With such a diverse array of back-of-house ranks for both university-educated individuals, as well as those without a college-level diploma, we must now fight to keep every team member lest we suffer from the long-term consequences associated with increasing onboarding costs, guest service gaps and lack of proper succession planning. Especially in major Western markets, a shortage of free and available labor can mean significant increases in turnover and indirect expenses when all is considered.

Revealing The Issue Through An Example
An example best illustrates this cause-and-effect situation. Suppose you run a midscale flagged property in a major urban territory in North America with 500 rooms. This means that there will be a recurrent need to fill front-line staff and supervisory positions.

The process for this can be a hefty burden on the human resources department as they are required to promote these job openings, interview candidates, verify employment records and initiate onboarding of new hires, all while managing every other ongoing project. While every hotel’s turnover rate will be different, if there are, say, only 10 open positions, this still adds up to a full business week out of the calendar month when all parts are factored in.

Moreover, while being in a dense population center gives this hotel access to a larger labor pool, it also increases its ephemeralness. That is, a city has a myriad of other job opportunities and organizations vying to attract the best and brightest from the labor pool, thereby luring away passionate candidates from applying for a job at your property or from applying for a job in the hotel industry in the first place.

Indeed, I’ve heard hoteliers remark to me that it’s becoming more common than before to interview and qualify a candidate to the point where a job offer is made, only for said individual to reply that he or she has already accepted a position elsewhere. Now that’s frustrating!

Attracting Millennials
One issue related to this is that the hospitality industry is not generally viewed by the younger generations as a viable career path. The common understanding is that the best paying jobs are in the finance sector or in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), so that is where the talent is going with service-related fields like ours left to pick up the scraps.

This shouldn’t be the case, and the onus is on us to improve our image among the millennials and centennials so that we can mentor the next generation of hoteliers who will have the intelligence and drive necessary to innovate the hotels of the future. Where the word ‘imminent’ comes into play is that if we don’t act fast, the perception of hospitality as a ‘second tier line of work’ may be too hard to reverse as members of these younger generations start to choose their college majors and apply for their first serious jobs.
Outside of supporting your local hotel association and implementing a robust internship program, what can you do at the property level to prevent a labor crunch from seriously affecting your operations and causing a sizable uptick in onboarding costs? The answer is employee retention by any and all means!

Given how tight the margins are on running a hotel, it’s unlikely that our compensation structures will ever be able to compete with the salaries and bonus packages in other industries like those mentioned above. However, we can imbue our workplaces with programs that make our hotels the best places for team growth and personal development.

Underlying Benefits Of Hospitality Jobs
For this, hospitality has a few clear advantages that I don’t see stressed enough. As a start, everyone can benefit from working a service-oriented job because effectively interacting with guests is an insurmountable skill that can translate near-universally for any future career path. I’ve personally seen hoteliers to go on to become great salespersons, primarily as a result of their ingrained ability to attentively listen to the customer’s needs then respond diligently and anticipate the next request.

Related to this, as a people business, hoteliers are constantly interacting with a cast of characters and have keen insights about different cultural norms far above what you will exposed to in other industries. Such a multitude of interactions makes for a lively workplace and a more fulfilling experience when all is said and done.

Next, and aside from emphasizing these guest-facing advantages, we need to promote employee retention by inspiring our teams through ongoing training and engagement activities--any initiative that encourages the development of a familial dynamic and gives an explicit path of upward trajectory as a reward for hard work.

Such actions will help to transform hospitality from just a job into an actual career, and my hope is that you are able to set up programs that will encourage the current generation, as well as the next, to view us with an open mind so that hospitality isn’t left behind as the overall labor pool diminishes.

On that note, I know of a few companies that are specifically designed to help hotels set up viable programs that can help with labor retention and career planning. Please reach out to me personally to learn more.
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Wyndham Hotels and Resorts also operates the Wyndham Batumi and Ramada Encore Tiblisi in Georgia.

The group is targeting growth in the region, and currently has 15 hotels across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Dimitris Manikis, President and Managing Director for EMEA at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, commented: “Georgia is experiencing unprecedented growth in visitor numbers, as travellers discover this beautiful country’s charming architecture, rich culture, delectable cuisine and many significant historic sites.

“Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is thrilled to be one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the country, bringing yet another of our internationally recognised hotel brands to Georgia, and adding the vibrant capital city of Tbilisi to the list of international destinations where Wyndham Grand hotels can be found.”

wyndhamhotels.com

Photo Credit: I Love Vietnam motorbike tours offer an opportunity for young women to develop their skills and become leaders in the tourism industry. I Love Vietnam tours

On Monday, the first international meeting of hotel representatives and city officials will be held in New York to discuss ways to regulate Airbnb and other platforms.

Hotel And City Representatives From Around The World Are Meeting To Discuss The Airbnb Problem

Within the state of Rio Grande do Sul, at the southernmost tip of Brazil, is the Vale dos Vinhedos: the Valley of Vineyards. With its landscape of rolling green hillsides dotted with family farms, the vista could easily be mistaken for Tuscany. The state produces 90 percent of the nation’s wine, with more than 30 wineries in the Vale dos Vinhedos alone. At the heart of this community stands a chapel called the Capela Nossa Senhora das Neves, or the chapel of Our Lady of the Snow. Though small and unassuming, this building is distinguished in a particularly appropriate way: It was constructed out of wine.

The church’s viniferous origin is detailed in its decor. The tiny chapel features an altar made with wine barrels, and the exterior is outlined with wine-red paint. But the very mortar holding the bricks of the church’s walls together is made of wine: a testament to the creativity of the local Italian immigrants when faced with a debilitating drought. Wine created a solid foundation for their building, and for their new home in the Vale dos Vinhedos.

Long before the construction of the wine chapel a century ago, the land was originally occupied by the Tupí-Guaraní and other indigenous peoples. Jesuit missionaries from Europe arrived in the 17th century, intent on evangelizing and moving them into missions. In the 19th century, Italian immigrants settled in the valley, the majority from the northern regions of Veneto and Trentino. These immigrants were mostly peasants, drawn to southern Brazil by the promise of their own farms. The imperial government of Brazil played a part in luring many to the area. According to Walter Comassetto, a descendant of Italian immigrants who arrived in Rio Grande do Sul in 1878, “the government made the decision to occupy the lands with no legal ownership.”

At the time, there was still slavery in Brazil, which would last until 1888. But the government knew that the abolishment of slavery was certain. To resolve the looming lack of labor, their racially charged solution was “to invite, or to bring, or to hire,” Europeans. “White Europeans, preferably,” Comassetto says. Immigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain were especially ideal, because they were Catholic. With that decision, the imperial government set out to have such settlers cultivating land across the country.

The government created agencies authorized to invite people to settle in Brazil. Starting in Germany, they soon moved on to other European countries. With flyers, the agents immediately began spreading lies, boasting that new immigrants could own castles in Brazil, and that there was plenty of land for everyone. (What they didn’t mention was that most of the land on offer was unoccupied because it was all forest.)

But the agents persisted, vowing to potential immigrants that Europe’s future was in Brazil. Often, the promised land was referred to as America. “Andiamo a fare America, let’s go to America, let’s be successful. This is what they said,” Comassetto says. The agents came to his great-grandfather’s church in Italy. With little local land left to farm, his family decided to take a chance and move.

As Italians landed at the port city of Porto Alegre, they were given parcels of land to settle in the unruly region of Serra Gaúcha, an area with steep hills and rocky terrain in Rio Grande do Sul. Life in the future Vale dos Vinhedos was soon dire. Disease ran rampant, and instead of their promised castles, families lived off the land in the harshest of conditions, often with nothing to eat. But many survived, and after a four-year wait the immigrants were granted the papers of their designated land.

Wanting to recreate the comforts of their homeland, the settlers raised livestock to provide themselves with meat and cheese, and grew fruits and vegetables. Importantly, they began planting grape vines, from seedlings brought by the Germans. Soon, they threw themselves into making wine just as they did in Italy. In the fertile soil and hot sun of Serra Gaúcha, their vineyards thrived.

Religion was always an important aspect of their lives. As Italian immigrants across Brazil established themselves in their new country, many soon turned to the construction of a local church or chapel. “The church became the point of entry, the point for them to get together,” Comassetto says. “People congregated there for everything—for business, for worship, to play, to have some fun during the weekend.”

In the new Serra Gaúcha town of Bento Gonçalves, the construction of Nossa Senhora das Neves was spearheaded by Marco Valduga, a member of one of the first Italian families in the Vale dos Vinhedos region. His inspiration came from back in Italy. According to legend, on one cold morning in his home country, Valduga saw that some snow had fallen into the image of the Virgin Mary, or Our Lady of the Snow.

The vision inspired him. “His neighbor, who was a sculptor, took a piece of wood and carved the image,” says Assunta de Paris, a Bento Gonçalves historian. Before Valduga set out for Brazil, “the neighbor handed the image of the saint to Marco and asked that he build a church in honor of Nossa Senhora das Neves.” How could he refuse? In 1904, soon after moving to the area, the Valdugas and 20 other families began construction. They cut stones and made mortar out of clay and water.

But then, disaster struck. A period of intense drought overtook the land for two years and there was not enough water to continue the work. The drought was punishing, wilting crops as it spread throughout the region. According to de Paris, the local families decided to appeal to Nossa Senhora das Neves for a way forward. “Red stains on the stones of the church were noticed during the prayer,” says de Paris, reminiscent of wine stains. “It was then that the priest told everyone in the church to stop praying, that he had the solution.” They would use their wine, instead of water, to make the mortar for the unfinished church.

The construction began a second time. Each local family donated 300 liters of their own wine supply. After kneading clay with the wine and adding wheat straw for stability, there was enough mortar to cement their bricks together. Everyone in the community had a hand in the construction, and the chapel was completed in 1907.

After more than 100 years of wear and tear, the chapel is now being professionally restored. According to Rui Stefani, a building restorer from the area, “the wheat or straw mixed with wine was never dry enough or cooked enough, because they were not technicians.” Some of the interior walls have large cracks, and brickwork peeks through the plaster. Stefani is patching up these cracks and working on other restoration plans.

The story of Capela Nossa Senhora das Neves has been passed down to each generation, and Stefani, along with other local painters, is adding a mural depicting the chapel’s history on one of the interior walls. But the chapel no longer hosts services. According to Daniele Pistoia Araujo, the executive secretary of the Bento Convention Bureau, “the church is only used as a tourist and visitation place.” (She also notes that in the last year, the town of Bento Gonçalves received more than 150,000 visitors, many drawn by the town’s status as a node of Brazilian wine.)

The chapel still is thought of fondly by locals, not just as a symbol of their faith, but as a reflection of the ideals at the time it was built and the labor of the people who settled there. To many, says de Paris, the church mirrors the determination to build community with hard work and faith—not to mention wine.

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A medieval castle is about the last thing you’d expect to find in a small rural town in the Lone Star State. Yet here one sits, looking beautifully out of place, like something out of a fairytale: moat, drawbridge, dungeon, and all. 

Newman’s Castle is the private residence of Mike Newman, who owns a bakery in the small town of Bellville. Newman’s Bakery has long been a local fixture, but Newman “wanted to do more than make donuts,” as he told a local news station. And so he did what any self-respecting eccentric Texan would do and built himself a giant castle.

After several years of construction—during which plenty of people thought he’d gone nuts—Newman finished his magnificent new abode in 2006, and opened it up for guests to visit. Now he wears a crown on guided tours to “let them know who’s king.”

The impressive home has a working drawbridge and trebuchet, a gator-filled moat, a great hall, towers, courtyard, and training grounds. Visitors are taken throughout the entire castle, and encouraged to touch and play with all the curiosities they find. 

The Hilton Seychelles Northlome Resort and Spa is an amazing 5-star resort located on the main island of Mahe. Located in the popular hotspot of Beau Vallon Bay, the Hilton Seychelles Northlome offers a private and exclusive setting for guests to rest, relax and unwind or use as a base to explore the local area. The resort offers one of the most luxurious “standard rooms” available at any Hilton property. If you have a Weekend Night Certificate available or some extra points, the Hilton Seychelles Northlome would be a fantastic place to redeem them at.

The Hilton Seychelles Northlome Resort and Spa is located on the northwest coast of the island, approximately 25 minutes from Seychelles International Airport. To get from the airport to the hotel, you can take a taxi, hire a shuttle or pre-arrange private transport through the hotel. But in my opinion, the best way is to rent a car and drive to the hotel. If you’re up for it, the drive from the airport is easy to navigate and will pass you through the main town of Victoria and beautiful Eden Island along the way. Hotel parking is provided free of charge.

Known as the “smallest Hilton in the world,” the Hilton Seychelles Northlome offers private villas set among the hillside or along the oceanfront; each with incredible views of the Indian Ocean. If you’re looking for a private getaway with beautiful ocean views, direct access to a private beach and amazing sunsets every night, then the Hilton Seychelles Northlome is for you. However, the resort is adults only (age 13 and older) so leave the little ones at home.

With only 56 private villas, the Hilton Seychelles Northlome Resort and Spa is unlike any other mega-resort. There is one main building where the hotel reception and restaurants are located at but everything else is spread out throughout the resort grounds. Instead of multiple rooms connected within a single building, each villa is built like a private tree house, set into the hillside or on stilts along the oceanfront.

Upon our arrival to the hotel, we were immediately greeted and escorted to the arrival pavilion. We were welcomed with a cold towel and a glass of sparkling wine as our reservation details were confirmed. Our passports and hand luggage were collected and we then were driven down to the main reception desk to be checked in. Cars are not allowed on the hillside property so guests are driven around by golf cart.

Hilton Seychelles Northlome King Hillside Villa

On this trip, I booked a “standard room” award using a combination of my Citi and AmEx Hilton Weekend Night Certificates and Honors points for a 4-night stay to celebrate my 40thbirthday. The Hilton Seychelles Northlome requires 95,000 points for a standard room award (King Hillside Villa). This may sound like a lot but trust me; it’s worth it. The average cost for a standard room during peak season is about $600 per night.

Each villa is designed in colonial Seychellois architecture with rich wood paneling, soft ambient lighting and bright pops of colors. And they are huge. At almost 1000 square feet, each villa is larger than most New York City apartments. Our King Hillside Villa (room 223) featured a king-size bed, spacious seating area, desk and entertainment center.

The king-size bed was soft and comfortable and the mosquito netting allowed us to keep the balcony door open without fear of being bitten at night.

For me, the en-suite bathroom was the highlight of the room. The bathroom was bright and spacious with an incredible open shower, whirlpool tub, dual sinks and a private toilet area.

I mean, just look at this view from the tub!

And from the shower.

Bathroom amenities included Peter Thomas Roth branded shampoo, conditioner, body wash and after-sun gel, along with dental and shaving kits.

The large balcony featured a daybed, sitting area and two sun loungers. We hung out here every day with a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of wine to cap off the night. It was the most amazing experience and it made us feel as if we were in a private tree house, set high above the tropical forest, overlooking the ocean.

Room amenities included an in-room safe, Nespresso machine and mini-fridge.

Our welcome amenities included a fruit plate, bottle of red wine, souvenir bar of coco de mer soap, and vouchers for two free drinks at the bar

This room was fantastic and we absolutely loved it. If you can check-in online or pick your room in advance, I would recommend this room. The room was spacious and could easily accommodate a full-size, roll-away bed if needed. It had a great view of the ocean and a killer view of the sunset over Shilouette Island each night.

Hilton Seychelles Northlome Resort and Spa Grounds

Resort amenities included a fitness center, spa, infinity pool and a private beach with complimentary use of water sports equipment (kayaks, paddle boards and snorkel gear). The fitness center was decent and had all the necessary equipment to work off all those extra vacation calories including cardio equipment, resistance machines and free weights.

The pool itself was small but the pool deck had plenty of lounge chairs and cabanas to relax and soak up the sun.

The private beach was also small but the white sand was super soft. The water was crystal clear and the free equipment rental allowed us to hang out in the water. We took out the kayaks and paddle boards a couple of times during our stay and it was awesome. The water was totally calm and the protected bay was the perfect setting for stand-up paddle boarding.

If you need a place to stay after checking-out (but before departure to the airport), you can use the library located in the main building. This comfortable space offers guests a place to lounge about and kill some time before leaving for the airport. This is especially useful considering many flights departing Mahe are timed later in the evening. The library offers free snacks and beverages, WiFi, computers and sofas/chairs to lounge about. Shower facilities are also available if you decide to spend your last day at the beach or lounging at the pool.

This totally worked out for us as our late check-out was at 4:00 PM but our flight wasn’t until 9:00 PM. Waiting here was much more ideal than waiting at the airport.

Hilton Seychelles Northlome Dining

There are three restaurants located on-site, including the Hilltop Restaurant where breakfast is served each day. There is no Executive Lounge here so all Hilton Diamond and Gold members will enjoy breakfast at the restaurant. Fun fact, the Hilltop Restaurant is where Ian Flemming’s former house was located at and it is said that this setting inspired his book, For Your Eyes Only.

The breakfast buffet spread was impressive with traditional hot and cold items, an omelet station and a “make your own” juice bar.

There were also “make your own” Bellini and Bloody Mary stations. You are on vacation, after all.

Beau Vallon Beach

Beau Vallon Beach is a quick 5-minute drive from the hotel (15 minutes walk). There is a bustling scene with restaurants, shops and vendors and a beautiful beach popular with both locals and tourists.

If you want to try some local cuisine, I would recommend the Boathouse restaurant. For dinner, the restaurant offers a Creole buffet for 450 SCR per person.

Or if you want something more affordable, the Boboa Pizzaria offers pizzas and other casual food items right on the beach at a more affordable pricepoint.

Hilton Seychelles Northlome Resort and Spa bottom line

Overall, we had a fantastic stay and we were very impressed with the Hilton Seychelles Northlome Resort and Spa. It was the most luxurious and beautiful resort I have ever stayed at and the “standard room” would rival some premium rooms at other ultra-luxury resorts. The service was impeccable, yet friendly and personable. Each employee made a genuine effort to remember our names, offer travel advice and attend to our every needs. This resort was incredible and I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

Have you stayed at the Hilton Seychelles Northlome? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other related trip reports in this series:

1. United Polaris Lounge, San Francisco
2. Turkish Airlines Business Class, San Francisco to Istanbul
3. Here’s How to Get a Free Day Tour in Istanbul
4. Here’s How to Get a Free Transit Hotel in Istanbul
5. Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 Business Class, Istanbul to Seychelles
6. DoubleTree Allamanda Resort and Spa, Seychelles
7. Hilton Seychelles Northlome
8. Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 Business Class, Seychelles to Istanbul
9. LOT Polish Airlines Business Class, Warsaw to Los Angeles