The Frictionless Solution: Hospitality Success Depends On It

Frictionless. Definition? “Achieve with little difficulty.” One simple word that inspires new goals and ultimately, vast improvements in every facet of your hospitality operation. This is not the trend of the future — it’s the necessity of doing business today, and it’s at the core of what we do at RMS (and have been doing for over 30 years). Adding these types of tools in collaboration with frictionless-focused apps can transform the way your entire hospitality business functions. The payoff is priceless for your staff, your operation and the guest experience, which let’s face it, is your gauge for success.

Crisis Management: Is Your Hotel Prepared?

When guests stay at your hotel, there are a lot of things you know they expect—a clean room, quality Wi-Fi, a large flat screen, comfortable bed, and a friendly staff ready to help if anything’s lacking. Those are the basics in today’s world and properties who want to capture repeat bookings do their best to deliver. But there’s one feature that’s missing from that list and it’s just as fundamental to your guests’ comfort—peace of mind.

Crisis Management: Is Your Campground Prepared?

When guests stay at your campground, there are a lot of things they probably expect — a nice campsite, fire rings, a shower area, dog friendliness, and maybe even Wi-Fi! Those are (becoming) the basics in today’s world and properties who want repeat visits do their best to deliver.

Sustainability

How to Bring Your Hotel Into the Sustainable Age

Environmentalism is on the rise across the globe, and it’s inspiring to see. Both individuals and businesses are getting on the path to greener and more ethical practices—with hospitality, in many cases, at the forefront of that charge. Hilton has dedicated itself to reducing carbon emissions by half and adding zero soap to landfills by the year 2030. Marriott has LEED-certified hotels in development and is implementing climate change strategies to meet goals by 2030, as well. And Starwood Hotels have set goals to see a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 30% reduction in energy and water consumption (per hotel room) by the year 2020. In other words, real change is happening, and guests definitely care. In fact, recent consumer research surveying 72,000 Hilton guests showed 33% of those guests “actively seek out” eco-friendly information on a hotel before booking—and 44% under 25 years old do the same. For those considering putting environmental changes into play at their hotels, those survey results should be encouraging—especially when it comes to attracting guests in the millennial and Gen Z camps.

How to Bring Your Marina Into The Sustainable Age

Environmentalism is on the rise across the globe, and it’s inspiring to see. Both individuals and businesses are finding their way toward greener and more ethical practices, and that definitely includes marinas. Since marinas are right up at the water’s edge, the potential for pollutants entering the water is always high—fuel splatter, boat cleaning products, sewage, trash, and other boating byproducts are often carried into the basin waters by rain or even when maintenance hoses down the docks. It’s a very real problem, but more and more responsible marina owners are taking steps to prevent these contaminants from reaching the water, and in turn, making their facility friendlier to the environment. Adding other energy- and water-efficient features and incorporating savvier environmental facets to your marina will cement your commitment even further. Remember, the new generation of boaters (especially millennials and GenZ) tend to be more environmentally conscious than ever—and showing your green side may be just what you need to capture their attention.

Marketing

The Challenges of Channels — How to Boost Your Direct Bookings

One of the features RMS Cloud offers is “Channel Management” — a way to manage and update all of your Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) details without hiring a third-party manager. We provide this advantage because, whether you love them or not, OTAs like Booking.com, Travelocity and Expedia have carved an important place in the hospitality food chain, and a whole lot of savvy globe trotters zip to those sites the moment travel plans are underway. They definitely fill a niche and offer features that are valuable for travelers, but at the end of the day, the bookings you gain through them cost you — literally. You pay a commission every time someone books a room, campground site, spa appointment and more through those channels, and as the costs add up, it affects your bottom line.

4 Ways to Keep Your Hospitality Staff Motivated (& Happy)

When it comes to your hospitality business’s success, there’s one fundamental guideline you should always abide by — keep your staff happy. If you thought “making guests’ happy” is the more critical goal for your bottom line, you’re not wrong. Guests are your bread and butter. But what you may not be seeing is that your staff is the heart of your business and their satisfaction directly correlates to your guests’ happiness. Their friendliness, proficiency and professionalism impact every aspect of the guest experience, from the moment front desk employees greet visitors to the way the housekeeping staff performs their duties. It all leaves an impression that can make or break your success.

Sustainability

6 Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency at Your Property

Boosting reservations, marketing and enhancing the customer experience are rightfully the platinum trio when it comes to priorities for hospitality businesses. Those are the money-making (and reputation-making) necessities that drive us toward success. But what about the money-saving aspects of our business? Do they deserve our attention, too? Well of course they do. And one of the most basic ways to save money in hospitality is through energy efficiency. According to ENERGY STAR®, American hotels typically spend an annual average of approximately $2,196 per room on energy, which equals out to about six percent of the total operating costs. That adds up significantly and doesn’t even touch the energy and water usage for kitchens, common areas and more. But never fear! There are a number of ways to save on those resources without sacrificing the comfort of your guests or staff — and at the end of the year, you’ll likely see a noticeable savings. Sound good?

Travel Trends

Welcome to the New Normal — Have Pet, Will Travel

People love their pets. There’s no doubt about it. Of the 65% of American households that have pets, about 78% of them take their furry little bundles on vacation with them. And hospitality businesses across the nation have recognized that movement for what it is — a major opportunity. More and more are not only welcoming pets, but they’re catering to them. Big time. And it’s paying off through increased bookings, nice word-of-mouth promotion and, if you do things right, a whole lot of social media mentions. Here are some ideas to help you make sure your hospitality business—from hotels to RV parks—are up to the four-legged task.

4 Ways to Make Your Business the Face of Giving this Season

November has arrived and holiday season planning is well under way at hospitality businesses all over the world. Teams are busying themselves, readying for the annual bookings surge; scrambling to get decorations in order to dazzle upcoming guests; and creating amazing holiday menus to match the glee of the season. But that’s not the only prepping underway. A lot of accommodation businesses across the globe are also preparing to put their Good Deed hats on for the holidays. We’re not talking about the behind-the-scenes philanthropy partnerships that many hospitality chains champion throughout the year (which is worthy of admiration!). Instead, we’re referring to holiday-centric charity efforts that engage your team, your guests, and even area residents. It’s the perfect way to jolly up your place, help the community and boost your public image.

The Talk of the Industry — The Magic of Augmented Reality is Here

Augmented Reality (AR) technology is one of the hotel industry’s coolest, most-wanted attractions. It’s similar to virtual reality — used to bring digital enrichments to a real-world environment. Remember the Pokémon Go hysteria? Niantic Labs developed that masterpiece — and ultimately, it was the world’s first widespread, hugely popular platform for AR. There are a lot of companies out there that provide this technology now — all in different applications that range from games and education to cultural experiences and hospitality solutions. (The latter being our prime focus!) Around the world, hotels are using AR to elevate and enhance their current and potential guests’ experience.

Press Release

RMS Latest Features - RMS - The Hospitality Cloud

At RMS, we’re always moving forward — innovating and improving to give our customers a powerful edge in the industry. With all of that in mind, we’re excited to share our newest features. The addition of these seriously outstanding new elements will be indispensable to a lot of our clients and we can’t wait for you to check them out. New Guest Portal The Guest Portal recently debuted at RMS and promises to be an asset for both guests and your staff. This feature changes the game and delivers a better experience for everyone. Plus, you can customize it to reflect your brand so it fits seamlessly with your business model.

Facebook City Guide — What You Need to Know

In early March of this year, Facebook released its newest attraction — “City Guide,” a review and travel feature that your business just may find useful. The overall theme of Facebook’s City Guide is similar to the popular Four Square app; however, it feels more personalized for the user and more practical for businesses like yours. And once it’s fully rolled out to all users… and extends beyond just the largest metropolitan cities… it could be a nice boon to your marketing efforts. Here’s what makes it different and potentially awesome.