Dear Round-Up Readers,

Greetings from London! We arrived back in the UK yesterday and I am catching up...which is why you are getting the Round-Up later than usual. I can't believe tomorrow is back to school. The summer seems to have flown by! How about you? Are you ready for Fall?

Massive THANK YOU to those who have filled out the summer survey!! So many great insights to help us improve hertelier––we are very grateful! If you've not filled out our survey, LAST CHANCE to "her-tell me what you think!" Please click here! The deadline is tomorrow September 5th and it takes less than 5 minutes. As a thank you, two random people (maybe you!) will receive a special gift…either a delicious bottle of B.Stuyvesant Champagne or a beautiful Bien-Aime candle, whose inspiring female founders we have featured! Please, if you've not done the survey, do it today!

Before we move on to the week's business news...wanted to draw your attention to the Pakistan floods. The devastating floods in Pakistan are the result of a record-breaking monsoon season and are impacting more than 33 million people in this South Asian country. Conde Nast Traveller offers 10 ways you can help.

Business, Women, and Random Trends: 

• Consumers Feel Worse Now Than They Did During Covid Lockdowns According to a new study from the University of Michigan, consumers feel really bad. The bleak outlook this year reflects the impact of inflation, which has been at its highest levels since the early 1980s. Yet, it does not seem to take into account that unemployment is also historically low.

• Race in the Workplace: the Frontline Experience McKinsey shines a light on the experiences of frontline workers of color––more than 70 percent of frontline workers want to be promoted within their companies, but only 4 percent make the leap to corporate. While relatively few frontline workers get promoted to corporate jobs, it’s not for lack of interest. By acknowledging this truth, companies can turn their focus to increasing that number.

  • Formalize paths for advancement from the front line to higher-paying roles

  • Overhaul the frontline talent management system

  • Establish a talent market program

• Slow Economy Needs More Immigrants There have been no major changes to immigration law in more than two decades and the system is broken. This article in the Tennessee Tribune takes a look at the state of US immigration and why change is desperately needed to help ease the labor shortage.

• Move Over Google. TikTok Is the Go-To Search Engine for Gen Z

  The social platform can’t be viewed as an exact search match, and that’s part of the appeal, says AdWeek.

Travel & Hospitality news:

• Running a Maine Resort This Summer Was No Vacation This article from the Wall Street Journal details how one popular New England inn handled the chaos that challenged the hospitality industry and may be relatable...more guests, fewer workers, and higher costs.

•  Three takeaways from Hospitality Insights' latest Investor Sentiment Index

  • Revenue vs. Profitability: despite economists predicting a slowdown across major economies, 80% of the investor audience envisage demand from the leisure segment to continue to grow.

  • Changing tastes: type of hotels that investors are interested in has shifted. Limited service properties are much more attractive because they are less reliant on people, less exposed to the absent MICE segment as well as rising food and beverage costs and in-room amenities.

  • Tough to buy: Even though there is plenty of money available, deals are reportedly taking longer to complete with 50% of the investor audience also stating that the competition to acquire hospitality investment opportunities has increased.

• ‘A Beverage Revolution’: How Restaurants Craft Nonalcoholic Drink Menus A trend we've been sharing a bit about and now even Wine Enthusiast is talking about alcohol-free drinks!

On hertelier this week:

Big welcome to our new subscribers! The story in Forbes, How Women Are Changing The Hotel Industry, keeps bringing new readers! Super excited to have you here. Lots of stories to share! 

• Naomi Heaton: the Woman Disrupting the Hotel Biz Is it a hotel? An apartment? A private club? Visionary Naomi Heaton has combined all three, to create a sexy new mash-up, The Other House, a 200-unit Residents’ Club in London’s central South Kensington neighborhood, which had a partial soft-open last month. Read about her fascinating career path in real estate and her amazing new hotel concept.

•  Beauty within the Crunch The "crunch" can be stressful but contributor Maria finds beauty as well, click to read!

• Quiet Quitting Isn't New...Just Louder Last week we shared what others have been writing about"Quiet Quitting," this week columnist Nancy Mendelson explains the trend and unpacks why it's been around forever!

   

Podcasts and Books I'm into:

• Top Floor: I really enjoyed Susan Barry's chat with Dawn Gallagher, Chief Commercial Officer of Crescent Hotels & Resorts. We interviewed Dawn over the summer, but Susan got even more great advice out of her!

• Fed Up: Ok, I binged this podcast series and still am scratching my head. It is basically about a feud between two Instagram influencers, one who runs the F Factor Diet and the other who thinks she is crusading for wronged dieters. Wait, what? Exactly. I'm not sure if it is a case of bullying, cancel culture or actual fraud. If you listen (or have already) please DM me to discuss!

• Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter A very interesting memoir about growing up as the child of Chinese immigrants who run a Chinese take-out restaurant in Wales. Covers the restaurant business, racism, general teenage angst, and even some recipes––highly recommend.

For our US readers, hope you are having a nice Labor Day weekend!

Have a great week!  

Em