Hotels in Japan

This story originally appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle but being in the hotel industry we never want to see this kind of thing happen to us so it is good to hear how some of our hospitality brethren handle times of distress. Here’s the article:

Here's a very interesting and heartfelt Q&A with Clarence Tan, CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan about the current situation at hotels in the country. (IHG is one of the world's largest hotel chains, with brands that include Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza and InterContinental hotels.)

I offer huge thanks to Mr Tan for taking to time, in the midst of Japan's crisis, to sit down and correspond via email with me (and the readers of this blog) about the situation.

Here goes:

Q: Have your hotels seen any normalization yet?

We operate 33 hotels across Japan, and we were extremely fortunate that none of our hotels sustained any serious damage. With the exception of ANA Holiday Inn Sendai [near the center of the quake] all our hotels are operating normally.

We have seen occupancy levels drop in the northern zone below the normal average. With the uncertainty of the developments at the Fukushima Power Plant and growing concerns relating to food contamination and safety, we are seeing the impact due to:

>Advisories on non-essential travel to Japan still in place

>Expatriate communities are heeding embassy advisories and leaving Japan

>Most multinational corporations have executed their business continuity plans and are either operating outside Tokyo or have temporarily relocated to other Asian offices

>Major airlines are also cutting back routes to Japan

In spite of the dip in occupancy, we are committed to staying open. We have activated crisis response and ensured contingency plans are in place at all levels according to our risk management procedures, but where possible we have kept the hotels running as normally as possible.

Clarence Tan, CEO, IHG ANA Hotels Group, Japan

Q: What about areas well away from the northern zone....perhaps down south in Osaka and other cities?

Due to the effect of relocation and contingency plans for most companies, we are seeing for the short term strong occupancy levels in areas such as Osaka, Fukuoka and Kobe.

Q: Is there any proof that the entire country is not shut down and that business travel is actually still taking place?

International business travel is very slow. Locally, we are still seeing travel traffic -- there is a general sense of people outside the affected areas trying to get back to normal as well as a strong display of the Japanese 'Can Do' spirit.

From our observation, the Fukushima incident and the associated concerns such as radioactivity contamination need to be resolved. Once that happens and rebuilding commences, there's a good chance that travel advisories will be lifted. The positive impact of this will lend itself to the road to recovery of the travel and tourism business.

On the whole, the country isn't 'shut down' -- it's coping with this unprecedented crisis with dignity and efficiency, and as an international business with deep roots in Japan, we are committed to helping with the recovery efforts to the best of our ability.

Q: Do you have any other observations to share from your hotels there?

It's too early for us to assess the full impact to our business; our energies have been focused on the welfare of our guests and our employees.

Other than the obvious impact we're seeing in terms of cancellations and low occupancy levels, we think it will be a while before we see the return of large scale events such as weddings, conferences and incentive trips as the country rebuilds itself -- both from an emotional and physical perspective.

We need our neighbors and everyone to understand and believe that Japan is safe and things are well under control once the Fukushima issue is put to bed.

We remain cautiously optimistic however -- the appeal of Japan as a travel destination is not likely to waver. In fact the support for the nation is overwhelming. I believe the tourism sector has the right platform to instill consumer confidence and we should work together as a community in the recovery-building phase following this truly unfortunate situation.

From our perspective as hoteliers -- our main role in hospitality is to provide shelter and service, and despite all the challenges brought on by the quake, this hasn't changed. It's been absolutely humbling to see the manner with which the people of Japan have reacted to this crisis. The discipline and national pride I've witnessed will stand Japan well in the road to recovery.

If you've got friends for family in Japan, or are trying to decide when or if you should travel there yourself, be sure to read my current BBC.com post "The State of Travel in Japan."

Travelers Diet

Let’s face it. You’re on a plane, traveling around for business. Airports, hotels, fast food… none of these scream you can eat healthy. Of course in some hotels you can find some menu items tthat include something healthy that won’t add too much to the waistline. Even airports are trying, but how long have those sandwiches been sitting there in their vacuum packed wrappings. And fast food is, well, fast food.

I know none of this is not the same as home cooked but here are some snacks that can have your taste buds enjoying themselves and you not having to let your belt out another notch:

Popchips Barbeque Potato Chips

PER SERVING (19 chips): 120 calories, 4g fat, 250mg sodium, 20g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugars, 1g protein

What Are They? These chips are innovative -- they're popped (not fried), so they taste great without all the oil. Clever!!!

Why We Love 'Em… Although there's no shortage of BBQ-flavored chips out there (even guilt-free ones), these are on a whole different level. Just the right amount of tanginess and crunch. Delicious!

Baked Classics Vanilla Frosting Multigrain Crisps

PER SERVING (one 1-oz. bag): 120 calories, 4g fat, 60mg sodium, 19g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugars, 2g protein

What Are They? The newest flavor from Baked Classics, these crisps are layered in a light coating of vanilla-frosting flavor.

Why We Love 'Em… They didn't look like much when we opened the package, but when we took our first bite, WOWEE! These really do taste like yummy vanilla frosting! Need we say more?

Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips

PER SERVING (1 oz., about 18 chips): 110 - 123 calories, 2 - 3g fat, 26 - 250mg sodium, 19 - 23g carbs, 2g fiber, 0 - 1g sugars, 2 - 3g protein

What Are They? These are our go-to guilt-free tortilla chips. Why? Because they're just so crispy and come in eight impressive varieties.

Why We Love 'Em… Flavor, flavor, and more flavor! The Chipotle chips are fantastic (a bit hot and sweet). The Mucho Nacho ones are awesomely cheesy. And we also enjoy the Yellow Corn (both salted and unsalted) and Spicy Black

Special K Sour Cream & Onion Cracker Chips

PER SERVING (27 chips): 110 calories, 2.5g fat, 230mg sodium, 22g carbs, 3g fiber, 1g sugars, 2g protein

What Are They? Don't let the name fool ya. These are just Popchips copycats. Not sure where the cracker part comes in, but they still taste great.

Why We Love 'Em… Sometimes sour cream & onion chips can be a bit overpowering in flavor, but these have just the right amount of zip. And 27 chips per serving is insane (in a perfectly wonderful way)!

Now next time your travelling and you rent one of those movies in your room, pop the top on one of these snacks and ENJOY!

Transition and a New Beginning

Hello and greetings from The Best Hotel in Pasadena. My name is Stephen Blaine and I am the new Director of Sales, here at the Courtyard by Marriott, Old Town Pasadena. I have now been here just about a month, which is just about enough time to start "swimming" on my own. I wanted to take a moment to pay homage to my excellent "swimming" coach and past Director of Sales, Mr. Mike Owen. After seven years here in Pasadena, Mike is moving on to bigger things and is now the General Manager of our brand new Courtyard in Santa Ana. It's being built right this very moment and is due to open in just a few short months. If you have have any business for Santa Ana, Mike would love to hear from you.. OK Mike, there is your 30 second commercial that I promised with the agreement that it is not business moving from this hotel to your new hotel....OK?.

Back to Pasadena.... Mike has really set me up for success here and for that I am forever thankful. Mike actually started this blog and now it is my turn to take the reigns. Reading past blogs from Mike both Basketball and Dog's seem to be the theme to which these two subjects I am not nearly as proficient as in, expertise (basketball) nor in, numbers (he has 5 dogs). I do enjoy both. I watched the final four yesterday and while I did not have a favorite, I almost always route for the underdog... go Butler! What matters most to me is that it is a great competitive game where the two teams slug it out until the very end.

Dogs are cool as well. We have two little dogs...Zsa Zsa, a Maltese, who is nine years old and our brand new puppy, Max (see picture above). Max is half Maltese, half Shih Tzu. The word Shih Tzu means "lion" and he is...all four pounds of him. Don't get me wrong, I love big dogs as well but anything that requires a large shovel to clean up after, is just not appealing to me. I am also under no illusion that these two offer any kind of protection what so ever...in an emergency, they will be the first to run away. The two dogs are still getting used to each other and are not quite sure if they like each other or not, competing for attention much like brother and sister. I hung out with these two alone all weekend and they did nothing but follow me around, everywhere like a shadow. I sit, they sit, I go to the kitchen they go to the kitchen, I take a shower.... you get it... This is the reason while dogs are great.... no other creature offers this kind of unqualified love.

This which strangely leads me to a quote I heard just yesterday from one of those financial gurus who was counseling someone about to lose their home. She has certainly made herself wealthy giving advice to others and actually once in a while stumbles upon the truth... she said " People come first, money and then things". This quote rings especially true to me. People do make the difference.

I have been in the hotel business my entire adult life. This is the ninth hotel in my career which has taken me from DC to Miami to Maui to San Francisco and to Los Angeles. My first hotel job was at a small hotel located in the Port of Miami. Every walk of life came through those doors from every nation in the world. No two days were ever the same and most days no two hours were ever the same. This is a place where a client just in from the Bahamas would bring me a cooler full of fresh Conch or lobster as a tip for making their last stay a great one. Truely amazing people and that is why I have been hooked on this business ever since.

At the end of the day, I am much more interested in hearing your stories than telling mine. So as we move forward in this relationship please share all you can about yourselves and about your passions and your lives. I am truly interested and most appreciative of the time you have graced me with today.

Pac 10 comes up short...just like the NCAA

I'm sure lots of people saw the BCS Championship game last night as Auburn and Oregon battled it out to a disappointing Auburn win. However, as disappointed as I am, it was still the better team that won. Why? Because they won. I'm not a fan of Auburn or Cam Newton as I bought into whatever the media told me about him and his dad and whatever underhanded dealings were going on there. But its not so much them that is frustrating, but the way in which it was handled. And to totally expect that four or five years from now that Cam will be stripped of the Heisman and Auburn stripped of this title is a pretty foregone conclusion. And in five years will anyone remember that Terell Pryor got a tattoo for free...probably not. He broke the rules and has received his punishment which in comparison to the Newtons, is pretty unfair. Will people continue to break the rules? Absolutely. But you have to punish them to keep some semblance of control over sports.
When Clint Eastwood was mayor of Carmel, they had a bad intersection that was the site of a lot of accidents because people just flew right on through. Clint's solution: Put up a stop sign and maybe then, they'll at least slow down.
People will always break the rules, but when the powers that be find out, they have to punish and keep that ever-growing gray area called control.

Congratulations to Auburn as it was a good game, however tarnished it may have been. I love college football as they play their hearts out every game to get to the NFL and hopefully make a living doing this. It would be interesting to see how many people would be involved with it if there wasn't the big pay day...it would be simply because they love to play.
These people exist and you can see them right here in Pasadena. They are professional civil servants and they will be playing at the Rose Bowl this Spring.
They are the LA Heat (http://www.losangelesheat.org/index.php) And not to be confused with over paid, over-hyped people from Miami.
Come make a weekend out of it and stay with us at the Courtyard Old Pasadena www.marriott.com/laxot

We hope to see you all there.

Winding down the College Football Season

We're down to the last two weeks of the college football season, however everything seems to still be up for grabs. We have the Iron Bowl beginning in just about an hour, Oregon vs Arizona and then rounding out the day with Boise St vs Nevada. All of these matchups could help determine who goes to the National Championship and then who comes to see us for the Rose Bowl.
We still have rooms available for anyone needing them over this timeframe and we understand that people will not make their reservations until they find out if their team is coming. We'll be ready for your reservations on next Sunday afternoon, December 5th. Also, go right to www.marriott.com/laxot and you can make your reservations there. Yes, the rate is a little higher, however once you get here, you don't have to worry about driving again. You're only 3 blocks from the Rose Parade and there is a shuttle that picks up from the parking lot across the street from the hotel to go to the Rose Bowl Stadium.
If you're a college football fan, the next two weeks will be super exciting and don't sell yourself short on this excitement. Do I want you to stay at my hotel, of course I do. But at the same time, if you're from Wisconsin or Stanford, this is a really big deal to come to the Rose Bowl and you deserve the best.
Good luck to all of the fans out there...especially Oregon and Boise State as that would be the GAME of the YEAR.

Forecast...Rain...What Could Be Better

Its set to rain this weekend in Pasadena and Southern, California. We don't handle this as well as some parts of the country due to all of the sunshine we get on a regular basis. When the sun goes away, it tends to take away our motivation to move around. But this is when we have to revert back to our Southern California roots.
And our roots tell us to kick back and relax.

And what better time to relax than when it rains. Normally, we can head up and do some hiking in the San Gabriels or come cycling along the foothills, but not when it rains. This is the time when relaxing with a good book, a good football game or even taking in the new Harry Potter flick. Old Town Pasadena has the great new Gold Class Cinema which is an experience in itself and shouldn't be missed. www.goldclasscinemas.com

And then there's the big UFC event on Saturday night that can be viewed at Barney's Beanery, Jake's Billiards or the 35er.

Don't miss the opportunity to relax and enjoy a rainy weekend. There's always more than enough to do as far as chores, obligations and outdoor activities, but not very many rainy weekends. Don't let this one pass you by.
http://www.ehow.com/list_7351214_rainy-weekend-ideas.html

Laps around the Rose Bowl

One of the really great parts about living in the Pasadena area is the free workout facility. Head over to the Rose Bowl ( www.rosebowlstadium.com ) any weekday evening and you'll see exactly what I mean. Lots of people running, walking and cycling. However, I don't have the schedule to stay consistent with evening workouts, so its off to the Rose Bowl in the morning hours. I normally have only about an hour to dedicate in the morning before work, but the Rose Bowl is perfect for it.
This morning I didn't see any other cyclists and just the few regulars walking and running the perimeter. I was able to get in 3 laps and then ride back home, however I got a really good victory in today. I normally exit the route headed north on Rosemont, as that will bring you out on Windsor and then its just a quick trek to get up to Altadena. However that hill getting to Windsor is very much on the steep side. Normally, I put it in the granny gear, and just pedal my heart out, however this morning I decided to take it on full force. I stood up, kept the bike in the high gear and decided to pedal it out until I gave out. I wasn't sure which would go first, my legs or my lungs, however they both decided to give out at the same time, which was at the top of the hill. We'll see if it gets any easier tomorrow.
18 days to the big ride.