Ed Brock is an award-winning journalist who has worked for various U.S. newspapers and magazines, including with American City & County magazine, a national publication based in Atlanta focused on city and county government issues. He is currently senior editor at Asian Hospitality magazine, the top U.S. publication for Asian American hoteliers. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Ed began his career in journalism in the early 1990s as a reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers in Baldwin County, Alabama. After a stint teaching English in Japan, Ed returned to the U.S. and moved to the Atlanta area where he returned to journalism, coming to work at Asian Hospitality in 2016.
EMPLOYEES OF ABERDEEN, South Dakota-based My Place Hotels started the new year out with training that may help them prevent human trafficking. The training will lead up to National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11.
Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST) partnered with My Place to conduct the company’s training, “My Place is No Place for Human Trafficking Week”, from Jan. 6 to 10. Another week of training focused on operations will begin Jan. 13.
My Place began its partnership with BEST in June and since then has participated in the organization’s “Inhospitable to Human Trafficking” training program. All general managers and headquarters employees have completed the training and the company is now encouraging all hotel staff to participate.
“Since announcing our brand-wide initiative to take a stand against the threat of human trafficking back in June, our hotel operators and staff remain committed to promoting awareness on the important topic, which involves recognizing the signs of human trafficking and knowing how to properly report any related situations,” said My Place Executive Vice President and General Counsel Matthew Campbell.
The training follows the “ROLES” format. The training categories include:
“Reward” focuses on Brand Loyalty.
“Outreach” focuses on Sales and Revenue Management.
“Lead” focuses on leadership training.
“Excel” focuses on Quality Assurance and trends.
“Sentiment” focuses on digital touchpoints.
Last year, groups like AAHOA and the American Hotel and Lodging Association, along with several hotel companies including Marriott International, held training and other events for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Both associations provide regular training for preventing human trafficking, such as AHLA’s recently launched “No Room for Trafficking” campaign.
Sonesta launched Americas Best Value Studios, an extended-stay version of ABVI.
The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping.
The brand meets demand for longer-term, value-focused stays.
SONESTA INTERNATIONAL HOTELS Corp. launched Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta, an extended-stay version of its franchised brand, Americas Best Value Inn. The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping, optional fitness center and lobby market along with standard brand requirements.
The brand aims to address the growing demand for longer-term, value-driven accommodations, Sonesta said in a statement.
"Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta represents a strategic evolution of our trusted Americas Best Value Inn brand," Keith Pierce, Sonesta’s executive vice president and president of franchise development, said. "We are expanding our offerings to directly address the increasing demand within the extended-stay segment, providing a practical solution for travelers seeking longer-term lodging at value. This new brand type allows our local franchised owner-operators to tap into a growing market while maintaining the community-focused experience that Americas Best Value Inn is known for."
ABVI has a majority presence in secondary and tertiary markets, the statement said.
The extended-stay brand’s operational model features a front desk, bi-weekly housekeeping, on-site laundry and pet-friendly accommodations, Sonesta said. Guests can also earn or redeem points through the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program.
In August, Sonesta named Stayntouch its preferred property management system after a two-year review of its ability to support the company’s franchise model. The company operates more than 1,100 properties with more than 100,000 rooms across 13 brands on three continents.
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