NEW YORK, N.Y. – HX: The Hotel Experience is a little more than three months away, and we at HX: The News are curious about mindset. From inspiration to actual business, the experts below have seen the doledrums of the pandemic. With 2022 more than half over, what’s the level of optimism among movers and shakers? See below for more than a few rays of hope.
“We are positive about the hospitality industry for the balance of 2022. We see business travel and international travel increasing during the year and hopefully more in person events like the HX show taking place.” — Abhijit Datar, chief operating officer, Welspun Hospitality | Welspun Group, New York, N.Y.
“A confluence of factors are likely to keep hotel activity stable in the second half of the year. The lifting of Covid testing restrictions has increased the number of international travelers coming into the US after nearly three years of travel restrictions. Business travel in the US is also lifting hotel booking activity and conference attendance is rising in many US cities. Headwinds are obviously rising for consumers (inflation, economic uncertainty, airline travel congestion and flight cancellations, etc.), but job security continues to be stable and consumers continue to show resilience amid these tougher conditions for now.” — Scott G. Frederick, vice president, Marketing & LTL, Erie, Pa.
“The travel industry seems to be bouncing back nicely. Trade shows have returned, musicians are on the road again, and many other events are regaining their stride, which will increasingly encourage people to travel. The only thing that seems to be holding hotels back at this point is the issue of staffing. Worldwide, gaps in employment and staff shortages continue to plague the hospitality industry, but this will change for the better in the coming months.” — Kevin Kochman, president, KCL, Morton Grove, Ill.
“I am extremely optimistic about the outlook for our industry. From guest reviews to revenue – things are looking good. Plus, we’re an industry made up of people serving people. As one of those “people’, I am aware of what we are capable and refuse to bet against us.” — Lisa Lombardo, chief people and culture officer, HDG Hotels, Ocala, Fla.
“Our level of optimism for the hotel industry is growing higher and higher. There is a comfort level around traveling that has been gradually returning. Business travel and in-person conference attendance are coming back, and this year is on record for the highest number of weddings since 1984. At The Fehlig Group, we feel that there is an opportunity for hotels to show their guests the value of their stay. This means that the on-site experience from customer service, contactless tech options, and even general property maintenance and cleanliness is of the utmost important.” — Kellyn Mahan, impact advisor with The Fehlig Group
“We’re very optimistic about the hotel industry at The Humble Co. Although the travel industry has changed a lot over the past few years, and travel costs are continuing to rise, the world is slowly going back to normal and traveling is a natural part of that. Our mission to decrease single-use plastic in the hotel industry has not changed, and as the world starts moving again; we’re moving with it. It’s more important than ever before to transform the travel industry and make it sustainable. Consumers are asking for more eco-friendly choices as they’re on the go, and we’re excited to see the hotel industry increasingly meeting those expectations.” — Alice Melz, director of Marketing, The Humble Co.
“My attitude for the remainder of 2022 is ‘cautious confidence.’ ‘Cautious’ because of unresolved policy decisions pending the 2022 mid-term elections, because of inflation and unclear direction from the Federal Reserve, and because of labor issues, notably recruiting and retaining qualified staff at affordable wages. ‘Confident’ because demand for travel which built up during the pandemic will remain strong. Hoteliers are realists. We don’t just ‘wish’ for change; we make changes to meet the challenges we face. We pivot and usually we pivot fast. If you can pivot, you can survive—and if you can survive, you can eventually thrive. For the past two years, hoteliers have been faced with incredible hardship, but we didn’t give up and we didn’t give in. We’re still standing and still serving.” — Bijal Patel, CHA, CEO & principal partner, Coast Redwood Hospitality, and immediate past chairman, California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA)
“I feel really good about the remainder of the year because there is still pent up demand from the pandemic. For the first time in 2 years people are feeling comfortable in being out. It feels great to be out in the malls, airports are busy and simply doing normal things.” — Vinay Patel, CEO, Fairbrook Hotels, Chantilly, Va.
“We are highly optimistic about the future of the hotel industry for owners, managers, and service providers. RevPAR growth will continue, and a COVID-accelerated embrace of data-driven decision making is creating long-term improvements in operating efficiency, topline resilience, and bottom line profitability. The hotel industry is emerging from this latest economic crisis stronger and better than ever.” — Del Ross, chief revenue officer, HotelEffectiveness.com
“I think that the hotel industry will do well for the rest of the year. I think people are more willing to travel now than they have been since the start of the pandemic. Even if there is a slowdown in the economy there is still a pent up demand for travel. People are more willing to spend their money on experiences than other luxuries and travel is at the top of their list.” — Jonathon Turnbull, CFSP, Cini-Little Project Manager, Los Angeles
“I am highly optimistic about the Hospitality industry since we have seen record business across geography location and brand.” — Ashu Upa, Matrix Telecom, Anaheim, Calif.