"What keeps IHG's most valuable guests coming back? Consistency. But if even one hotel can't live up to The Standards, every property suffers."  A Look At Why Standards Are Important.

In a recent thread titled, "Bonus Points For Surveys", a Pittsburgh Guest Champion Employee asks members if points would encourage members to fill out post-stay surveys for bonus points. Any surveys one may receive after staying in an IHG hotel is an important duty to fill out. The reason why? Specific hotels are graded on the responses from members' experiences. Since most IHG hotels are independently owned and operated, the results are one of many ways that IHG monitors its indepentely owned hotels.

I have listed the requirements that hotels such as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels must follow. These standards are MANDATORY. Hotels that fail to meet one or more standards face significant fines. Filling out a survey received by email after a stay is one way that allows IHG to 'keep an eye' on certain hotels. I encourage one to take the time to fill out online surveys by email, drop a comment card in the box provided by the hotel, and to fill out the Guest Satisfaction Feedback Form provided online. Though you may not always receive a response from management after filling out a post-stay survey, I can assure you that your comments and suggestions do NOT go unnoticed! IHG is dedicated to guests' opinions and desires to hear about your stay; especially, as the Holiday Inn brand moves closer to a full rebranding. These standards ensure that the brand will move to a more consistent experience for all.

Your feedback regarding how you were treated as a Priority Club Member (Gold and Platinum) is one of the most important sections to fill out. If you are a guest randomly selected to complete a survey, please do your part and take the extra time to share your experience.  When I receive a survey, I always remember to take time to fill it out.

What post-survey questions have General Managers "On Their Toes"?

1. Does the hotel staff recognize your status in the program?
2. Is there a separate check-in and check-out area for members?
3. Are complimentary upgrades at check-in the best available rooms?

"The Weekly Guest Scores Are Important"

Copyright © 2009 Amanda Kehoe

Holiday Inn Select Atlanta Perimeter Dunwoody

Existing Standards That IHG Brands Must Follow:

• Priority Check-In for Gold and Platinum Members

All hotels must provide Priority Check-In service to Priority Club Gold and Platinum members.

• Complimentary Newspaper

A complimentary newspaper, either local, national, or international, must be provided Monday through Friday. At check-in, guests must be informed orally or in writing (by a sign at the front desk or card handed to the guest), whether the paper will be delivered to the room, or if it is to be picked up at the front desk or elsewhere.

• Extended Check-Out

If the guest requests and upon availability, the hotel must extend check-out until 2pm.

• Hotel Room Upgrades for Platinum Members

Platinum members must be offered an upgrade as determined by the hotel, which might include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms or rooms with a preferred view. The upgrade must be offered at time of check-in, based on availability, and will apply to the member's personal guest room. The hotel is not required to upgrade members to suites.

• Signage and Applications

Priority Club Rewards signs and applications must be displayed in the registration area of each hotel.

• Guaranteed Room Availability

When contacting the Priority Club service center directly and guaranteeing the reservation with a valid credit card, each Platinum Member will be guaranteed one room for personal use, for reservations made at least 72 hours prior to the date of arrival, except during special events that result in extraordinary room demand, as determined solely by the hotel. The member will not be charged more than the prevailing rate for the accommodation requested, and the member is not entitled to a rate less than the prevailing rate. Once made, Platinum Guarantees may not be dishonored for any reason. Platinum Guarantees do not apply to Reward Night reservations.

• Express Check-Out

With the presentation of a satisfactory method of payment at time of check-in, Priority Club members are entitled to Express Check-Out.

Measured Standards That IHG Hotels Are Evaluated:

• Member Recognition at Check-In

All hotels must greet members and recognize their Elite status at time of check-in. Hotels will be given an initial 12 months to reach the standard, April 2009 through March 2010. Hotels outside of US will be measured for compliance as the program is incorporated. Measurement will be conducted on a calendar-quarter basis.

• Reward Nights

All hotels must accept Reward Night reservations. Reward night inventory equal to 5% of the hotel's guest room inventory will be allocated. All hotel benefits, excluding Upgrades for Platinum Members, must be honored for Priority Club members in conjuction with their Reward Night stays. Measurements occur randomly, three times per calendar year.

• Priority Club Training

Priority Club training must be completed annually as specified by Priority Club Rewards. Approved Priority Club Rewards material must be included in hotel New Employee Orientation program. Hotels will be measured for compliance at the end of each calendar quarter. Training should be a continuous process, not just a one-time occurrence.

Additional Links:

Decide What Communications To Receive: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Privacy Policy regarding Guest Satisfaction Surveys and Email Communications.

Staybridge Suites Ranked Highest: J.D. Power & Associates rates the brand highest in Guest Satisfaction, 2009.

Hotel Accolades: Example of Holiday Inn who received the Quality Excellence Award from IHG.

Torchbearer Award: Hotels in the IHG system that maintain the highest standards of excellence in various categories, from quality to customer satisfaction. The Torchbearer Award is IHG's most prestigious award.

         Unfortunately I don't always have the tour bus to myself ...

"Using Common Sense & Being Respectful while Traveling"

The goal when one travels is hopefully to have the best and most pleasant experience possible. Unfortunately, the laid back trip you planned for 6 months can quickly become a battle as soon as you step inside the airport. There are so many little things that can make your trip unpleasant.

It is not enough to only learn the laws, customs, dress, religions and manners of the country or area you soon will be visiting. Go one step further and respect the other tourists, locals, environment and fellow travelers who surround you.

Be civil and show humanity by learning the most common "travel rants." To enjoy traveling, I have become aware of how my behavior affects others & how I should act around others.

Please be aware of personal space and boundaries:

*Do not kick or bump the person in front of you on a flight, bus, or anywhere else. When you cross your legs, rest your foot on the seat in front of you, or grab the seat to assist in getting up are all things that the person in front of you can feel.

*Did the flight attendant ask you not to use the restroom in first class? If so, listen.

*Smoking is considered a health hazard to some; it may not hurt to ask if your cigarette is a bother.

*Leave room for other people's luggage by not hogging the entire overhead bin. Learn how to travel light.

*Please cover coughs and sneezes. If you are constantly sniffling--please get up and blow your nose.

*On long flights, people sleep on planes so avoid crowding aisles, bathroom areas, and the front/back of planes where people are sitting.

Please be aware of sound:

*As you walk the corridors of the hotel, be mindful of others who may hear you talk as you walk towards the elevator. Also, some people awaken when others nearby open & shut their hotel room doors.

*Cell phones are often times too loud and obnoxious to others.

*Watch the language! No swearing-especially around children.

*Please avoid making stereotypical and offensive remarks.

*Passengers who talk continuosuly are simply being disrespectful.

*Your music can be heard by others even when you are using headsets.

Please be aware of property that does not belong to you:

*If you are parking in a lot, don't hit another person's car as you open your car door to exit.

*Leave the free guidebooks in the hotel room for the next occupant.

*Help housekeeping by cleaning up after yourself. Place trash in a bin and piling dirty laundry is a huge help.

Traveling with kids requires an extra eye:

*Traveling with your kids is a great experience that requires extra precaution.

*Children must be supervised, be welcomed where you travel, & respect other adults that are on vacation.  *Same applies to pets.

*Prepare children about upcoming travel by going over rules regarding behavior. Uncontrollable children is the top traveling complaint worldwide.

*On airplanes, do no sit children directly next to another passenger.

*Research areas where children & families are welcomed without the dirty looks. Many restaurants cater to families. Europeans are known to be more sympathetic with crying babies in public settings.

*Teach young children & teens/tweens to respect culture.

*Check out the 'Delicious Baby' blog with ways to make traveling with kids fun no matter where you go.

Communicating with service staff:

*In the hotel setting, be a "gracious" guest by limiting complaining & allowing staff ample time to meet your requirements and requests.

*Saying "Thank You" and tipping when appropriate should never be taken lightly.

Internet usage:

*With limited laptops available to guests, please do not monopolize time on the internet.

*Avoid checking your Facebook and other social networking accounts when someone is waiting to use the computer or has walked by the computer room on several occasions.

*Keep Internet usage related to travel plans, emails, and other essential tasks.

*Internet cafes are great place to spend longer times on a computer.

Minorities:

*Offer to give up your seat on the tram/train/shuttle ride for a child, woman, disabled, or the eldery.

*If appropriate, offer to assist someone in need.

*Remind yourself that every person is a minority or foreigner somewhere.

Time and Punctuality:

*Arriving ontime to dinner reservations, group tours, and spa treatments allow your fellow travelers to enjoy their planned activities as scheduled.

*Observe restaurant, bar, and pool closing times.

*In Western societies, being on time has shown to be more important. However, with that said, being on time shows that you value other travelers.

*Holding up a departure is no way to start a trip.

Please add your own tips, advice, horror stories, and/or criticisms as a comment below.

Green Is Back In Style! Or Is It? IHG Thinks So.....

Today, many people desire to be environmentally friendly. It is not uncommon for someone you know or even yourself to be cognizant of turning the lights off after leaving a room, using cold water to wash clothes, installing energy efficient light bulbs, driving more energy efficient cars and recycling garbage.

Some of you may not know that the hotel industry is on board and working to be more environmentally friendly to reduce each hotels carbon footprint. Some hotels even have motion sensors in rooms or hallways to control lighting & air conditioning. I am a firm believer that green travel can be just as rewarding and luxurious.

Did you know that IHG recently was awarded by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) for its commitment to reducing environmental impact?  The InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) is moving forward in greening its hotels. The InterContinental San Francisco features double paned windows, energy efficient light bulbs and motion sensors. The spa uses recycled packaging and organic ingredients. The hotel also uses industrial drain cleaners which use microbial technology to get rid of the yucky stuff that can clog pipes.  The InterContinental Chicago recently received its Energy Star rating & its Green Seal silver certification. The General Manager, Edward Andrews heavily promotes recycling and reusing, has installed energy efficient lightbulbs and has made improvements to every toilet & sink to reduce water consumption. Hotel Indigo Chicago (Vernon Hills) doesn't use throw-a-way cups, has parking for hybrid cars, aggressively saves water & electricity and uses chemicals that are eco-friendly. IHG has reduced waste by 60% via recycling programs, saved $2.28 million worth of electricity, saved $139,715 with reduced garbage collections from 14 to 5 per month and saves 22,000 liters (almost 6,000 gallons) of water each month in a 100 room hotel.

The CEO of IHG, Andrew Coslett has publicly announced he will be pushing and supporting the green movement.  However, David Jerome, IHG Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility recently spoke at a travel summit and when asked if IHG could go green with all the hotels, he responded that there are 130 competing green standards for hotels and that's why the company has created its own internal standard. I hope Andrew and David continue working on becoming green across the board; and not just the internal standards, but continue working on achieving other green certification standards as well.

Read IHG's Press Release in January 2009 on reducing environmental impact.

Learn about the "Green Engage" software introduced by the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

Let's Take Holiday Inn's Renewed Focus & Rebranding On The Color Green & Make It A Reality!

My Easy Tips For Traveling Green:

1. Try hanging towels to dry & reuse them rather than leaving on the floor to be replaced after one use (this is so hard for me).
2. Let housekeeping know that fresh sheets are not needed on a daily basis.
3. Leave those shampoo bottles for the next guest if unopened. If used, take home and finish. Good idea for soap bars too!
4. When leaving room, turn off the TV, radio, and lights.
5. If recycling is offered at the hotel, do it. Ask staff member if you are unsure if the hotel offers recycling.
6. As a Priority Club Member, free newspapers are delivered as a club benefit. Instead, ask hotel to not deliver you a newspaper. Try to find one that has been used and left in a public area.
7. Take advantage of electronic check-out through the TV or other means to reduce paperwork. Tell hotel not to put that final bill under your door.
8. Take advantage of walking tours instead of taking a taxi or the subway.

Places to Check Out:

travelgreen.org

ihg.com/responsibility

istaygreen.org

greenlodgingnews.com

Current Up-to-Date News

News as of 6/2009: National Geographic & the InterContinental Hotel Group extend partnership.

News as of 9/2009: Holiday Inn's rebranded logo will use energy efficient GE LED lighting in its new exterior signage. This will reduce Holiday Inn's energy usage by more than half and reduce kilowatt hours used  by 52 percent. For additional information on GE LED products and lighting systems, visit www.lumination.com.

Please take the time to ask questions or comment below my blog post.  Remember, I can be reached at AmandaKehoe@att.net.

Here is me traveling green last year. I stayed at a resort named, "One of the world's best ecotourism models" by National Geographic.

Copyright © 2009 Amanda Kehoe

Sources: nbta.org

              greentravelsummit.com