Alaska Hotel & Lodging Association Newsletter

The Leading Voice and Resource for Alaska's Lodging Industry

January 2012
In This Issue
Letter from the Executive Director
Membership Spotlight- McKinley Chalet
Governmental Affairs
New Green Guideline Unveiled
Educational Institute 2011 Year in Review
AHLEI Promotions
Quick Links
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Upcoming Events
 
Letter from the Executive Director 
Alaska's hotels contribute to the economy of Alaska through job creation, tax contributions and overall health of Alaska's economy.  Further, our industry generated well over a half a billion dollars of economic force in Alaska with...

 

  • Over $500 Million in sales annually
  • Our member businesses invest $10- $100 million annually
  • $52 million in total municipal tax contributed, including bed tax, property & sales tax
  • Employing over 13,000 workers annually

 

The Alaska Hotel & Lodging Association is pleased to announce that we will be flying into Juneau and meeting with our Legislatures on Tuesday, February 7th.  Your participation as a member is crucial to delivering our message.  Our key talking points this year are:

 

  1. Opposing target industry taxes and support reinvestment of existing taxes to support those industries generating the taxes.
  2. Economic Impact Statement (study of Lodging/Tourism).
  3. Unemployment insurance Costs.
  4. Health Insurance.
  5. Controlling Energy Costs.

 

Whether you are a Board Member, a member of AkH&LA or a leader in our industry, you are most importantly a constituent!  Please join us in a united effort to speak with our Legislators from your home and business districts and let our voice be heard! Please take the time to call your Representative and Senator prior to the start of session, invite them to coffee or to tour your property, personal relationships open doors!

Please RSVP by January 9th if you are able to attend our Fly In!  We are counting on your support.
Membership Spotlight 
 

McKinley Chalet Resort, Denali Park Resort

ARAMARK Alaska

 

·         What year was The McKinley Chalet Resort built?  1982

 

·          What recent renovations or upgrading have you done?   Room renovations have been ongoing since 2005.

 

·         Have you hired any new employees recently that you would like to mention or a have special employee that you would like to recognize?  "Paulette Parson was recently promoted to the Front Office Manager at the McKinley Chalet Resort and has been a proven success.  She helps contribute to top guest satisfaction ratings and improves the overall functionality of the operation.  Paulette's kind nature and superior leadership skill helps contribute to her winning Manager of the Month and nominee for Manager of the Year.  Go Paulette!"

 

·         What makes The McKinley Chalet Resort unique in Alaska and sets you apart from other properties?  The McKinley Chalet Resort is the environmental leader in Denali.  We have a cold water washing machine system that enables us to reuse 50% of our water saving over 1.2 million gallons a year.  We also have a glass recycling plant and pick up all recyclable materials at all Denali hotels and take it to Anchorage or Fairbanks to be recycled.  Pounds of recycled materials early include:  16,613 pounds of paper, 137,544 pounds of cardboard, 3,123 pounds of aluminum, 818 pounds of plastic, 4,551 pounds of tin.

 

·         What plans do you have for the future of your property?  The McKinley Chalet Resort has current plans to proceed with nearly one million dollars in Capitol investments into the property for the upcoming year.  These investments will help ensure our guests continue to experience authentic Alaskan hospitality. 
 

·         If there is one thing that you want others to know about your property, what would it be?  The McKinley Chalets resides on approximately 42 acres of land that boarder the eastern boundary of Denali National Park.  The original site for the hotel was used as a campground and RV park in the 1970's.

 

Governmental Affairs
Congressional Omnibus Includes AH&LA Supported Travel Provisions 

Visa Provisions will Direct State to Focus on Increasing International Travel 

 

On Dec. 16, the House passed an omnibus spending package that included several visa provisions that AH&LA and the Discover America Partnership lobbied the Senate to include in the fiscal year 2012 State Department funding bill. 

This will accomplish three goals:

  1. Congress is now on record directing the State Department to take the necessary steps, including hiring additional personnel, to reduce visa processing times in China, Brazil, and India. 
  2. Congress directs the State Department to consider new approaches to increasing efficiency in the processing of visas by directing it to report on the risk and benefits of waiving the visa interview for people reapplying for a leisure or business visas if their visa has expired.
  3. The bill reaffirms Congress's previous support for the testing of videoconferencing technology for visa interviews in order to grant applicants greater access to the U.S. visa process. 

Next Steps: 

Now that the House has approved the omnibus spending package, we expect the Senate to vote on the bill Saturday, and the President to sign the legislation shortly thereafter.

This is a big win for travel and tourism. The visa provisions are a significant step toward accomplishing the goals of the Discover America Partnership to reform the visa process and increase international travel to the United States.

AH&LA's previous coverage of this issue is available here:

Senate Addresses AH&LA Request for Visa Reforms 

New Green Guideline Unveiled...
Laundry Ozone Systems have been used for years, primarily in the larger branded hotels. Advanced technology has resulted in lower production costs, increased efficiencies, and higher cleaning performances, such as brightness. As a result of these improvements, the addition of ozone equipment to existing laundry operations has become more widespread.  

 

What is ozone? Ozone is a gas that's produced in an ozone generator. An ozone generator takes in air and converts it into 90% oxygen. The oxygen is then electrically charged causing the oxygen atom to split. These atoms then reassemble and form the ozone gas (O3).

How does an ozone laundry system work? The ozone gas is injected directly into the wash wheel where it dissolves in the cold water, opens up the fibers and releases stains. Opening up the fibers makes the linens easier to dry and results in a decrease in drying time. After the wash cycle is completed, the ozone is then vented through a carbon tower and absorbed. It is important to insure safety in the laundry room by installing an ozone monitor. An ozone monitor should be set to alarm at 0.05 parts per million.

Adding ozone equipment to existing washing machines can completely eliminate a laundry's need for hot water because ozone works best in cold water. It also reduces the wash cycle and dryer times by a combined 30%, thus allowing for more laundry productivity. In addition, the rinse cycle is reduced from two cycles to one allowing for a water/sewer savings. Because ozone leaves only oxygen behind, it is also environmentally friendly.

 

read more...

Educational Institute 2011 Year in Review

2011 was a busy year for the Educational Institute.  We introduced more than a dozen new products, many of them available in an online format or with an online component to them.  We went "green" with two new books, traveled the globe to introduce our hospitality education and professional development materials to new markets, and honored those who have made their mark in the world of hospitality education.  Here's a look back at the past 12 months.

 

AHLEI Promotions

 

 

 

Guests know and value your commitment to making their experience the best it can be.  Set the gold standard of guest satisfaction.  This commitment goes a long way towards increasing guest trust and confidence, the basis for developing guest brand loyalty-and increasing revenues. 

 

Guest Service Gold is a comprehensive program designed to accomplish the goal of creating guest service-oriented line-level employees who know how to engage with their guests in order to provide memorable guest service.

 

In the ever changing world of Social Media, the right guest service can set your brand apart from the others.  A successful marketing and advertising plan starts with great customer service - set the Gold standard today.