-
Turning Around an Upset Guest
Read more: Turning Around an Upset GuestUpset guests come with the territory in hotel leadership, there’s just no escaping it. The bad news is these conversations are difficult. The good news is every single one of these conversations is an opportunity for exceptional hospitality. The key, and you’ll see this word throughout, is authenticity. There are several approaches to employ when…

-
How to Stay Organized
Read more: How to Stay OrganizedDerek Sivers, entrepreneur and author, has a provocative take on being “busy”: “Every time people contact me, they say, ‘Look, I know you must be incredibly busy…’ and I always think, ‘No, I’m not.’ Because I’m in control of my time. I’m on top of it. ‘Busy,’ to me, seems to imply ‘out of control.’…

-
Rockstars vs Superstars: Why Your Best Employee Shouldn’t Always Be Promoted
Read more: Rockstars vs Superstars: Why Your Best Employee Shouldn’t Always Be PromotedIn leadership there is such a thing as a good problem to have. Vanessa, a housekeeper on my former team, was a high performer – fast, efficient, friendly, and genuinely cared about the guest experience. She was happy and naturally we wanted to keep her happy. With high performers, our first instinct is usually to…

-
The Schedule: Your Most Underestimated Leadership Tool
Read more: The Schedule: Your Most Underestimated Leadership ToolA wise man once told me, the two most important documents for any employee are their schedule and their paycheck – you better make sure those two things are accurate each and every week. (Thank you, Matt Chriscoe, for that wisdom.) Too often I see leaders fail to give schedule creation the proper time and…

-
The Other Side of the Desk
Read more: The Other Side of the DeskIn 2012, at just 24 years old, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. At the time I had worked for several years at a high-end luxury resort in Southwest Florida (The Gasparilla Inn). Our General Manager at the time was Jon Reecher, and on the day I was diagnosed, I texted him to see if…

-
Five Pennies
Read more: Five PenniesSometimes guest service starts to feel like muscle memory. You smile, you greet, you move on. This dangerous slip into autopilot can lead to inauthentic connections—and guests WILL notice. To combat this, a Maitre D’ taught me a trick early in my career. He pulled five pennies from his pocket and said: “Put these in…

-
Leading Through the Holidays
Read more: Leading Through the HolidaysOur guests join us on holidays to spend time with their loved ones and create memories. Our hotels and restaurants serve as the backdrop. As hoteliers, our responsibility is to work on these holidays and provide for those guests. I would love to call this responsibility a privilege, and the term burden is a bit…

-
Choosing the Right Words (Part 2: Words with Staff)
Read more: Choosing the Right Words (Part 2: Words with Staff)Danny Meyer built Union Square Hospitality Group on a simple but radical idea: your staff comes first, then your guests. In his book Setting the Table, he explains that the language leaders use with employees directly shows up in how employees treat guests. If you bark orders at your team, don’t be surprised when they…

-
Choosing the Right Words (Part 1: Words with Guests)
Read more: Choosing the Right Words (Part 1: Words with Guests)Many moons ago, I was a young and foolish Assistant Dining Room Manager at a high end restaurant. White table cloth, dress code, fine wine etc… I approached a table and asked the following (terrible) question: “Are you still working on this sir?” As I gestured to his plate. The gentleman gently sets down his…

-
Setting Up New Hires for Success (Hiring Series: Part 3)
Read more: Setting Up New Hires for Success (Hiring Series: Part 3)You’ve just hired a new employee and it’s their first day. Are you prepared? Let me tell you how it usually goes. A team member is told when their first shift is and they show up to their designated work area—dazed and confused. As their blood pressure rises from anxiety, they introduce themselves to another…

-
Interview Tips and Tricks (Hiring Series: Part 2)
Read more: Interview Tips and Tricks (Hiring Series: Part 2)Last week we talked about screening candidates with one simple question. Now let’s say you’ve found someone promising—their application looked great, they gave a thoughtful answer about why they want to work for you, and you’re definitely interested. This is where the real work begins. The hiring process is a high-risk gamble. A lot of…

-
My Favorite Hiring Question (Hiring Series: Part 1)
Read more: My Favorite Hiring Question (Hiring Series: Part 1)I’ve interviewed hundreds of candidates over the years and my favorite question to ask any prospective candidate is quite simple: “Why do you want to work for our company?” With some help from your HR team, this question can be a required field to fill out on all job applications. I love this question because…

-
Welcome to The Practical Hotelier
Read more: Welcome to The Practical HotelierHi – I’m Vincent. I used to go by Vinny until my first role in sales when several guests on the phone would say “BENNY?!?” or “DENNY?!?”. I’ve been in hospitality all my life, starting at the age of 16 when I took my first job at Kmart (yes retail is hospitality!), but my first…

