Hotel guests explicitly expect that innkeepers will respect and protect their privacy as part of the guest-innkeeper relationship… There is nothing new about this expectation: it is a longstanding and central obligation to the guest, and has been for centuries, codified in statutory and case law.What is new about privacy that creates a dilemma for the hotelier? The spotlight on privacy issues in society at large, due in part to the proliferation of computer networks and databases storing personal information The equally-strong expectation on the part of guests, particularly in upscale and luxury segments, that hoteliers will capture and retain key profile data in order to improve service d
...or do we? It would be foolhardy for hoteliers to assume all travellers are fixated on the lowest published room rate. One of the most successful and award winning travel industry advertising campaigns of recent years belongs to American Airlines who claim “We Know Why You Fly!”. The premise of the campaign is to instill a sense of kinspersonship and recognition. Not only recognition of the individual, but also of their [your] differing travel motivations and the needs driving why a particular trip is being taken. Given that the majority of trips by air involve a hotel stay it’s reasonable to suggest that hotels too should stand behind their own “We Know Why You Stay!” claim. It is also re
