The hotel lobby is often the first point of contact that guests have with a property, and as such, it is critical to make a positive first impression. Elevating the lobby experience can help to create a welcoming and memorable experience for guests, which can lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

Here are some ways that you can elevate the hotel lobby experience:

The lobby design sets the tone for the entire property, and it is important to make it visually appealing and functional. The lobby should be spacious, well-lit, and easy to navigate, with comfortable seating areas and a variety of amenities to keep guests engaged.

Set your brand apart and build customer loyalty with the right sights, sounds, and scents that compliment your hotel operation. Commercial free music and more than 1600 invigorating scents, MOOD:MEDIA has all the solutions you need to create a memorable experience and keep your customers coming back time and time again.

When it comes to flooring in your lobby, you want to make sure it’s always clean and well taken care of. Karcher has scrubbers and sweepers for your operational needs. When it comes to cleaning, no job is too big or too small for Karcher.

Guests expect to be connected at all times, and providing free Wi-Fi and charging stations can help to create a positive experience. Other technological features, such as interactive touchscreens, virtual concierge services, and smart room key systems, can also enhance the guest experience.

Not only should you have TVs in each of your rooms, but your lobby can also be a source of entertainment. By adding TVs with DirecTV to your lobby, you can increase guest engagement and keep them entertained while they wait in line to check-in and check-out. You can even run hotel promotions and LTO’s on the screens, informing guests of exclusive offers they can take advantage of while staying at your hotel.

Mood lighting can be used to create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere. Soft, ambient lighting paired with relaxing music can help guests feel more at ease and comfortable. Batteries Plus Bulbs has over 60,000 types of batteries, light bulbs, and accessories for you to create the ultimate lobby vibe.

Providing high-quality food and beverage options such as Peet’s Coffee and Otis Spunkmeyer cookies in the lobby can help to create a welcoming and social atmosphere. This can include a coffee bar, grab-and-go food options, or a full-service restaurant or bar. Guests can be hungry after a long day of traveling and that little tasty gesture goes a long way.

Art and décor can add character and personality to the lobby and can also provide a sense of place. This can include local artwork, sculptures, or other unique decorative features like fountains. Suppliers such as Leslie’s Pools can help you maintain the quality of your fountains and water features with their best-in-class products, services, and installation.

Investing in the right safety and sanitation supplies will ensure your lobby is clean and guests know you care about their well-being. One company that offers a complete assortment of cleaning supplies is HD Supply. With more than 60,000 products to choose from, HD Supply has all the essential items you need for a safe and clean environment.

By focusing on these areas, a hotel operation can elevate the lobby experience and create a memorable first impression for guests.

As a Source1 member, you get access to exclusive savings and discounts on everything you need to elevate your hotel lobby experience. We’ve partnered with a trusted network of suppliers to bring you aggressive OS&E contracts, specialty luxury agreements, and the best pricing on top quality products and services. We find you reduced pricing on OS&E items you’re already purchasing, customized supplier programs and ensure delivery of products that meet your specifications.

Procurement management is the process of acquiring and managing the goods and services necessary to operate a hotel. It involves sourcing and purchasing the necessary supplies, equipment, and services required for the hotel’s daily operations, such as food and beverage, linens, toiletries, cleaning supplies, furniture, and technology.

Hotel procurement management also involves managing vendor relationships, negotiating contracts and pricing, and ensuring timely and efficient delivery of goods and services. Additionally, it involves managing inventory levels and tracking expenses to ensure the hotel is operating within budget.

Effective hotel procurement management is critical to ensuring that the hotel is operating smoothly and efficiently. It can help to reduce costs, improve quality and consistency of goods and services, and create a positive guest experience. It requires collaboration and communication between various departments within the hotel, including the purchasing department, finance department, and operations team.

But how can you do all of that manually? It would take too many hours to accomplish all those tasks without the help of technology.

Using technology for hotel procurement management can bring numerous benefits, including:

Streamlined Processes: Technology can automate the procurement process, making it more efficient and reducing the need for manual processes. It can simplify tasks such as order processing, invoicing, and inventory management, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.

Enhanced Supplier Management: Technology can help manage relationships with suppliers by enabling better communication, collaboration, and tracking of performance. It can also help in the selection of the right suppliers by providing insights into supplier performance and price.

Better Cost Control: Technology can provide real-time data on procurement expenses, helping hotels to identify cost-saving opportunities and make more informed decisions. It can also help with budgeting and forecasting.

Improved Compliance: Procurement management technology can help hotels comply with regulations and standards by enabling them to track and monitor procurement processes, ensure contracts are adhered to, and verify supplier compliance.

Improved Guest Experience: Technology can help hotels deliver a better guest experience by enabling them to efficiently manage inventory levels and ensure that the necessary supplies and services are available to guests when they need them.

Overall, using technology for hotel procurement management can help your hotel save time, reduce costs, and enhance the guest experience. It can help you better manage your hotel procurement processes and make more informed purchasing decisions.

Hotel supply chain management refers to the process of managing the flow of goods, services, and information from suppliers to the hotel, and from the hotel to guests. It involves coordinating and optimizing the activities of all stakeholders involved in the supply chain, including suppliers, transportation companies, and internal departments such as procurement, purchasing, and operations.

The objective of hotel supply chain management is to ensure the efficient and cost-effective delivery of goods and services to guests, while also ensuring that the hotel’s operational needs are met. This includes managing inventory levels, negotiating contracts with suppliers, managing vendor relationships, and tracking the delivery and quality of goods and services.

Effective hotel supply chain management can lead to several benefits, including:

1. Cost savings: By optimizing the procurement process, hotels can reduce costs and increase their bottom line.
2. Improved efficiency: Supply chain management can help streamline processes, reduce waste, and increase the speed of delivery.
3. Enhanced guest experience: By ensuring a steady supply of high-quality goods and services, hotels can provide guests with an exceptional experience.
4. Better supplier relationships: Good supply chain management practices can lead to better relationships with suppliers, which can result in improved service, better prices, and more reliable deliveries.

Technology can play a significant role in streamlining the supply chain process by automating manual processes, improving communication and collaboration, and providing real-time insights into the supply chain.

Some of the ways technology can help streamline hotel supply chain management include:

1. Automation of procurement processes: Technology can automate the procurement process, from supplier selection to contract management and payment, reducing the time and effort required to manage the supply chain.
2. Improved communication and collaboration: Supply chain management software can provide a centralized platform for all stakeholders to communicate and collaborate, reducing the risk of miscommunication and improving decision-making.
3. Real-time inventory management: Technology can help hotels manage their inventory levels in real-time, providing insight into what is in stock and what needs to be ordered, and reducing the risk of stock outs.
4. Data analysis and reporting: Supply chain management software can provide real-time data and analytics that can help hotels make informed decisions and identify areas for improvement.
5. Supplier performance management: Technology can help hotels track supplier performance and monitor their compliance with contract terms, reducing the risk of delivery issues and ensuring that suppliers are meeting the hotel’s standards.

Hotel supply chain management is a critical aspect of hotel operations that helps ensure that the hotel is able to deliver an exceptional experience to guests while also controlling costs and improving efficiency.

In conclusion, technology can greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of hotel supply chain management by automating processes, improving communication and collaboration, and providing real-time insights into the supply chain. This can lead to cost savings, enhanced guest experiences, and improved supplier relationships.

It’s impossible to manage your hotel operation manually these days. There are too many processes and data points to be able to keep up with the flow of information that goes along with every purchase your procurement team is making.

Let’s face it – cutting costs and reducing labor have made the top of your priority list over the last year.

Wondering what hotel procurement technology can do to help you meet both of those goals?

Here are four benefits of leveraging hotel procurement technology in your operation:

Without technology, you’re unable to get a clear and accurate picture of your spending habits. Hotel procurement technology gives you real-time visibility and purchasing analytics on how your spending is impacting your profitability. You can leverage your purchasing data to make more profitable business decisions.

Source1 hotel procurement technology provides real-time visibility into your purchasing, providing actionable data on how your spending impacts profitability.

Hotel procurement technology from brands such as Source1 can recommend opportunities for new savings. If you’re carrying out your procurement duties manually, you’re sure to be missing out on product recommendations that cost less but still impress your guests. Procurement technology can help you identify product substitutions that reduce costs so you can maintain a high-quality guest experience and increase profits.

Your restaurants and room service are deciding factors in guests choosing to stay in your hotel, so it’s important to maintain stock of all your inventory. But how can you streamline the process, so your staff is not wasting hours counting the items coming in and out of your hotel?

Manage and optimize your inventory by using hotel procurement technology for more accurate forecasting and effective ordering. Technology gives your back-of-house staff the tools to track in-house inventory levels and automatically adjust recipe costs so your chef can place more insightful orders. Source1 inventory technology streamlines the inventory process and alerts you when stocks are low, prompting easy re-orders and re-stocking.

With the large amount of purchases your operation is making every day, what better way to organize those purchasing contracts then with the help of contract management technology? Your hotel purchasing department has contracts coming and going throughout the entire procurement process and it can be hard to keep track of renewal dates, pricing audits, and if you are even receiving the items on your contract.

Hotel procurement technology can help you ensure you’re paying the correct prices, make corrections in real-time, and maximize the value of all your negotiated contracts.

Ready to leverage the power of hotel procurement technology? Become a Source1 member today!

Running a procurement department in a hotel takes a lot of work. Placing orders for goods needed by each department, monitoring costs, checking invoices, and navigating product substitutions are just a few of the responsibilities a hotel procurement department is responsible for.

One way to streamline it all and cut down on labor is to utilize procurement technology.

Procurement technology can be a valuable asset when it comes to cutting costs and managing the supply chain. It provides you with visibility into your purchasing habits so you can get a better understanding of what purchases are impacting your bottom line – both the negative and the positive.

Implementing innovative procurement technology gives your company the competitive edge to stand out from other hotels.

Here are six benefits of using procurement technology in your hotel operation:

1. Purchasing Analytics

Without technology, there’s no way you’re getting a clear accurate picture of your spending habits. Procurement technology gives you real-time visibility and purchasing analytics on how your spending is impacting your profitability. You can leverage your purchasing data to make more profitable business decisions.

2. Product Optimization

AI-driven procurement software recommends opportunities for new savings. If you’re carrying out your procurement duties manually, you’re sure to be missing out on product recommendations that cost less but still impress your guests. Procurement technology can help you identify product substitutions that reduce costs so you can maintain a high-quality guest experience and increase profits.

3. Food Cost Management

Optimize your inventory and streamline food cost management with procurement technology for more accurate forecasting and effective ordering. Technology gives your back-of-house staff the tools to track in-house inventory levels and automatically adjust recipe costs so your chef can place more insightful orders. Embrace labor saving technology to simplify inventory and stay on top of ordering.

4. Contract Utilization

It’s extremely crucial to stay efficient when managing your contracts but sometimes, human error is just inevitable – especially if you’re managing contracts manually. Utilizing procurement technology to manage your contracts can help ensure you’re paying the right prices on each item you purchase. Procurement technology can help you maximize your profits and extract value out of all your contracts so you can focus on your guests.

5. Supply Chain Management

Managing the always changing supply chain can be time consuming. Procurement technology gives you the ability to streamline the entire supply chain process, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. A more streamlined supply chain translates into lower operating costs that requires less time to manage. Drive profitability by leveraging procurement technology to optimize your purchasing and ensure you get competitive pricing.

6. Cost Control

Keeping costs low is vital to the success of your hotel. You don’t have to spend hours trying to locate products you can save money on. There is a way to save money on the items you are already purchasing and keep costs low. Procurement technology allows you to control costs and find reduce pricing on OS&E items that you’re already purchasing. Unlock instant savings by tapping into the power of technology.

Powerful Procurement Technology That Delivers

Hospitality procurement departments often lack visibility into purchasing success factors such as pricing, distribution contracts, commodity benchmarks and leveraged buying. Source1’s procurement technology delivers purchasing visibility and thousands of ways your operation can save on products and services including food, disposables, linens, maintenance supplies, and more.

Achieving hotel profitability isn’t always an easy task. You pay big bucks for quality products and solutions to maintain your properties superior service and exceptional guest experience.

You spend days searching for the best brands to partner with and hours forecasting potential ROI.

But you don’t have to.

Keeping your hotel costs down is the key to a successful hotel. So, what can you do to improve your bottom line and increase your profits?

Invest in procurement technology.

Procurement technology simplifies the procurement process and can help you reduce your costs. It can increase efficiency and the speed of your procurement process, while ensuring inaccuracies are avoided and savings are maximized.

There are many benefits of using procurement technology. Let’s take a look at four ways procurement technology can be used to improve your bottom line:

1. Identify new savings opportunities

Unlock new levels of value and instant savings by tapping into the power of procurement technology. Using the data intelligence that technology provides, you can ensure accurate forecasting is achieved and discover new opportunities for savings you may not know about otherwise. Think of procurement technology as a one stop shop for access to suppliers and high-quality products your already purchasing that you could be saving money on.

2. Real-time visibility into your purchasing

Hospitality procurement departments often lack visibility into purchasing success factors such as pricing, distribution contracts, commodity benchmarks and leveraged buying. Procurement technology provides real-time visibility into your purchasing so you can make more informed business decisions. AI-driven procurement can provide you with product optimization, purchasing analytics and actionable data on how your spending is impacting your profitability.

3. Optimize food cost management

Knowing your food cost and staying up to date on your inventory can make all the difference in your hotel’s profitability. How do you know if you are over ordering or not ordering enough? How do you know what plates are making you money and which ones are costing you revenue? Are you spending hours trying to count inventory and place orders for more? Procurement technology gives you insight into your food cost management without all the manual data entry.

4. Streamline contracts

Ensure you are paying the correct prices, make corrections, and maximize the value of all your negotiated contracts. Procurement technology can provide your operation with detailed contract evaluations so you can streamline the contract lifecycle into an automated workflow minimizing errors and improve your profits. Let technology work for you and take your contract management to the next level that includes price auditing and impact analysis.

Procurement can be time consuming and labor intensive. An inefficient procurement process can lead to increased costs and decreased profits.

Ready to take the leap to power procurement savings? Sign up as a Source1 member for free today!

Summer is the perfect time to take a step back and put a little tlc into your hotel operation. Does the paint on the walls need a refresh? Does your lighting need to be replaced? Does your pool need a good cleaning?

Putting regular efforts into preventative and cosmetic maintenance increases overall guest satisfaction, cuts down on large last-minute expenditures and ultimately saves your staff time.

When guests leave happy and leave a positive review after their stay, it’s effective upkeep and preventive maintenance that play a role in their memorable experience.

Not only can Source1 help you give your operation a much-needed makeover, but we partner with popular brands to ensure our members are getting quality solutions for all their business needs.

As a Source1 member, you get exclusive savings on the following brands:

ACE Hardware

Sure you can have a plan to update your operations look, but where are you going to get the tools to carry out that plan? ACE Hardware has customized inventory solutions from top national brands that you can trust. They have products you can rely on such as paint, electrical, power tools, outdoor equipment, janitorial and sanitation, plumbing, HVAC, hardware and more! Even better, Source1 members get a 10% discount on their order. You can order products anytime, from anywhere. Multiple users can access one account with varying permission level so you can trust your staff to take care of the ordering.

Leslie’s Pools

Your pool is one of the amenities your guests look forward to when staying at your hotel. Reduce costs and increase your guests’ pool experience by leveraging our savings and discounts on pool services and solutions from Leslie’s Pools. And it’s not all about the pool. If you have fountains throughout your hotel, they have products to help you keep those cleaned and properly operating. As a Source1 member, you get discounted pricing on 1500 items and service programs from Leslie’s Pools.

A1 American

Pool season has arrived! And your guests don’t always pack towels with them for pool days. A1 American offers two types of towel solutions for your hotel operation. Their Value towel line includes classic towel options for hotels which prefer a low-cost alternative, but with the quality, durability, and softness of a midrange towel. For hotels looking for an upgraded softness and absorbency, their Deluxe towel line is perfect for that exclusive feel while maintaining a budget-friendly price.

Carrier

No matter hot or cold outside, you should always be checking on your HVAC system to ensure the inside of your hotel operation is properly climate controlled and set to a comfortable temperature for your guests. Comfort drives decision-making when it comes to choosing which hotel to stay at. Carrier provides reliable HVAC systems. Through advanced controls and digital solutions and services, Carrier optimizes buildings to protect the people inside, enabling continuous improvements to air quality and overall health while reducing energy costs.

Take the time to evaluate the areas in your hotel that could use an upgrade or maintenance. Sign-up as a Souce1 member today and take advantage of discounts and savings on products and solutions to keep your operation up to date.

Did you know? Fries are on the Rise! According to Lamb Weston, there have been double-digit increases in fry orders with popular main dishes in the last year.

With 77% of consumers saying their satisfaction with a restaurant’s fries impacts their satisfaction with the restaurant overall, it’s time to elevate your fries and increase your guests check size.

Since fries are one of the most popular and profitable menu items, your guests will be delighted to see your room service menu includes a one-of-a-kind plate of fries. From shoestring to crinkle cut and even waffle shapes, there are many versatile fries to create the perfect dish.

Here are three ways you can incorporate fries into your hotel food menu:

1. Loaded Fries

Nothing’s better than a pile of fries topped with loads of ingredients. Poutine, chili and cheese, brisket and barbeque sauce – the possibilities are endless. Fries are a great base for any craveable plate.  In Q4 of 2021, Technomic reported that top trending ingredients for loaded fries included cilantro (25%), queso fresco (11%), and chorizo (7%).  Returning guests might even choose to stay at your hotel versus another just because your fries can’t be found anywhere else.

2. Comfort Food Mashups

Burritos are a great place to add fries. Haven’t you ever heard of adding fries into that chicken shawarma? Hey, don’t knock it till you try it. Some people even like mixing their sweet with their salty by dipping their fries into a milk shake – hello Wendy’s frosty and fries anyone? Consumers love experimenting with their foods and adding fries to dishes they normally wouldn’t be served in. Fries are considered to be a comfort food so add them to other menu items to create the ultimate mashup. Layer your famous burger with them or add them to your breakfast skillet in place of hash browns. You can even slide a scoop of ice cream in between two waffle fries to make the ultimate mini ice cream sandwiches. Fries give you the flexibility to have fun with your menu and take your comfort food recipes to the next level.

3. Leverage Food Holiday’s for LTOs

National food holidays are a big part of consumer culture. #HashtagHolidays can be powerful ways to promote your menu. Leverage trending foods and foodie holidays to create a signature LTO that is sure to build a buzz. With 3 out of 4 consumers saying they’ll tell a friend about an LTO they love, offering fries at your hotel bar can help attract new guests and boost your bottom line. Take advantage of days dedicated to foods such as National Barbecue Day, National French Fry Day, National Gyro Day, National Bacon Day, and even National Donut Day – who said you couldn’t experiment with sweet fries?!

There’s no debating that Americans love fries—rating them one of their favorites across generations. So if you don’t have fries on your menu, you’re missing out on extra profits.

As a Source1 member, you get access to exclusive savings on french fry products from Lamb Weston so you can transform your basic french fries into an ooey gooey pile of flavor. Not yet a member? No problem! Join Source1 today!

Finding the best purchasing solutions for those memorable experiences can be time consuming and come at a high price. Operators are serious when it comes to their procurement process, selecting only the best suppliers to support their customized amenities and services. 

CONTINUE READING

Running a hotel operation requires industry knowledge and expertise. As a Source1 member, you get access to exclusive savings opportunities, cutting-edge procurement technology and partnerships with popular brands that your operation uses every day.

These days, hospitality procurement departments are often short staffed and lack the visibility into purchasing success factors such as pricing, distribution contracts, commodity benchmarks and leveraged buying.

At Source1, we deliver purchasing visibility and thousands of ways to save on products and services including food, disposables, linens, maintenance supplies, and more.

Here are three of the core benefits of becoming a Source1 member to help you drive profitability with ease:

Access to Exclusive Rebates

Did you know the items you purchase everyday could be eligible for a CashBack rebate? Do you have the time to check each of those items for a rebate? Do you have time to claim those rebates and follow-up on those rebates? By partnering with Source1, you get access to over 350 manufacturers and 165,000+ line items.

Unlock instant savings by tapping into the power of Source1’s portfolio of rebate and deviation contracts. With no mandates and no minimums, Source1 aligns your current products and helps maximize your savings and purchasing value.

Cutting-Edge Technology

With the industry experiencing a labor shortage, operators are scrambling to find a way to automate as much of their operation as they can – especially in the purchasing process. With a hotel to run and a staff to manage, its hard to find the time to make sense of all your purchasing costs and know where your money is coming and going. What’s costing you money and what’s making you money?

From purchasing analytics, product optimization, inventory management, and contract utilization, you can trust technology to do the work in half the time. AI-driven procurement software can help you control purchasing costs, identify savings opportunities, and make sure you are getting the most value out of your contracts.

Source1 data and technology solutions provide you with visibility into your purchasing analytics, inventory management, and contract utilization so you can save time and make more efficient business decisions.

Cost Control and Sourcing for OS&E Procurement

OS&E typically includes things like administrative services, hotel amenities, linens, facilities, and maintenance services. Even your hotel restaurants and bars utilize OS&E such as supplies to cook with, serve with, and store food in. These day-to-day products and services can come at a high price.

When you partner with industry experts such as Source1, you expand your supplier pool and the task of procuring the items and services you need goes from hours to minutes. As a Source1 member, you can identify new partnerships with popular brands that offer OS&E solutions such as HD Supply, OTIS, Sherwin Williams, and Grainger.

At Source1, we partner with a trusted network of suppliers to bring you aggressive OS&E contracts, specialty luxury agreements and the best pricing on top quality products and services. We find you reduced pricing on OS&E items and services you’re already purchasing, customized supplier programs and ensure delivery of products that meet your specifications.

Maximize your rebates and savings, gain visibility into your purchasing, and expand your supplier pool of partnerships by becoming a Source1 member today for FREE!