Welcome to the second weekly email!

To our new subscribers, thanks for your interest in hertelier. We’ve been busy this week bringing you more content, and the personal stories seem to resonate most.  If you’ve not had the chance yet, please check out:

• Tips on navigating new motherhood and work with Francesca Margcigliano, Chief Planning Officer of the five-star Hotel Excelsior in Venice

• How to Work with Your (Romantic) Partner: Keith and Nicole Goldstein, Cielo Lodge, Costa Rica

• Five Tips for Coming Out of the Covid Comfort Zone

• Advice columnist Nancy Mendelson helps a new mom “unpack” issues juggling working from home and caring for a baby

• And another winner from Nancy on how humor can be a superpower at work

hertelier round-up of the week’s industry news:  

First, the good news as the CDC has said fully vaccinated people can travel domestically in the US at low risk, which should be a boon for bookings. 

Earlier in the week, we had seen more cautious optimism from global real estate advisor, CBRE,  their February 2021 report forecasts a 55.1 percent occupancy level for the latter half of 2021, up from an anticipated 43 percent in the first half of the year. Full-year occupancy is expected to reach 49.1 percent compared with 41.7 percent for 2020 and 67 percent for 2019. Rachael Rothman,  CBRE head of hotels research and data analytics, says “the worst of the top-line declines are now behind us. We are beginning to see green shoots of a recovery in air travel data, booking patterns, and RevPAR." Similarly in Europe, CBRE predicts domestic travel will drive the recovery.

More sobering, Hotels Magazine reported that a Morgan Stanley survey of corporate travel managers found that they now expect a 27% long-term shift to virtual meetings. But global design, planning, and construction firm Gensler sees hosting virtual meetings as an opportunity for hotel operators, along with several other interesting design-led ideas for the hospitality space.

We welcome your feedback, concerns, and especially your questions.  If you have any questions about your job (or life) send them to Nancy (nancy@nemglobal.com).  Benefit from her years of experience and therapy!

Wishing you an ‘eggcellent’ Easter,

Emily