Chaotic "Spring Break"? More Like a Week of Triumph! #bleisure #blendedtravel

This April, spring break took a twist I wasn't expecting. While visions of poolside lounging danced in my kids' heads, reality involved a different kind of family adventure: helping my 81-year-old parents move apartments in Philadelphia. Needless to say, "relaxation" wasn't exactly on the agenda for anyone!

Throw in a crazy busy work week on top of that, and you've got the recipe for a potential breakdown. But here's the thing: thanks to the flexibility of remote work (all I needed was my trusty laptop and Apple TV!), I managed to juggle it all. It was chaotic, yes, but by the end of the week, a powerful feeling washed over me – gratitude.

This experience was more than just packing boxes. It was about staying true to myself and implementing my post-pandemic promise: to travel more with my kids and extend work trips for personal exploration.

So, when a potential client requested a New York meeting that same week, I saw an opportunity. Day trip, anyone? My 12-year-old daughter was thrilled to take a break form helping with the move and jump on a train with me! She got a front-row seat to my world, observing my sales pitch for a hotel project/model room in a SoHo warehouse. The amazing hotel team peppered her with questions and gave her a front row seat for the demo. 

After the demo, we celebrated with lunch at the Soho Grand, where my daughter spotted a favorite influencer (major fangirling ensued!). We capped off the epic day with a matinee on Broadway and a two-hour shopping spree at Macy's. 

I share this story because It was a stark contrast to the pre-pandemic me, constantly wrestling with guilt. Back then, work trips meant rushing home, my mind split between presentations and bedtime stories. I always felt divided - When I was working, I tried to downplay the demands of motherhood and what I was missing while at work. At home, I'd try to silence the itch to explore, pretending to be fully present when a part of me craved adventure.

As Glennon Doyle says, This way of life requires living in integrity: ensuring that my inner self and outer self are integrated. Integrity means having only one self. Dividing into two selves—the shown self and the hidden self—that is brokenness, so I do whatever it takes to stay whole. I do not adjust myself to please the world. I am myself wherever I am, and I let the world adjust.”

How I Saved My Vacation From Going Off the Rails

With support from my online community, this past year has taught me not only to pivot but to pirouette

We’ve all been hearing stories of recent travel nightmares. I have a close friend who is a flight attendant; her stories are rather horrifying (albeit entertaining). Policies and procedures have certainly changed, and traveler anxiety is at an all-time high.

I am still scarred from a family trip to St. Kitts that we tried and failed to take in April. The full story can be read here, but the short version is that my parents, my husband, our four kids, and I made it to St. Kitts, but only my parents got to stay.

Holding Room in St. Kitts

The rest of us were sent back to the United States immediately upon arrival, due to a paperwork snafu. On the best of days, traveling with four kids is not easy, and traveling with them for eighteen hours when things are not going smoothly was nightmarish! Even my calm and cool husband was flummoxed by these events.

That being said, this past year has taught me not only to pivot but to pirouette, and I am grateful for the tools that helped me reimagine our family vacation.

I’ve never loved the phrase, “Things happen for a reason.” As we were herded back onto our American Airlines flight and I was consoling three teary kids and a teenage son who was looking for a fight, I couldn’t fathom what the silver lining would be.

I spent hours online researching other destinations. We’d already spent a lot of money on the plane tickets and were not sure if we’d be reimbursed for any of it, so the mission was to find a low-budget alternative. I scoured the internet, but each search resulted in expensive options or more Covid hurdles, and I couldn’t stomach either. As a hospitality professional and optimist, I truly believed this trip could be salvaged. And then it hit me! Why not reach out to my own network? At the very least, I could share my frustration and ask for support.

I started with the travel community that I was building with Zibby Owens called, “Moms Don’t Have Time to Travel”. The website is a work in progress, but it is super quick and easy to post a question, get advice from like-minded people, and read about the travel experiences of others. I quickly typed, “My vacation to St. Kitts just got derailed and we are flying back to Charlotte. I need a Plan B within driving distance that will be fun for an exhausted mom, dad, and their kids (ages 9, 13, 15, and 18).

My new friend, Samantha, immediately replied, “Kiawah Island is a family favorite.”

Our First Sunset in Kiawah Island

We spent the next five days sitting by the pool, biking on the beach, boating, and enjoying all of Kiawah Island’s southern charm. The only downside was that we had to experience it without the company of my parents. My mom texted frequently, and I could tell that they were not having much fun without us. They wanted to be with us, but they were trapped on the island.

She softened the blow by telling me that St. Kitts would not have been much fun for our kids because everything was still pretty locked down, and there was way too much seaweed for the ocean to be enjoyable.

As we were herded back onto our American Airlines flight and I was consoling three teary kids and a teenage son who was looking for a fight, I couldn’t fathom what the silver lining would be.

Based on this trip and a couple of others that I’ve done since restrictions have been lifted, here are some lessons I’ve learned that may help when things don’t go as planned:

• Sometimes the detour is the best part of a traveling experience.

• Kids bounce back much more quickly than adults.

• The most important part of any trip is that you have already chosen your traveling companions.

• Be patient. Have empathy. Ask for help.

• You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a vacation.

• An online community can be as valuable as the ones that exist in real life.

The best thing you can do is to stay calm and try to roll with the punches as they come. If you have faced unexpected travel barriers, please share your experience with us. And if you need travel advice or have journeys you recommend, please message me.

I think we’ve all evolved as travelers and have different priorities, so let’s come together to offer new perspectives and make these new experiences better than before.

Hayespitality 2.0: Work Life After the Pandemic

What a year it has been! I’d be pretty psyched if I never heard. the word Zoom again, if I’m being honest. That being said, the lack of in-person events, caused so many of us to work harder to connect digitally. In that vein, I used my time wisely. While juggling 4 kids and our industry closing up, I leaned into my work with HSMAI Boston and worked with and for so many awesome companies. With all the challenges, comes clarity. And I’m thrilled to have landed back into consulting. Here’s what up to and how I can help:

Events are coming back! Save money and time by getting rid of your legacy Sales & Catering systems and embrace iVvy. Having worked for Newmarket/Amadeus, Tripleseat and iVvy, I can help you navigate your decision and implementation.

Electric Scooters are an innovative and quiet way to navigate golf courses and resorts. I’ve also helped people start up rental shops. Reach out to me with any questions or for the latest Phat Scooters pricing.

Contactless technology and digital tipping are being embraced by hotels by necessity. As an early employee of Intelity and as someone who’s passionate about using technology to enhance the guest experience, it has been particularly gratifying to watch this functionality be adopted. If you need help deciding which technologies are worth it, please reach out to me.

Last but not least, I’ve finally figured out how to integrate my work and family life. I’m working with podcaster and influencer, Zibby Owens, for her Travel division and having a blast. Please join our online community, called, Moms Don’t Have Time to Travel. We are planning retreats and creating a Yelp for Moms and want your input! I also am doing some travel writing and editing so stay tuned for updates.

Please reach out and let me know what’s new with you and let’s work together to keep #hospitalitystrong and #hayespitality thrive.

CONTACT INFO:

Email me: jess@hayespitality.com

Follow me: Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter

Cheers!

New Year, New Contact Info, and Software Goosies

New Year, New Contact Info, and Software Goosies

Happy New Year, everyone (I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of saying that :) 

I’m pretty sure that all of us have felt untethered to a degree, in large part because our industry was built on the value of human interaction and hospitality.  I’ve spent more time than I'd like to admit thinking about our plight, and I've decided that while human interaction has changed drastically, hospitality has not.  Reading hoteliers’ stories, staying connected on Linkedin and on Zoom and watching what my colleagues at HSMAI have accomplished has been truly inspiring.  

I’m sharing my new contact info in the vein of keeping in touch and continuing our conversations.  For some context, after making the difficult decision to leave Tripleseat last February,  I was looking for my next opportunity.  I  had such fun traveling to Hawaii,  LA, Vegas and Austin attending conferences and networking.  Then in March, I sat in on a software demo from iVvy that gave me goosies (more on that later, but yes, I’m that much of a nerd).   Then with the pandemic that prevented travel, and my 4 kids suddenly thrust into at-home learning, I wasn’t just forced to pivot, I pirouetted. I will forever be grateful for Phat Scooters, HSMAI, and my industry family for keeping me engaged during this time.  

While I don’t want to count my chickens, I believe this next chapter will be my best one yet.  As the new Director of Training and Implementation at iVvy, I get to combine all my skills and learning from my roles at Newmarket/Amaedus, Passkey, Tripleseat and as a consultant for the hotel tech industry.   I’m thrilled to have landed at a company that cares about the same things as I do- saving hoteliers time and money, revolutionizing group and event management, and investing in people.

I’m also excited as I just took on the role of President of the HSMAI Boston Chapter.  Our board  has some compelling events planned online and is already drumming up ideas for when we can finally gather in person.  

I’d love to stay in touch and hear what you’re up to.  If you have time to respond and let me know how you’re doing, it would be much appreciated. My new contact info is jessica.hayes@ivvy.com,  

How to Choose the Right Technology Partners

How many vendor calls do you get in a given week? Have they slowed down since COVID-19, or are you being bombarded now more than ever? I’ve been inspired by some of my friends in sales who are using this time to reconnect with all of their customers. They are on zoom calls all day in an effort to understand their customers’ particular challenges in terms of occupancy, forecasting, event planning, and marketing. The good technology partners can readily pull historic data (from the cloud), and help their hotel partners strategically plan for what is next (in spite of the uncertainty).

The Greek root of the word crisis is “to sift,” and I’m sincerely hoping the gift of this crisis will be that when the hospitality industry comes back, only the most authentic companies made up of people, who are deeply rooted in the principles of hospitality will remain. On behalf of my hotelier friends, I’ve been using this time to evaluate the technology companies that are openly communicating -- the ones that are transparent and yet optimistic. Leadership is more crucial than ever, and it is refreshing to talk to people in the industry who are incredibly engaged with their leadership and are collaborating as a team to make adjustments and plan for the future.

If you are feeling overwhelmed during this time, I’m happy to help you sift through your choices. Based on my research, can help make technology recommendations for:

Event Management/Group Sales

Revenue Management

Housekeeping

Guest Services Tech

and more. This has been really challenging for everyone in our industry, and Hayespitality is here to do our part. Please reach out with questions or challenges. If we learn to collaborate better, listen to each other, and use the data strategically, together we will come out of this stronger than ever.

Now’s the Time to Evaluate Technology

“Travel is the most consequential industry in the world, as the world is now finding out due to lack of travel” - — Rafat Ali, Skift

What can hoteliers do during this unprecedented time? Group business/events are cancelling, individual travelers are staying home, and your staff is perhaps dealing with taking care of their families. Whether you are still on property or working remotely, the time is ripe to evaluate technology. Here are some recommendations:

• The ROI for any technology in a hotel environment is in how well it is adopted. Invest time in online training and learning? 

• Do your vendor partners play nice with each other?  Do they integrate? If not, it might be time to evaluate other options.  

• Keep your staff engaged. Take time to meet with everyone online and problem-solve.  

• We can’t predict the future or the economical impact of the Coronavirus, but we can evaluate whether our technology choices are in fact increasing efficiencies and decreasing costs.  

• Try not to inundate your target audience with emails right at this time.  People are overwhelmed and don’t want to be peppered with non-essential information.  Instead, work on having a marketing plan and cadence to be implemented when the timing is better.  

Lastly, if the above recommendations aren’t realistic, consider hiring a consultant.  Hayespitality is here to help navigate technology decisions and assist with implementation.  During this disruptive time, we are all going to find out if and how our technology choices are making things easier or are more of an impediment.  

As always, Feedback is welcome. 

My 20 year reunion with the Princeville Hotel in Kauai

Can you imagine being fresh out of college and traveling to Kauai for work? My career in hospitality has always filled me with gratitude.  Don’t get me wrong, I have also traveled to sketchy places and ate crappy food and run myself ragged. Mostly though, I found that the sales & catering teams that I trained (regardless of their location) were also grateful people. Training hotels and traveling in my early 20s truly was the best gig of my career.

On our recent family vacation to Kauai, we took a day trip to the Princeville so I could show it to my kids. It remains one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve visited, and from what I hear it is about to become even more glorious.  While I will miss the original splendor of the hotel, Im very excited for the property to be reimagined.  

The construction starts this spring for what it is to be the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay.  Through my work with Mode Green and their work with the 1 Hotel brand, I believe that this brand’s unparalleled commitment to earth-friendly design will be perfect for this property. 

With the 1 Hotel Brooklyn and Central park, they integrated features such as reclaimed wood, organic cotton bed linens, smart lighting in the rooms, built-in water filters in the bathrooms, reduction of paper use, and energy savings throughout.  I will be watching for updates on this massive renovation project as this gem of a property is near and dear to my heart. Change is good!  

The Princeville in Kauai circa 1997

The view in 2020

https://www.shhotelsandresorts.com/coming-soon/coming-soon-1-hotels

Is Lighting an innovative piece of hotel technology?

Last week in Boston, the CEO of ModeGreen spoke to us about “Simplifying Hotel Technology to Maximize Operations & Guest Experience”. It was an engaging presentation and our hotelier guests asked a lot of questions about elevating the guest experience and what is working in the New York market that they can bring to Boston.

I’ve worked with Bill a lot so I was familiar with all the technology silos that he helps connect. The biggest takeaway, however, that I got from his presentation is that LIGHTING is actually a game-changing piece of technology for hoteliers. AND, with Wellness being the #1 trend in hospitality conversations, Lighting can actually contribute to our well-being.

Between detecting our circadian rhythms, changing colors, mirroring indoor light to reflect what is happening outside, etc, there is so much that can be done in a guest room or public space to elevate the guest experience. Through integrations with shades and temperature control, people can experientially wind up and wind down. I experienced this at the Encore in Las Vegas myself this week.

Bill also informed us that while a lot of this technology is expensive, ultimately, costs can be reduced and operational efficiencies increased when connecting the right solutions. This is regardless of a Hotel’s Star Rating.

While many of you may not geek out on this the way that I do, it was cool to see how engaged the audience was (even those who aren’t planning a renovation or involved in a new build). In the context of hospitality and technology, global issues like climate change, health and wellness, and safety in the workplace were also discussed. Hospitality Tech is far from simple but I really like engaging with people who are working to make it more accessible for everyone.

If you want to learn more or have any questions, please reach out to me at jess@hayespitlity.com.