Hotel Guest Satisfaction At An All-Time High

According the the July 2015 J.D. Power North America Index Study, Hotel Guest Satisfaction is at an all-time high. The number of guests reporting problems has fallen. The Hilton Garden Inn brand rated an exceptional 846, and the SpringHill Suites rated 840 out of 1000 points on the index, among the best for the Upscale Segment. 

Hampton Inn and Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express, and Country Inn & Suites took second through fourth place within the Upper Midscale Segment. Hampton Inn placed second best in the study with 844 points. 

Upper Extended Stay Segment results were unique in that there was a near 4-way tie for the best ratings. The Homewood Suites by Hilton came in first with 857 points, Residence Inn by Marriott third with 850 points. IHG’s Candlewood Suites came in first within the regular Extended Stay Segment with 829 points.

The study measures guest satisfaction with the entire hotel experience, from reservation to check-out, based on a recent guest stay. The study evaluates eight market segments: luxury, upper upscale, upscale, midscale full service, midscale, economy/budget, upper extended stay, and extended stay. 

“Hotels that proactively meet guest needs have the ability to create a positive guest experience,” said Rick Garlick, global travel and hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power. “While service recovery is extremely important in the hotel industry, it’s most effective when the entire guest experience is a positive one. Hotel staff members need to maintain a proper balance between proactively addressing needs and responding to problems effectively. Doing so can help guests feel good about their selection of the hotel brand and increase the likelihood they will return for another stay or recommend it to others.”

As a whole the portfolio of hotels managed by Kinseth Hospitality Companies have also followed the larger trend, with increased Guest Experience Ratings and Positive Reviews from May 2014 to May 2015.

Kudos to the Kinseth properties and their staff who have demonstrated growth and contribute to this report by being a big part of the Guest Satisfaction success! Review the study for yourself and find out where your brand ranks among others. Are you surprised by the findings?

Hotel Development Robust for Midwest Hospitality Company

Even though 2015 is only three months old, it has been a very busy year for Kinseth Hospitality Companies located in North Liberty, Iowa.  In fact, it has been one of the busiest years ever for our company when taking stock of the number of new hotel construction projects that Kinseth has undertaken.

New hotels will open during 2015 in Bettendorf, Iowa (Hilton Garden Inn), Ankeny, Iowa (Homewood Suites), two properties in West Des Moines, Iowa (Hampton Inn & Suites and Homewood Suites), Kenosha, Wisconsin (Hampton Inn & Suites), and Minooka, Illinois (Hampton Inn & Suites). 

In addition to the hotels listed above which are opening in 2015, Kinseth Hospitality also will break ground for the construction of new hotels in Mason City, Iowa (Hampton Inn & Suites), and Bellevue, Nebraska (Courtyard by Marriott and Bellevue Conference Center).

New hotel projects are also in discussion and will likely start construction during 2015 in Brookfield, Wisconsin (Home2Suites) and Hudson, Wisconsin (Hampton Inn & Suites).

The pipeline of additional hotel development projects for late 2015 and 2016 is very robust as Kinseth Hospitality looks into the near future. Initial conversations are taking place on new hotel development projects in the greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, in the state of Colorado, and also in Iowa.

Not only has the Kinseth Hospitality pipeline of new hotel projects become very robust, but in general development of new hotel projects has accelerated on a national basis. Financing of hotels for very well sponsored projects is available, and the overall ‘health’ of the lodging and hospitality industry has rebounded substantially since the United States economy exited the economic recession.  

The large international hotel brands have also sensed the rebound in hotel development. Hilton and Marriott have introduced new brands that they intend to capture more millennial travelers.  These brands include Moxy Hotels and AC by Marriott, as well as Hilton introducing the Canopy and Curio hotel brands.  Hotel executives and guests alike are eager to experience these new ‘boutique’ or soft brands by the major hotel chains.

In addition to the new construction projects listed above, Kinseth Hospitality Companies has under taken a large number of renovation and modernization programs in our existing portfolio of hotels that include properties in Wichita, Kansas (Holiday Inn), Overland Park, Kansas (Holiday Inn), Helena, Montana (Red Lion Hotel), and Billings, Montana (Residence Inn).  Our guests tell us they love the newly renovated hotels. 

(For a complete list of newly renovated Kinseth hotels visit: http://www.kinseth.com/portfolio.php)

As a full service hotel management company our job doesn’t stop at building, and renovating hotels. Our motto is to promote continual execution of education and excellence after our hotels open their doors. This comes from the support of our corporate hospitality staff hired specifically to help our Kinseth property level hotel staff succeed at what they’ve been hired to do best. Deliver world class hospitality to every guest, every time.

Each February Kinseth Hospitality Companies honors its hotel’s and their staff with special recognition awards. This year’s award ceremony was hosted at our newly renovated Holiday Inn Rock Island - Quad Cities. Five outstanding Kinseth hotel managers received top awards based on their service scores, leadership, high standards of operation, and revenue during the 2014 year.

• Full Service GM of the Year: David Brown of the Holiday Inn and Suites – Overland Park, Kansas
• Select Service GM of the Year: Nick Rodolosi of the Hampton Inn and Suites – Grafton, Wisconsin 
• Economy GM of the Year: Carol Makoui of the Super 8 – Burlington, Iowa
• Director of Sales of the Year: Barb Murphy of the Holiday Inn/Hampton Inn – Council Bluffs, Iowa. Barb exceeded sales goals and revenue generated for the property.
• Food & Beverage Manager of the Year: Dee McNamer, of the River City Beefstro located at the Holiday Inn – Dubuque, Iowa. Dee has not only provided exceptional financial returns in the food and beverage department for the hotel, but has also received this award for the second time in three years!

Many more Kinseth hotels were honored with awards for perseverance, creating a positive impact in the community, marketing, financial achievement, teamwork, quality excellence, and leadership. (For the full list click here.)

Kinseth Hospitality Companies honors their hotel employees at annual leadership conference.

At Kinseth Hospitality Companies we don’t just build, develop and remodel hotels, we manage them too. As a hotel management company we keep track of everything from operations, sales, marketing, financial management, to human resources, food and beverage. Our commitment to provide continued training and support to our property level managers is what brings us together as a team. It is this that has lead to our continued success as a company during times of economic recession.

2014 Black Friday Hotel Travel Deals

Written by: Denise Stejskal - E-Commerce Specialist for Kinseth Hospitality Companies

The day after Thanksgiving, most commonly known as Black Friday, is the day that many retailers have coined as the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Despite the large amount of Christmas decorations showing up in stores immediately following Halloween, most retailers continue to obey the unwritten rule of lying low until after Thanksgiving to aggressively sell for the holidays. However, each year more and more retail stores are beginning to open up their Black Friday sales earlier or extending them to later in the week.

Our Kinseth hotels are getting in on the action, but we don’t need Christmas decorations or Black Friday to give us the signal to advertise a savings. We do this every year! I will tell you how to get these special holiday travel deals at our hotels in just a bit. First, picture this . . . instead of driving around like a lunatic in the wee hours of Black Friday morning, high on caffeine, looking for that next bargain; you’re staying in one of our posh hotel rooms tucked into one of our warm cozy beds, enjoying free breakfast, and sipping your coffee floating on a cloud of zen, while browsing the net to do your shopping . . .

Not convinced? Did you know the word Black has been used in the past to describe many disastrous financial turns? The market fell on Black Tuesday, October 29,1929 signaling the start of the Great Depression. Black Monday, October 19, 1987 was used to describe the largest one-day drop in stock market history. There are several ideas behind how Black Friday got its name. One thought is that Black Friday is that day that many retailers use to boost their sales enough to get them back in the Black financially.

But the fact is most retailers don’t need Black Friday to turn an annual profit. The items they are selling are not at the lowest prices they've been all year. These items have been on sale in the past, and are usually items the retailer doesn't want to have to ship back to the warehouse at the end of the season. Ouch! Ask yourself the following questions when standing in line to purchase those must have items. Do I really want to be wearing some unpopular seasonal leftover? Am I just buying cheap items, at cheap prices?

Electronics get especially hairy. Be sure to do your homework because really good quality new release electronics are not usually deeply discounted, if at all. Here’s a little secret, Black Friday is not the biggest shopping day of the year, in terms of dollars, it just happens to be the day you see the most people in one space. Some people’s shopping skills thrive on this little rush. The biggest shopping days in terms of dollars spent actually happen in the weeks right before Christmas.

So what IS the best strategy for Black Friday, and what did I say about Kinseth hotel discounts? Right. Here we go -

Most retailers offer similar bargains online and many have free shipping so you don’t have to throw yourself into the masses. Find your favorite store online and compare discounts. The best Black Friday deals you will find on foot, for luxury clothing tend to be at the outlet malls. Non-luxury clothing retailers often allow a 50% savings or more in traditional malls. One of the best items to buy on Black Friday are movies and video games. These are deeply discounted, and often times it is cheaper to buy a boxed set than it is to pay for streaming.

If you must venture out (because you already know you will) it will be good to have a road map and a plan. Kinseth has a few hotels located next to some of the best malls in America, and like I said before, ALL of our Kinseth hotels are offering discounts, not just for Black Friday but for the ENTIRE holiday season starting from November 15th through January, 31st.

Below is a list of popular malls and the nearest Kinseth Hotels.

Mall of America - Bloomington, Minnesota

• Holiday Inn Bloomington

Jordan Creek Town Center - West Des Moines, Iowa

• Courtyard by Marriott Ankeny
• Iowa Holiday Inn & Suites Des Moines
• Econolodge Des Moines

CoralRidge Mall - Coralville, Iowa

Tanger Outlet - Williamsburg, Iowa

• Holiday Inn Express Coralville
• Holiday Inn Coralville
• Hampton Inn Coralville

Village Pointe Mall - Omaha, Nebraska

Nebraska Crossing Outlets - Gretna, Nebraska

• Hilton Garden Inn Omaha
• Home2 Suites Omaha

Kennedy Mall - Dubuque, Iowa

• Hampton Inn & Suites Dubuque
• Holiday Inn Dubuque

Bay Park Square - Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Super 8 Green Bay

*Holiday mall hours may vary so please check their websites for more information.

So how can you book that super holiday hotel discount?

1. Remember you don’t have to visit us on black Friday but anytime between November 15th and January 31st.*
2. Hop on over to our portfolio page (www.kinseth.com/portfolio) and look at all of our hotel properties, so you can plan your vacation. Kinseth Hospitality Companies has over 75 different hotels from just about every brand family!
3. Call the hotel directly, give them your booking dates, and pass them the code phrase "Home for the Holidays”
4. Book your hotel at an amazing savings!

*Blackout dates do apply. Each hotel has designated their own rate special specific to their hotel.

That’s it! It’s that simple to save big on hotel rooms this holiday season! We hope you take advantage of our hotels offering this amazing deal!

About Kinseth Hospitality
Kinseth Hospitality is a leading midwest hotel management, development and ownership company. Kinseth has a proven track record of developing and operating award-winning hotels, restaurants and meeting facilities. Kinseth Hospitality is based in North Liberty, Iowa. For more information regarding KHC please contact our Corporate Sales and Marketing Team at 319-626-5600 or visit www.kinseth.com.

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Customer Awarded Excellence – Certificate of Excellence Awarded to 28 Kinseth Hospitality Properties

Written by: Emily Kucera – Creative Marketing Specialist & Kelsie Kithcart - Kinseth Marketing Intern

At Kinseth Hospitality Companies we strive to provide World Class Hospitality to Every Guest Every Time. This is exactly what 28 of our hotel properties did to receive a 2014 Certificate of Excellence award from TripAdvisor. The amazing customer service from our hotel staff and managers reflected through customer reviews on TripAdvisor.com, allowed these properties to join the group of distinguished award recipients.

However, the management and staff alone did not achieve these awards. Only with the assistance of our loyal customers did the possibility of this honor become a reality. Guest reviews give us the feedback and encouragement we need to make our hotels better each and every day. So next time you receive a request for a review think twice before you delete!

Each of the 28 hotels that received this award are recognized as a top performing hotel as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor. Each hotel has reached a star rating of 4 or higher and had a consistent amount of reviews each month. Our recipients include:

•    Hampton Inn – Dubuque, IA
•    Hampton Inn – Council Bluffs, IA
•    Holiday Inn Express – Coralville, IA
•    Super 8 – Green Bay, WI
•    Super 8 – Storm Lake, IA
•    Super 8 – Portage, WI
•    Country Inn & Suites – Middleton, WI
•    Radisson – Menomonee Falls, WI
•    Hampton Inn – Florissant, MO
•    Hampton Inn – Branson, MO
•    Country Inn & Suites – St. Charles, MO
•    Fairfield Inn – Manhattan, KS
•    Hilton Garden Inn – Manhattan, KS
•    Hampton Inn & Suites – Lincoln, NE
•    Residence Inn – Billings, MT
•    Hilton Garden Inn – Omaha, NE
•    Country Inn & Suites – Rocky Mount, NC
•    Holiday Inn & Suites – Council Bluffs, IA
•    Hampton Inn & Suites – Grafton, WI
•    Hampton Inn – Coralville, IA
•    Hilton Garden Inn – Council Bluffs, IA
•    Hilton Garden Inn – Sioux City, IA
•    Courtyard by Marriott – Ankeny, IA
•    Hampton Inn & Suites – West Bend, WI
•    Candlewood Suites – La Crosse, WI
•    Comfort Inn & Suites – Davenport, IA
•    Courtyard by Marriott – Columbia, MO
•    Best Western Fairfield Inn – Fairfield, IA

We take every review into consideration and strive for 5 star reviews like this one, from a guest at the Hampton Inn & Suites Grafton, WI.

“I was here for a wedding in May of 2014 and I’m glad they chose this hotel. It was clean and easy to get to, the staff was very friendly and the lobby was impressive. The complimentary breakfast had a wide array of choices in the morning, which was a great surprise. I would definitely stay here again.”

Another guest, of the Fairfield Inn Manhattan, Kansas says;

“The staff was very nice and helpful. The hotel is located in an area close to attractions, restaurants and shopping. The rooms are clean and well maintained. I've stayed a few times at this location and it is always consistent.”

The next time you stay at a Kinseth Hospitality hotel property, be sure to visit www.tripadvisor.com to give us your feedback. Who knows – you might even help your favorite Kinseth hotel property win a 2015 Certificate of Excellence Award!

Two thumbs to our 28 winning properties – and of course to all of our amazing guests!

Smartphones Forever Changing The Hospitality Industry

Written by: Gary Kinseth -Vice President

It's hard to believe the modern Smartphone is only 5 years old, and has already dramatically changed our world and how we do business. By the end of 2013, 57% of all Americans owned a Smartphone. By the end of 2014 it's estimated that over 85% will make the move to a Smartphone. And, why not? Smartphones "ROCK!" delivering information and services consumers want, when and where they want it. 

Smartphones have forever changed how we do business, and the changes are just getting started. In the hotel industry popular brands of course, are rushing to upgrade their systems and provide apps, changing forever the future of how guests interact with our hotels and services. Thus far, 71% of all Smartphone users have downloaded one or more travel apps. 

Many of the selections are made specifically for loyalty or rewards offers, however many are also downloading apps like Trip Advisor (65 million downloads to date) or Priceline. Consumers are looking for deals but also quality seeking recommendations from fellow travelers on Yelp, Trip Advisor, Travelocity, Priceline, Facebook and many others. In fact over 72% of consumers say they read online reviews, and 89% say they are influenced by a hotel reviews.

Smartphones have also dramatically changed the booking windows for hotels. As a young general manager I can recall looking out 2 weeks, and seeing that 40% of my incoming bookings were already on the books for the month. However, over the years, this window has continually narrowed as more people have transitioned to using online booking engines, and now to mobile booking platforms. In 2013, a full 32% of reservations were made via a Smartphone or tablet. 

This trend is expected to escalate to over 50% by the end of 2014, and over 95% by 2018! According to Priceline 70% of reservations are made for the same day and 60% are made within 20 miles of their destinations. All of this has narrowed the booking window for mobile reservations from 0 to 72 hours.

The integration of Smartphones has also changed how we market our hotels and restaurants. Consumers on average are researching hotels online by typically looking at 3 to 5 different sites and consuming up to 30 pages of content, including reviews. 

The utility consumers used to derive from yellowpages, travel guides and billboards have dramatically changed. Instead they utilize their Smartphones for research, bookings and navigation. Yellowpages are read by less than 2% of the population, travel guides have given way to apps and billboards need to be scrutinized as guest coming to our hotels are booking over mobile and are often utilizing gps navigation to find their way. 

All these changes require an intense focus on revenue management from the hotel manager, revenue managers and the brand. Kinseth Hospitality Companies remains focused on the future. From a revenue management and e-commerce perspective, our focus is on the guest experience, access of online information, good photography, and assuring each hotel is properly positioned on every relevant distribution channel.            

What's Next? In short order hotels, restaurants and other businesses will see dramatic and sweeping changes. Mobile Check-in and check-out was recently released by many brands and will become mainstream in the next 18 to 24 months. Mobile wallets will force businesses to upgrade the credit card processing. Mobile access to rooms will continue to become a feature and will replace electronic key cards over the next decade as hotels upgrade their systems. 

The front desk in many hotels will give way to auto kiosk, and smaller more efficient concierge or “socialierge” services will be available to guests both in person and via mobile platforms. At Kinseth Hospitality Companies we are looking forward to a ROCKING decade of change and innovation both for our guests, our hotels and restaurants. Are you Ready?

Kinseth Hospitality is a leading hotel management, development and ownership company. Kinseth has a proven track record of developing and operating award-winning hotels, restaurants and meeting facilities. Kinseth Hospitality is based in North Liberty, Iowa with offices in Clear Lake, IA and Council Bluffs Iowa. The company currently operates 81 hotels and 9 branded restaurants in 13 states.