’s signature Le Méridien Hub. Set amidst this thoughtfully-designed space, the Longitude 2°17 Bar provides Le Méridien signature éclairs, light bites and illy coffee, expertly prepared by the hotel’s creative Master Barista, creating an experience that brings creative and curious-minded guests and locals together.

Le Méridien Etoile features 2,500 square metre of thoughtfully-designed meeting spaces with design cues taken from the 17th arrondissement. The small meeting rooms or ‘Petits Salons’ hold up to 25 people and are named after local streets, while the large ‘Grands Salons’ hold up to 1,200 people and bear the names of neighbouring avenues and boulevards. Each of the spaces is designed with the brand’s mid-century modern aesthetic and offers modular furniture that allows personalization. Custom photography, depicting scenes from each Boulevard, was shot by one of France’s most influential Instagrammers, Vutheara Kham, and aims to inspire creativity.

The renovation of the conference centre and public areas was overseen by London-based architectural duo Alex Michaelis and Tim Boyd.

Jazz Club Etoile: The Legendary Music Club

Created in 1975 with celebrated drummer F.A. Galepides, known as Moustache, the Jazz Club Etoile has been entirely renovated in a mid-century modern style, with an emphasis on bright colours and vintage furniture. Parisian touches once again pepper the decor with white tiles, reminiscent of the metro stations, surrounded by the works of visual artist Christian Gastaldi, who was inspired by the posters displayed in the metro system.

While preserving the essence of the Jazz Club Etoile, former music booker and friend of Moustache, Jean-Pierre Vignola, has collaborated with Jonathan Miltat, an experienced Jazz producer, to renew the musical offering and put the spotlight on Jazz, Soul, Funk and Blues. Both locals and hotel guests alike can now discover legendary artists and new talent in the intimate venue with a new menu curated by Executive ChefLaurent Bélijar.

“Destination Unlocked” Position Propels Parisian-born Brand

“Ten years after Le Méridien joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the brand now stands stronger than ever before,” said Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “Highlighting our commitment to strengthening the brand’s portfolio around the globe, over 50% of Le Méridien hotels in Europe and the Middle East have been upgraded over the last three years. We are proud to celebrate Le Méridien distinctive design aesthetic and bold ‘Destination Unlocked’ positioning in the brand’s home city of Paris.”

Since 2005, Starwood and its hotel ownership groups have transformed Le Méridien into a contemporary lifestyle brand now focused on unlocking the destination through culture, the arts, and cuisine. Now Le Méridien boasts the strongest portfolio levels in the brand’s history, growing in key destinations around the world, Le Méridien Denver; Le Méridien Singapore, Sentosa; 6 newly-built Le Méridien hotels in China, including 2 in Shanghai alone; and the brand’s re-entry into Italy with the opening of Le Méridien Visconti Rome early next year.

Fact: Finding a job can be stressful. Job seekers are often up against tens, if not hundreds, of other applicants for a position. The pressure to have their resumes jump out from the stack in front of employers is high, and that can often result in getting a little too creative or perhaps outright fabricating. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, more than 3 in 4 HR managers (77 percent) report having caught a lie on a resume, and, in addition to embellishments, CareerBuilder’s survey reveals other outlandish and costly mistakes candidates have made.

The national online survey was conducted on behalf of CareerBuilder by Harris Poll between May 11 and June 7, 2016, and included more than 2,100 full-time, U.S. hiring and human resources managers in the private sector across industries and company sizes.

First Impressions Are Key

Candidates’ stress isn’t coming out of nowhere. Among human resource managers, who are typically on the front lines and gatekeepers of which applicants get in front of the actual hiring managers, more than 2 in 5 (43 percent) said they spend less than a minute looking at a resume. Nearly 1 in 4 (24 percent) spend less than 30 seconds.

The pressure to make a good first impression is on, and because of that, some candidates are making critical blunders in their effort to get noticed. HR managers and hiring managers shared their most notable and cringe-worthy real-life examples of gaffes found on a resume:

• An applicant’s name was auto-corrected from “Flin” to “Flintstone.” His name was Freddie.
• An applicant stated they had great attention to detail, but “attention” was misspelled.
• An applicant claimed they worked at a federal prison. A background check determined he was actually incarcerated at the prison during that time.
• An applicant stated they had been a prince in another life.
• An applicant listed a skill as “taking long walks.”
• An applicant used direct quotes from Star Wars in their resume.
• An applicant claimed he would work harder if paid more.
• An applicant wrote the following at the end of their resume: “I didn’t really fill this out, someone did it for me.”
• An applicant used a resume template with cats in the corners.
• An applicant listed smoking under hobbies.

What Do Employers Really Want?

It is important to catch the eye of a human resource manager, but for the right reasons. Here are five things that HR managers say make them more likely to pay attention to an application:

• Resume has been customized to their open position: 63 percent
• Skill sets are listed first on the resume: 41 percent
• A cover letter is included with the resume: 40 percent
• Application that is addressed to the specific hiring manager: 22 percent
• Resume that includes a link to a candidate’s blog, portfolio or website: 16 percent

Survey Methodology

This nationwide survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,153 hiring and human resource managers ages 18 and over, including 251 HR managers (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between May 11 and June 7, 2016. With a pure probability sample of 2,153, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.11 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

As the global leader in human capital solutions, CareerBuilder specializes in cutting-edge HR software as a service to help companies with every step of the recruitment process from acquire to hire. CareerBuilder works with top employers across industries, providing job distribution, sourcing, workflow, CRM, data and analytics in one pre-hire platform. It also operates leading job sites around the world. Owned by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE:TGNA), Tribune Media (NYSE:TRCO) and McClatchy (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visitwww.careerbuilder.com.

For hoteliers, driving direct bookings is key to the health and viability of your property – 91% of hoteliers report increasing direct bookings as key for the future of their business. In order to attract potential guests to your hotel website, and sell them once they are there, you need to have a strong and expansive digital footprint.

Our latest eBook gives you the tools necessary to create a website that converts travelers once they reach your website. We’ve put together seven ways to help you draw guests to your website in the first place:

1. Refresh your content

Google and other search engines check (or crawl) websites looking for fresh content. New content boosts your SEO rating because it shows you’re active and engaged.

2. Get social

Social media is a hotelier’s best friend—or at least, it should be. As we’ve shown in a previous article, social media gives you access to free advertising, instant customer service, and the ability to monitor what people say about your brand, as well as your competitor’s.

3. Start retargeting 

According to Digital Information World, users who are retargeted are 70% more likely to convert. It’s important that your advertising strategy includes retargeting so that you can stay top of mind and convert even more travelers.

4. Go mobile

This year, over half of travelers who book online will do so through mobile. If your booking experience, website, and social media presence isn’t mobile-friendly, you will miss out on reaching these in-market customers.

5. Seek out new guests

With prospecting, you can reach travelers who have shown intent to visit your destination, but don’t necessarily know about your specific property. Prospecting is a great tool for increasing your digital footprint because you can find people showing interest in your destination and serve them ads directing them straight to you.

6. Hyperlink

Hyperlink to other websites and, really, create a world wide web. If, for instance, you mention how close you are to a local attraction, you should hyperlink to it. Doing this helps guests immediately look at the specific amenity or feature you’re describing. You also build trust by becoming a reliable source of information for your customers.

7. Make a Video

According to the Digital Tourism Think Tank, “The click through rate of online video ads is the highest among all digital ad display, with 1.84%. That means that viewers are more engaged face this kind of advertising and messages.”

Consider, then, creating a video to showcase your property, but be sure to keep your videos under three minutes.

Want more tips on how you can increase your hotel’s digital footprint? Get the eBook: Creating a Website that Converts: The Hotelier’s Guide to Driving Direct Bookings.

About Catlyn

Catlyn is Sojern’s Content Marketing Manager. She loves playing video games and hiking with her dog, Dottie. Her favorite part of travel is the food, preferring street food to fine dining.

The Casa Monica, one of the oldest hotels in the United States, was built by Franklin W. Smith, an idealistic reformer who made his fortune as a Boston hardware merchant. He was an early abolitionist, author and architectural enthusiast who proposed transforming Washington, D.C. into a “capital of beauty and cultural knowledge.” He was a major founder of the YMCA and a supporter of the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln.

Henry M. Flagler sold Smith the land on which to build the Casa Monica Hotel in 1887. The Casa Monica is an impressive five-story structure with 100-foot towers on each end topped with tile roofs.  There are unique architectural features such as turrets, balconies, parapets, ornate railings, cornices, arches, and battlements on the exterior. Smith utilized an experimental process for making concrete blocks using crushed coquina along with Portland cement. The hotel opened on January 1, 1888 with 138 rooms including 14 duplex suites with up to three bedrooms. The architectural style was Moorish Revival and Spanish Baroque Revival of which Smith was a pioneer promoter.

Four months later, Smith ran into financial difficulties and sold the hotel to Henry Flagler who changed the name to the Cordova Hotel. While the hotel flourished under Flagler’s management, he built a bridge between the Cordova and merged it with his adjacent “enlarged and redecorated” Alcazar Hotel. Because of the Great Depression, the hotel closed in 1932 and in 1945 the bridge was torn down. In 1962, the St. John’s County Commission purchased and renovated the Cordova Hotel for use as a county courthouse. In 1964, the lobby housed police dogs that were used against civil rights demonstrators during the mass campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King that resulted in the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The famous travel agency “Ask Mr. Foster” had its headquarters in the hotel. It was started by Ward G. Foster of St. Augustine, became a national business and was owned for a time in the 20th century by Peter Ueberroth, once Commissioner of Baseball.

In February 1997, Richard Kessler, formerly an executive with Days Inns of America, purchased the building from St. John’s County for $1.2 million and began to remodel the building to once again become a hotel. The county Tax Collector’s office and Property Appraiser’s office were given until 1998 to relocate. The renovation was completed in less than two years and opened in December 1999 under the original name of “Casa Monica Hotel” (the name came from Saint Monica, the North African mother of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, for whom the Ancient City is named). Richard Kessler and architect Howard W. Davis decided to keep the historic Moorish Revival style of the hotel. Artist Tina Guarano Davis painted the Moorish-style woodwork in the hotel lobby. The Casa Monica sign on the Cordova Street side of the hotel covers over an earlier sign for the St. Johns County Courthouse. The huge flagpole on top of the hotel is actually a lightning rod.

Among the notable guests in the hotel since it reopened have been Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South African Nobel Peace Prize winner and anti-apartheid crusader, and Rev. C.T. Vivian, civil rights leader and co-worker with Martin Luther King in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as well as the King and Queen of Spain during their visit to St. Augustine in 2001.

The Casa Monica Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

*excerpted and expanded from my book “Built To Last: 100+Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi”, AuthorHouse 2013.

If You Need an Expert Hotel Witness:

For the past twenty-four years I have served as an expert witness in more than 40 hotel-related cases.

My extensive hotel operating experience is beneficial in cases involving:

• hurricane damage and/or business interruption cases
• slip and fall accidents
• wrongful deaths
• fire and carbon monoxide injuries
• franchise/franchisor disputes
• management contract disputes

I have been designated as the 2015 and 2014 Historian of the Year by Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.