Brochure Listings - Eligible partners have the ability to receive a complimentary Brochure Listing on VisitNC.com through the end of the 2017-'18 FY. Brochure Listings allow partners to upload one downloadable brochure to their standard listing on VisitNC.com for one year. This is $300 value.

 

With most hotels welcoming pets, how to run a pet-friendly hotel - With most U.S. hotels now welcoming pets, HotelNewsNow offers suggestions for "How to run a pet-friendly hotel." It makes guests feel warm and fuzzy knowing that their four-legged family members can stay with them when they travel. In fact, 51 percent of U.S. hotels allow pets, according to a 2016 survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Properties are even offering many benefits for their guests traveling with pets, such as special menus, food and water bowls upon arrival, and chew toys. Some properties have their own permanent pet residents for guests to interact with. The brand is pet-friendly and provides amenities such as water bowls and dog beds. But along with the added value for guests can be safety concerns for hoteliers if a pet bolts from a room, noise issues if there is excessive barking, and the mess and destruction of furniture, fixtures and equipment that could accompany a stay by man's best friend. Providing guests pet information for the area, possible additional charges and having a contact number for the guest, plus other ideas, are among several things to be considered.

 

Hotels find alternatives to room service - Traditional room service is becoming a service fewer travelers are demanding, reports USA Today. Instead, they are looking to be able to order food the way they do at home. And hotels are responding by forming partnerships with food-delivery services such as Peapod and Grubhub. 
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham late last year introduced Homemade @ Hawthorn, an in-room cooking program enabling guests to make easy meals. In May, the company launched a pilot program letting guests get groceries delivered to their rooms from Instacart and Peapod. Hyatt Centric has partnered with food-ordering company Grubhub to let guests order from restaurants selected by hotel employees. Residence Inn leaves guests grocery-request forms in their suites. Employees will shop for the requested items, which are added to the final bill with no mark-ups. Hoteliers say they are responding to travelers who crave an experience that resembles their home life. The popularity of cooking competition shows has also made many people enjoy the art of making their own meals.

 

Hoteliers base need for pools on market, guest demand - While the venerable swimming pool remains a staple amenity in countless hotels worldwide, a growing number of hoteliers are now rethinking their properties' aquatic offerings in response to expensive regulatory measures and lofty equipment costs, reports HotelNewsNow. Hotel pools are also being abandoned to put that premium space to a better use that yields greater returns. For some brands and locations, pools are a pricey budget-breaker, destined for only minimal use. Few will argue that it's inexpensive to build and maintain a hotel swimming pool. But opinions differ on whether that expense is worthwhile.