The Dealmakers’ Ballroom: Understanding the hotel lobby phenomenon

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Where will the future of our economy – from the global economy, even – come from? Forget about garages in Silicon Valley, illicit side projects in Manhattan cubicle farms and the online tinkering that happens in the Harvard dorms. Instead, take a look at hotels. Specifically, peek into the lobbies.

As travelers, we pass through the hotel lobby. The only reason to stick around is because you’re waiting to meet a local friend or your kid forgot something and had to run back up to the room. Sure, there are lobby bars that give you a reason to hang out for a while, but that’s not really the lobby. I’m talking about the couches and chairs that may be festooned with the day’s newspaper but don’t come with drink service or any other raison d’etre.

Yet, as hotel guests walk from the front door to the elevator bank, especially in major cities, there are always a few people lingering, alone or in groups. They talk in hushed tones, pluck away at laptop keys and occasionally shuffle papers. These transients look like any other business traveler … because they have trained themselves to blend in.

The reality is not what it seems.Hotel lobbies offer great places to meet. You can usually pick up a wi-fi connection, people come and go without asking questions and there’s plenty of traffic to conceal the fact that you don’t belong. And, you don’t. If you’re among these hotel-squatters, you’re not a guest of the hotel, and you probably shouldn’t be availing yourself of the free meeting space. Nonetheless, it happens all the time – and good things come from it.

Cash-strapped entrepreneurs have been using free spaces to meet for years. I first saw (and took part in) the practice in late 2001, when the Boston area was reeling from the dual pressures of the dotcom market’s implosion and the economic effects of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. I was starting a business at the time, and I was meeting with other entrepreneurs to discuss potential partnerships. Though we met in Starbucks locations, train stations and any number of public places, hotel lobbies were always the most comfortable.

And of course, I didn’t want to bring any potential business partner to my apartment (or my neighborhood, for that matter).

All that was almost a decade ago, and I haven’t spent a whole lot of time meeting in hotel lobbies since then – until this year. In the past few months, I’ve already been to two business meetings at the W Hotel Union Square in New York to talk to entrepreneurs with grand dreams and carefully managed execution plans. It occurred to me that the ashes of the financial crisis are awaiting their Phoenix, and I may have met it.

Hotel lobbies do serve a purpose, even if not for the hotel or its guests. This week, we’ll take a look at how entrepreneurs use these vast, free spaces to take their shots at becoming your next employer.

This is a week-long series from the writer of White Collar Travel about the role hotels will play not only in the recovery of our economy, but in giving an early home to the businesses that will define tomorrow.

Off the beaten path: Road trip to a rarely visited National Park

by Gadling Staff on

The big national parks are popular for a reason, but here are 10 other national parks and forests you may not have visited, and some fun activities to do while you are there. Consider one of these off-the-beaten-path parks for your summer round-trip:

Acadia National Park is a beautiful piece of the Maine coastline. Bring your alarm clock so you can wake early and hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain just before dawn. From this spot, you’ll be the first person to see the sun rise over the US!

The White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire has some of the most rugged hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Mount Washington is located here and has the highest recorded winds on the planet. Take the train to the top and check out the buildings that are literally chained down so they don’t blow away!

While the Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park, few travelers leave their car. Take a few days to hike the Appalachian Trail here. It bisects the park and delineates Tennessee from North Carolina. See if you can count the 100 tree varieties found in the region.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, has the tallest sand dunes in the nation (Star Dune is over 750 feet). Bring your old skis or snowboard and spend a day sand-boarding!

The Bridger-Teton National Forest, in Wyoming, includes the Wind River Range. Don’t forget your fishing pole or your backpack. The high alpine lakes are home to world-class trout fishing and humans rarely venture to these parts.

In southwest New Mexico, the Gila National Forest encompasses the Gila Wilderness. The Gila was the first place to receive a Wilderness designation and for good reason. The hiking is epic and varies from high alpine forest to deep desert canyons. Be respectful, but look for the abandoned cave dwellings that you can still explore!

Dinosaur National Monument is in both Colorado and Utah. This area is famous for the hundreds of dinosaur skeletons excavated here. Raft the Green River on the “Gates of Ladore” stretch. It takes you through the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers and into the monument. The white water is exciting and the views are spectacular.

Arches National Park, located in southern Utah, boasts the greatest concentration of natural arches in the world. Bring your running shoes to do a short trail run in Devils Garden.

Also located in southern Utah, Bryce National Park is a chimneyed deep canyon. Travel via burro to the bottom of the canyon for a unique experience you are sure to remember!

Redwood National Park, located in northern California, has the tallest trees on the planet. Either bring your bike or a convertible because you will want to look up to this humbling experience.

This summer take a road trip and explore some National Parks and Forests. It is a great way to stretch your legs and see something new in the U.S.

Travis Crooke is a Seed.com writer.

Flickr’s New York: A tale of two cities

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Tourists photograph Midtown and Lower Manhattan, while locals click their cameras in the East Village and Chinatown. So, it’s clear: tourists and locals don’t mix in New York.

Eric Fischer, a computer program, used geotagging data from Flickr and Picasa to plot maps of New York and 71 other cities, using a system he created for determining which shutterbugs are locals and which are from out of town.

Using this system, we can divine the following:

  • Tourists shoot Yankee games, while there are more locals snapping away when the Mets are playing at home
  • Locals prefer the Manhattan Bridge, and tourists flock to the Brooklyn Bridge … yet Brooklyn itself is packed with local photogs
  • Nobody goes to the Upper West Side (unless he or she lives there)
  • Governors Island is about as tourist-free a place as you’ll find in New York

Hotel Review: The World Center Hotel, first hotel to open at Ground Zero

by Melanie Nayer on

When I told people where I was going and what I was doing, the same three words continued to make their way into different conversations: redevelop, rebuild and revitalization. I hadn’t been to lower Manhattan since before Sept. 11, 2001, and quite frankly I had no plans to return. I remember where I was on 9/11, what I did and what happened next, and I wondered how, in this lifetime, we would survive the tragedy that just struck our great city. Two months later, I headed to Washington DC to report on the rebuilding efforts in our nation’s capital. Ten years later, business came calling, and I was headed down to Ground Zero and the site of the World Trade Center.

What I saw was a hotel with a purpose, and an overwhelming a sense of pride in its employees — they were proud to be open and thrilled to be part of the revitalization efforts of lower Manhattan

The purpose: A walkthrough of the World Center Hotel, which officially opens June 9 on Washington Street at the southern edge of the World Trade Center rectangle. The hotel has unrestricted views of the construction happening to rebuild, redevelop and revitalize lower Manhattan, including views of the Freedom Tower and National 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Cheryl Palmer, corporate vice president of revenue and product development of the World Center Hotel, spoke on behalf of the hotel’s opening.

“The overall response has been very positive for us. We are under a soft opening and since the opening we’ve been running very strong from an occupancy standpoint. We’re about to open the View of the World Terrace Pub and that has also evoked a positive response,” said Palmer. “There are some challenges with the construction in the area … but the construction is a sign of the rebuilding and revitalization – it shows the progress that’s been made. There are no surprises in terms of out location.”

The hotel was under development pre-9/11 and the developers and management “stayed committed to the project through all the challenges,” said Palmer.

I’ll admit I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure how I would feel seeing all of this for the first time, and having to take pictures to document it. I wasn’t sure how travelers would feel about it, either. What I saw was a hotel with a purpose, and an overwhelming a sense of pride in its employees — they were proud to be open and thrilled to be part of the revitalization efforts of lower Manhattan. So, I stepped inside the elevator and went on the tour of the first hotel to open at Ground Zero.

%Gallery-94655%The Rooms

The rooms are perfectly simple – nothing fancy or frilly here, but a great place for business travelers. Light wood serves as the frame for desks, beds, tables and furniture, which brightens up the smallish space. Shades of blues and greens accent the room on the bedspreads and the sofas (sofas are only part of the hotel’s suites). The standard size room comes with a desk equipped with plenty of outlets, in-room free Internet, coffee service, electronic temperature controls, and iPod docking stations.

For all the construction happening outside the bedroom windows, it was surprisingly quiet in the rooms (kudos to the architects and designers). The deluxe suites feature the same amenities as the standard rooms, but come with a sitting area that includes a pull-out sofa.

The hotel claims the deluxe rooms are big enough to hold meetings in – while there is a ‘sitting area’ in the deluxe rooms, I think the rooms are a little too small for a ‘meeting.’ However, the rooms are big enough for a private workout – an amenity the hotel offers. Request fitness equipment in the privacy of your room, and it will be delivered.

Your view will depend on your room. I toured the rooms with views of the construction, and was immediately taken aback by the realization of what I was seeing. You can (and will if you’re in one of these rooms) lie on your bed and watch the rebuilding happen. It’s surreal and overwhelming, and also somewhat inspiring.

The Bathrooms
All the rooms come with a standing shower; only a handful feature full tubs. Each bathroom is stocked with the basic amenities – shampoo, conditioner, soap and other toiletries. There’s nothing fancy here, but it’s functional.

The Amenities
In my opinion, the amenities are what sell this hotel. Guests enjoy:

  • Complimentary high-speed Internet access throughout the hotel
  • 24-hour concierge service
  • Instant registration and checkout thanks to computers in the lobby
  • Complimentary use of computers with Internet access and network printers in the lobby
  • Same day dry cleaning and laundry service
  • 24-hour menu delivery from select neighborhood restaurants
  • Fitness room and exercise equipment delivered to guestrooms, for those who don’t want to workout at the hotel’s fitness center
  • Complimentary chilled bottled water stations on every floor

Additionally, the hotel is LEED ‘gold’ certified for environmentally sustainable design, construction and operation. There are energy saving programs and electrical appliances throughout the hotel and renewable materials were used in the construction of the hotel.

The Club

The View of the World Terrace Club, located on the hotel’s top floor, is bound to be a meeting mecca. Opening officially with the hotel on June 7, the terrace club features spectacular views of the memorials, the Manhattan skyline, the Hudson River and surprisingly, New Jersey.

“As a guest staying in the hotel you’ll take advantage of all the amenities in the club,” said Palmer. “We’ll host events that overlook the river including wine and cheese parties, music events, and business social events.”

It was surprising to take in the views, actually. Turn one way and you’re looking down at the 9/11 construction site and the building of the Freedom Tower; turn another way, and you have breathtaking views of the water, complete with boats if you head up to the balcony at the right time of day.

The Bottom Line

The World Center Hotel is a great addition to the revitalization efforts of lower Manhattan. Its location to dozens of corporate headquarters makes it an easy choice for business travelers, and one can’t beat the amenities that comes with the rooms. I realize that those staying at the hotel aren’t New Yorkers and might not have the same emotional pull as I had to its location, however, I’m quite certain any guest will feel proud to stay among the rebuilding of one of New York’s greatest neighborhoods.

%Gallery-94655%

Airline law ends long Tarmac delays, fine threat improves performance

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The world didn’t end. No logistical disasters emerged. In fact, everything got a hell of a lot better.

Several months ago, the prospect of a maximum three-hour tarmac delay had the airline industry proclaiming the arrival of the four horsemen. They claimed that it would severely disrupt the industry to have to give passengers the option of getting off the plane would lead to chaos. People would be furious by a lone passenger wanting to bring the plane back to the gate, and crews would be forced to operate within the constraints of customer demands (you know … like other businesses).

Well, the airline industry doesn’t appear to be any worse off than it was. In fact, it looks like the new three-hour rule is having a positive effect. Three-hour tarmac delays have effectively disappeared, and on-time arrivals have improved overall. Everything seems to be running better than it was before the airlines faced fines of up to $27,500 per passenger.

How big a different did it make?Well, only four planes sat on the tarmac for more than three hours in April. In March, 25 hit that mark, and April 2009 had an astounding 81 planes on the tarmac for that long.

So, you’re probably wondering if the airlines stacked the deck, canceling flights to protect their stats and mitigate the risk of having to yank planes back to the gate or shell out big bucks fines. Year over year, the DOT reports that cancelations fell approximately 50 percent, with only 3,637 of 529,330 flights getting chopped.

Overall, on-time performance for the 18 airlines that report to the U.S. Department of Transportation climbed to 85.3 percent in April – up from 79.1 percent in April 2009 (and better than March’s 80 percent. Most of the late arrivals were caused by aviation system delays (e.g., bad weather or heavy traffic).

Efficient use of New York airspace and generally calm weather contributed to the improvement. LaGuardia‘s on-time rate surged to 87.4 percent from 67.4 percent. JFK showed a similar improvement – from 67.3 percent to 83.5 percent.

U.S. Airways led the pack in on-time performance among major airlines and followed Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines in the total market. American Airlines was the bottom of the barrel for the large carriers, with its sister carrier, American Eagle, sucking most among all airlines.

Let’s do the math on this. Holding airlines accountable and offering up the threat of hefty fines for mistreating passengers didn’t jeopardize their ability to operate. If anything, it led to improved results. For once, it seems, the government got it right. If that sounds weird, think of an airline that takes off and lands on time. Weird, right?