LODGING LEADERS
132 | Practical Hospitality Consulting for Today’s Hotelier with Chip Elbers
LODGING LEADERS
Chip is a hospitality veteran and he’s been serving the industry for more than 30 years. He’s done it all – from washing dishes, to the front desk, Assistant GM, General Manager, Sales Manager, COO, CDO, VP and more. For over 20 years, Chip served America’s Best Franchising as the brand grew from just a few properties to a portfolio of nearly 300. After ABF was acquired by Vantage Hospitality a couple years ago, Chip began his hospitality consultancy, and he has helped multiple development and management groups not only grow profits, but identify key areas for improvement.
In This Episode, Chip Reveals:
- What worked for hoteliers 10-20 years ago won’t work in today’s world, from a younger generation of travelers, to new technologies, to stiffer competition.
- How he approaches a new consulting opportunity, what he looks at, and how he uncovers the nuggets of gold that will separate his new client from the competition.
- The importance of observing how the leadership interacts with the staff, as well as the guests, to get a feel for the heart of the property and establish a baseline for the property to build upon.
- Why he starts by focusing on the things a hotel is doing well, finding ways to tweak them to make it even better, then addresses the areas that need improvement in a practical, actionable way, so the hotel can not only implement them, they have the tools and action plan to carry that out long after his assignment is complete.
Resources & Links
- chip@chipelbers.com
- Chip’s Website
- Chip on LinkedIn
- Chip on Twitter
- Chip on Facebook
- Mobile: (404) 202-8377
LODGING LEADERS
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295 | Doing Well: Coronavirus pandemic advances wellness design and programs in hotels
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing the lodging industry to rethink health and wellness. Designers such as Blanche Garcia of B. Garcia Designs see this as an opportunity for hotels to revise their messaging beyond clean and safe by introducing wellness products and programs they can market and attract guests who want to feel good during their stay and return home feeling better than when they left. Those who promote healthy buildings as well as safe travel are exploring how implementing elements of wellness can be a cure for hotel businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hotel industry.
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294 | She is a Hotel Investor: What She Has a Deal can teach every hotel investor
She Has a Deal, a program that promotes women as hotel owners, last month minted several new investors through its inaugural pitch competition. Long Live Lodging examines what it took for the three women who comprise the team called Datcher to win the top prize of $50,000 in equity in a fund that would include their $27.4 million project proposed for downtown Detroit. Two additional projects proposed during the competition were selected to benefit from She Has a Deal’s first investment fund. Datcher’s winning formula as well as the other project proposals can be emulated as hotel developers and investors search for ways to fund upcoming projects that reduce investors’ risk while delivering a healthy return as the lodging industry navigates its way through the business downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.