National Report–Hotel crises can come in a variety of forms, from a hurricane heading toward a property to local media uncovering dirty drinking glasses in guestrooms.
Most recently, we all witnessed one of devastating reach on Nov. 26, 2008, when the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and the Oberoi-Trident hotels in Mumbai, India, came under siege by terrorists, leaving dozens of hotel staff members and guests among the more than 160 people who were killed.
For three days, the eyes of the world were focused on the city, where hotel employees played a vital role in protecting guests during the attack and communicating with the outside.
And while many crises are unavoidable, and most often far less tragic than what was seen months ago, the best solution to resolving whatever may arise is to already have a plan in place for myriad scenarios, as well as open lines of communication to accomplish that plan.
Experts on the topic offered advice on how to do just that during the webinar “Curbing Crisis Through Effective Communication” that was held last fall and hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Assn.’s Communications Committee.
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Caryn Kboudi, VP of corporate communications for Omni Hotels, summed up three broad categories of crises hotels may face: internal occurrences, incidents and natural disasters. And often, when any form of crisis occurs, a hotel may find itself not only reacting to it, but also dealing with the immediate watch of the public eye.
“There are times when, frankly, it’s really about defending the brand or defending the property. … It’s really our job to not only deal with the communications of it, but what the company is doing from a preparedness standpoint, so when the questions do occur, we can answer them promptly and thoroughly,” Kboudi said.
Have a plan
Because a crisis at a hotel can range from a civil demonstration to a corporate merger, let alone those that garner even more national or worldwide attention, it’s important to have individual response plans in place, said James Cunningham, corporate director of loss prevention and safety for Interstate Hotels & Resorts.
“It’s important we develop a crisis communication plan to define what a crisis is to your company,” Cunningham said.
After defining what is likely to occur at specific properties, whether it is hurricanes in Florida or wildfires in California, Cunningham said it’s vital to communicate to employees the steps that must be followed to address those situations.
Janice Butler Maragakis, VP of corporate and crisis communications for Accor North America, said her company also
establishes specific protocols for different potential crises, and they don’t just rely on what executives think may happen.
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For example, months ago in Reno, Nev., the area was experiencing frequent ground tremors.
Accor NA grew concerned its many Motel 6 properties could experience an earthquake. After making a basic checklist of the steps corporate employees believed should be taken in that instance, the company asked its property managers what was missing from the list.
“They came back with really great things that, being in the corporate office, we didn’t know about,” Maragakis said.
Act quickly
Some crises come with notice and others may blindside hotels; but in either case, Maragakis said reactions must follow immediately and start with communication.
Whether it is contacting the national government about a disaster or letting guests know how a situation may affect their stays, someone must be in place to get the ball rolling.
“People have got to have the authority to act. And sometimes that’s not as clear as you might think it is until you’re in a position where people won’t act,” Maragakis said.
Having rules established as part of a crisis plan will give staff something to consult during the crisis, rather than waiting to hear from the corporate office.
Cunningham said employees should be trained on response plans and drills should be conducted. Other tips he provided were: Designate one person to monitor the event and relay messages to the rest of the staff, and keep a list of everyone involved in operations, including emergency contact information.
And when it’s all over, Cunningham said to use the incident as a reference for what to do next time.
“You need to ask yourself what went well and what could have been done better. … Take advantage of the events. Learn from them,” he said.
Make your own news
Patrick McCrummen, VP of communications and marketing for the American Red Cross, was also on hand at the webinar to offer another kind of lesson: How to deal with the media attention that comes along with crises and the public’s expectations of getting information about them immediately.
“We live in a sort of instant gratification society, where the expectation of the public to get things quickly has never been higher,” McCrummen said.
The Mumbai attacks later displayed the truth behind that concept unerringly, as U.S. cable news stations showed live feed 24 hours a day from Indian journalists on the sidelines of the destruction.
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Despite the level of crisis at hand, hotels should be as honest and forthcoming as possible, while also accepting accountability for what is happening, McCrummen said. He recommended building talking points in advance for a variety of scenarios.
“If you do that, then you can be proactive. You have a better chance of controlling your story,” he said.
And when it comes to dealing with media coverage, McCrummen said to work on reporters’ schedules and don’t let messages seeking comment build up. Also, having a working relationship with media and being quick to respond during a crisis will allow hotels to be a bigger part of telling the story the way they want it told.
Maragakis said Accor’s crisis control plans include steps for responding to media inquiries so employees can act directly, rather than allowing the story to unfold without word from the hotel.
“You need to feel comfortable that your properties have certain rules they have to follow,” she said.
However, controlling what is communicated to reporters isn’t the only task to consider in a crisis. Thanks to blogs and other forms of social media, McCrummen said news could be posted online via less obvious sources, like guests or anyone else at the scene.
“The news is now reported by everyday people,” he said. “ … The news has changed and anyone can be a reporter, and that’s an important thing to recognize as you plan. Your place of business can become a source for national news, even if you didn’t realize that was the case.”
jkovacs@questex.com
