On The Road with Doug
Journal of Doug Kennedy's Travels Presenting Hospitality Industry Training
Bio Link
Douglas Kennedy, founder and President of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc, based in Hollywood, FL, has been a fixture on the hotel and lodging industry’s conference circuit for over two decades, having spoken at hundreds of association, brand, and management company conferences. It is estimated that over 10,000 others have participated in training workshops and seminars he has presented personally throughout North America and in places like Sao Paulo, Singapore, Kaula Lumpur, Moscow and Sophia, Bulgaria. Besides his private training programs and conference presentations, each month thousands of hoteliers worldwide read his monthly articles in publications such as Hotel World Network, HotelMarketing.com, eHotelier, Hotel-Online, Hotel News Resource, and 4Hoteliers.
On The Road With Doug
On The Road To Orlando, Dallas, South Beach Miami, Lakeville, PA, and Annapolis, MD
After my rewarding and enjoyable but long business travel journey to conduct the November training dates in Moscow, Russia and Kiev, Ukraine, it was a wonderful feeling to be back home in South Florida for the Monday starting the week of Thanksgiving. Since the public schools were out of session for the week, my 13 year old daughter and her mom were off to New York City for her first ever visit. I would myself normally be heading off to my wife Cathy’s family farm in the Poconos of PA for the Thanksgiving holiday. But after so long on the road, I was glad that Cathy was so understanding of my need to just be staying put in one place for a week, and the special “guys time” with my son Adam made it all that much more rewarding.
Although the business travel can sometimes interrupt and interfere with family life, I am always grateful for the long stretches I get at home. Adam and I had a great time just hanging out, playing video games on Wii, and doing guy-stuff. The weather was wonderful too and it was great to be wearing shorts and sandals most of the week this time of year. By the weekend, my Julia was back home too, and the three of us enjoyed our tradition of decorating the Christmas Tree and starting holiday preparations on the weekend. Here’s a picture of us starting to decorate:
Although it was only a week, it felt like I had been a kid again on Summer vacation. So with Cathy still on the farm, and with Adam and Julia back to school, I was well-rested when I hit the road again. My first stop was a short drive to Orlando on Monday, where the next day I was to train the newly hired call center reservations agents at Travel Click’s new third party call center in Orlando. It was a blessing to have such a wonderful group of enthusiastic participants, who were on their second day on the job as the founding team for this new call center and the day passed quickly and I was back in my minivan to drive home to South Florida Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning I was back at the airport for an easy flight to Dallas, where I was to again train a group of brand new reservations sales agents, this time for the new staff of Synxis, who where brought on as a group to for an exciting new account they had, the Fontainebleau Hotel in South Beach. It seemed a little odd on one level to be in Dallas training a team on how to sell such a familiar local Iconic hotel, but when I met the team that Synxis had recruited for the task, I could easily see they were going to be very successful.
After these two back-to-back trips I was once again back in town, and thanks to that I live close enough to my next two clients on the schedule, I was home for two weeks. The first week was mostly an office week of catch-up. The second week was one I had blocked out a long time ago, which was the week of the Middle School Band concerts on Monday and Tuesday, and my son Adam’s performance in the holiday play put on by his performing arts school. On Monday and Tuesday I reported dutifully as a band-parent volunteer to help their band teacher get the 90+ beginning band students from 3 periods organized into the semblance of a symphonic band. I can tell you I learned a lot that day from Ms. Weiss and the other parent-volunteers. I spent most of the two days serving as the enforcer of time-out sentences and reminding band students how they have to “bring it” every day. After that I felt like my job of running a hotel industry training company was an easy job for sure. Here’s a picture of my kids at their band concert:
After the band concert Tuesday night I headed down to South Beach Miami, which although it was only a 35 minute drive, was where I wanted to be sleeping over to make sure I was ready for another day of training on Wednesday morning. What a great day it was training the front desk, reservations, and sales department teams of the South Seas Resort and the Avalon Hotel South Beach. I have to say honestly that I was pleasantly surprised at how especially interested and engaged the group was that day, since sometimes the labor market in South Beach Miami can be somewhat transient and generally not too interested in the hospitality industry as a career choice. Yet I found myself training a group of about 10 people, most of which had at least 5 or 10 years of experience working in their current positions. It was very energizing. Here’s a picture of me with the group that day:
We ended early enough that I had time to head back home, pick-up my wife Cathy after her workday, and head to see Adam in his stage debut in the musical show they put on called “Crazy Camp,.” We were all so proud of how well he had memorized his speaking lines and the songs and movements. But I was especially proud to see how much energy he put into the show and his stage presence.
After the show I had to head right back to South Beach Miami, this time to conduct training for one of my call center clients – Denihan Hospitality. Their call center agents were on a FAM and training tour of the company’s latest acquired new hotel, The Royal Palm South Beach. It was wonderful to conduct the training that afternoon. For one, I had the chance to bring Vanessa, Samantha, and Karla from our KTN team to attend the training, which was a great chance to get them out to interact. Also, it was great to reconnect with my client and good friend Stephane Mozziconacci, who is now their Director of Revenue Management but who is also one of the best rooms operations managers I have ever met. Best of all perhaps was seeing some of the same reservations agents in this new context; participants I have had in my workshops for over 20 years. Here are some pictures of us that day:
After finishing up with a cocktail reception at Royal Palm, I headed for a very short drive a few blocks north to stay over and to conduct the second half of the training for South Seas Resorts on Friday. Here’s my picture with the second group at South Seas Resort:
By Friday night and for most of the weekend I found myself in the madness of Christmas shopping at the local malls and stores, getting ready for the big day now only 10 days away. Good thing Cathy was back in town to help, and we got all of the gifts purchased or ordered online on just two days. Sunday night I was back in a rental car headed for a relatively short drive to The Peabody Orlando, where I was to conduct training for their PBX/Communications Department, which like so many traditional PBX/Telephone Operators departments is taking on a new role as the “storefront window” to the hotel. I also conducted a half-day workshop for the newly hired reservations sales agents at the Peabody Hotels call center, which is based in Orlando. As always it was an extremely welcoming reception at The Peabody, just as most every guest receives. Everything was enjoyable, from the food and beverage I enjoyed at their new bar called ROCKS, to the two classes I facilitated the next day. Here’s my picture with the afternoon group:
As the day ended, I was right on time to turn in my one-way rental car at the Orlando Airport, and to take my flight to Scranton, PA, where another rental car was waiting for me to drive about an hour to back to another visit at The Cove Haven Resorts in central PA. This being my third visit, I knew upon arrival I would have a lighted fireplace, my own private indoor pool in my suite, and other amenities. But best of all I knew I would be working with one of the best call center teams in the business, lead by one of the very best call center directors I have ever known, Mary Ann Olver, who’s incredible energy and enthusiasm is mirrored by her staff. Due to my very very late arrival, Mary Ann even had arranged for my workshops to start a little later the next day, at 11am and when I finished training that same night at 10pm I felt like the goals for 2011 had been accomplished. Next day it was just a half-day workshop left, and I knew the participants would be into it and easy to work with. Thanks once again to the dual travel angels that I carry on each shoulder, I was once again blessed with great weather (considering) and road conditions as I faced a 4 hour drive to Annapolis, MD for my final business trip of the year. The purpose was to visit the headquarters office of Thayer Hospitality Management for a pre-training consultation with the asset managers who have engaged KTN to present a customized training on the topic of front desk upselling for the coming year 2012.
They were very personable, warm, and accommodating, and the meeting even ended a little early since we were all efficient and prepared. Soon enough I was back onboard my favorite airline – Delta – headed home for over two weeks to Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, to the welcoming arms of Cathy my wife and with the kids soon to arrive to our house the next day from their mom’s house for our Christmas Holidays. On the flight I felt the adrenaline level drop, and my mind moved to a more meditative and restive state to take a break for a while with family and to remember why we as business travelers do all that we do, which is to provide for the ones at home. I was thankful in my heart to have been blessed with such a “busy” Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, and thankful for all of the many clients that made 2011 a prosperous year and allowed for the kids to have their Christmas wish lists be fulfilled.
By Friday night and for most of the weekend I found myself in the madness of Christmas shopping at the local malls and stores, getting ready for the big day now only 10 days away. Good thing Cathy was back in town to help, and we got all of the gifts purchased or ordered online on just two days. Sunday night I was back in a rental car headed for a relatively short drive to The Peabody Orlando, where I was to conduct training for their PBX/Communications Department, which like so many traditional PBX/Telephone Operators departments is taking on a new role as the “storefront window” to the hotel. I also conducted a half-day workshop for the newly hired reservations sales agents at the Peabody Hotels call center, which is based in Orlando. As always it was an extremely welcoming reception at The Peabody, just as most every guest receives. Everything was enjoyable, from the food and beverage I enjoyed at their new bar called ROCKS, to the two classes I facilitated the next day. Here’s my picture with the afternoon group:
As the day ended, I was right on time to turn in my one-way rental car at the Orlando Airport, and to take my flight to Scranton, PA, where another rental car was waiting for me to drive about an hour to back to another visit at The Cove Haven Resorts in central PA. This being my third visit, I knew upon arrival I would have a lighted fireplace, my own private indoor pool in my suite, and other amenities. But best of all I knew I would be working with one of the best call center teams in the business, lead by one of the very best call center directors I have ever known, Mary Ann Olver, who’s incredible energy and enthusiasm is mirrored by her staff. Due to my very very late arrival, Mary Ann even had arranged for my workshops to start a little later the next day, at 11am and when I finished training that same night at 10pm I felt like the goals for 2011 had been accomplished. Next day it was just a half-day workshop left, and I knew the participants would be into it and easy to work with. Thanks once again to the dual travel angels that I carry on each shoulder, I was once again blessed with great weather (considering) and road conditions as I faced a 4 hour drive to Annapolis, MD for my final business trip of the year. The purpose was to visit the headquarters office of Thayer Hospitality Management for a pre-training consultation with the asset managers who have engaged KTN to present a customized training on the topic of front desk upselling for the coming year 2012.
They were very personable, warm, and accommodating, and the meeting even ended a little early since we were all efficient and prepared. Soon enough I was back onboard my favorite airline – Delta – headed home for over two weeks to Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, to the welcoming arms of Cathy my wife and with the kids soon to arrive to our house the next day from their mom’s house for our Christmas Holidays. On the flight I felt the adrenaline level drop, and my mind moved to a more meditative and restive state to take a break for a while with family and to remember why we as business travelers do all that we do, which is to provide for the ones at home. I was thankful in my heart to have been blessed with such a “busy” Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, and thankful for all of the many clients that made 2011 a prosperous year and allowed for the kids to have their Christmas wish lists be fulfilled.
On The Road To Kiev, Ukraine, November, 2011
After such an wonderful experience conducting the HIT (Sales Directors) Club conference presentation and two-day workshop in Moscow for the hotels in Moscow, there was just enough time for fond farewells. Soon, Anton Matveev from Big Tree and I headed on to the SVO airport for our short flight to Kiev, Ukraine, where I was to present the same two-day management training workshop, but this time to a private client, which was Premier International Hotel Management.
Being unfamiliar with the language, I was glad to have Anton along to lead the way and we were able to take the metro subway train and then an express train directly to the airport. We had just enough time to stop along the way for a great dinner at one of Anton’s favorite stops.
Soon enough we were on board our flight to Kiev. The airline service was excellent on board the Aerosvit Airlines and they even gave us a sandwich on such a short flight. As a tourist to Ukraine, I appreciated that a visa was not required for US Citizens, and I also appreciated that the hotel had a car service waiting for us as the hour was getting late, even with a two hour time change back in time. Although there were many transportation options, it was especially nice to be greeted by a driver from the hotel at which we were staying.
Upon entering the lobby of the Premier Palace I could instantly see why my colleague Anton had said many times that this was one of his favorite hotels of all time. The architecture itself was stunning, as it is replicated much of the same style of the original hotel that been destroyed and later reconstructed. Here’s a picture of the outside:
Upon entering the lobby it was clear the designers had created an atmosphere of gracious elegance but without gaudy opulence of so many ultra-luxury hotels. The staff was very welcoming, even at the late hour, and soon enough I was entering a very comfortable guest room and ready for a good night’s sleep.
My morning began while enjoying one of the most extensive breakfast buffets I have ever experienced as a guest, and there were choices for people of all cultures and dietetic needs. Best of all was the amazing views out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the entire skyline of Kiev, which I must say is a beautiful site to see. The morning sun was brightly reflecting off of the domes of the Orthodox Churches skyscraper windows. Here’s a picture from that morning:
After breakfast it was time to start the two-day workshop, which was attended by a diverse mix of managers from Premier Hotels and Accord Hotels, which is their mid-scale brand. We had several GM’s, Directors of Sales & Marketing, Corporate Sales Managers, Revenue and Marketing managers and even a management trainee. Most impressive for me was that Iryna Sidletska, the General Director of Premier International (essentially their President,) was there to welcome the group and to introduce our program. Not only did she stop by, but she participated for much of the first day’s training and all of the second day’s class (which was on a Saturday), despite her busy agenda. I was also impressed that the CEO also attended much of the workshop, also giving up his Saturday to be there to show support.
What a great two days of training it was. They were very interactive and had many great questions, comments, and contributions to the agenda. The time seemed to fly by and by the end of the second day I felt that I now had many new friends in Ukraine and know that I will definitely return one day, and will most definitely have to plan on some leisure time to see this wonderful city. Here is a picture of me with the group at the end of the last day:
After many heartfelt goodbyes with this very special group of participants, it finally hit me that my five straight days of training was completed, and even better, since it was Saturday night there was no need to check email. After a quick call home on Skype, my colleague and now good friend Anton and I headed out to explore Kiev. We had a brisk walk and an enjoyable bite to eat, and then headed to what Anton says is one of his favorite spots, which was perfect for me as hearing live music is one of my favorite weekend pastimes. Anton it turns out is a big time rock and roll fan, and we both used to play in rock bands and still sometimes play guitars, so we were both enjoying the live band’s renditions of many famous songs. I will always remember this occasion when I hear Pink Floyd’s Shine On Your Crazy Diamond at any point in my future.
On the final morning Anton personally made sure I was all set with my flight before saying goodbye and himself heading home to his own family. As much as I had enjoyed the journey, my thoughts soon returned to my wife and children, especially my son Adam who was adamant that he would be awake when I got home at 1am after my 24 hours of travel. Although he didn’t manage to stay up that late, he did make sure to run into our bedroom to greet me with enthusiasm very early the next morning. Despite the lack of sleep it was easy to wake up to such enthusiasm and I was eager to share my many fond memories of my journey to Moscow and Kiev.
On The Road to Moscow, Russia and Kiev, Ukraine, November, 2011
Above is my picture with the participants
in the two-day certification workshop in Moscow, Russia
Sponsored By Big Tree Hospitality Training
With my travel schedule for the month of October ending on such a crescendo, it was great to see that November was in the end an easy month of travel for me, starting the month with nearly 2 weeks off the road. During this time I watched the news reports about the late Fall snowstorm in the Northeast US. Yet on the morning of my departure the weather could not have been more perfect in South Florida, as well for my connection in JFK. It was perfect flying weather for all of the segments of my journey.
Once again my business alliance partner and friend Andrei Malyshev was there to greet me at the arrival exit which was such a welcome gesture after such a long journey. It was nice to arrive at the new SVO airport terminal which my Delta Airlines flight arrived at was very impressive from both the architecture and beauty of the design, as well as how convenient it was and presented such a welcoming first impression.
Once again my business alliance partner and friend Andrei Malyshev was there to greet me at the arrival exit which was such a welcome gesture after such a long journey. It was nice to arrive at the new SVO airport terminal which my Delta Airlines flight arrived at was very impressive from both the architecture and beauty of the design, as well as how convenient it was and presented such a welcoming first impression.
As Andrei drove me to the Swissotel Moscow we had an enjoyable conversation, and no traffic since it was Sunday morning. I was happy to be headed back to the Swissotel Moscow, which my regular readers will recall is one of my very favorite hotels worldwide. Since my first visit there in 2009, I have told many stories during my training workshops and conference presentations about the "zero-defect" level of guest service at this hotel. Most impressive was that upon arrival, in addition to the attentive bellstaff who brought along my luggage, I was also personally escorted to my guest room by Julia from the Reception Desk, one of the many very fine and professional reception staff at this world class hotel.
Upon arrival I was pleased to see that the room once again had a great view of the Moscow River:
My alliance partners Andrei Malyshev and Anton Matveev who are the co-owners of Big Tree Hospitality, the leading hospitality industry training company in Russia and the CIS, were such welcoming hosts.
After ensuring that I had time to rest at the hotel, they welcomed me to dinner at one of their personally favorite restaurants. I was very happy to also be welcomed by their own wives and children, which made me feel closer to my own children and wife Cathy, whom I missed very much on the very first day. Here our picture that even. (Anton is on the left and Andrei on the right.
Later in the week they also took me for a special dinner to a familiar restaurant for me, the Hard Rock Cafe. Here is a picture of me with Anton, Andrei, and their lovely wives. Behind us is an original uniform worn by one of the members of "The Monkees" band:
The week started on Monday with an easy ramp-up to the following five straight days of training that I was to present. The only agenda item was a return visit to the Big Tree Hospitality world headquarters to make the final arrangements for the workshop that would soon start. I returned to my oasis at the Swissotel for another half day to adjust to the time zone and catch up on emailing.
On Tuesday I was honored to have been invited to be the guest speaker to be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting for the HIT Club, which is the Hospitality Ideas & Trends Club (www.club-hit.ru)
The location of this meeting rotates through through all of the fine hotels represented by its membership representing many different market segments of hotels ranging from upscale to select service, from historic to contemporary. Yet it was obvious that the representatives of all the hotels in attendance were very interested in the topics I was asked to cover.
Although I would have been excited to have been the guest speaker for this hotel sales club regardless of what member hotel was the host, it was particularly interesting for me that the location was the Ritz-Carlton Moscow which is only a very short distance from The Kremlin, Red Square, and The National Museum of Russia. I had seen this hotel from the distance during my previous visits, when Anton and Andrei walked me through the Red Square and a brief tour of the local area hotels.
What a memorable experience it was to enter the lobby of this hotel that has hosted so many dignitaries. I was especially impressed that at the top of the escalator was the General Manager, who was personally greeting the guests as they arrived for their meetings.
Although I would have been excited to have been the guest speaker for this hotel sales club regardless of what member hotel was the host, it was particularly interesting for me that the location was the Ritz-Carlton Moscow which is only a very short distance from The Kremlin, Red Square, and The National Museum of Russia. I had seen this hotel from the distance during my previous visits, when Anton and Andrei walked me through the Red Square and a brief tour of the local area hotels.
What a memorable experience it was to enter the lobby of this hotel that has hosted so many dignitaries. I was especially impressed that at the top of the escalator was the General Manager, who was personally greeting the guests as they arrived for their meetings.
Upon arrival at the meeting room for the HIT Club Morning Meeting I could instantly recognize it was a well-organized event, and in glancing at the list of the Moscow area properties and alliance partner providers I could see that the audience represented an experienced group representing the top lodging companies across all levels of market segments.
Therefore I was humbly honored to have been so warmly welcomed by the participants, who seemed genuinely engaged in my training topics and overall presentation whether they were experienced long-term veterans of our industry or those who were discovering their career paths.
I definitely have to say that I believe a major advantage to my presentation's success was that the HIT Club had arranged for one of their regular attendees, Lada Samodumskaya, who is the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Moscow, to co-present with me and to help interpret the concepts I was advancing to the local area market.
Therefore I was humbly honored to have been so warmly welcomed by the participants, who seemed genuinely engaged in my training topics and overall presentation whether they were experienced long-term veterans of our industry or those who were discovering their career paths.
I definitely have to say that I believe a major advantage to my presentation's success was that the HIT Club had arranged for one of their regular attendees, Lada Samodumskaya, who is the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Moscow, to co-present with me and to help interpret the concepts I was advancing to the local area market.
After my presentation at the HIT Club, Anton arranged a car service for me and I was very soon back to the blissful experience of enjoying life as a guest at the Swissotel Moscow.
On Wednesday I awoke right on time as if there was no affect from the 9 hour time difference and ready to start two consecutive two-day workshops. First up was the group of 35+ participants who had signed up for the open enrollment workshop that Big Tree had sponsored. The turnout was strong and once again all available registrations were committed to by representatives of a diverse mix of hotels, resorts, and other lodging facilities from Moscow and other areas of Russia including some that traveled from far away. Here is a picture of me at the start of the two day seminar:
Following my wonderful experience conducting the two-day seminar in Moscow, I next the opportunity to conduct a similar two-day program for Premier International, which operations the Premier Hotels and Accord Hotels throughout Ukraine. More an that experience to follow soon!
On The Road to Park City, UT and Sunriver, OR, October, 2011
On The Road to Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, UT
Although I have always enjoyed my previous visits to Park City over the years, this one was especially enjoyable for several reasons. For one, it was the most absolutely perfect Fall day, with sunny, crisp and mild weather to greet me, and I always like Park City as it seems to be the shortest drive from a major airport to any ski resort I can think off offhand. Within 45 minutes of arriving at SLC airport I was already walking into the beautiful lobby of the historic Stein Eriksen lodge. The staff was very welcoming at the desk, and I was there early enough to walk the resort grounds and snap some pics of the bright yellow Aspen trees displaying their full colors, contrasting with the wiser and deep green evergreens in the distance. What a beautiful guest room awaited me. Not only a full kitchen and luxury décor, but also my own private balcony with a hot tub that I actually used! I also especially enjoyed how nice the restaurant and bar staff were to me, as a single dining patron, and I had a great time getting to know them. Below is a picture of the fireplace mantel in the original lobby, along with picture of the ski slopes from my balcony.
The next day I was to train the reservations and front desk team of this five star, five diamond classic resort. What an enjoyable day! Everyone seemed really into it, which makes us trainers’ jobs so much easier. Berkely Tollman, their Revenue Manager, was a great host and we had a nice dinner afterwards talking about our families and getting to know each other. Here is a picture of some of the participants doing one of my favorite training games, followed by a group shot of us in front of the resort after the training:
It was an easy and uneventful flight home, and I had a wonderful weekend with the kids. Julia was busy with her volunteering and also attending Bat Mitzvah’s, which seem to be most every weekend lately, so we did not get much time together. But we did get to decorate Halloween cookies together which she still likes to do. I also got to take my son Adam and his best buddy to a local Fall Festival that was held at a nearby church. Adam even talked me into buying (and carving) a pumpkin early. Here’s a picture of him with his pumpkin of choice and also one of him and his best friend dressed as Jason and Michael Myers at the festival:
On the road to Sunriver, OR
Soon enough I was back on a plane for my third and last trip of the month, headed to Sunriver, OR to conduct an area-wide reservations sales training workshop that owners of several of the vacation rental companies in the area had organized. Since Central Oregon is about as far away as you can from Ft. Lauderdale on the Continental US, it is always a bit of a journey to get there. I usually almost always have excellent luck when I travel, thanks to the travel angels that ride on each shoulder, but this time the Universe had other plans. Arriving in SFO only 30 minutes late, I did a flat out sprint-run of about 1/3 mile to arrive at my United Airlines gate exactly 5 minutes before take-off. You can guess the rest of the story. The gate was closed and despite that the plane was right there, they refused to let another passenger and it board. The trip was already to scheduled to take 10 hours had I made that flight. Instead, they wanted to re-book me on a flight that would have gotten me into Bend/Redmond at 10:30pm, making it a 19 hour trip. Not for this road warrior! Instead I went standby into Portland and rented a car. But I should have listened to the kind lady on the plane who told me a back way to go that would take 3 hours. Instead I went with the advice from the rental car agent who said she used to live up that way, and went another way. Turns out it took over 4 hours! After I exited I-84 headed south to Bend, I figured I would swing in a quick mart and grab some water and snacks, as I had walked right off the plane and right into the car. Little did I know there would be absolutely no place to stop for nearly 2 hours. Even my friend the GPS lady lost contact with me. In the end, my travel angels still delivered me safely to my comfortable condo that my friends at Discover Sunriver, one of the companies who helped me set-up the program, had provided for me. There was even a welcome snack basket.
Even with the travel stress I had a good night’s sleep and woke up excited and ready to train. What I great group I had that day too! They were very high energy and a terrific blend of personalities. It was a really fun experience for me and it felt like a reward for all I’d been through to get there. Here’s a picture of the participants doing one of the training games followed by one of me with the group afterwards:
On the road to Sunriver, OR
Soon enough I was back on a plane for my third and last trip of the month, headed to Sunriver, OR to conduct an area-wide reservations sales training workshop that owners of several of the vacation rental companies in the area had organized. Since Central Oregon is about as far away as you can from Ft. Lauderdale on the Continental US, it is always a bit of a journey to get there. I usually almost always have excellent luck when I travel, thanks to the travel angels that ride on each shoulder, but this time the Universe had other plans. Arriving in SFO only 30 minutes late, I did a flat out sprint-run of about 1/3 mile to arrive at my United Airlines gate exactly 5 minutes before take-off. You can guess the rest of the story. The gate was closed and despite that the plane was right there, they refused to let another passenger and it board. The trip was already to scheduled to take 10 hours had I made that flight. Instead, they wanted to re-book me on a flight that would have gotten me into Bend/Redmond at 10:30pm, making it a 19 hour trip. Not for this road warrior! Instead I went standby into Portland and rented a car. But I should have listened to the kind lady on the plane who told me a back way to go that would take 3 hours. Instead I went with the advice from the rental car agent who said she used to live up that way, and went another way. Turns out it took over 4 hours! After I exited I-84 headed south to Bend, I figured I would swing in a quick mart and grab some water and snacks, as I had walked right off the plane and right into the car. Little did I know there would be absolutely no place to stop for nearly 2 hours. Even my friend the GPS lady lost contact with me. In the end, my travel angels still delivered me safely to my comfortable condo that my friends at Discover Sunriver, one of the companies who helped me set-up the program, had provided for me. There was even a welcome snack basket.
Even with the travel stress I had a good night’s sleep and woke up excited and ready to train. What I great group I had that day too! They were very high energy and a terrific blend of personalities. It was a really fun experience for me and it felt like a reward for all I’d been through to get there. Here’s a picture of the participants doing one of the training games followed by one of me with the group afterwards:
On The Road to Seaport Hotel, Boston, September 2011
After enduring the monotony of late Summer weather in South Florida, it was great to be heading north to Boston at the perfect time of the year for a short escape. Aside from the weather it was also exciting to be back at the Seaport Hotel Boston, which is always a pleasure to visit as a guest even when I'm there to work. After arriving early enough in the evening to enjoy an energizing walk around historic Boston, it was time to start two days of training. It was great to see the reservations sales team again and to congratulate them on becoming one of KTN's highest continually performing reservations teams on their mystery shopping scores. It was also really fun to conduct our hospitality training program for their front desk staff and to meet some wonderful new personalities they have brought on board.
I often write in my monthly articles that "The Guest Services Staff Is Now Part Of Hotel Marketing." In this case it is actually true, as Marianna Accomando, who has been their V.P. of Sales and Marketing, was recently promoted to Assistant General Manager and is actually overseeing the front office. It was wonderful to have Marianna attend the workshops personally, as she brings an amazing energy along with some great analogies such as her new mantra of "embrace the space," referring to how the staff should view the hotel lobby. Here is a picture of me with the reservations team that day:
On The Road to Omni Hotels Central Reservations, August, 2011
Having been in town for nearly two weeks it's always a little extra effort to kick myself into gear, but this trip was an easy one to get mentally prepared for as I was very excited to be returning to the Omni Hotels Central Reservations. Omni Hotels was my very first hotel brand to win as a client when I was President of HSA International. In the early 1990's I had personally conducted training at all of their hotels and the call center too.
Recently one of my former contacts Lesli Reynolds, who used to be a Reservations Manager and is now V.P. of Revenue Management, had put me in contact with Alan Liu, their Call Center Director. Alan almost immediately called to schedule me for our full-day Train-the-Trainer version of our KTN Reservations SAILS Training. What was even more impressive was that Alan had scheduled is entire management and supervisory staff, plus the trainers, to attend for the full day. What a wonderful day we had and everyone was extremely interactive, which always makes my job that much easier and fun. Here is a picture of me with my group that day:
As an added bonus, I had a surprise visitor to the call center that day, which was yet another of my legacy clients from the HSA era. Debbie Stuempfig, who was one of our main contacts from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts when we had them as a client in the early 2000's, had just joined Omni in a technology role as the Corporate Director of Reservations Systems. She even sat in on the afternoon segment of my workshop and we shared many fond memories. Here's my picture with Debbie:
On The Road To Il Lugano Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale
Since most of our KTN clients are located out of town, it was nice to have a "road trip" of just 40 minutes to conduct my training workshops! The occasion was to present training for a wonderful and unique boutique hotel called the Il Lugano. For one, it was great to be working with the management company, Sage Hospitality Resources again, as Sage was one of our legacy clients when I was the President of HSA International. I was also excited to be meeting their General Manager, Michael Hatzfeld, who I had only spoken with over the phone. Michael gave me a tour of his hotel and I was very impressed all the way from the architutre, decor, but especially with the associates, who made this small luxury hotel feel inviting and welcoming. It was also really fun for me to do this training program, as my wife Cathy was able to join me for the evening since she works very close to the Il Lugano. We had a nice dinner date even though it was a Monday. It was also great to be able to bring along Vanessa and Samantha, our two newest KTN Reservations Coaches, so they could experience yet another reservations training program. Here's my picture with the two groups that day. Vanessa is on the far right of the top picture and Samantha is on the left:
The Il Lugano is located directly on the Intracoastal Waterway and the views at both sunset and sunrise were amazing. It was great to watch some of the yachts go by. Here's a picture of our view:
On The Road To Our Family Vacation In Colonial Williamsburg, D.C., and Split Rock Resort in PA
After a busier than expected June, including some last minute visits to our clients in Jacksonville and Myrtle Beach, I arrived on Friday only to be packing for a vacation starting Saturday. Thanks to Delta, and of course my hours of flying, we had 3 of 4 of our tickets free and were on a wheels-up flight at 7:30am with the kids headed to Washington, DC, where we rented a car and headed straight to our first destination - Colonial Williamsburg, VA. Having had Historic Colonial Williamsburg as a client since 1991, I had always dreamed of one day bringing my own children there to experience American history firsthand right in one of the key places where it started. Now the time was perfect as they are both Middle Schoolers As a hotelier I have always been grateful for the courtesies extended by various clients and contacts. However the hospitality extended by my main contacts there at Colonial Williamsburg Hotels was extraordinary to experience and I am very grateful. Perry Goodbar, their V.P. of Hotel Sales personally toured the suites with their General Manager of the Williamsburg Lodge, Margie Tate, to find me the best available suite for my needs during these high demand dates. Best of all, they both left me personalized, sincere handwritten notes and checked on me during our stay.
It was a wonderful visit. The kids were amazed by the actor historians interpreting their roles in period costume and character. Anyone who just walks through without buying the admission ticket is doing themselves an injustice, as the tours are very interesting and engaging. This was especially proven since the kids are 12 and 13 and too often more interested in their iPod Touch or texting. Here are a few of the many great pictures we took at Historic Colonial Williamsburg. The kids met General Washington but I think they liked his Stallion better.
r Cathy and Julia wanted to go on the Historic Tavern Ghost tour. Adam and I instead decided to tour the Williamsburg Inn.
The kids really loved watching the march of the Militia and the British armies, including the firing of the cannons.
Here is the kids picture with Thomas Jefferson:
After a wonderful vacation thanks to Perry and Margie, we headed back to Washington DC. Thanks to my wife Cathy being a Marriott Corporate office associate, we had a wonderful stay at the Courtyard Marriott in Springfield, VA. The kids loved riding the Metro into the Mall area. We did the Smithsonian, which ever since the Night At The Museum II movie the kids wanted to see more than anything. We did the Air and Space Museum, Natural History, and American History museums all in one day. It was very hot and when the museums closed not many food choices for tourists. But the kids really wanted to see the White House. Julia spotted a streetside cafe and they served us very graciously despite our casual attire right on the patio. Then we were only a short block to the White House. The kids remember this more than anything on the trip, even the roller coasters at Busch Gardens.
Next we made a mad dash to visit Cathy's family at her farm in Drums, PA. We were welcomed with a cook-out by her sister and the whole family was there. Fresh corn and potatoes right out of the farm, nothing like it. The weather was cooler there. The kids loved all the animals especially the pets. Here's a picture of Cathy with the kids at her farm:
After a few days at the farm we headed on over to Split Rock Resort. It was yet another lesson for me in relationships as all I had to do was place a call to my friends Chuck Dickinson and Sam Arnett, and they extended us the most welcoming experience. We were in one of their all suites sections, which I highly recommend, although staying in the Galleria building is also nice and the kids might have liked that better as they loved having the freedom to roam the whole recreational area on their own. Best of all we had a full day set aside to spend at their new indoor H2oooh waterpark, which was a fun and relaxing day for all.
Julia was the only one in the family daring enough to try to Flow-Rider, but it looked really fun:
It was very strange to be out of the office that long for both Cathy and I. But we were both able to schedule-in periods of work. Thanks to Mobile Internet, we took turns working in the car while the kids were watching a movie and made it all work for our July 4th vacation. The last night topped it all of for me, as we drove back to D.C. to catch a flight home the next day. Our last scheduled stop was the Lincoln Memorial, which I have always found to be a moving experience to visit. Despite many visits it had been at least 15 years and here I was going up the steps with my own children. The Gettysburg Address was one of my two favorite speeches ever, with the first being the Martin Luther King "I Have A Dream" speech. I even got to stand on the marker on the steps where they say his feet stood while delivering that historic speech.
On The Road To Cove Haven Resorts, Lakeville, PA
Having been off the road for most of June, other than to attend a wedding back home in Lexington, KY, it was actually good to be getting out of the office for a while, especially since the occasion was to visit our long-term clients and friends at the Cove Haven Resorts call center in Lakeville, PA. The last time I had been there was late last November, so it was great to be arriving at the start of Summer. I had decided to fly into Newark vs. one of the many closer airports as I like non-stops when possible, and the drive up was incredibly beautiful as I passed the lush green landscape and scenery of the back country roads my SPRINT GPS directed me on.
Too bad Cathy couldn't make it, as we had just returned from the wedding and had already planned an official summer vacation.
It is always a pleasure to do training for my long-term client and friend Mary Ann Olver, and it is an added bonus that she runs one of the best call centers I've ever had as a client so that the flow of learning takes place in both directions. Here is our picture on the last day:
It turned out to be a perfect time of year to be visiting, right at the start of Summer. The local deer seemed happy and on the way to dinner I captured this picture of these two fawns on the lawn:
The next day and a half went by so fast, which is always the sign of an engaging training experience when you are the trainer. Mary Ann was so kind to join me for most of my meals, which was good not only because she is great company but also because you always have to wonder that the other guests of a couple's romance resort think your wife is mad at you when you are a single guy dining alone. The next two days it was wonderful to be training such a top-notch team of hotel reservations sales professionals. I would highly recommend that anyone who wants to hear an example of telephone hospitality excellence give them a test call - chances are you will probably end up being so allured and enticed by your reservations sales agent that you'll probably make a reservation! Here are pictures of me with my three groups:
Link To Alisha's Real-World Sales Training Tips
Check out sales training tips from our latest KTN training newsletter contributor, Alisha Sumpter, who works as a hotel sales manager in Chicago.
