Congratulations to a Couple of Local Companies

Both of these companies have stayed at our hotel at one time or another and I wanted to congratulate them on making Fortune's List!!!

Fortune magazine's annual list of the 100 best companies to work for has put San Diego based Qualcomm and Scripps Health on that list.

Scripps Health which as been on the list four times previously, ranked 56th overall.  Scripps is known for giving out millions of dollars in bonuses to their employees, according to 10 news.  

"Scripps is honored to be acknowledged for the fifth time by Fortune as one of America's top employers," said Chris Van Gorder, President and CEO.

Qualcomm, ranked 23rd overall, and was praised for their health care benefits and high pay.

Along with these two San Diego companies were three other companies with ties to San Diego; DPR, a construction firm, which were praised for encouraging employee input, Turbo Tax-maker Intuit, was 19th, and was praised for fostering innovation, and Hitachi Data Systems, who were ranked 86 and praised for their fairness and trust, according to the magazine.

Compare the Savvy Traveler from this Year to Last Year

Although the year is still young it never ceases to amaze me what you can notice as trends early on.  Take the early portion of 2012 as an example:  the normal corporate/ leisure traveler is still utilizing last year’s strategy of booking last minute since rates were remaining firm or going down.  But group are booking farther and farther out in anticipation of not having rooms if they don’t.  The two styles are very different and they will find themselves at odds with each other soon enough.

In 2011 we found many savvy group/event managers that would wait until closer to their events to book their rooms and meetings, because they could.  But now due to demand picking up they are forced to book those same events/rooms further out to ensure they get the rooms without splitting up their groups.  This gives the hotels a greater chance to predict and KNOW exactly how bad or well a given week and/or day will book.  Even now groups are booking 6-9 months out with just our small hotel so you can imagine what this trend is looking like with the much larger hotels.

Now I’m not saying that the individual traveler in 2012 won’t be able to book last minute rooms similarly to what they were able to book over the last two or three years but I would say that the lower prices they were getting at some of these 3 star and above hotels will not be there as often in 2012.  And that is due to those groups booking so far in advance so they get the aggressively lower prices which takes that stockpile of lower priced rooms from the last minute traveler.

I find it interesting that so early in the year I am already able to see this trend but I guess I’m happy that I can see it and pass this on to our San Diego Readers so they can stay “ahead” of the game!!  See you in SUNNY CALIFORNIA!!

Activities for those that stay longer trips with us

Here at the Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego Central our average length of stay is typically longer than most of the other hotels in our area.  We are also purpose built to provide special needs for this longer type of stays to our guests.  That’s not to say we don’t have shorter lengths of stays but those are typically few and far in between. 

Also with a longer length of stay our guests typically get to take in more activities in our area than the shorter in and out crowd.  With this in mind I took a virtual “walk” through our Facebook neighborhood to find some extracurricular activities that our extended stay guests’ can take advantage of. 

The San Diego Scuba Diving is a site that not only puts skilled scuba divers in contact with multiple reputable vendors that can take care of your every scuba need but they also have information for the beginner that would like to take classes.  It is really a great site for researching the quality sites that can help you get into the water as quickly and safely as possible!!

San Diego Surf School is an advanced surf school in Pacific Beach San Diego (Family Owned). We offer Private Surf Lessons, Summer Surf Camps, Group Lessons and Stand up Paddle Boarding. We provide a unique way of coaching that helps build the confidence and strength in catching waves and learning how to surf the correct way. Our instructors are CPR and Title 22 certified, experienced, trained, safe, friendly and will help you reach your surfing goals.

San Diego Surf School introduces surfers of all ages and levels to the sport and spirit of surfing in an energetic and positive environment. With top instructors and bountiful surf lessons and surf camps options. We also offer a unique curriculum surf program for summer surf camps and private surf lessons that is both educational and fun. Our surf instructors are: CPR & Title22 Certified, experienced, safe, friendly will teach you the correct way to learn how to surf.

Skydive San Diego hosts the newest, safest, and largest jumpships in the skydiving industry. Our flagship Twin Otter holds 23 jumpers, and our Cessna Caravan holds 12 jumpers, allowing you the opportunity to jump with your friends. No other parachute center in the world has newer planes than Skydive San Diego!

Get solo-certified in as few as 7 skydives in our USPA-certified program!   Individuals who are highly motivated, and ready to commit to a serious freefall training program, may enroll in the Solo ground school and make an AFF Level 1 skydive on the same day.

Solo classes for new students are scheduled primarily on weekends, although special arrangements are available daily. Please call for available dates as advance registration is required. Private classes can be arranged for an additional fee.

Possibilities for Residence Inn

Since its launch in 1975, Residence Inn by Marriott has become an iconic symbol in the extended-stay hotel segment. With a portfolio of 617 hotels comprising nearly 75,000 guestrooms—the largest lineup in the upper extended-stay category—the brand’s roster includes properties of all ages and continues on its quest for its own fountain of youth via freshness and consistency.
 

Couple that with a five-year growth plan in Europe, a global pipeline that includes 135 properties and the roll out of a new room design called “Possibilities,” and Residence Inn is doing anything but remaining stationary, said Diane Mayer, VP and global brand manager for the brand.

“From a consumer perspective, as a brand we have to deliver a consistent experience,” Mayer said. “We have to make sure we are keeping the product fresh so even an older hotel has the same offerings as a new one.”

The company is on a major push to expand around the globe. It has five hotels open outside of the United States: two in Munich; one in Edinburgh Scotland; one in San Jose, Costa Rica; and one that opened this month in Bahrain. All the hotels were new-build properties with the exception of Edinburgh.

“That speaks to the power of the Marriott brand, the power of the Residence Inn brand and the power of extended stay,” Mayer said. “There is extended-stay demand all over the world and not enough product to serve it.”

Mayer said there’s no ceiling on the potential for the brand around the globe.

“I can’t say we have an ultimate goal as for a number of properties,” she said. “Between 30 and 40% of all business travel roomnights are part of extended stay. That’s a lot of roomnights, and when you get out of the United States, there’s no product to serve that. Even in the U.S. there’s little purpose-built product to fill the demand.”

The brand’s system-wide average daily rate is about US$5 higher than its competitive set in upper extended-stay segment, according to Mayer.

“It’s a great value proposition,” she said. “We have continued to grow our brand with the most consumer-focused product in the market. Our pipeline will grow as fast as the capital markets will enable it.”

Experience counts in extended-stay segment
Mayer said the typical Residence Inn franchisee is not a newbie to the hotel industry. The footprint for an extended-stay hotel often costs more to build than a traditional transient hotel. Mayer declined to reveal the average cost to build a Residence Inn property, but she said she expects the costs to build its prototype to be cut about one-half of one percent as the company continues to tweak it.

Mayer said developers are attracted to Residence Inn, and the extended-stay segment in general, because of the healthy profit margins they produce. She declined to talk specifically about Marriott’s return.

“Margins are high because it’s a really efficient business model,” she said. “It’s particularly efficient when it comes to labor, and we all know how tough that is to find. … There’s a lot more to it than margins. It means associates on property are able to deliver even better guest service.”

The brand focuses on its EXOCC—extended-stay occupancy rate for guests staying five or more nights—as a key indicator for success. Mayer declined to reveal the brand’s EXOCC, but when asked if it was in the 70% range that many extended-stay operators shoot for, she said “it was in that range. But we have hotels that run 90%—it varies by market. We have seen our EXOCC grow significantly in the last year.”

Rooms with a new look
Residence Inn also is rolling out its new room design to enhance its efforts for consistency. Being unveiled during the first quarter of 2012, the new room design, “Possibilities,” will be implemented over the next five years. Three hundred of the brand’s properties already are scheduled to complete the room upgrade. A sample room currently is under construction at Marriott’s Bethesda headquarters in Maryland.

The renovation package is an extension of the brand’s focus on the guestroom work space and bathroom that it rolled out about a month ago, according to Mayer.

“Having a good cadence of renovation packages is essential for consistency,” Mayer said. “A lot of what we learned and developed while doing renovations was applied to the new guest suite package.”

The key to the “Possibilities” room design will be flexible wall placement, she said. “The layout with the suite will change somewhat significantly,” Mayer said. “It raises the bar, and it is more reflective of consumer lifestyles and more responsive to what customers have told us they want.”

New leader knows the brand well
Mayer might be new to the position of leading Residence Inn, but she is no stranger to the brand. With a background in consumer research, she has worked with the Residence Inn team on and off during the past dozen years.

“I’ve been working on the entire Marriott select-service portfolio for 12 years, and Residence Inn was the first one I worked with,” Mayer said. “None more exemplifies the category than Residence Inn. It’s fun to work on a brand that’s so clearly positioned.”

Leading a large legacy brand has its challenges, but Mayer said “that’s part of the fun.”

Mayer’s specialties include analyzing guest demographics and behavior, and extended-stay gives her plenty of fodder for analysis.

“From a consumer perspective, that length of stay really changes customers’ needs,” she said. “Any good brand is trying to find out what the consumer needs and do the best it can to fulfill those needs.”

Mayer added that the long-term extended-stay guest is Residence Inn’s bread and butter.

That’s why having amenities such as a full kitchen in a home environment is essential to the segment’s success. Year-to-date data through October showed an overall occupancy rate of 74% for the extended-stay segment and a year-over-year revenue-per-available-room increase of 7.8%, according to STR, the parent company of HotelNewsNow.com.

“It’s all about having a home environment—places to bake lasagna if they want or to store leftovers from dinner out,” she said. “It’s about really unpacking their suitcase and having the proper drawers and storage help them do that.”

12 Movies for Christmas

So what if Christmas movies can be a bit sappy? They warm our hearts, restore our faith in humanity and generally bring joy to the world. We've unwrapped the top 12 big-screen Christmas flicks of all time (sorry 'Charlie Brown' lovers, no TV specials here), all the way down to No. 1. Behold my 12 best Christmas movies ever.

12. Bad Santa (2003)

There are two types of movie fans: those who expect their Santa noble and god-fearing, with perhaps a hint of safe Tim Allen-esque humor, and those who'll allow him the occasional slip into vulgarity, promiscuity and armed burglary. To the latter group, this black comedy's a classic. To the former, we're sorry.

11. Die Hard (1988)

There's no better way to get in the Christmas spirit than watching a wife-beater-clad Bruce Willis single-handedly decimate a skyscraperful of terrorists on Christmas Eve. The classic one liners, the genre-redefining action, the genius use of a Run-DMC holiday tune -- it's like a gift from Jesus himself.

10. The Santa Clause (1994)

Tim Allen is actually, uh, jolly in this fun family tale about a guy who accidentally kills Kris Kringle -- whoops! -- then has to take his job, unwillingly at first but then growing to love it (not coincidentally, how many grown-ups feel about the movie). We will not comment on the two sequels.

9. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Despite laboring under about three feet of latex, Jim Carrey still comes across loud and clear in this adaptation of the Dr Seuss poem. While it takes a few more liberties with the story than the 1966 animated version, that’s compensated for by the stunning design and make-up (which won Rick Baker a well-deserved Oscar). And it’s also rather funny – Carrey improvising away despite all the big-budget shenanigans going on around him. Fun fact: adorable moppet Cindy Loo Hoo grew up to be Gossip Girl rock chick Taylor Momsen. Guess she got used to wearing lots of make-up on set.

8. 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' (1989)

Chevy Chase is at the top of his game in this sight-gag-and-one-liner-laden homage to the love/hate event that is the family Christmas. Where, besides this list, is there a place big enough for a movie with Yule laughs this huge? As Clark Griswold would say, "Bend over and I'll show you."

7. 'Babes in Toyland' (1934)

Mother Goose rhymes come to life in this '34 classic (reissued in '52 as 'March of the Wooden Soldiers') starring comedy legends Laurel and Hardy as gut-bustingly bumbling toymakers out to save Toyland from the nefarious Barnaby. And if tricking him into a same-sex wedding is what it takes, so much the better.

6. 'Elf' (2003)

Frank Ricard. Ron Burgundy. Ricky Bobby. They're all unforgettable Will Ferrell personas, but the role he might be remembered for most in 50 years is Buddy the Elf (what's your favorite color?) from '03's instant holiday classic. This non-stop laugher exemplifies all-ages entertainment.

5. 'Scrooged' (1988)

Only Bill Murray could so expertly walk the fine line between pathos and hilarity, as he does playing miserly TV exec Frank Cross. Complete with a taxi-driving Ghost of Christmas Past and a (literally) ball-busting Ghost of Christmas Present, this Dickens send-up is so offbeat and fun, Yule love it!

4. 'Miracle on 34th Street' (1947)

If this '47 classic doesn't make you a Santa believer, nothing (especially the '94 remake) will. It's dark stuff for a Christmas flick -- Kris Kringle is put on trail to determine if he's legally insane -- but the endgame (in which the US Postal Service saves the day!) is utterly heartwarming.

3. 'A Christmas Story' (1983)

There's nary a scene to forget in this near-perfect nostalgic look at where Americana and Christmastime meet. The story of a young boy's epic quest to get his hands on a Red Ryder BB gun provides the hilarious backdrop for a timeless tale rife with family hijinks, frozen tongues and, of course, sex-oozing leg lamps.

2. 'White Christmas' (1954)

Aren't we all dreaming of a 'White Christmas'? The movie starring Bing "Mr. Christmas" Crosby and Danny Kaye is as charming as the tune, with all the elements to warm the heart: Two GIs come home from WWII, fall in love with singing-and-dancing sisters and help their general with his failing Vermont inn. Awww

1. 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946)

A tale of depression and almost-suicide doesn't exactly scream "Christmas classic" -- which is probably why Frank Capra's flick flopped at the box office. But more than 30 years later, it endures as a beloved testament to everything Christmas embodies: family, friends and the joy of life.