Latest / Suite Spot: A Hotel Marketing Podcast / 158 – Richard Alberigo

Transcript

158 – Richard Alberigo · Suite Spot: A Hotel Marketing Podcast

• Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in, and we check out what's trending in hotel marketing. I'm your host, Ryan Embree. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Suite Spot. This is your host, Ryan Embree. So happy to be sharing an incredible episode with you today. Whether you're listening to us or watching us on our official Travel Media Group YouTube page you will see and hear a familiar voice. It's been a couple years, but really excited to welcome in our guest for today, Richard Alberigo, President and CEO of Alberigo Hotel Management. Richard, thank you so much for joining me back on the Suite Spot. Richard Alberigo : Yeah, thanks for having me on, Ryan. It's gonna be fun. Ryan Embree: It's been a couple years. We're gonna cover a lot. You know, last time we heard a little bit about your hospitality journey, so fascinating to hear in our industry. We've hosted tons of industry leaders here on this podcast. Everybody got kind of have different pieces of DNA, whether it's, you know, they've worked for different brands, hotel management companies. You ended up founding your own Alberigo Hotel management company. But I want to kick off this episode, Richard, about talking about, you know, one of the common threads that I always hear when talking about hospitality journeys, which is the mentors or influences that really rose to the top for you and your career and really has lasted the test of time in your career. Richard Alberigo : Absolutely, Ryan. So I have a couple of mentors. My first one, the first manager job I, I received it was at a college station, full service Hilton Hotel, 303 rooms. And I was just a front desk agent. And I'll be honest with you, at the time, being a CEO of a company was not even in the realm of possibilities. And I really didn't even seek it. I was doing it for quote unquote beer money. That's what I worked freshly outta college. And so I had my mentor, her name was Kim Chapin, and she was the rooms division manager there. And she would, you know, recognize my accomplishments. She kept saying, I think you could do something with this job if you really put it together and you really focus. And, you know, she was very supportive. And I remember my promotion, we went to a team meeting, a front desk meeting, and she lined everybody but me on one side of the, of the field. We were playing volleyball. And then the other side of the field was just me. And she goes, you were looking at your new front office manager. So that's how I got the promotion. Believe it or not, there was no indication at all. There was like, this might, this announcement might happen. I was in total shock. But, you know, it was really cool that she saw something in me. And so obviously at that point I couldn't disappoint her. And then, you know, the rest is history. My next mentor later on in my career, I was a general manager of a Homewood Suites in Houston, and this gentleman's name was Mark Boulevard. He was the district manager for Reson Hospitality. This guy was rough. I mean every time he drove up, I just felt like I was gonna quit or I was gonna be be fired. I mean, he didn't take no, he was no nonsense and nothing positive. I would go to our team meetings and the other managers would be there and they'd be like, I'm so sicking of hearing about how great you are. And I'm like, what are you talking about? This guy beats me up every time, they'd go, no, he needs to say, you need to be more like Richard. Do you need to be more like Richard? And I mean, if I was 1 cent over in housekeeping costs, this guy would beat me up. But then, you know, I won a manager of the year award for the company and I'm thinking I'm gonna be fired. So it just taught me that he saw something in me and he, he had confidence in my ability, but he knew that he had to push me to new levels and new horizons in order for me to get there. So I kind of use my style, the combination of the two, because if I, if I was Mark right now with the Gen Zs, I probably would, I have to clean my own rooms, right? You know, so I had to put the combination, but it did taught, teach me that accountability was really crucial in building a great business and a great hotel. Ryan Embree: Yeah. And here you are years later, remembering these stories and how impactful they are. You know, we've heard, you know, many mentors, sometimes it happens through internships that we've seen. And that one individual, as you mentioned, Richard, kind of sees something in you and creates a path and you know, as big as hospitality is, there is, it is still a small world too, and you never know when those employees come full circle, right? Even maybe seeing one of your best employees leave to take another opportunity and then years down the line, they kind of boomerang back and come back to you and end up all of that experience and, and all of that investment time investment that you've put into that employees end up paying off. So really cool to hear, really special to hear. And you know in a time where, again, there's still some struggles out there with staffing, we were kind of talking about that off air. The more stories that we can hear about that. And even I encourage our Suite Spot audience. If you're a young hotelier, look for that type of mentor that might be able to guide you in a career path in hospitality and vice versa. If you've been in hospitality and you've got a younger staff, maybe fresh, new green staff that's coming in, be a mentor to them. Show them what a career path in hospitality is like, and, and who knows, could be like Richard here founding your own hotel management company, you know, years later. But, and we got a lot to accomplish. We got a lot to celebrate for your Abrigo hotel management, especially in 2024, hitting the 10 year mark. Congratulations on that 10 year anniversary, celebrating that last year, third consecutive year in a row of, lodging, magazines, hotel management companies to know. And in a personal world for you, the being named top CEO in the Houston Business Journal award, congratulations. You know, reflecting back on kind of these accomplishments and when you started the portfolio in 2014, how do you feel the company has evolved and what are some of those proud achievements mean to you personally? Richard Alberigo : Well, the recognition is great, Ryan, obviously, I'm not gonna lie, it feels really good. It feels like you've, you've made it, you've accomplished, what you were seeking out to do 10 years ago. But, but you know, this sounds like a cliche, but this is a team award, right? Because you've gotta put the right people around you. In my career, I remember when I was a general manager, a manager of a hotel one time, I had a assistant general manager that really didn't do a very good job. And I really struggle the same guy that's the CEO of the company now. And then I, I hired his replacement with someone else that did an excellent job, and suddenly Richard was all that. So I think hiring the right people sure is the key. I had to try to go through the trials and tribulations from the beginning because, Alberigo Hotel Management was Richard Alberigo, and that was it. I mean, I did sales, I did revenue management, I did the visits, I did the guest service meeting. I did all of it, right? So think building a company, it does, the reason that so many fail is because you have to get through those two or three years that you're not making really any money. And you have a vision and you have to go through those situations where you just wake up in the morning and go, how am I gonna go another day? So that's, it's really difficult, but it's really rewarding to make it 10 years. When I was in year two or three, I really didn't know how much longer I could go, but I just kept going and putting one foot in front of the other and just waited until, I hired my first employee and then my second and my third, and then suddenly things got a lot easier, different stress levels. But, you know, I think it was one of those things at the beginning, you just kept going and didn't even really know how tired you were sometimes, until you actually took a break and then you're going, wow, I was exhausted. Right? So, it was, it's great accomplishing 10 years and, you know, 11 in April now. But we still have a lot to accomplish and, you know, we have to evolve as a company. We can't just worry about what happened in 24. Now we have to go into the 25 and into the future. Ryan Embree: Oh, well, absolutely. And it's those management companies that are kind of focused on what the future of hospitality looks like, which I'm gonna ask you here in a minute, but yeah, something to be said, you know, about longevity in hospitality, and you also didn't pick the 10 easiest years to go through. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, especially in 2020 and everything that we battled. But, you know, we talked about in 2020. Richard Alberigo : Ryan, I'll be honest with you, there were days that I didn't know if my company would exist tomorrow. I mean, it was, it was a rough time because our hotels were selling three or four rooms a night for about four months, and hopefully we'll never see that again. Ryan Embree: Right. And I'm sure there's a lot of hotels that felt like that, but, you know, we talked about it in our last episode that we got together on Richard, about some of the lessons. And I'm sure those lessons that you learned at the beginning, those first couple years that you were talking about was starting Alberigo Hotel Management really has served you. And here you are in 2025, 11 years later. And, and I'm sure that's served as a, a great foundation for what you guys are building over there. And it's very, very cool to see, you know, we talked about in 2014, the portfolio has certainly evolved, but so has the industry. It we're not in the same places we were in 2020. We talked about obviously, some of the changes that happened over the course of the pandemic. Where do you see that hospitality has evolved and changed in just the, the, the past 10 years? And maybe give us a glimpse about where you think it's headed. What do you when talking to hoteliers, even seeing patterns and trends? Richard Alberigo : Well, It's obviously how it's changed with the technology, you know? Sure. I mean, we're talking right now on a podcast, you know, when, I'm not even sure that it existed when I first started the company. But it was in its infancy, right? I guess when you got started around that time and yeah, you know, the internet, I, I remember doing one of my, when I was worked for IHG one of my first visits, I was telling a hotelier that one day the internet will be 5% of your booking. So I'm looking back on. And the guy looked at me like wide eyed, like, wow, really? And then, yeah, that's, it's a lot more than that. The phone calls, I was officing out of a hotel not too long ago, and I was just looking at the front desk and the phone never rang. And it was so weird because I remember when I was a desk agent, I'd be juggling phone calls and somebody complaining, somebody asking for towels and just trying to go, and they're just sitting up there with nothing to do until the next guest arrives. Right? So, sure.You know, the, the photos, the content, you know, it's all different. So, and I really believe five years from now, I don't know if we'll recognize the hotel system that we have today. I really can see a lot more digital stuff, you know, we'll talk about later. AI, I think a lot of it's going to change. I can see kiosks coming. I know we've talked about, it seems like for a hundred years, but remember when it happened at the airport? We just walked in one day and there they were, right? Yeah, with no warning. And we didn't even know how to operate them to book our flight. Right? You know, I mean, robots cleaning the rooms. If robot can vacuum your carpet at home, I mean, why can't they clean the room? So unfortunately, I see a lot of, a lot of changes coming with cost. Your breakfast costs, your towel costs, your electricity costs. The costs are getting so high. And as we know, you know, everybody tells, I can make the cost go down, but once they go up, you know, your payroll, are we really gonna cut pay? We're probably not. And that's your biggest expense. So, what are we gonna do about the cost? The same revenue that we had just four years ago, you know, was a 40% profit margin. Now it's down to about 36, 35. And we can't continue to have those smaller margins in order to operate successful hotels. So I think one of the brands is gonna have some courage and step out there and say, okay, what do we do with housekeeping? Is it now a charge situation, or is it always gonna be free? Is the breakfast gonna be charged in Midscale Hotels? Which you, it was always free. I remember when Continental Breakfast was the top of the line thing, and now, you know, it's like, it's, they've just made it like Denny's, right? And yeah. And how can we sustain these costs in order to, and the brand's the same way if we, if the, if the owners aren't there to, to purchase the hotels, the brands are gonna suffer. Well, that's why they're bringing in so many new brands right now because they're hurting and they need more, franchise fees. So, I think everything is going to change. What exactly it'll be or who will step out there and do it, I'm not sure, but I don't think the industry will be near the same five years from now as as it is today. Ryan Embree: Yeah, it definitely feels like adoption is ramping up. And you know, some of that was outta necessity back in 2020 when I think adoption of keyless entry was spiked, because at the end of the day, people didn't necessarily wanna come to the front desk to interact. So they kind of had to learn how to use that app, which maybe they hadn't explored before. But it does feel like everything is kind of accelerating and escalating. We've talked about it before about when we talk to hotels at Travel Media Group, one of their biggest fears is feeling like they're being left behind right now in this kind of technology, this age of, of where every single couple days you see kind of new innovations pop up. But it is about.. Richard Alberigo : And I'm not sure it's a good thing. I mean, because the hotel equals, you know, a hospitality and that equals people. And that is a concern of mine. That we, the people will become expendable and that, that is going to be a shame when that happens, because it's not a, I mean, it's not if it's when now, right? Richard Alberigo : Yeah. Well, it's a great point. And you know, at the end of the day, there is a reason when, you know, we started talking about kiosk at that check-in, how that didn't become something that that took off immediately. And how you're still, there's full service that's already there, and like the Vegas hotels and that kind of stuff. But I'm talking about, you know, your regular LaQuinta on the street. Right. I mean, I could see it happening at a Comfort Suites. Ryan Embree: Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, it will be interesting to see kind of what, what this looks like in the future, but being open to technology. But you're right, you know, the hoteliers are always looking for efficiencies to try to, to cut costs, but we also need to walk a fine line. Hospitality for better or worse, has always kind of been behind the eight ball when it comes to technology. You know, we still have, you know, in some hotels we still get your dry cleaning done. You still gotta put that on the outside of the door, right? Or even hang a, hang a tag out if you want room service or not. So there will be some, some benefits, but I do, you know, share your sentiment, Richard, which is expressing caution on not moving too fast. Because at the end of the day, this is hospitality. We're here for the experience that is our product is not just four walls in a room. It is, you know, that people can go to Airbnb or other, you know, platforms for that we are here in the service industry. Now, let's talk about your portfolio a little bit. Obviously you have a massive footprint in Texas, mainly the Houston and Austin area. What do you like about these markets? Do you see future opportunity there in the future? Richard Alberigo : So, Austin, three years ago, we had a lot of the revenge travel and, you know, sure. It was the best thing, right? Every rates were over $200 a night at limited service. It, it was absolutely insane. And then after Covid or the revenge travel of Covid, the cost of living in Austin became so high. The salaries got very high. And then Austin had the, had its own set of problems. Their convention center was shut down for renovation. So they're not bringing in the big conferences, and suddenly it's almost getting to be like a Los Angeles. And we saw what happened in the California hotel market. It really struggled. So Austin has struggled for the last couple years. We, we envision it being a little bit better this year, which is a good thing. But nothing like we thought it was gonna be four to five years ago. I mean, I was driving to Austin the other day and saw they were advertising at Dairy Queen for $21 an hour. And, you know, how, how can we compete at a hotel, when we're going against the Dairy Queen, right? That's, that's giving that kind of money. So then your profit margins go down. So we're hoping for the best in Austin. We think it's better this year, and we'll see about, you know, going forward. Houston, because of oil and gas is always an up and down. And when it's great, it's great. When it's not, it's not. So, three years on, you know, two years off is kind of the tradition of the Houston market, just because the oil prices are always up and they're down and they're up and they're down. It's really never stable. And, you know, in Houston, we get kind of the white collar, oil and gas. We don't really get the drillers, but we do have some hotels out in the oil fields. And it's kind of the same thing. Couple years on, couple years off. So, last year in the Houston area, we had a lot of storms. We had a derecho, a HA tornado, and then we had a hurricane that came in barrel. And from all indications, that increased our room nights 15%. So, we don't really know what would've been without the storm. And, you know, we're off to a slow start in the first quarter, so we'll have to kinda see how that goes for this year. But, you know, the storm business is always great when you're having it, but boy, it's really tough to recover from the next year as we know. Ryan Embree: Oh, absolutely. And, and going back to your point about Austin, yeah, we heard about that with several markets, you know, that ran really hot during the pandemic. Miami, Nashville, Austin obviously falls in that. And, you know, you can only be at a, at a peak for so long. And that, and that's what a lot of the, the hotel owners, developers, and managers were saying, were, we were enjoying this, you know, time where the rest of the industry was kind of in a lull. But you can't be at a peak forever, so year over year. And, you know, Taylor Swift isn't coming having a concert every weekend. Richard Alberigo : And that's another thing we had a couple years ago, and unfortunately we were like the, in Austin, in Houston, we were like our third big show, so we weren't prepared because we didn't really know until about five days out, like something special here, right. Where the other city's at a little bit more of advantage because they knew what was going on. And you know, I tell owners all the time when they come to us about managing their hotels and they're interested in buying one, and you know, they're gonna have a 15, 20 year license, you've gotta put that rainy day account out there, because when you're talking 15, 20 years, you're gonna have five years of down in there and, you know, don't, you don't know how you're gonna start, but you know, it's gonna be somewhere in there that it's, you're gonna have a down trend. You know, a lot of owners will, will think about, okay, here's what it's been the last five years, but you gotta look at what it's gonna do 10 years, 15 years from now, because, you know, every dog has its day, and maybe you're the first one into the market, and suddenly there's six or seven brand new guys in there to challenge you. And you gotta be ready for that. Ryan Embree: Absolutely. Yeah. Especially in those crowded markets, that's why things like digital marketing, which we're gonna talk about here, technology, which we touched on, but we'll talk about again, since we've seen, you know, the last time we we spoke, we've seen things like ChatGPT, other AI technologies, industry, get really excited about it. We kind of talked about it before, become more prevalent. Where do you see technology in that application for the industry as a whole? And are you at Alberigo Hotel Management starting to gear up and implement some of this new technology? Richard Alberigo : Well, we obviously use it because it makes your job easier, right? Right. I mean, AI, if you're, you're typing up a memo and you know, you think, okay, I'm a little bit too harsh on that memo. You could just type in, you know, you know, be a little bit nicer, or you could say, be a little bit more authoritative, or be a little bit more to the point. And it just changes. It. It's, it's really, I've only been really using it for the last maybe year or so, but it's incredible what it can do, because now you get, you know, the, the, the workforce out there is so sensitive, you gotta make sure your words are right. You say the one wrong, wrong word, and suddenly. So chat really helps also for your social reviews, when you can just put in ChatGPT or AI, and suddenly you know that you've answered that social review in a lot faster time than it would take in the old fashioned days when you had to like, sit down and say, okay, how do I, how do I show empathy and, you know, how do I not be defensive? And now you can just put it into chat and suddenly it does it for you. So that's the good part of it. But it does scare me because, you know, we can't have, you know, just be so technological that, you know, the human element goes, because what if it starts to replace some of these people that are doing that? That's my concern. Ryan Embree: And that's, and that's what we talk about. We never want to be an industry that loses touch with our, with our guests, you know what I mean? And being out of touch, you know, with who your ideal prospect is, Ideal customer, ideal guest and target audience, that can really, really change the scope of occupancy numbers, revenue, numbers. If you're now all of a sudden thinking, Hey, this is my ideal target audience, and everything has kind of shifted over the course of a few years. We've had a couple examples that we've talked about in some of your markets where that's changed. And sometimes you gotta change tactics. And if you're too far out of touch with that and you're, you don't have your ear close enough to the ground, could mean massive, massive implications there. And especially in a time that you said the margins are slim, you have to be as efficient as possible. You have to be able to pivot. Well, let's talk about, let's talk about where we are today, right? We're recording this February, gearing up for March. Travelers are travelers and hotels, like they're starting to thaw out, right? Maybe some of, maybe some of those markets spring break is around the corner, maybe looking at those occupancy numbers starting to pick up how is your portfolio really gearing up for a busy spring and summer season? Do you guys do, what do you guys do to, to, Richard Alberigo : Yeah, that's when you asked because it happened. So suddenly when you get to March 1st, the, the clienteles changes so drastically and so quickly. So I was just gearing up to send an email out about getting ready for the spring season here in the next couple of weeks, because it's a complete different clientele, as you know. You know, they're paying out of their own pocket when they're on leisure, you know, there's kids running around the hotel, their pools are being used, you know, our pools, you know, it actually snowed in Houston, if you don't know, you know, in January, which is very unusual. So the pool was the last thing we're, we're thinking about. But right now, you know, it's time to, even though it's still a little chilly and they're not using it yet, we gotta be ready. And, you know, that pool furniture might need to be replaced and, you know, it needs to be pristine out there. Might need to do some painting and, and get ready. And then your breakfast cost is going to go higher because you're gonna have more people in the rooms and, you know, a lot of waste, because some of the kids will pile the plate up and eat one bite, throw in the garbage. So you gotta be ready for that. And the breakfast attendant pacing has gotta be on queue because the corporate customer, they're so easy to manage, you know, all they want is an AC and a a, a nice bed and a comfortable room. Ryan Embree: And some good wifi. Richard Alberigo : That's it. Definitely a good wifi. But you know, where the leisure customer is completely different. So our, the scores notoriously will go down a little bit in March just because it happens so suddenly. And it's an industry thing because we're not prepared for it once we get into June and July, you know, we've kind of realized how it is, you know, weekday is this and weekend is that. But you know, it's definitely a challenge. And, you know, we have to be ready and, and safety too, because there's been a lot of pool incidents in the hotel industry where, you know, there's been even deaths because the gates have been left open. And again, that's the kind of thing we're not even thinking about in February. So, there's a lot of moving parts and we definitely have to be ready for it when it comes. Ryan Embree: Yeah. I've talked about on this podcast, it's a, it's a natural kind of stress test for hotels as far as, you know, maybe some of those minor issues and problems that you are having over the winter. Now all of a sudden they compound a little bit when all of a sudden it goes from 50% occupancy to 70%. And then if you're running hot in the summer, which typically hotels are now all of a sudden that minor issue is becoming a backed up line for breakfast. And people are getting frustrated. And you're hearing that guest sentiment. That's why it's so critical and crucial for you to, you know, I've said it before, have a listening ear on the ground, taking a look at your reviews, taking a look at what people are saying on social media to make sure that those minor issues are addressed now, so that when that occupancy wave comes in the spring and summer, it's handled appropriately and it's not doing lasting damage to your online reputation and presence. Richard Alberigo : And we like to keep the kids happy, you know, I mean, oh, yeah. During the spring and all the way through the summer, I mean, we'll hand out popsicles to the, to the kids that check in and you, you know, you make the kids happy and the parents are happy, right? So very important to cater yourself to the kids, because yeah, sometimes it could get crazy running up and down the hallways and that kind of thing, but if you can control it and, you know, make them happy and you got, you can't keep them bored because if they're bored, they're gonna get into problems, right? So you gotta make them happy. And if the kid says, I love this hotel, the parents will give you a good survey. Ryan Embree: There you go. I like that. Well, last time we spoke, Richard, this, this really stuck with me. You know, we kind of talked and we were in the throes of the pandemic when we had that episode talking about how "C is the new A" in hospitality and meaning post 2020, travelers had really become accustomed to kind of your average service in hospitality. And it was really going to be those hotel management companies that went above and beyond, like, Aberigo Hotel Management and prioritize the guest experience that were gonna reap those rewards. How were you and your team kind of prioritizing the guest experience and ensuring that A+ service? Richard Alberigo : So, I'll be honest with you, I think the entire industry after Covid was just trying to, throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what would stick. Sure. I mean, you know, yes, we had strategies and so did everybody else, and there was no basis on the strategy. You were just trying something, right? I mean, we tried housekeeping bonuses for longevity, and we had hiring bonuses for, you know, referring a friend. And what it came down to, looking back on it, none of that really worked. The good, the good employees were still the good employees. And, you know, the retention did not go up a bit, right? Because the ones that didn't really wanna work in the hotel business didn't work, and the ones that didn't work out didn't work out. So looking back on that, that was kind of a waste of time. But we, you know, at that, we were in desperation mode. We were, we were trying anything. So now we're trying to holding people a little bit more accountable than we were then. I mean, instead of worrying about if somebody gonna get upset and they're gonna leave if we hold 'em accountable, you know, we're honest and upfront with, and we're focusing more on the interview process now than just the retention process because you gotta bring in the right people. As I mentioned earlier, I was great when I had the great people and I was bad when I didn't have the great people. You gotta in the interview structure, you know, we're trying to change it up a little bit instead of asking, asking behavioral questions. I think those are becoming paste now because they have those rehearsed, you know, tell me about a time and they've got that time and they just keep repeating it over and over. Did it even happen? We don't know. It might just have been made up, right? So we have to change our interview process and ask the questions that caters to the Gen Z. Like, you know, can you smile for eight hours a day? That's a question that no one ever asked me when I was applying for a front desk agent position, because it was assumed I was applying for a front desk agent position, right? You know, and can you stand up for eight hours or, you know, can you greet guests? Can you answer the phone? I mean, we're having so much trouble with phone etiquette now because they've, the first time they've answered a phone maybe in a year might be at your hotel. So that's the kind of stuff in the interview process that we have to identify someone that can actually do the job and be specific and ask them if they can make, if they can accomplish those goals and do those functions. And perfect example we had a front desk agent three months in, she wasn't doing a very good job with smiling. So I said, oh, told the gm you need to go over there and, you know, tell her she needs to smile. And he goes, I did. And I go, what'd she say? And he says, well, she said, that didn't come up in the interview. She didn't know that was required. So that's really opened my eyes that, you know, we've gotta do it early on and we can't just assume these employees and associates, these new associates can actually do the job. So once you bring in someone that's got energy and is a cheerleader and takes accountability, then I think it's a lot easier to manage than trying to make chicken salad out of chicken soup. Ryan Embree: Certainly. And you know, we've talked about on this podcast before, the way that this younger generation is even preparing for taking a job like this. And what they'll start to do, they'll look at reviews and of saying, Hey, these are the, these are the type of issues, or, you know, this is the type of feedback that guests are gonna be giving me at the front desk. If they're seeing a bunch of five star reviews talking about how Jennifer at the front desk really made their day and made it special for them, versus I complained to the front desk five times and they didn't do anything about it. Hearing those two things paints a completely different picture for an employee. So another just really, really strong argument to, to have the online presence kind of buckled in and buckled up because this new generation, they're gonna be doing all of their research online before they even pick up the call or even and press that apply button. So, and let's talk, talk about that, Richard, you know, at the Suite Spot's core, we are digital marketing podcast. First, can you kind of share with our Suite Spot audience the importance of maintaining a high performing digital presence, consistent digital marketing strategy in 2025? Richard Alberigo : Well, I think especially for some of the individual owners out there, the smaller hotels, they don't have time. They're trying to have carry around too many hats. They don't have time for the, like the travel media group, what you guys do, you know, the way you can answer surveys for them and, you know, sales and marketing and, and doing all that stuff and taking the load, answering reviews, social media, I mean, taking that load off them, it, it's such an important, I wish I would've known that existed, you know, back before when I had just had two or three hotels because we didn't have someone to do that, right? Because our company was small. And I would've loved to have somebody that you could just pay on the side much cheaper than paying an individual full-time salary and let 'em do that stuff for you. And it, and like you said, it means a lot if you are not answering your social reviews and you don't have anyone to do it, or you got someone doing it, you know, half the time it's hurting you. Right? So I think that's a big time key, especially for a first time owner or somebody with's a smaller company to get out there and hire somebody to do that job for them so they don't have to worry about it, because I don't think they understand the impact of having negative reviews and nobody answering 'em. They don't understand that, you know, why that's important to show empathy online and that kind of thing. Ryan Embree: Well, the list of the list of duties for a GM owner, manager, you know, has grown. It has not shrank the responsibilities. You talked about it with the hats that they wear, right? It is something now that our added responsibilities posting on your social media consistently, it feels like a new platform is popping up every single day with, with social media and having to be awareness on there. And especially with a generation that's coming up doing most of their research, as you said it are more likely to pick up their phone to, to scroll on social media than they are to pick up the phone and, and call property. It's absolutely critical and crucial, and that's what we preach on the podcast. And, you know, so, so happy to hear that there are hoteliers out there that are doing this, that, that see the impacts, feel the impacts of what it's like when something's not responded to, as you said, or going to your social media when it's snowing in Houston and seeing the last post about, Hey, come see our pool, our beautiful pool here. Right? Right. And, and it just feels outta touch. It, it feels like, how am I supposed to take care of you, host you as a, as a hotel if we're not managing something as simple as your social media? Richard Alberigo : It's kind of outta sight, outta mind is the reason I think a lot of hoteliers don't do it because they're worrying about, you know, the plumbing problem they've got in room 211 and, you know, the electricity went out, the elevator went out, and they're not thinking about that kind of hidden gem out there. And, but it is crucial because I know when I go traveling now or go to a new restaurant, I mean, I go on there and look at the reviews and, you know, look at the ratings and it, it's a key decision maker. And, you know, if you've got poor reviews out there or you're not answering 'em, and you know, I'm not going, you know, so I'll be honest, I don't go to the restaurant. Why would I go to a hotel? Right? Ryan Embree: I get it. And, you know, you know, I was at the front desk too, and I think we all, if we ever, if anyone that's worked the front desk listening to this or watching this knows when an upset guest is walking towards you, you can feel that from across the lobby. Right? Richard Alberigo : Remember those days, Ryan, when I was in hotels that weren't very nice. When they come around that elevator and they'd come to me and I'd just cringe and then they'd walk by and I'm like, phew. Ryan Embree: Exactly. But that's, but that's kind of the analogy and the parallel that we talked to our hotel partners about, about saying, now imagine that same guest, but they've just left this feedback online, you know, and, and not getting a response. Richard Alberigo : And that's why our, our breakfast, it used to be called the lobby lizard or the Breakfast lizard, you know, we, we require our leaders to be out there at least one hour a day to giving that last impression. Because the first thing they're going to remember when they get that survey is that last impression. I'm a big on first impression, don't get me wrong, but some of that, if it's a three day steak could have been forgotten. But, but you go into that breakfast and, you know, greet 'em and talk to them and find out if there's any issues and, you know, hand 'em a water to go and suddenly that survey pops in their phone and, you know, maybe that eight turns into a nine. So you know, it's crucial to, to deal with 'em on the way out the door instead of, you know, sticking sitting into your office. Richard Alberigo : Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. That age old trick of, and you get great feedback too. That's the other thing, you know, as, as you can hear, and sales leads as well, right? Ryan Embree: Yeah, 100%. So, as we wrap up, we covered a lot today. A lot of topics, a lot of questions, you know, as we wrap up today, would love to hear again, you hit that milestone last year. What's your vision for the future of Alberigo Hotel Management? Richard Alberigo : Well, we passed out a book, actually, I purchased a book for all our, all our leaders. It's called Be Amazing and Go Home. It's one of the best customer service books. You know, I've read the, the Seven Habits and you know, all the main ones that you've heard of, but this was, was so, so impactful for me. Talks about holding, you know, people accountable, holds, you know, being ready for the day. You know, it's, this title tells it Be amazing or go home. And, you know, I was watching the video from the book an it was so simple where the gentleman says, you just need to be a little bit better than average. And he pauses and you're thinking, you know, why is this so impactful? Right? He didn't really gimme anything. But then he says every single day, and I think you, I think simplifying customer service is what, where we need to go, right? You a little bit better than average. You don't have to be a superstar every day, but you gotta be a little bit better in average, but you do it every day. So I think consistency will determine if a hotel is successful or not in 2025 or beyond. I think it's always been that way. But, you know, sometimes we get too much into the rocket science of, you know, let me give 'em a gift bag and the way in and the way out, and we forget it still comes down to the basics. It's just being nice. You know, if you've got a lot of employees that are nice, you can train those people, right? But unfortunately, you know, some of the employees that's, you know, will move into our hotels and we're like, that person's not nice. Why are they here? Right? 'cause they probably knew how to answer the interview questions, right? So I think that's the key. Just getting back to the basics this year, you know, so we are going to hold people accountable. I mean, we're big on culture, but I think maybe we went a little too far on culture because we thought, you know, we were scared like anyone else's, what if they all leave us? Right? So I think now Covid is in the rear view mirror and we've got to hire the right people and make them as great as they can be. But, you know, don't settle for second best. Ryan Embree: Yeah, no, absolutely. And you know, maybe it's that smile that you were talking about that it's just a little bit better, right? And, and taking it up a notch with, with your level of service. So firing message to end on. Richard, we appreciate the time taking outta your, your busy schedule. We wish you a bunch of success for the next 10 years with Alberigo Hotel Management. So thank you so much for joining me today. Richard Alberigo : I'm looking forward to the next time. It was fun. Ryan Embree: Alright, thank you. And thank you for listening to The Suite Spot, and we'll talk to you next time To join our loyalty program. Be sure to subscribe and give us a five star reading on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cover Art by Bary Gordon. I'm your host Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.