NEWS & INFORMATION FOR TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS ABCglobal services PREMIERAn ABC Global Services Publication Winter 2019/2020 PREMIER HOTEL APPS HOTEL PROGRAM GO BEYOND BOOKING CONTINUES TO GROW

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2 2020 ABC Premier Hotel Program

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ext year is shaping up to be one Lodging data firm CRBE Hotels of the toughest years in about a Research in December released a forecast Ndecade for U.S. hotels, according with similar projections, saying occupancy to revised forecasts from industry analysts. growth would decline by 0.6 percent, though Hotel data firm STR in November said it projected a 1.4 percent increase in average it now expects revenue per available room, daily rate. which measures the combined effects of The downward trend is due largely to occupancy and pricing, to be up only 0.5 spotty demand from international visitors percent year-over-year. Occupancy will be to the United States, as the domestic travel down 0.4 percent to 65.7 percent in 2020, and picture continues to look strong, STR reported. average daily rate will decline 0.9 percent “Fortunately, demand is going to New York is expected to continue to drop at year-over-year to $132.50. continue to grow beyond the record levels the highest rate of all top markets. the industry has already achieved,” stated market expected to see RevPAR grow year- Hite. “Domestic travel continues to increase, over-year. Miami will see the highest rate of with forward-looking domestic air bookings growth. RevPAR in New York, however, will remaining strong. Vacation intentions also are continue to drop at the highest rate of all the holding above last year’s levels.” top markets. Many top U.S. markets have had a tough CRBE projects that while 2018 was 2019, with RevPAR projected to decline in the peak of the current lodging cycle, the 14 out of the top 25 markets in 2019, STR downturn will be short-lived. reports. Seattle, New York and Washington, “History calls for a downturn in 2020 D.C., have seen the biggest declines in the or 2021,” CRBE managing director R. Mark metric. A few markets are bucking the trend Woodworth said. “However, because the and seeing RevPAR increases higher than 3 forecast declines in occupancy and real ADR Seattle, along with New York and percent, including Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix are minimal, we are seeing a slight rollback Washington, D.C., have seen the biggest and San Francisco/San Mateo. in performance, which leads to sustained decline in RevPAR in 2019. The outlook for the largest markets is expansion starting in 2022. We expect to see a Those numbers all are a bit lower than a bit better for 2020, with 19 of the top 25 mini-cycle within the cycle.” STR’s projected performance for 2019. For the full year, STR said occupancy was down 0.2 percent to 66 percent and ADR down 1 percent to $131.29, leading to a RevPAR increase of 0.8 percent. “U.S. hotels have posted nine straight years with RevPAR increases of basically 3 percent or higher, so growth levels below 1 percent will clearly represent the industry’s worst years since the recession,” according to STR president Amanda Hite. Earlier forecasts by STR had projected RevPAR growth would be past the 1 percent line in 2020. Supply growth has now outpaced demand growth in the U.S., which has kept average daily rate growth below the rate of inflation for five quarters in a row, Hite said. In 2020, Miami is expected to see the highest rate of RevPAR growth.

5 HOTEL APPS GO BEYOND BOOKING

echnology investment has been a and taxi bookings, and they also can browse time to leave, the app has digital check-out key area of focus for hotels over thousands of international press titles. Guests capabilities, through which guests can skip Tthe past several years, including can also book spa treatments, a dinner at the the front desk and get their receipt within 48 the development of mobile apps to better restaurant or manage other hotel services via hours of their stay. engage travelers. ’s My Web Valet. In addition, the HHonors app lets While booking, naturally, is a key In addition, business travelers can sync guests manage details of their stay including function in many of the apps, many of them the app with their LinkedIn profile to keep upgrade requests, destination-specific provide services helpful even to guests who their professional network in the know of information such as attractions, weather and are not booking direct. Most provide simple their stay. arrival requests. management for stays and monitoring of rewards accounts, while others provide even Best Western has recently revamped flashier features, such as room selection and its dashboard through which Best Western mobile keys that let guests check in and get Rewards members can check their points into their room without ever needing to meet balance and view details of upcoming stays. with a front desk employee. Select Best Western hotels also have services through the app’s Customer Hub, with which travelers can check-in, contact the front desk and get a digital key for the room. Choice Hotels International Travelers can manage their reservations and past stays through Choice’s app, including finding directions to hotels and viewing

Marriott Bonvoy members can earn extra re- wards points with features like, “Green Choice” that opts them out of housekeeping.

Marriott International Marriott calls its Marriott Bonvoy app ACCOR’s app can be used for 360-degree tours “the perfect travel companion.” of the property and access city guides and Mobile check-in on the app lets users get weather reports. priority room assignments, notifications when their room is ready and maps to the hotel. The The following is an overview of some app also features a “Green Choice” option, of the key features of each of the major hotel through which guests can earn extra points by companies’ mobile apps. opting out of housekeeping. ACCOR Hilton’s HHonors app provides end-to-end Marriott’s Mobile Key features lets With more than 6,000 hotels around services like digital check-in, check-out and guests lock their room with an iPhone or the world ranging from budget to luxury, remote key features. Apple Watch. The key provides access to ACCOR has powered its mobile app to public areas such as the parking garage, enhance guest experience both inside and invoices. The app also is designed for easy fitness center and pool as well. outside the property. management of Choice Privileges account, During a stay, the app has buttons for ACCOR calls its app “a fellow team enabling travelers to set preferences and requests such as soap, shampoo, shaving kits member in the form of a road book to slip in redeem points for gift cards and free nights. and dental kits to be delivered to the room. your pocket.” Before arrival, guests can use A chat feature provides additional access the app for 360-degree tours of the property Hilton’s HHonors app provides end- to hotel associates for service requests or and access city guides and weather reports to-end management capabilities for guest information such as shuttle service hours or for their destination. Upon arrival, the guests stays. Users can check-in, choose their room fitness center amenities. can access numerous services through the and use their phone to open their room door Bonvoy members can access balance app, including online check-in, room service via Hilton’s Digital Key tool. When it’s and activity through the app and update their 6 profiles. Platinum Elite members can get confirmation for requests such as priority late check-out via the app. InterContinental Hotels Group IHG recently improved its app interface to make it easier to manage stays and rewards accounts. For stays, the app provides information on hotels including directions, services and reviews. Guests can also check-out and manage their bill via the app. In addition to other features, the World of app allows guests to bypass the front desk IHG Rewards Club members can access upon check-in. a virtual card and check their activity and balance through the app. Offers beyond hotel Platinum, Spire and Ambassador members cast shows from their device to the room stays are available to purchase with points get complimentary access. television via Chromecast. via the app, including merchandise, gift Hyatt certificates and digital downloads. The World of Hyatt app provides a Radisson’s app provides simple For global travelers, one special feature gateway to services and features at more than management for Radisson Rewards members. of IHG’s app is its translator tool, which 900 hotels and resorts around the world. Through the app, they can monitor their offers over 50 phrases in 12 languages and Within the app, travelers can check-in, accounts, check balances, view bookings and a voice-to-voice translator with access to view room charges and check-out without access their Digital Rewards card. The app is 10 translations. The feature also includes going to the front desk. Select hotels also customizable by language, currency and other a 10,000-word offline dictionary, currency provide Mobile Entry, which, when enabled geographic-specific details such as miles converter and tip calculator. on the app, lets travelers unlock doors by versus kilometers for distances. For a fee, users can access premium tapping a key icon and holding their phone Wyndham Hotels & Resorts content through the translator tool, including against the lock. The Wyndham Rewards app also 2,000 phrases, unlimited translations and a Other features of the app include simplifies management of rewards accounts. live translator for 180 languages. Club and buttons to request items to the room, order Users can store credit card information for easy Gold Elite members can access premium room service, view messages and manage checkout, view point totals and request a phone content at a 50 percent discount, and meetings and events. In addition, users can call when they need help beyond the app.

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7 HOTELS STEP UP EFFORTS TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

uman trafficking is a massive This also means, however, that when 600,000 of its 730,000 hotel workers globally. global criminal enterprise, and equipped with the proper training, hotels Marriott also partnered with the American Hunfortunately, hotels can easily can be uniquely positioned to stop human Hotel & Lodging Association to make its find themselves at the epicenter of these trafficking, according to the U.S. Department training accessible to all AHLA members, criminal operations. Many hotel chains, of Homeland Security, and every hotel including translations into multiple languages however, are actively stepping up their policies employee can play a part. Housekeeping for use worldwide. and training to combat human trafficking. staff, for example, might notice requests The International Labor Organization for services such as more towels or linens estimates that there are more than 40 million but continuous denial of staff entry to the victims of human trafficking around the room, or a housekeeper might note excessive world, and 25 percent of those victims are amounts of sex paraphernalia in a room. Front children. Because they can be an anonymous, desk staff could note reservations that seem “neutral” ground, hotels can make easy bases odd, such as a single person renting multiple for these criminals to conduct business. rooms, or guests traveling with little luggage In recent years, the U.S. National Human and clothing. Food and beverage staff might Trafficking Hotline reported that 10.5 notice a guest soliciting male patrons in a percent of sex trafficking cases came from hotel’s bar. hotels. A more recent report by Polaris, a Training goes beyond just noticing nonprofit organization that fights human these warning signs, however. For example, trafficking, indicated that 75 percent of a victim might not be immediately willing to victims had used a hotel at some point while speak up if something is wrong, so staff need they were being trafficked. to know how to handle various situations. Hotels also want to avoid drawing wrong conclusions that lead to over-reporting, which also can be tinged with racial biases. Hotel companies like Choice Hotels As such, hotels have been stepping International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt, up their efforts to make sure their staffs , , are equipped to play their part in human Wyndham Destinations and more have all trafficking. Marriott International, for signed ECPAT-USA’s code of conduct. example, has partnered with ECPAT-USA and Polaris to develop a training program for its More recently, Radisson Hotel staff, and it made that training mandatory for Group announced in November it also was all of its associates in early 2018. partnering with ECPAT-USA, including “We want the associates in our hotels to signing its Child-Protection Code be aware of the scale of human trafficking, our of Conduct. As part of its newly released commitment to stopping it, to learn the many training program, Radisson will be training ECPAT-USA, the leading policy organization indicators or unusual behaviors of traffickers its staff on detecting human trafficking at in the United States, is seeking to end the and to report suspicions to management, who its more than 1,100 hotels and will be using commercial, sexual exploitation of children. in turn alert local authorities,” Marriott CEO ECPAT tools, such as posters and videos, at Arne Sorenson said in a 2018 USA Today its hotels. Contrary to what one might expect, it’s editorial on the company’s efforts. “As a global Hilton Worldwide has a long history not just at seedy, dingy hotels, according to hospitality company, with nearly 700,000 of implementing measures to combat ECPAT-USA, a network of organizations people wearing a Marriott badge around human trafficking. It signed ECPAT’s Code fighting to end sexual exploitation of children. the world, we can create a force for good in of Conduct in 2011 and implemented an These cases have happened at the full thousands of communities.” education program for its team members. spectrum of properties, from budget hotels to As of the middle of 2019, Marriott It also partnered with the Global Fund for luxury properties. estimated that it had trained more than Children in 2014 to create the Hilton Anti-

8 Trafficking Fund, which has supported global to all hotels—whether owned, managed or roles in combatting human trafficking. efforts to fight human trafficking. From 2014 franchised—in multiple languages. Thirteen states, for example, mandate human to 2017, the programs helped about 1,500 Choice Hotels International signed trafficking awareness signage in lodging children in Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, the ECPAT-USA Code of Conduct in 2015, facilities, and four states mandate awareness Turkey and the United Kingdom, according and since its training program for hotels training for individuals working in the to Hilton. was launched in November 2015, the course lodging industry. Efforts across the industry Hyatt was an early signer of the ECPAT has been completed nearly 30,000 times, are likely to step up as such requirements Code of Conduct as well. The company according to Choice. The company also works become more commonplace. includes human trafficking training as a brand with its franchised hotels to be on particularly Of course, the responsibility for standard, and the training is mandatory for key functions at its managed properties. Hyatt also works with programs to train young adults vulnerable to exploitation with skills to gain employment in the . Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has a mature training program for combating human trafficking, having partnered with Polaris in 2014 to develop training and education tools for hotel owners, franchisees, property level staff and employees at corporate offices and call centers. More recently, vacation ownership company In 2014, Hilton partnered with Global Fund for Children to create Wyndham Destinations became the first the Hilton Anti-Trafficking Fund. timeshare company to sign ECPAT-USA’s Code of Conduct. high alert during major events that have a combatting human trafficking lies well InterContinental Hotels Group high risk of human trafficking activity, such beyond just hotels. ECPAT-USA works commissioned an external assessment as the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games. across the industry with travel professionals, of human rights risks for the travel and While few would disagree that including corporate travel buyers and meeting hospitality industry back in 2013 and since implementing such policies fulfill a hotel professionals, to raise awareness about the has developed global training programs of company’s moral obligation, that obligation issue. That training is equipping them with its branded hotels. That includes a 10-minute increasingly is becoming a legal one as information and resources to work with training session on human rights, modern well. ECPAT-USA reports that several states suppliers who in turn are doing their role in slavery and human trafficking accessible have been passing laws regarding hotels’ combatting human trafficking.

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