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HOW DO GUESTS VIEW YOUR HOTEL?
ASK THEM TO SHOW YOU

Madeleine Pullman, Ph.D.	Stephani Robson

Hoteliers regularly ask guests to fill out comment cards and surveys about whether they are satisfied with their hotel stay. But even when guests do fill out customer-comment cards or respond to surveys, what drives their comments is not always clear.

A technique called photo-elicitation makes it possible for guests to show hotel managers exactly what they see in the hotel—both their likes and dislikes. A new research tool issued by the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research demonstrates how photo-elicitation operates. The Tool, “A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Using Photo-Elicitation to Solicit Hotel Guest Feedback,” is available at no charge at http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/tools.

Authors Madeleine Pullman, Ph.D. and Stephani Robson used photo-elicitation for a pilot study at the Statler Hotel, the teaching hotel operated by the School of Hotel Administration, where Pullman and Robson are both faculty members. They gave one-time-use cameras to guests who agreed to participate in the study, asking them to shoot whatever they saw that influenced their opinion of the hotel.

When the resulting photos were printed, the researchers and guests reviewed the images, which revealed many touches that guests appreciated, such as a flower arrangement in the lobby, homelike furnishings in the guest rooms, and the scenic view of the Cornell campus. The photos also revealed items in the guest room that hotel management might not have noticed, such as a tangle of electrical cords and a malfunctioning armoire door.

“We found that the 40 guests who participated in this study were enthusiastic about recording their likes and dislikes,” said Robson. “Although we used film cameras, a hotel manager could arrange for guests to use digital cameras and then compare the results via the internet.” Robson added that managers should make sure that guests know how to operate whatever camera they use, given the many blurry prints that the researchers received.

All CHR Reports and Tools are available at no charge from the Center for Hospitality Research at www.chr.cornell.edu.

CHR Presents 2006 Hospitality Industry Relevance Awards

The Center for Hospitality Research has presented 2006 Hospitality Industry Relevance Awards for the Center’s most relevant Research Report and for its most relevant Research Tool. In both categories, the awards were presented to teams comprising academic and industry leaders.

The most relevant research report was “Why Discounting Doesn't Work: The Dynamics of Rising Occupancy and Falling Revenue among Competitors.” The report was a collaborative effort among Cornell Hotel School Professors Cathy A. Enz, and Linda Canina, and Mark Lomanno, president of Smith Travel Research. The report found that while discounting relative to the competitive set increases occupancy, hotels make more money compared to those competitors when they choose not to discount to fill rooms. The study, drawing on data from 2001 through 2003, found that when a given hotel discounted its room rates to a greater degree than its competitive set, RevPAR decreased compared to that competition, even though relative occupancy increased. Conversely, those with higher prices relative to their competitive set had lower occupancy and higher RevPAR. This study was replicated using 2004 data, with the same results.

The most relevant tool produced for the Center and its consumers is “Hospitality Valuation Software,” created by HVS International Founder and President Stephen Rushmore, and Cornell Hotel School Professor Jan deRoos. Hospitality Valuation Software is the only non-proprietary computer software designed specifically to assist in the preparation of market studies, forecasts of income and expense, and valuations for lodging property. The software provides an accurate, consistent, and cost-effective way for hospitality professionals to forecast occupancy, revenues and expenses, and to perform hotel valuations. The tool consists of three separate software programs written as Microsoft Excel files, as well as a users' guide.

The award committee ranked all eligible reports and tools against two equally weighted criteria. One criterion was the number of downloads from the CHR website during the first year in which the item was posted. The committee also considered the results of a survey of 2,000 registrants who had each downloaded more than at least five reports and tools.

“These two products represent some of the best and most useful work to be produced on behalf of the Center,” said Gary Thompson, executive director of the Center and a professor at the Cornell Hotel School. “We congratulate these winners for developing products that are delivering substantial value to the hospitality industry.”

All CHR Reports and Tools are available at no charge from the Center for Hospitality Research at www.chr.cornell.edu.

CHR Featured Advisory Board Member

Jo-Anne Kruse

Jo-Anne Kruse is executive vice president, Human Resources for Cendant's Travel Distribution Services division. In this position, she is responsible for global human resources. She played a key role in the integration of Galileo International into the Cendant family since the close of the acquisition.

Previously, Kruse was vice president, Human Resources for Travel Distribution Services' parent company, Cendant Corporation. In this position, she was responsible for corporate and business unit human resource functions (total 3,000 employees) within a highly diversified and matrixed 60,000-employee conglomerate.

For five years previous, Kruse worked in a variety of Human Resource positions at Pepsico/Frito-Lay. Her career also includes positions at Bristol Myers Squibb/Clairol, where she was manager of Human Resources. She began her career with Chase Manhattan Bank.

Kruse received a master's degree from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree from Cornell University.

CHR Research Fellows and Staff at Industry Events

Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research, is pleased to announce its participation in the 2006 National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show on May 20-23, 2006 at the McCormick Place in Chicago. The show is the restaurant-and-hospitality industry's premier venue to explore the latest trends in food and beverages, equipment, technology, training, and more, and will bring 73,000 attendees and 2,000+ exhibitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries to Chicago. We invite you to stop by the Cornell booth, # 3234, to pick up a copy of CHR Reports, as well as connect with Cornell alumni. For more information regarding this event, please visit: http://www.restaurant.org/show/.

The Center, together with the Cornell Hotel Society's Chicago Chapter, looks forward to seeing you at the annual Cornell reception held in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Show, on Monday, May 22, 2005 at TheChicago Club. For more information, please email Nancy Wilson at: nmc3@cornell.edu.

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HITEC 2006 Features the Latest Hospitality Technology

HITEC 2006, the largest hospitality technology exposition and conference, will be held June 19-22 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), HITEC features a 664 booth exposition displaying the latest hospitality technology products and services geared to the hospitality industry. HITEC also offers an exceptional education conference with presentations from experts representing all segments of the industry. New to HITEC 2006 is GUESTROOM 2010, a 90 x 40 ft pavilion that will feature a guest room prototype with the latest and near-future technologies for the modern hotel room. For more information, visit www.HITEC.org.

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With record attendance in Monte Carlo in 2005, the 4th Annual International Hotel Conference moves to the spectacular Rome Cavalieri Hilton from 11-13 October 2006. The conference, co-sponsored by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, focuses on hotel financing, development and management in Europe and beyond. The program will feature superb networking, deal making, and 100 industry expert speakers presenting 40 interactive sessions designed to engage the audience of executive level hoteliers, managers, owners, developers, lenders, members of the media, and those who service the hotel industry.  

Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Industry Research & Affairs and The Lewis G. Schaeneman, Jr. Professor of Innovation & Dynamic Management, will be presenting at the conference. Additional information about the event, registration, sponsorships, and related activities can be found at the event’s web site www.internationalhotelconference.com, or by contacting the conference organizers, Morris Lasky and Mary Lou Koys of Lodging Unlimited, Inc. at mlasky@aol.com

CHR Restaurant Executive Roundtable

The first Restaurant Executive Roundtable, sponsored by Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research, will be held April 30 - May 1, 2006, at the Statler Hotel, Cornell School of Hotel Administration. The Roundtable, co-chaired by Interim Dean Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D., and Associate Professor David Sherwyn, JD, will be attended by over 24 CEOs from various sectors of the restaurant industry. Please contact Joe Strodel, Jr., at 607-255-4646, if you are interested in sponsoring this event.

2005 CHR Marketing Roundtable Attendees

Upcoming CHR Reports

The CHR will be releasing the following new reports and tools in the upcoming months:

• Revenue Management In U.S. Hotels Over the Period of 2001 - 2005
• An Examination of Internet Intermediaries and Hotel Loyalty Programs: How will Guests Get their Points?
• Tipping and Its Alternatives: When and Why to Choose Voluntary Tipping, Service Charges, or Service-Inclusive Pricing

CHR reports and tools are available free of charge from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research website at www.chr.cornell.edu.

Featured CHR Corporate Partner

Over the course of the last half-century, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) has become the world's leading design consultant for the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries. Having worked in over 130 countries and territories across six continents, WATG has designed more of the world's great hotels and resorts than any other firm on the planet. Many of WATG's projects have become international landmarks, renowned not only for their design and sense of place but also for their bottom-line success. To learn more about WATG, please visit: http://www.watg.com/.