Newsletter Archive

Volume 6, Issue 3. Fall 2001

RHA Proudly Welcomes the Following New Members

Inn at Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, California
www.innatlagunabeach.com

Sun Mountain Resorts
Winthrop, Washington
www.sunmountainlodge.com

Enchantment Resort
Sedona, Arizona
www.enchantmentresort.com

Riveredge Resort Hotel
Alexandria Bay, New York
www.riveredge.com

Cedar Breaks Lodge
Brian Head, Utah
www.cedarbreakslodge.com

Crowne Plaza Manhattan
New York, New York
www.crowneplaza.com

Message from the President

September has arrived and the level of business and personal activity is accelerating. RHA has had a good year so far, with a number of new members added to our rolls and with several prospects currently under review. As you probably already know, RHA's niche is the quality resort/hotel market and that is where we concentrate our efforts. We believe it is important that our membership listing reflects only well respected properties as this allows us to present a high quality insurance risk to our insurance carriers.

RHA has always been a very "member friendly" organization. As we continue to grow our membership, we struggle with the dilemma of how to incorporate our new members into the "RHA family". Since RHA's founding in 1987, now coming up on 14 years, we have found that knowing the properties and their management/owners has been beneficial to all concerned. It has certainly allowed for open communications between us and helped tremendously in making the RHA staff aware of the special concerns and needs of these high-end properties.

An important part of our relationships with our members is their participation on the RHA board of directors. RHA, as a not-for-profit organization is managed by a seven-member board. The board is actively involved in the management and planning for the association as well as the development of our insurance programs. We welcome all RHA members to attend our board meetings and avail themselves of the opportunity to become involved in this very unique association.

Jean

Mr. Rusty Gant, Chairman
Ms. Kathy Whitehead, Secretary
Mr. Alex Gilmurray, Treasurer
Mr. Norman Mieras
Mr. Joe Rodriguez
Mr. Ed Mayotte

Dates of Future Meetings

Board of Directors
The Sagamore
Bolton Landing, New York
Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, 2001

Board of Directors
The Lodge at Torrey Pines
La Jolla, California
March 16-18, 2002

2002 Annual Conference
Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island, Michigan
June 22-25, 2002

Board of Directors
Woodstock Inn & Resort
Woodstock, Vermont
Sept. 28-30, 2002

2001 Annual Conference Review

Our good friends, the Beach family at Basin Harbor Club, treated members and guests to an extraordinary three days beside beautiful Lake Champlain June 23-26. Of special note to those assembled on the final night was the salute to Billy Gibson of Sea Island, retiring the chair of RHIC after many years.

This year marked the third presentation Peter Yesawich has made to Resort Hotel Association since 1998. Despite the downturn in the economy, Dr. Yesawich assured the audience that Americans won't be put off from their Right to Vacation. One advantage to independent destinations, he emphasized, is that their uniqueness protects them.

Richard Warnick was warmly welcomed back for the second straight year. Rich offered attendees a rich taste of The Resort Report: A Benchmark Study of Resort Hotels in North America, Hawaii and the Caribbean. Warnick's research provides a method by which resort operators can obtain meaningful comparative data to measure their performance.

Stephen Baldwin has developed the retail operation at The Greenbrier into an extraordinarily profitable part of the esteemed resort's operation. Mr. Baldwin revealed the three legs of the stool upon which he rests his considerable reputation: A) Respect for both customers and employees, B) Convenience of purchasing, and C) Emotions of the shopper. Shopping is the #1 leisure activity in the United States. "Why? Because it takes no talent. Anyone can do it, and they feel powerful when they make a purchase."

Amongst delicious meals, a competitive golf tournament, and festive receptions, numerous other sessions gave attendees valuable information to take home. Insurance presentations from Aon helped explain the many improvements to RHA programs in 2001. Engineers and adjusters from Zurich helped explain ways resorts can make guests safer. Always popular, Jerry Naylis of FM Global spoke concisely about preventing windstorm damage.

Chris O'Donnell, hospitality sales and marketing consultant, explained how technology can enhance resort marketing plans. She introduced numerous websites that hotels can use to leverage their sales efforts. Particularly interesting was her comparison of what's hot and what's not.

ClarityNet, a new breed of training product designed to take advantage of the efficiencies of the Internet, was presented by representatives from Thomas Rutherfoord, Inc. and Coastal Technologies. Not only does the program track training of employees, attendees saw how easily it can be customized to the resort. Rich Warnick made a repeat performance, leading a panel discussing the decision process an owner might make to sell their resort. Lee Stephens shared with attendees the difficulty of selling The Tides Inn, the resort founded by his grandparents in 1947. Linda Landres of Hotel del Coronado recalled the awkward first year after the sale of the famous "Del." Mr. Warnick emphasized the importance of accurate financial data to preventing independent resorts from having no choice but to sell, the last resort.

Everyone who made it to Vermont thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Be sure to make plans to attend the 2001 conference at the beautiful Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan June 22nd - 26th.