RITZ CARLTON:
LISTENING TO ITS CLIENTS

Ritz Carlton is known as the best. How can you take an iconic brand and keep relevance with such changing customer interests and so many new hotels coming into the marketplace?

Simon Cooper, CEO of Ritz Carlton says he strives to be relevant. His customer base is really broad. He has those who enjoy more traditional settings but he also has a growing number of global customers whose lifestyles are very different.

He explains, “My job and the job of my team, I see it, is to continue to guide the organization through an evolution, not a transformation, there’s nothing broken, there’s nothing wrong, but our customers are changing. We have to continue to track that change or we will lose relevancy as a brand over time.”

HOTELS: HOW TO UPGRADE

Hotel upgrades and how you can get them:

Just because you booked a standard room, doesn't mean you have to stay in one. Experts say:

1. Go where there are empty rooms
During the economic downturn, certain destinations have had lower occupancy rates, particularly those with high room counts: Las 
Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Hawaii and Orlando and Florida. 
"Hotels that can't sell expensive suites bump people up so they can resell the standard rooms, which are in higher demand.”

2. Book the right way
A luxury travel agent who's affiliated with a network such as Virtuoso or Ensemble Travel can sometimes get you bumped up to the next room category.

3. Go standby
Hyatt recently partnered with e-Standby to allow guests booking on Hyatt.com to pay a small fee, as little as $30, for the chance at a space-available upgrade. Hilton Worldwide has a similar program.

4. Be card savvy, even savvier than you have been
At many hotels, booking with a Centurion or Platinum card from American Express (Travel + Leisure's parent company) can get you a better room, in some cases automatically. Charging everyday purchases on a hotel-affiliated credit card can help you earn upgrades too, regardless of whether you're actually staying at the hotel.

HOTEL SHARES: ON THE RISE


Hotel shares have rallied in the past year as investors anticipated an earnings recovery. Marriott International Inc. has risen 95 percent as the company cut staff, froze hiring and lowered investment spending to trim costs. It is still down 39 percent since the end of 2006. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the owner of the St. Regis and W Hotel brands, has climbed more than threefold in the past 12 months and Morgans Hotel Group has almost doubled.

LAS VEGAS: CITY CENTER


Las Vegas now has its own urban core - a 67-acre city-within-a-city that's redefined the skyline and Las Vegas Blvd. As I drove in, my eyes opened wide as I tried to look high enough to see the sprawling development right in the middle of Vegas. Truly a city within a city.

It's called CityCenter™ and it's an 8 1/2 billion dollar development (1.2 billion dollar in debt) and there has never been anything like it.

In Vegas as a whole, overall, visitation is down about 3 per cent but the city expects to gain it all back by the end of this year. 36 million visitors came in 2009 and 37 and a half million are expected this year. Currently home to three luxury hotels, condos, world-class designer shopping and the Cirque Du Soleil Elvis Show - the greatest part about CityCenter™ is that it's one of the world's largest environmentally sustainable urban communities. Nowhere in the world does this exist. ARIA Resort & Casino™ is the focal point. Next door, Vdara Hotel & Spa is smoke-free, non-gaming and houses the spa. A very sleek all-suite boutique hotel with a sophisticated international flair and outstanding structure but financial troubles hit the entire complex, as it opened in the height of the recession December 2009. As far as the spa itself and what I thought of it, you know I love to bring you the latest spa news weekly but I didn't see it. The publicist told me it was nice. I also wasn't able to check out the rooms so it's not something I can tell you about - but - I can tell you the complex has to be seen. The fountains and water features are outstanding and the architecture striking. The Vdara structure is directly connected to Bellagio® and adjacent to the new, ARIA. Bellagio® is not attached but is an MGM property. In Vegas, the mother companies encourage tourists to visit all their establishments keeping it all in the family. I had a chance to take the tram, which connects the various buildings. It was great, felt very Jetsons and I wish the ride was longer, I could have just gone round and round looking up at the massive structures for an hour. CityCenter™ MGM MIRAGE™ earned six distinct Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council. Vdara used wood products from responsibly managed forests; high efficiency water use - both inside the building and outdoors; alternative fuel options for limousines; and an improvement of more than 30 percent in energy efficiency over standard building codes. Crystals, the shopping and entertainment district of CityCenter™ will have all its stores rented by the end of the year according to Farid Matraki - Vice President and General Manager of Crystals. He says each month another huge designer store is opening and by the end of the year, he says, the entire complex will be leased. Stores include a 15,000 square foot Gucci store, a 5,000 square-foot mens and ladies Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton has built one of the their biggest stores in North America here and Prada is opening a 17,000 square-foot store soon. Overall, my tour of CityCenter™ impressed me visually, as design elements are so original, there was nothing I could compare it to anywhere in the world. The views are beautiful and the choice of dining abounds (although I didn't try any of it) I did find the lighting in the casino to be dark and cavern-like, a distinct lack of benches for people to sit with bags and just bask in the beauty around them were non-existent other than one stone bench in the ARIA lobby, and without seeing the rooms and spa I can't recommend but it is something you have never seen before so walk through, the grandeur is spectacular. I had a chance to speak to the very personable Alan Feldman, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for MGM Resorts International. He said very urban CityCenter™ is very much a view of what Vegas will look like in the future, great architecture, walking paths, food and great art. He said it's a nice juxtaposition to what else Vegas has to offer. When asked how he felt about the recession hitting his development, he replied that they are there for the long haul and when things turn around, CityCenter™ be front and center.

LAS VEGAS LUXURY POOLS: CAESARS PALACE 'GARDEN OF THE GODS'


Just got back from Las Vegas two weeks ago and then went again this week, so many stories to shoot, couldn't do it in one visit.

Las Vegas remains No.1 trade show destination in North America, hosting the most shows for the 16th consecutive year. The average Vegas visitor's trip is 3.6 nights. One hotel that now has convention size facilities is Caesars Palace. No need for companies to leave the property anymore. A major renovation has gone on with the expanded 5-acre Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis. There is the gaming pool, the Fortuna pool, rimmed with an 18-foot waterfall, named after the goddess of good fortune. You will see a cigarette and cigar lady making the rounds of the pools, a mojito cart, even swim-up blackjack in the water.

I sat down with Gary Selesner, President of Caesars Palace up at the Bacchus pool overlooking all the other pools. Here, it's reserved for private parties, invited guests and celebrities. Two pools comprise this VVIP area, which overlooks the entire 'Garden of the Gods' complex. There is also a hot tub and several plush cabanas, offering butler service.

The existing pools (Temple, Venus and Neptune) have undergone repairs. Caesars Palace also now has VIP European-themed plush villas reserved for the most VIP of high rollers.

TRAVEL TREND 2010: VEGAS BEACHCLUBS


Visitors who haven't been to Las Vegas in a few years are in for a surprise: It's gone upscale. The city is now filled with posh hotels, restaurants and designer stores.

I just got back from a full week of working there and I had a chance to check out a few hotels in depth. The one that is the only Forbes 5 Star Diamond resort now is - Steve Wynn's Encore. Just when you thought he had reached great heights with Bellagio and then Wynn, he outdoes himself with Encore.

It truly can't be compared to anything else in Vegas.

Right now, the biggest trend in Vegas are the so called Beach Clubs. No beaches, but lots of pool parties, gorgeous people, DJ's, and sexy bodies parading the deck. Now, the party doesn't end when you leave the nightclub, it goes on right through the day.

Vegas' hottest pool party takes place at Encore Beach Club. The 60,000-square-foot venue features 40-foot palm trees surrounding three tiered pools. A more private Encore Beach Club experience can be had at one of the 26 cabanas outfitted with refrigerators and flat screen televisions.

At the center of the Las Vegas nightclub evolution is Sean Christie who, with his partner, has joined forces with Steve Wynn to operate Encore Beach Club and Surrender Nightclub. Christie started his Las Vegas club career at House of Blues in Mandalay Bay in 2000. He went on to open Light in Bellagio and then Blush in Wynn Las Vegas. Christie says "There's no one like Steve Wynn. He doesn't follow the trends, he sets them, always looking around the corner." He says "Nightclubs have kind of transcended being an amenity. For a lot of people, gambling was the No. 1 reason they came here…a restaurant or nightclub could be that No. 1 reason now."

When I spent the day at Encore Beach Club, it truly was a scene out of a movie, its opulent design, amenities in the cabanas and bungalows, has definitely raised the bar for pool parties.

ECONOMIC TRENDS: 2010


Now to the latest economic trends for 2010. Here are the experts' predictions for the rest of this year. In addition to these forecasts, other analysts predict some of the following figures:

• The Housing market will increase.
• Consumers will spend 2% more than in 2009.
• Retail sales will increase 3%.
• Foreign exports will rise.

However, according to Gerald Celente, a world trend expert, a big problem remains NAFTA.

TRAVEL TREND: ‘TOGETHERING'


Now turning to the latest travel trend called ‘togethering'. Multi-generational family gatherings are more popular than ever before. Unlike the typical vacation of the past that involved just Mom, Dad and the kids, older and younger generations are traveling together more. Sharing a vacation is a way for grandparents, parents and children to book some quality time and make memories especially when so many kids live away now. A recent poll of American Express travel agents found that 69% of them were booking trips for adults, children and their parents. The same percent saw grandparents traveling exclusively with their grandchildren, and 67% planned trips for family and friends traveling together as one large group.

TRAVEL TREND: BUDGETING IN 2010


It's called traveling on pennies now, in 2010. Many hotels are dipping into ways to fill rooms, but others are building entire empires on it. There is new Malaysian hotel that offer hotel rooms for 20 cents a night. The no-frills rooms come with a basic bed, ceiling fan and a shower, and not much else. Anything beyond those basics like towels, a kettle and air-conditioning are all additional charges. This type of hotel, similar to low-cost airlines, utilizes a self-service online booking system and the rates are kept low by offering limited service. This travel trend is here to stay, as there are plans to have 150 hotels around the world like this by 2012.

BILLIONARIES ISLAND


It's the millionaires hot retreat...actually nicknamed "Billionaires Island," Exotic Mustique is 1,400-acres.Its so exclusive, there's only one hotel--the 17-room Cotton House Hotel. Most rent one of 100 private villas, which gofor as much as $150,000 a week. If you're going: Basil's Bar & Restaurant on the island is the hot hang in the Caribbean of Tommy Hilfiger, Mick Jagger, Denzel Washington, Bill Gates and even Queen Elizabeth.

It's a 30-year-old establishment is one of the liveliest - and one of the only - bars on Mustique. and the other mega retreat: St. Tropez. The French Rivera's most popular summertime spot. The most glamorous port in the Mediterranean, with owners of some of the world's largest yachts.

TRAVEL TREND: ROME REBORN 3-D


Get ready tourists - next time you go to Italy...there is now a virtual reality 3D interactive device that allows you to now make your way through the streets of ancient Rome going back in history. 'Rome Reborn' takes you back in time so well, it's as if you were actually there

It is the largest virtual and interactive digital archeological reconstruction project ever undertaken. It's interactive cutting-edge technology. Approximately 7,000 rebuilt buildings show you Rome in 320 AD at the time of Constantine the Great. It's based on scientific reconstructions done with world leading scientists. Tourists in Rome will be able to use Rome Reborn on site next year and It will be available online.

TRAVEL TREND: PANAMA


Right now there's a trend with travelling to Central America. but not everyone has caught on yet. Hondurus is a hot spot. It has some of the largest coral reefs in the northern hemisphere. Just 383 thousand non Central Americans visited last year but it's hot now and experts are calling Panama the new Costa Rica. Big hotels have yet to get a foothold so it's still cheap.

Another spot is the Dominican Republic, It's hotter than hot now. The beaches are unbelievable there. I loooove the beaches there. It's booming there now and also moderately priced....and you can get luxury. In the past few years - there's been a push by the local Dominican government to increase tourism which has resulted in more all inclusive resorts - plenty of them.

It's the same latitude as Jamaica but much much cheaper.

TRAVEL TREND: STYLISH CITIES


Turning now to travel trends . . . and the world's most stylish cities. Paris has Rue Du Faubourg St. Honore, New York has 5th Avenue and Madison Avenues. A new study ranked cities on lifestyle, buzz, multiculturalism, cultural life, attractiveness, climate, pollution and physical buildings and parks. The smarter governments have always looked at their city as a brand that needs to be marketed. So, what is the number one most stylish city? LONDON. Almost one third of the world's population (including Australia, India and Canada) has ties with it and consider London the financial, fashion and music capital of the world. The 2012 Olympics also gives it a stylish seal of approval. PARIS came in second...for its beauty...MILAN is 15th as the city that made the most important contribution to the world with fashion. HOLLAND is viewed as solid, reliable, efficient, wealthy and boring. AMSTERDAM is considered much more stylish - all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. SYDNEY ranks 3rd in the most stylish list ahead of New York, Rome and Barcleona.

LATEST TRAVEL TREND: TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE REINVENTS TRAVEL


So the latest in travel news has technological change reinventing the manner in which travel suppliers bring their products and services to us. A recent survey shows that emerging technology has had an equally profound effect on those who use it. The study of over 25 hundred adults who are active users of the latest computer, entertainment and consumer technology - took at least one overnight trip requiring the use of commercial accommodations during the previous 12 months....

According to the survey - these "next generation" travelers are highly educated (30% have a 4 year college degree and they are affluent) they're also likely to be 'echo-boomers' (18-28 years of age) or baby boomers (43 to 61) that shows that the use of new technology is not only for the young. These people have a real zest for travel (75% say they would travel more if they had more money, and 62% would travel more if they had more time). The next generation travelers also rely heavily on the Internet when it comes to planning, purchasing and sharing information on travel experiences. The tech savvy traveler spends much more than others. Almost 4 in 10 say they're influenced by personal comments read on social networking or travel advisory Web sites. The most popular sites? Facebook and MySpace - used much more than even TripAdvisor.

LATEST TRAVEL STATS


TripAdvisor has conducted a surveyor of more than 2,500 travelers from around the world. Top trends identified are concerns about germs, the growth of green tourism and opposition to cell phone use on planes.

80% of respondents are concerned about germs, bacteria and viruses when traveling. Airplanes are the most germy, according to 28% of those polled. Public transportation was next, followed by restaurants, hotels and airports. Respondents outside the U.S. were particularly worried about the risk of germs at restaurants, while Americans are far more wary of airplanes.

55% of travelers said they tend to wash and disinfect their hands more often while traveling. 27% either bring their own disinfectant and cleaning supplies, shower shoes, pillows, towels or linens when going on a trip. Travelers also citied clean restrooms as a top criterion for what makes an airport great.

TOPLESS POOL: MANDALAY BAY, VEGAS


Have you been to Vegas lately?

Might want to check out Mandalay Bays topless pool.

I mean you cant just go check it out - you have to be staying there but its private, adults only and a European-style topless pool where you can play blackjack and order cocktails (12 dollars each)

There's also a special VIP pool area for guests.

Cabanas are expensive $500 and you can also catnap on the overstuffed daybeds.

remember - what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

MIAMIBOUTIQUEHOTELS.COM


When celebs in Hollywood want to get away - but don't want to leave the country- Miami is the hot destination...Considered the American Riviera...now you can go to a website and find out aobut all the new spots..

Miamiboutiquehotels.com

You can feel like you've traveled outside of the country's borders. That's because the culturally rich city has plenty of foreign influence, particularly Latin American and European, which adds to city's allure.

As snowbirds know, the shores of South Beach keep all eyes on the city.

Imagine an experience created to fit your every whim…where you become more than just a name on a register. Service isn't just a word.

These hotels are intimate, but have an energy that's so distinct....cool and chic. But it's how it makes you feel - sophisticated. You can almost feel the vibes of all the glamorous people - movie stars and trend-setters - that give Miami such a vibrant history.

I sat down with Noelle Stevenson of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau - She's Director of Boutique Hotel Program, Film, Fashion and Entertainment liason. We spoke about the boutique hotels website that's a division of the bureau - and it tells you all you need to know about the hottest small luxury hotels.

(for audio verison click listen Oct 4th, 2008 show)

miamiboutiquehotels.com

TRAVEL STATS


So you want to take a trip this fall and but you just can't seem to fit it in...well, you're not alone.

Only 64% of people say they've used all their vacation time in the last year.

Asked why they won't take it all? 28% say they can't afford to be away from work and 48% of us check out email or voicemail on a long weekend - which jumps to 78% when taking a trip of a week or more.

How long does it take for us to unwind on a trip? 53% say less than a day. 35% say it takes 2 days.

and here's something for you - 24% say they dress more provacatively while on vacation.

and 12% have been to clothing optional or adults only resorts.

PRIVATE AVIATION


Some interesting stats now on millionaires and the things they do.

The millionaire population grew much faster in emerging markets than in North America last year. The number of millionaires in countries such as India, Brazil, Russia,and China grew 19% compared with only 3.7% in North America but the US still dominates the world with more than 3,000,000 financial millionaires....and when it comes to flying...let's turn to their private aviation.

A private jet aircraft can range in cost from as little as $1800 an hour to as much as $5000 an hour.

It will based on your requirements. You will be in the lap of luxury with an attendant to wait on you hand and foot.

Many of these rentals will take care of your entire trip ensuring your hotel is booked and your rental car awaits. Many times they can even clear your luggage at customs. What if you want to do it?

Well, then there's the idea of you buying a "share" of a plane, with the price pro-rated from the market price of a full aircraft. According to Forbes, as a fractional owner, you have guaranteed access (50–400 hours annually, depending on your share size) to that plane with as little as four hours' notice. Fractional owners pay a monthly maintenance fee and an "occupied" hourly operating fee. The latter is charged only when you or your guest is in the plane, not when the plane is flying to pick you up, or returning to base after dropping you off. You have access to the full fleet of planes and may upgrade or downgrade for specific flights.

At the end of your five-year term, you sell your share back to the company for fair-market value, less a re-marketing fee. A variety of factors may effect the fair market value calculation, and your bottom- line cost is highly dependent on the sell-back process.

Top 10 Benefits of Flying Private

Flexibility in destinations

Avoid crowded commercial terminals

Flexibility in scheduling and flying

Streamlined airport process

Time savings & in-flight productivity

Business entertaining

Special cargo handling

Security

Luxury Hotels: Hot Trends


It's travel time now - and we're talking about top of the line hotels. Last year, overall, the luxury hotel business made 29 billion dollars. They have yet to suffer from the sluggish economy with occupancy only dropping 1 per cent between January and May of this year.

But luxury hotels are in "re-invention" mode right now.

They have to do more now just to keep you interested.

The only way to do that, since every place has flat screens and amenities - is by 'service'.

The best now stand out because of their service.

What isn't working anymore - is having similar looking properties in different cities around the world.

A company must now keep things fresh - otherwise we aren't impressed.

There are currently at least 150 hotel butler programs around the world and properties are now forced to add more and more services from baby butlers, to bath draw-ers, to laying your clothes out in the morning for you to mograming your robes before you arrive (that's done at the Ritz Madrid by the way) at Jade Mountain, a Caribbean resort - they place a poem on your pillow at turn down time or you can find a grill on your terrace in Sedona, Arizona with an assortment of meats which are delivered by room service.

And another big trend: targeting the pet owner. Here in California, in Orange County - one very nice place offers Sunday brunch for your pup - where they can sit on the seats and be served by the waitors.