Originally Posted by
pinniped
But they must be getting some strong feedback from somewhere that it's actually affecting guest stay patterns, such as people trading downward a brand tier or two because they no longer see value in the formerly-full-service brands.
This.
Originally Posted by
Eujeanie
"A hot breakfast"....hmmm, does this mean they will be getting rid of the ridiculous credit where you can barely get a muffin or bagel in some markets?
No. The credit isn't going anywhere, for now.
Originally Posted by
rustykettel
Was hoping improving amenities would include something better than the same Zero% everywhere (I know ditching the gym shower is a bridge too far).
My observation is that pretty much none of the covid cutbacks have been reversed, years of putting off maintenance are coming due, staffing and quality staffing continues to be challenging, HGI restaurants are in a downward spiral, the tv experience is inconsistent (and increasingly subpar as soap opera mode is on with no way to turn it off and the HDMI port is inaccesible), and supply chain issues abound.
I don't see this memo addressing much of that other than maybe #2. Will deep cleaning remove the multiple stain rings on the sofa of the Hampton I just stayed at last night? Hotel is barely 5 years old. Which brings to another point. Many of the lower end brands built during the expansion are really starting to show their cheapness. Ridiculous to have less than 10 year old hotels with paper thin walls and floors that squeak.
ETA: the F&B credit continues to be a pain to ensure properties apply it, as completely expected, and covers less and less.
The problems you mentioned are going to be very challenging to correct since the industry right now is more allergic than ever to capital spending while doing everything possible to minimize FTE's and labor dollars. You can't deep clean things when there is no one to deep clean them. This is basic common sense. While it's easy to say just hire more people or compensate them better, it's not how the industry works and the parent company has zero juice in this realm which "makes sense", since it's normally not their hotel.
Originally Posted by
storewanderer
Will QA inspections get tougher?
Definitely not. A large part of the QA process is interpretive and subjective from auditor to auditor (i.e. some will ding you for the discolored lobby tile grout or stained hallway carpet and others could care less or "didn't see it"). I've been at properties that have failed a QA audits and the next time when a different person showed up, the property passed with flying colors. What changed? Aside from a different person doing the audit, not much.