Will Voice Tech Have a Say In The Hotel Industry?

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When Google’s search app featured a voice recognition tool, consumers were intrigued by the possibility of initiating the software with just their voice. In 2011, Apple released the first version of Siri, and iPhone users appreciated the ability of their mobile device to act as some sort of virtual assistant. While it was limited in what it can do, Siri allowed users to not just use the phone’s search engine through voice, but it was also able to call or send a message to other people, open other apps, access the calendar, and more.

The hotel industry is rarely the first one to adopt the latest in technology. However, several companies have already begun exploring the use of voice technology and smart speakers in their rooms.

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Customers appreciate the convenience that a centralized control panel offers. But with voice technology, they can control the lights and thermostat, use the television, make phone calls to order room service, and operate other room features by just speaking. Voice technology can also act as an automated concierge, so that customer queries can be addressed efficiently.

However, this kind of technology also brings about several risks and challenges such as security and privacy concerns. But hoteliers can enact several measures that can circumvent these problems and assure customers that their rights would not be infringed upon.

John Jefferis is a multi-awarded hotelier who is renowned for his hands-on approach in managing his businesses. Follow this Twitter page for more discussions about the industry.

Enjoy Hotel Accommodations To The Fullest With These Hacks

Staying at a hotel can be expensive especially for those who are traveling alone. However, it is still one of the safest options for accommodations. Make the most out of the experience with these hacks:

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1. Enjoy the amenities even before check-in

Guests who will be arriving hours before their check-in time should inform the staff beforehand. In some hotels, early check-in is allowed especially during off-peak seasons. But for those who have a few hours before settling in their rooms can actually already check out the hotel's amenities. Some hotels let their guests use the gym, swimming pools, and business lounges so that they'll be able to get their work done even as they wait.

2. Know what you can borrow or take for free

While it's common knowledge that the items in the minibar are not for free, there are still hotel guests that are unfamiliar with the items that they can get for free. Aside from toiletries, guests can also ask for stationery, mugs, maps, magazines, shoe shine kits, earplugs, earphones, kiddie treats, fruits, coffee, tea, and even cookies from their friendly staff. To make them feel more at home, guests can borrow body pillows, hot towels, and even microwave ovens during their stay.

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3. Get insights from hotel staff

Save up on tour packages and other unnecessary expenses by asking hotel staff. As most of these people are locals, they know where the best places are. They will also be more than happy to share what they know. Aside from car services, some hotels also have bikes that their guests can rent. Hotels also give out city guides, maps and travel magazines that will help guests navigate a city better.

Making the most out of a hotel’s amenities and freebies will make a stay truly worth every penny.

John Jefferis is a celebrated veteran in the hotel management arena after being a recipient of awards such as the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year in 1990 and Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000. He is the current chairman and sole shareholder of the Palm Reed Hotel Development Company Limited and Island Resorts International Limited. Find out more about John’s career by visiting this Facebook page.

How Storytelling Can Give Hotel Sales a Boost

Storytelling has had a profound effect on humanity for thousands of years. From prehistoric cave paintings to parents reading a bedtime story to their children, storytelling has been effective in conveying anecdotes as well as one’s thoughts and feelings.

Hoteliers can also use this powerful communication tool to give their business a boost, especially in sales. Hotels and resorts can have all the competitive advantage in the world, such as excellent location, outstanding facilities and amenities, great customer service, competitive prices, among others. But if they cannot get these across to their potential and existing customers, they might find it difficult to contend against competitors.

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A solution for this is using a storytelling approach when interacting with guests, either in person or digitally.

They must make good use of all available online channels, including the website and social media pages. By posting authentic content in an engaging manner, it becomes easier to market the hotel and resort as potential clients get a clearer picture of what awaits them should they decide to book or visit the place.

Storytelling can also be instrumental in providing guests a memorable stay. By teaching employees how to interact with and what to say to guests or using audio-visual designs or triggers to share what sets the hotel – its features, location, and the experience it provides – apart, guests are more likely to become repeat customers.

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John Jefferis is renowned for his hands-on approach in managing his hospitality businesses. He has been in the industry for more than four decades now, already recognized as one of the most successful hoteliers in the world. Read more insights on hotel management here.

A Frequent Traveler’s Guide To Affordable Hotel Accommodations

Searching for a place to stay can be one of the most stressful parts of planning a trip. Frequent travelers are not spared from the difficulty, especially during peak seasons. Read on for some tips that will help guests get the most out of their time and money.

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Book early

There are guests who plan their vacation months before the actual trip. Reserving a room early not only takes one item off the to-do list but it also lands a guest discounts, especially during off-peak seasons.

Go for flight and hotel packages

There are many platforms where guests can book their flights and hotel stays. Contrary to popular belief, package deals are affordable and convenient. This also means that guests coming from a certain flight will have the option for early check-in.

Make use of loyalty cards

There are banks and hotel chains that offer points for loyal clients. There are sign-up bonuses for certain credit card holders that are made available for a short period. Guests availing of a certain promo can get upgrades and other freebies. There are also hotel chains that offer extra services for holders of their loyalty cards. Frequent travelers can choose to go with a certain chain to earn points that might accumulate enough value for a free overnight stay.

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Inform hotel staff of special occasions

When booking over the phone or when checking-in, guests should casually inform staff of special occasions. Stating an engagement, honeymoon, birthdays, or family gatherings as one’s purpose for staying can help guests get upgrades and even special treats. Hotel staff are keen on giving their guests a memorable stay so they might go to great heights to make someone’s day special.
Having a comfortable stay at a hotel is the goal of its management and staff.Guests should make the most out of promos so that they can avail of topnotch services for less.


Bermuda-based hotelier John Jefferis is the chairman and sole shareholder of Coco Reef Resort located in Bermuda and Tobago. Mr. Jefferis has been working in the hotel industry since the 60’s and is responsible for developing and acquiring some of the famous hotels, resorts, and restaurants in Caribbean region. Visit this blog for more information.

Edible Resorts: A New Tasty Trend In The Hospitality Industry

In choosing a hotel or accommodation, consumers consider many factors. The most common are the location, price, and their or others’ previous experiences with the hotel. But the demographics of travelers is continually evolving, and so are their preferences in choosing which hotel to stay in.

Now, travelers are looking for places where they can have new experiences; some examples are culture and cuisine.

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This is why travelers have hotels that offer farm-to-table and ocean-to-plate dining high on their list. Not only do they enjoy the place, they get to try local produce and food choices. What hotels and resorts typically do is work with local partners, harvesting and bringing in their crops to either use as ingredients or market to customers.

But this has leveled up in recent years. Instead of sourcing produce from outside, some hotels and resorts grow their own plants – giving rise to edible resorts.

In Cikat, Croatia, the Bellevue Hotel has transformed their once-vacant and redundant roof spaces into attractive and useful fragrant herb gardens. As soon as the guests wake up, they can watch the kitchen staff harvest the herbs, which are then used in the restaurant.

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In the Kittitian Hills in St. Kitts, they added organic plant nurseries and arable landscapes around their golf course, where goats are also free to roam around and graze. The produce are brought to the restaurant, sold at the farm, or given to those in need within their community.

For more interesting reads about the hotel industry, visit this John Jefferis blog.

The Importance Of Online Customer Reviews In The Hotel Industry

As consumers are spending more time on the internet either through their mobile phones or laptops, the proliferation of online reviews is inevitable.  Especially since these customers are given various channels to do so, such as social media and travel websites.

For a time, however, hotels ignored, dreaded, or even abhorred, these kinds of feedback.  It even got to a point where TripAdvisor was bombarded with lawsuits left and right.  Hotels alleged the travel review site published false and misleading comments.

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But that is all in the past now as hotels finally accept that online customer reviews are essential to operations and management.  The simple reason for this is economics.

It is estimated that by the end of the year, the global hotel industry would have generated $550 billion in revenue.  There is abundance in the market; the challenge for hotels then is to create various effective channels to tap into this market.

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Different market studies have shown that around half of consumers will not book a hotel that does not have online reviews. These studies have also illustrated that 59 percent of hotel customers who peruse online reviews are more likely to make room reservations.

While traditional marketing channels are effective in raising client bookings, analyzing and integrating online review websites such as TripAdvisor and Yelp can help hotels grow their business.  

John Jefferis is a multi-awarded hotelier and the founder of one of the Caribbean’s most spectacular tourist destinations, Coco Reef Resorts.  To read more about his credentials and accomplishments, check out this Facebook page.

REPOST: The Man Behind The Bangkok Luxury Hotel In Hangover II

Meet the man behind the success of  lebua Hotels and Resorts in this Forbes.com article.

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The global economic outlook looks bleak, with both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank cutting global growth estimates in recent months. In the midst of all the gloom and doom, one bright spot is the growth of the international tourism market. In 2012, there were more than one billion international tourists for the first time, with the Asia-Pacific region registering the highest growth.

One company that has benefitted from this trend is lebua Hotels and Resorts. Headquartered in Bangkok, lebua is a chain of luxury hotels and restaurants that includes several iconic properties in Bangkok, as well as Lake Okareka Lodge by lebua, an invitation-only, three-suite lakeside lodge in New Zealand. In January, lebua assumed management of three hotels in India and has plans to expand into China and Europe.

I spoke to Deepak Ohri, chief executive of lebua Hotels and Resorts and its first employee, when he was in New York this week. A native of New Delhi, Ohri works closely with the company’s president, Narawadee Bualert, who is the only daughter of real estate tycoon Rasri Bualert and whom Forbes Asia honored as a Hero of Philanthropy in 2009.

Although lebua is known for its luxury hotels today, Ohri notes that it did not start as a hotel business. After joining lebua in 2003, he launched Sirocco, which sits atop the State Tower, Thailand’s second-tallest building. It was and remains the world’s highest al fresco restaurant, offering a panoramic view of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River. As Sirocco became more popular, Ohri had guests who came by private jet and asked him to set up a hotel where they could stay. He followed their suggestion and rebranded the Meritus Hotel to lebua at State Tower in 2006. Today it is one of the best-known hotels in Bangkok and features the Hangover Suite, named after The Hangover Part II, the 2011 American comedy that was filmed on-site.

Ohri says he does a thorough analysis of customer behavior before entering new markets or opening a new location. He works with anthropologists to understand customer satisfaction and purchasing behavior. Lebua’s business, he stresses, is built around providing an “emotional” experience to its customers, one that “cannot be replicated anywhere else.” If he sees that a guest has brought a golf bag, he will ask the concierge to prepare golf-related suggestions for the guest. By creating such an emotional bond with his customers, the hotels draw many of them to come back.

When asked about lebua’s plans for global expansion, Ohri says he does not choose cities, but instead studies where his customers come from and where they are going. He sees China, India and Indonesia–with their increasingly affluent middle class–as movers of the international tourism market. Bangkok was the most visited city in the world last year, with 15.98 million international visitors, and Ohri suggests that Thailand’s tourism market is already saturated. He believes the country’s tourism future lies in forming a tourism bloc with other countries in Southeast Asia, so as to attract international travelers with its diverse cultures and facilitate ease of travel around the region. Such a collective body, he believes, has to be come “sooner or later.”

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John Jefferis is the owner of Coco Reef Resorts, a chain of world-class hotels in Bermuda and Tobago. Follow this Twitter page for more updates.