NEW YORK — As life and work patterns change as a result of the pandemic and its aftereffects, so, too, have travel behaviors, and hoteliers are shifting their operations to reflect these new travel trends.
Last summer may have been characterized by too many eager travelers and nowhere near enough staff, leading to service and amenity reductions. But hoteliers speaking on a panel at the 2022 NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference said the remainder of this year is all about operating hotels in ways that reflect how guests are traveling differently now while still commanding high rates and working with leaner staffs.
“Our gross operating profit margins are pretty on par with 2019, mostly because of the ADR gains, but we are operating differently,” said Sloan Dean, president and CEO of Remington Hotels.
Dean and other hoteliers on the panel said they are trying to strike a balance between having smaller staffs on one side and guests who are paying more,…