ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Park Plaza Resort, a 63-room timeshare resort in Park City, UT, completed a major renovation project two years ago and a renewed focus on energy management has already resulted in 15% savings with an anticipated savings of 30%. Many of the key components of the new program could help properties of any size in any location: replacement of atrium windows, repair and proper installation of the ventilation system, new boiler system to manage all water sources, installation of energy sensors in every unit that shuts down electricity and heat when room is vacant, installation of energy efficient lighting. The property is managed by Tapestry Resorts.

MINIBAR SURPRISES
The hotel minibar has come along way in the 40 years or so it’s been part of the lodging landscape. Primarily, changes in minibar technology make the units more secure, more inviting to customers, more efficient to operate and easier and less-expensive to service. An even greater change may be what hoteliers choose to offer in their minibars. It’s no longer just beer, Cokes, airline-sized bottles of liquor and salted nuts. Many hotels and hotel companies, particularly at the high end, are experimenting with minibar offerings that range from unique to unusual.

Morgans Hotel Group, for example, offers something it calls The Minibar for the Mind, along with more standard refreshment fare. Mostly aimed at couples, the $56 kit, which is available at the chain’s two London hotels, includes a boxed set of 250 cards with quotations, questions and provocations designed to get people talking. The kit also has a notebook and pencils guests can use to record their musings and a volume of essays on both important and inconsequential topics.

Morgans plans to soon offer the amenity at its properties in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

TALK TIME
As much as hotel operators would like to eliminate it, the in-room telephone system isn’t going away anytime soon. The simple reason is safety and security: Hotel management must have a uniform way to contact guests in case of emergency.
That said, telecommunications as a hotel profit center continues to dwindle. Between 2000 and 2009, reports Colliers PKF Hospitality Research, telecommunications revenue has fallen 19.7% on a compound annual basis. Even including revenues from high-speed Internet access into this revenue bucket hasn’t slowed the decline. The good news for operators is telecommunications technologies have improved significantly over the years so systems are more efficient and affordable than every before.