What are the new and exciting hotels around the world you can check out for your next meeting destination? The show’s guest today is Michael Dominguez, President and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). In this episode, Mike gives quick updates about protocols and new technologies you should know when staying at hotels. You’ll also receive restaurant recommendations you definitely want to try out when you visit a destination! Plus, listen in on why you should try out Omni Oklahoma and Sonesta Hotels. If you’re looking for a place for your next business travel, this episode is for you. Don’t miss out! Andy McNeill and Todd Bludworth are travel and hospitality entrepreneurs and owners of the global meetings organization, American Meetings, Inc. From sourcing hotels to corporate event management around the world, their team selects corporate event venues and meeting planners for a wide array of enterprise business clients, providing ideas for convention themes and strategies for running global meetings and events. Learn more at www.americanmeetings.com.
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Watch the episode here:
What’s New With Hotels
There’s no one else in the world who knows more about what’s new and exciting at hotels around the world than Michael Dominguez. Mike’s got his pulse on all the hotels all around the world because he’s the president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). Here are the important updates you need to know:
- Follow CDC Guidelines
Get vaccinated as soon as you can. Once you’re vaccinated, you’re no longer required to wear a mask.
- Leisure Is Quickly Opening Up
Leisure is back – it’s quickly rising to the activity that it had in 2019. You can’t keep up with the demand. There’s been a huge hotel recently that’s been completely sold out.
- New Collection Of Hotels
ALHI added another collection of hotels called the centric collection. They have a little more flexibility than high-end luxury and a specific rate perspective, but they’re independent big boxes with mid-century modern looks. These hotels offer 200,000 square feet of meeting space and they’re at a premium for the meeting planning community.
- New Technology
- The use of QR codes for menus and payment in restaurants
The use of QR codes is outstanding from a sustainability standpoint. Imagine the amount of paper that we used to have to print to reproduce menus and receipts throughout the year.
- Valet Availability
The availability around valet and getting your car is automated today with a simple text message. There are automatic chat boxes that ask you what requests you may have. This method is much quicker than trying to clog a piece of PBX operator.
- Restaurants You Should Check Out
- Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant & Lounge
- Kumi Japanese Restaurant At Mandalay Bay
- Michael Mina Seafood Restaurant At Bellagio Las Vegas
Pro Tip: When looking for someplace to eat, look for the chef instead of the restaurant. Search up their location and availability near you.
- Brand New Hotels In Upcoming Regions
The second-tier cities are exploding with stunning hotels. For instance, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Oklahoma City. Hotels you should check out:
- Omni Oklahoma City Hotel
These new hotels will be necessary as meeting places for professionals because of two basic reasons:
- There’s a lot of compression happening in the meeting space across the U.S.
- Your traditional destinations may be jam-packed.
- Sonesta Hotels
Sonesta Hotels are the fastest growing hotel company in the world. They went from a few hotels to a staggering 1200 hotels on the cliffs in San Francisco. They spent a hundred million dollars reinventing. They opened up right when we’re shutting down the country. You’ll have a wonderful experience with Sonesta Hotels because they’re brand new with an older historic feel. What Are Mike’s Favorite Destinations?
- Maui And Mexico
There’s something magical about these places because of the scenery and the people. They have a sense of passion, authenticity, and hospitality you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. For example, when you go to Cancun or Hawaii, it’s all tourism jobs. Passion about the delivery service is underappreciated. It’s a big factor when they tell you that you are part of their family, and they make sure you feel that way. How To Connect With Michael Dominguez Website Link: https://www.alhi.com/ ALHI focused its energies on making its website accessible to all.
- It’s easy to navigate.
- You can find all the information you need from the industry.
- It’s always up to date.
- It gives you news on regulations and protocols across different states.
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About Michael Dominguez
Michael is actively involved in leadership roles in the Meetings and Events Industry including the executive committees for US Travel Association and Meetings Mean Business Coalition. He speaks in the industry often on topics of disruption, the state of the industry, the economy, behavioral lessons. Michael was recognized in M&C Magazines survey of top industry speakers and was an invited speaker at South by Southwest in 2018. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://americanmeetings.com/podcast
