Good but not great is probably a fair way to describe the overall tone of the hotel industry this summer.
Earlier in the year, there was a sense of hopefulness that the outsize leisure demand coming out of pandemic-era lockdowns might be more sustainable than it really was, that international travel trends might turn more favorable for U.S. hoteliers and that business travel would bounce back faster than it has. So it's probably obvious to say that there's been a bit of disappointment for hoteliers.
But while that feeling is real and deserved, this is a moment that we should all be able to get a little introspective and focus on the things we have to be thankful for. For hotel owners and operators around the country, right at the top of that list is their employees, the people who do the hardest work to make the businesses function and derive the least value from the enterprise.
I think Dina Belon, president of Staypineapple Hotels, put it perfectly at a recent ALIS Summer Update event in Tempe, Arizona.
"It's super important that we don't miss taking care of our team members, who are the hoteliers in our hotels," she said. "We're not hoteliers. They are."
Those employees are the ones that keep the industry running, through the good and the bad. And on top of that, despite softer demand than hoped for, this is still the busiest, most hectic part of the year for many of them, when they have to deal with sometimes unreasonable or unfair guest demands with grace and empathy.
While many of us are dealing with our own day-to-day demands — and it's remarkably easy to be so drawn into that and lose sight of the bigger picture — it would serve many a hotel executive well to take some time out to figure out new ways to let those employees know you care about and appreciate them.
That sort of appreciation — and the grace to not pile on people by pointing out all the little mistakes they make while dealing with a tidal wave of work and obligation — can go a long way in building a sense of satisfaction and emotional investment in the workplace. Let the people on your team know that you are indeed all on the same team. It's one of the smallest and easiest things you can do today that has the potential to make the biggest difference.
Let me know what you think on X, LinkedIn or via email.
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