|
Canadian chairs renamed IHG Owners Association
Glenn Squires
|
LAS VEGAS—Even though InterContinental Hotels Group now has seven brands, the association representing owners of most of those brands was still called the IAHI—International Association of Holiday Inns. That changed with an announcement at IHG’s America’s Investors and Leadership Conference last month in Las Vegas. The group now has a more representative name, the IHG Owners Association. And for only the second time in the organization’s history, a Canadian will be taking over as chairman.
Glenn Squires, president and CEO of Pacrim Hospitality, is well-known in Canadian hospitality circles. He gave the record-breaking crowd of 6,135 registered general managers and directors of sales a recap of his life in the hospitality industry.
His association with the industry began while he was still in college, recently married with his first child, and really needed the money from his job as the night auditor at the local Holiday Inn in Halifax.
Halifax was hosting the Summer Games and their hotel was the media centre for the event. But it was a double edged sword because that hotel had almost lost its license once for overbooking.
The GM pressed him to take over as front office manager to prevent the potential disaster of overbooking. The GM said he would accommodate Squire’s schooling—he could work around his classes. Squires took the big leap into the hospitality business instead of into law, as he had planned—because he had been allowed to enter the industry his way.
He stressed finding and developing new talent—identifying, mentoring and engaging the next generation—as one of the most important challenges facing the industry today.
Changes to brands
IHG celebrated its successes, notably JD Power recognition for two of its brands, Holiday Inn and Hotel Indigo at the conference.
Even though the massive Holiday Inn relaunch is complete, there is still work to be done. At the conference, there was a mock up of the brand’s social hub, The Hub at Holiday Inn, a new design that incorporates the lobby, bar and restaurant space into an area with multiple places for guests to eat, drink, connect, relax and have fun. Unveiled at the Holiday Inn Gwinnett Centre in Atlanta, GA in June, the hub also has a new food and beverage focus that includes a sharing menu and signature cocktails for the bar/evening occasion, breakfast with a chef station, a grab-and-go breakfast area and a 24/7 market store.
The Crowne Plaza brand has been redefined and repositioned. Vice president, global brand management Janis Cannon noted that Crowne Plaza customers are striving aspirers, the kind of people who would drive a BMW 3 series car. “Crowne Plaza is all about hope and possibility, about climbing the ladder of success,” she said at the Crowne Plaza Brand Session.
These guests are looking for seamless service, connections that work, restoration (whether it’s quiet sleep time, a workout in the fitness centre or a drink in the bar with friends), recognition of their status, and energy, Cannon noted.
Crowne Plaza has embarked on an ambitious program to freshen up its properties over the coming year, by improving fitness centres, implementing new high-thread-count bedding and giving properties a more modern look and feel.
In 2012/2013, Crowne Plazas will “move up” with a new branded service training program, development and distribution in major gateway cities and resort markets. And by the final “shine” phase, Crowne Plaza will be clearly differentiated from its competitors.
Crowne Plaza has doubled its global portfolio since 2003 to nearly 400 hotels. There are currently seven in Canada.
Profitable ROI
One theme that reverberated at the conference was that hotels should concentrate on “profitable ROI”—using more profitable channels such as brand websites as opposed to OTAs. Steve Sickle, senior vice president, distribution and relationship marketing for the Americas, pointed out that the rate premium for booking on IHG’s direct website vs. OTAs is $27—$115 versus $88 when they used OTAs.
|
