Breaking New Ground - Steve Galbreath - Defining Hospitality

At its core, hospitality is about making spaces for people. However, it doesn’t revolve around just the customer. Hospitality needs to focus on the whole community, the city, and the workers.

Before putting in a new hotel, it’s important to have a thorough plan based on market research. If there are other hotels in the area, it’s crucial to understand how your project will intertwine with what is currently in place.

For many counties, a well thought out hotel can be a major tourist attraction. To pull off a project successfully requires an intimate understanding of the town’s needs, and a connection to key players in the hospitality industry.

When working with local governments on a project, contract lengths are often longer than a given official holds office. Maintaining a good relationship as positions change hands is crucial to the success of a project.

The job of a hotel is not just to house guests, but to prop up other businesses as well. As travelers come in, they will visit bars and restaurants downtown. Planning location accordingly helps weave the hotel into the fabric of the city.

A great way to get a hotel's profitability up and running is to start booking businesses at a local convention center as soon as you start breaking ground. By starting early, you ensure the hotel doesn’t sit underutilized for the first few months.

An exciting aspect of the hospitality industry is to see staff grow and evolve within the industries. Most brands want to grow their talent and it’s common for a bartender or room manager to become a GM 10 years down the line.

Breaking New Ground - Steve Galbreath - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 147