Episode 2: In a Holding Pattern – Is it a time for Spring Cleaning?

Date Published: April 23, 2020

With hotel operations temporarily suspended, The Lotte New York Palace is focusing on Spring Cleaning and making the best of the current situation.

Welcome back to the Unconstrained Conversations podcast. In this episode, IDeaS’ chief evangelist Klaus Kohlmayr speaks with Derek Brewster, director of revenue management, at The Lotte New York Palace. Derek was named HSMAI’s 2018 Single/Multi-unit Revenue Management Professional of the Year and originally spoke to Klaus in our Road to Revenue series where he gave advice to revenue managers just starting their revenue journeys.

With hotel operations temporarily suspended, Derek talks to Klaus about the importance of staying flexible, using the time to expand professional and personal skills, and how to stay positive during times of crisis. Other topics discussed include:

• The challenges and opportunities brought on by the new work-from-home environment
• The collaborative approach used by the hotel’s owners and management to make timely decisions regarding the safety and wellness of guests and employees
• Adopting the mindset of opening a new hotel vs. getting back to normal
• The importance of having good relationships with distribution partners

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