News Briefs

As we head into the 2023 holiday season, U.S. travelers are making the most of their vacation planning despite inflationary pressures and rising debt rates. In a recent survey commissioned by IBS Software, a provider of SaaS solutions to the travel industry, a record 47% of respondents are utilizing in-person or online travel agents (OTAs) to book their holiday trips due to convenience. Perhaps surprisingly is the younger generation’s preference for traditional travel agents (38% of Millennials and Gen Z) given the group’s well-documented preference for digital behaviors over analog. This is in stark contrast to Gen X and Boomers, only 12% and 2% of whom use the services of a traditional travel agent. Instead, Gen X far prefers to use OTAs when booking their holiday travel (35%). This renaissance of the travel agent amongst the younger generation has contributed to just 22% of respondents booking hotel stays and airline tickets directly through their vendor’s websites. 

Travelers are Maximizing Savings for Holiday Booking 

Of the groups surveyed, 92% plan to spend the same amount or more on their holiday travel this year. Among the top reasons for increased spending include taking a longer trip (46%), splurging on higher-rated hotels (43%), in addition to upgrading to more comfortable modes of transportation (43%).  

In order to maximize on their savings, travelers across all age categories are attributing how they book their vacations to increased savings where they are available. Across Gen X (52%) and Gen Z groups (36%), those surveyed say their booking choice is based on where they will get the best deal - likely taking advantage of bundle deals travel agents and OTAs provide. Boomers, who overwhelmingly prefer booking directly on airline and hotel websites (63%), attribute their booking methods to increased savings available through loyalty programs.  

Holiday Travel Destinations and Timelines Vary Across Age Categories 

U.S. travelers are prioritizing booking their holiday travel over secondary trips like New Year’s Eve as an estimated 40% reported just traveling for the holidays and only 17% percent plan to take a trip for New Year’s. For those who are planning a New Year’s trip, Manhattan and Las Vegas are among the top destinations at 24% and 21% with just 15% of respondents reporting that they would go elsewhere. Among Gen Z travelers, Las Vegas is their New Year’s travel destination with 31% reporting it as their top choice.  

Family-oriented vacations are a top priority among Boomers (51%) and Gen X Americans (30%). For Millennials, theme parks are rated among the top choice for holidays this year at 23% whilst a ski trip is among the top choice for Gen Z at 29%. For Americans surveyed overall however, snow and ski destinations rank higher at 26% compared to a theme park destination at just 21%. 

With an estimated 57% waiting until November and December to finalize hotel and airline reservations, travelers are continuing to put off booking until the last minute. Millennials are among the top age category to put off travel bookings at 61% compared to Boomers and Gen X groups who are booking in the months of September and October.  

What is Drawing Travelers to Hotels and What is Driving Them Away  

Location, cleanliness, and overall hospitality are among the top factors travelers take into consideration/account when choosing which hotels to book their stay at. Boomers are primarily drawn to the location of their hotels as 60% stated that it was an important factor when booking. Reviews and recommendations from friends and family ranked at 39% and 35% respectively, followed by 35% attributing their choices to brand loyalty. Hotel amenities are also a deciding factor for U.S. travelers with 41% of respondents reporting that amenities are among the top factors when selecting a hotel. Despite this however, the most crucial factor in deciding on a hotel across all age groups is overall cleanliness.  

For every amenity that encourages consumers to choose a hotel, there will always be situations that ultimately push them to reconsider their choice and either try to switch rooms or even leave the hotel altogether. Cleanliness was a top priority for consumers by a landslide with 48% admitting they would be pushed over the edge to leave a hotel if they experienced dirty sheets and bed bugs (55%). Other factors like inadequate bathroom facilities and noise complaints made up the second highest majority at 29%. 

Steffan Berelowitz, Vice President and Head of the IBS Software Hospitality Business, said: The most surprising finding from our survey was the fact that younger travelers, Millennials and Gen Z, prefer to book with traditional travel advisors at a higher rate than the older Gen X cohorts. We all think of younger travelers as digital natives, wedded to their phones and social media, and yet counterintuitively, they’re seeking more personal connection.  There’s an important lesson there for us to question these stereotypes, we plan to invest a great deal more in understanding the needs of this future generation of travelers.” 

Methodology  

This online survey of 2000 US Adults who are considering a vacation this Christmas/ New Year (domestic or international) was commissioned by Fight or Flight and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between 27/11/23 and 28/11/23. All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.  

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

SPB Hospitality, an operator and franchisor of full-service dining restaurants, recently announced the promotion of Kristen Hohl to Vice President of Marketing. Hohl previously served as Senior Director of Marketing for the organization. She is a career restaurant professional with extensive experience in marketing and operations.

“Kristen has been vital in our growth over the past five years, and we are proud to have her take on this new leadership role to further expand the presence and relevance of our brands,” said Josh Kern, CEO of SPB Hospitality. “She consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of our industry. Her dedication and expertise make her the ideal candidate to lead our marketing efforts as we move forward.”

Kristen Hohl joined Logan’s Roadhouse in 2018 as Marketing Manager and in 2020 continued with SPB Hospitality as Marketing Director. She was promoted to Senior Director of Marketing in 2022 before taking on her current role as Vice President of Marketing. In this capacity, she will oversee all aspects of marketing strategies and initiatives to ensure marketing efforts align with the company’s long-term objectives and provide support to franchise partners. Hohl will be responsible for the marketing and brand development of the diverse portfolio of SPB Hospitality including J. Alexander’s Stoney River Steakhouse, Logan’s Roadhouse, Krystal Restaurants, Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, ChopHouse & Brewery, Big River Grille & Brewing Works, AIA Ale Works Restaurant & Taproom, Ragtime Tavern Seafood & Grill, and Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery.

A graduate of Ohio State University, Hohl has dedicated her career to restaurants.  Having previously served as Marketing Manager for O’Charley’s Restaurant & Bar, and Local Store Marketing for Claim Jumper Restaurants, Kristen has gained a reputation for bridging the gap between operations and marketing.

Hohl launched her career in restaurant operations in 2002 when she joined Thomas and King (Applebee’s) as a Corporate Trainer. It was here that she gained an understanding of every role in the restaurant and how to develop strong teams for the organization. She also served as Kitchen Manager for Thomas and King, where she continued to train staff while also successfully managing budgets and food costs.

“I am incredibly honored to step into this new role with SPB Hospitality,” said Kristen Hohl, Vice President of Marketing for SPB Hospitality. “These are very exciting times for our exceptional brands and our team is poised to enter this new era of marketing and support the growth of our restaurants.”

For more information about SPB Hospitality, visit SPBhospitality.com.

Wingstop  named Chris Fallon as SVP, Chief Information Officer, charged with leading the brand's enterprise and restaurant technology solutions, IT infrastructure and information security.

Fallon is an experienced technology leader, where his responsibilities spanned retail back-of-house, corporate, licensed stores and CPG technologies at Starbucks over his 14-year tenure. Most recently, Chris served as Chief Information Officer at Fortune Brands Water Innovations, overseeing the Moen and House of Rohl businesses.

"Wingstop's category of one position is further strengthened by our tech-forward strategy and vision to digitize every transaction," said Wingstop's President & CEO, Michael Skipworth. "Having Chris onboard will build on our strong foundation, and take our enterprise and restaurant technology solutions to the next level."

Chris joins Wingstop on the heels of Q3 earnings, reporting 66.9% digital sales, and a system-wide sales increase of 26.5%. 

Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia, part of Aimbridge Hospitality, has embraced evolving customer preferences and technological advancements by implementing IRIS' mobile dining app, resulting in a transformation of their F&B operations and guest experience.

IRIS, a provider of digital F&B and guest experience platforms, was chosen by Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia to provide guests with a modern, digital F&B ordering experience and maximize F&B orders from leisure and corporate guests, especially during peak occupancy.

With 233 hotel rooms and over 14,000 square feet of stylish event space, the four-star hotel has subsequently increased F&B revenue by 24% year-on-year through IRIS’ mobile dining app, with digital orders surging by 18%. 

Tes Deregla, Director of Food & Beverage at Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia added, “Mobile dining is not only time-saving for both guests and staff, but also combines the best of both worlds in terms of efficiency, customization and convenience.

The digital ordering app has significantly elevated our F&B revenue and enhanced guest satisfaction. The streamlined QR code process and user-friendly app ensures swift and convenient navigation for guests - akin to UberEats, but with shorter wait times and a fresher, superior culinary experience!”

Committed to sustainability and streamlined resources, the hotel aimed for a paperless, efficient F&B ordering system. The mobile dining app aligns with this vision, offering a modern, digital alternative to traditional paper menus, and empowering the hotel to allocate resources based on demand, enhancing operational flexibility.

Graham Rushin, VP Sales and Marketing at IRIS commented, “In the dynamic landscape of the hospitality industry, Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia's success story with IRIS' mobile dining app serves as an inspiring example of how embracing technology can revolutionize F&B operations, drive ancillary revenue, and elevate the overall guest experience. 

The seamless digital ordering experience has become a guest favorite, creating a win-win for both the hotel and their valued guests."

Guest satisfaction and average spend has also improved. Guests can now customize and personalize their orders, add messages to the chef and enjoy a quicker, more accurate delivery with customer wait times being halved. Guests are more comfortable ordering online in their own time, from the comfort of their own devices – they don’t feel judged, they can order as much as they like and can add a range of additional items and condiments to their order thereby boosting spend.

It's evident that guests have readily adopted this streamlined approach, making the most of the convenience offered by digital ordering.

Read more on the IRIS and Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia's success story here.

InterContinental London - The O2 has increased the performance of its spa by improving its digital booking system with the integration of Premier Software and onejourney.

Since implementing the new booking flow, the hotel has seen a 30% increase in average products per booking, 38% increase in appointment value with a 60% increase in package deposits over six months.

Within walking distance of one of London’s top entertainment venues, the InterContinental London - The O2 is a destination hotel and spa on the River Thames. Its luxurious spa includes swimming pools, sauna, steam room and a relaxation room, alongside a wide range of wellness and beauty treatments and spa packages.

In a competitive market such as London, the spa team needed to boost efficiency in the back office and allow its reception and therapist teams to focus on enhancing the five-star luxury spa experience for its visitors.

With the Premier spa system encoded in the hotel’s DNA, the marketing team was focused on driving increased numbers of bookings for their luxurious packages and treatments. It was important to remove the friction in booking which was a slow, manual task for both the customer and reception team.

In October 2022, the hotel installed a new booking flow to make it easier for guests,  “With onejourney, booking is much easier, it flows,” said Stephanie Romero, Marketing Executive, InterContinental London - The O2, citing improvements to the customer booking experience and overall customer journey since installing the booking platform.

The integration of online retail platform onejourney with its existing Premier Software makes it simple for the spa’s team to create new packages or treatments, including easy ordering display to prioritize what is shown to online users and support the business’ need periods. With 60% of bookings now via mobile website it has helped the booking experience.

Said Romero: “Premier Software and onejourney’s direct connection is amazing. The systems’ integration has massively improved our operations and customer service. Premier also integrates easily with our PMS, providing a wide range of reports which we can adapt to any of our departmental needs.” 

Continued Romero: “It’s made our life much easier. It’s good to understand how the numbers are going, what packages are popular, booking behaviors - this information helps us support the business and understand where to focus for improvement.”

For the spa at InterContinental London - The O2, the improved technology stack is helping it maximize its understanding of spa users, streamline booking and administrative processes, and rejuvenating its business by freeing the team to focus on in-person engagement, maximizing revenue from each booking, and sourcing new clientele.