Hospitality expert and host of “Hotel Impossible” Anthony Melchiorri shares his advice for hoteliers looking to improve their experience for guests and employees alike.
How did you get started in the hospitality industry?
I grew up in Brooklyn in the United States Air Force, and during the Air Force, I worked at the Embassy Suites in Overland Park, KS. I was in the military at Whiteman Air Force Base, and I would drive on the weekends to Embassy Suites to work. I also went to college at night, so when I got out, I had four years of experience in the Air Force, a four-year college degree, and four years of experience in the hotel business. So, I was ready to go.
I started in New York at the Embassy Suites in Times Square, and then I worked at the Plaza and became an asset manager and did some development in Times Square. In 2012, I pitched my idea for a show with me, Leo, and Lynn Rossi, my partners. Before you know it, we got picked up, and we did “Hotel Impossible” for 12 years. Now we do a new show called Hotel All-Stars that is being funded by the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
What made you want to stick with a career in the hospitality industry?
When I was a little kid, my dad died, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I didn’t have direction, and I would go to this little hotel in Florida once in a while. My mom would take us down there, and I thought “I guess I’m going to go into the hotel business.” I didn’t know anything about the hotel business; I never went behind the desk. I just needed something, because every other kid wanted to be a doctor or fireman. No one was giving me direction or guidance, so I was like, I guess I’ll go in the hotel business.
When I went into the hotel business, I realized it really worked for me because every day is different and every day you’re working a different side of your brain. Like yesterday, we were doing some calculations, and some people’s heads were spinning, but I love the financial part of it. But I also love the service. I love the development of it, the training of it, and the running of hotels and building teams.
Looking back on your career, what’s one lesson you’ve learned that you believe is really important for hoteliers to know?
It’s really important to find the smartest person in the room. When you walk in the room, listen and find the smartest person, and make sure you attach yourself to them. Some days you will be the smartest person in the room, and I pull myself out of those rooms because then I’m not learning anything. My entire career has been built on learning, so the more I learn, the more I can impart.
How can hoteliers improve the overall guest experience with new technology?
I was recently the keynote speaker at High Tech, which is the No. 1 technology conference in our industry, and one of the things that we showed was the 1950 guest journey and the 2024 guest journey.
When you’re thinking about a vacation in either decade, you would say “I’m thinking about a vacation. I’ll search for a vacation. I’ll book a vacation. I’ll stay on the vacation. I’ll experience the vacation and tell everyone about it.” That journey in the 1950s and today are largely the same. The only difference is technology. Whereas you would go look for a brochure and a travel agent in the ‘50s, today you go online.
Another aspect of my presentation was I showed a slideshow of hotel room photos from the 1950s and from 2024. There was a bed. There was a chair. There was a TV. There was a couch. There were drapes and there was a carpet, and now there’s a wooden floor, but it’s the same. The only thing that changed was the technology on the telephone and on the TV.
We have to be very careful in our industry. We can’t implement the wrong technology at the wrong time. Everybody thought they wanted the phone in the bathroom. They didn’t. Everybody thought they wanted a TV on the mirror in the bathroom. They didn’t. Everybody thought they wanted a kiosk in the lobby. They didn’t. However, do people now want streaming services on the TV or to be able to check in from their phones? Absolutely. Do you want to use a key on your phone? Absolutely.
During my presentation, I asked how many people wanted a QR code in their room for room service. Ninety percent of people raised their hands. I asked how many people want QR codes at the table when they walk into a restaurant. Ninety percent of the people didn’t raise their hands. People want technology where they want technology, and we as an industry have to be very careful not to force technology onto our guests. It needs to be where they want it, how they want it. And that takes time. So, I don’t think you’re going to see a lot of AI in our industry outside of purchasing or inventory accounting. I think we’re going to go very, very slow for a number of reasons.
As far as employee experience goes, how do you think hoteliers can reduce their turnover rate and enhance their employee satisfaction internally?
Make sure you’re really training and developing people, because people don’t want to be in front of a computer training for eight hours a day. A lot of brands give you a computing show, like, “OK, here’s your training.” You need to work with people in a real way, not just put them in front of a computer.
Also, people work for people; they don’t work for companies. If you are a person that people want to work for, that’s how you reduce turnover.
However, when you do the right thing like give good pay or give incentives, you can’t be deterred when people inevitably leave. People leave even when they’re happy, whether it’s for more money or more flexibility, and that can’t deter you from doing the right thing. This is where I think my generation does it wrong.
