Summer Travel Planning Edition 2023
Summer is here, and in this month’s edition of The Hospitality Mentor newsletter, we’re talking about how to make unforgettable memories for family travelers, a refreshing summer cocktail idea, and how AI is making it easier than ever to plan your vacation.
We recently gave away Miami Marlins game tickets to 10 of our Hospitality Mentor subscribers. Congrats again to the winners, and stay tuned for the next giveaway! We plan to keep doing more fun things as we continue to build this amazing hospitality community.
In fact, keep reading for all the details on our first-ever networking event – Cocktails & Conversations: A Hospitality Networking Event on July 19 (which will involve some giveaways too!). I love connecting with everyone on social media, through the podcast, and in your inboxes. But it’s time to meet up in real life!
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☕️ This issue is brought to you by Biscayne Coffee, delicious coffee roasted in Miami with the mission of saving Biscayne Bay. Use promo code MENTOR for 10% off your order at checkout. Don’t forget – we always donate 10% of your purchase to Biscayne Bay Foundation to help preserve the bay. ☕️
🛎 What's Hot in Hospitality
Summer vacation is the perfect time to make unforgettable memories with family. In the hospitality industry, we should be thinking about how we can help family travelers make core memories. These memorable moments are what guests will keep coming back to your property for year after year!
On a recent family trip to Disney (my kids’ first time!), we visited the Be Our Guest restaurant at Magic Kingdom. For dessert, the server brought out a white chocolate tea cup shaped like Chip from Beauty & the Beast that came with edible paint (colored icing) and a paintbrush. My kids’ faces lit up with wonder and mine did, too. The dessert kept them entertained as they painted in focused silence for 20 minutes. This was more than a kid-friendly menu item – it was an entire interactive experience. This simple yet brilliant idea transformed our meal into a memory I’ll cherish forever.
For hoteliers, let’s go beyond the generic and take a page from Disney’s playbook. Think about ways you can help vacationing families create lifelong memories by offering personalized experiences. Here are a few starter ideas:
✅Create tailored surprises for children upon arrival, like a local welcome pack with gear
✅Offer family-friendly activities or packages catering to different ages and interests that highlight your destination
✅Work with local attractions to provide exclusive family deals or VIP access
Family travelers, adventure is out there – whether it’s exploring a big city like Chicago or NYC, enjoying the outdoors at our national parks, or embarking on a family-friendly international adventure like Costa Rica. While it’s hard to highlight only one, here’s a hotel hitting all the marks by embracing its destination and tailoring its offerings for all ages:
At Hotel Belmar in Costa Rica’s Monteverde cloud forest, the top-rated property has introduced a private reserve where families of up to 6 can book the tropical forest to themselves for immersive experiences amongst the tree-tops. Adventurous families can make memories together with activities tailored by age – whether that’s thrilling hikes, hanging bridges, and zip-lining or slower-paced activities for the younger ones like bird and animal watching or a picnic above the forest canopy.
Just take one look at the hotel’s reviews – over and over again, guests are raving about the unique nature experiences they’ve had. This new resort amenity is evidence of how families are looking to travel to places where they can make memories that last a lifetime. Your hotel can be one of them!
🍸 What I'm Sipping
Today, I’m sharing a refreshing summer cocktail recipe for a Miami Paloma. On top of the classic citrusy ingredients of lime and grapefruit, my version includes fresh-squeezed Florida oranges, which gives it an extra splash of color and flavor. It’s a vibrant drink perfect for easy poolside sipping with just the right balance of sweet, sour, and salty notes.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Tequila (Preferably Reposado)
- 1 oz Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice
- 0.5 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- 1 oz Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice (Florida Oranges if possible)
- 0.5 oz Agave Syrup
- A pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt
- Top off with Club Soda
- Garnish: Grapefruit or Orange Slices
Instructions:
1. In a shaker, combine the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, agave syrup, and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt.
2. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until the outside of the shaker becomes frosty (about 20 seconds).
3. Strain the cocktail into a glass filled with ice, leaving some room at the top.
4. Top off with club soda and give it a gentle stir.
5. Garnish with a slice each of grapefruit and orange, and a sprig of mint.
📝 What I'm Working On
Our first networking event is happening next month! Join me for Cocktails & Conversations: A Hospitality Networking Event on July 19 at the new Tropical Distillers, a local distillery producing tropical fruit liqueurs owned by past podcast guest Buzzy Sklar. No matter what hospitality sector you work in – hotels, restaurants, cruises, vacation rentals and beyond – it’s going to be a can’t-miss opportunity to connect with peers and leaders from across the entire industry.
When: Wednesday, July 19 from 6-9 p.m.
Where: Tropical Distillers, 2141 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL 33127
Cost: $10 for early bird tickets; $15 starting July 1; $20 at the door
Enjoy a welcome drink made from spirits distilled on-site and food provided by Ice Box Cafe as they showcase their new gourmet catering menus for hotels. We’ll take a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillery, where you’ll learn about the craft and care that goes into every bottle, and FIU’s Bacardi Center of Excellence will be on-site showcasing their AI Bartender. Best of all, we’ll be raffling off prizes like a cabana day and dinner experiences for 2.
We’re hoping everyone will enjoy sharing ideas, forging new partnerships, and engaging in thoughtful discussions that just might spark the next big innovation in the hospitality industry!
Get your tickets for $10 now before the price goes up in July.
💭 What I'm Inspired By
New ChatGPT integrations with travel planning tools like Expedia and Kayak inspired me to book my next trip to New York. I asked ChatGPT to help me plan a trip to New York City in mid-July by choosing the cheapest direct flight from Miami to La Guardia Airport and the most inexpensive 4-star hotels near Central Park. Below are the three accommodations the Expedia plug-in offered me, along with Expedia booking links. I noticed all of the hotels were conveniently located and had great guest ratings. Now I have a trip scheduled to see my brother and best friend up in NYC!
I expect these AI integrations to be a game-changer for the hospitality industry and travel planning – and I hope there will be more to come from hotel brands like Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt, who can integrate AI booking with their loyalty programs. I encourage hoteliers to keep an eye on this technology, test out a booking prompt for your city, and see what results you get. When someone asks to book a top-rated hotel in your destination, will your property show up? Prioritizing your guest review strategy on the third-party booking platforms that integrate with ChatGPT will help your ranking in these results.
🎙 Listen: The Podcast
This month, tune into my conversations with Evan Puchalsky, Chief Operating Officer of The Lure Group, a NYC nightlife and entertainment group; Carlos Macias, the newly appointed General Manager of La Playa Beach and Golf Resort in Naples, Florida; and out this week, Brian Connors, Founding Faculty Director of the Bacardi Center of Excellence at Florida International University (who we have to thank for bringing the AI Bartender to next month’s networking event).
Next week you’ll also hear from Said Haykal, the General Manager of Faena Hotel Miami Beach & District (which I visited recently to cover an ultra-exclusive dining experience – keep scrolling to learn more).
🎥 Watch: On YouTube
As we continue on our mission to highlight the best people and places in hospitality, stay tuned for the release of our next video feature for an in-depth look at the experience at Faena Hotel’s El Secreto Omakase by James Beard Award-winning chef Chef Paul Qui. With only 6 seats, the ultra-exclusive speakeasy-style omakase experience blends the Japanese traditions of Tokyo’s sushi and Kyoto’s kaiseki (multi-course dinners) into an unparalleled tasting menu. It’s truly exceptional, and I can’t wait to share more about it with you in this new episode coming soon!
Plus, check out our latest episodes of The Hospitality Minute on trends shaping the industry:
If you’ve read this far, send me a short reply and let me know what you enjoyed most from this newsletter. See you again in July!
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Cheers,
Steve Turk, Founder and Host
The Hospitality Mentor
