December 30th, 2010 by TRT Blog

The end of every year is a bitter sweet time for us. We look back on the year that was and reminisce about the fine work we’ve done and partnerships we’ve developed in different industries. At the same time, we look forward with an open mind to the untold stories and exciting projects we’ll be a part of in the next 365 days.

2010 was a banner year for us. We took part in exciting inaugural events, mingled with others who share our passion for preserving what’s already around us, and were recognized for our work in sustainability. We attended several educational conferences that gave us the opportunity to share and gain knowledge with some of the hotel industry’s best and brightest.

2010 opened our eyes about the awareness needed for the prevention of continuing problems facing our environment and economy. There have been schools facing budget cuts, small town tourist destinations struggling to reclaim former glory, and airlines putting passengers at risk in the name of saving some dollars on repairs.

Every year seems to be filled with highs and lows, but it’s how we handle these circumstances and everything in between that defines how we live, and for us, how we work. As we close the door on 2010, we look forward to what 2011 has in-store, and hope you’ll join us for all the updates, stories, and projects we’ll share with you. Have a happy and safe new year!

new year, The Refinishing Touch

December 28th, 2010 by TRT Blog

Image from MIT/Aurora Flight Sciences

We’ve written about the steps that consumers and corporations alike have taken to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the global appeal for climate change and sustainability. It’s nearly impossible to ignore that fact that change is needed in the ways we both produce and operate many of the machines we use daily. Electric cars, energy efficient appliances, and solar powered production have all deservedly taken the spotlight as some of the leading trends and contributions made toward the reduction of energy emissions, but lately it’s been NASA who has, if you’ll excuse the pun, flown under the radar.

In late November, NASA handed out a total of $6 million to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to help major airlines develop quieter, more fuel efficient and “green” planes. NASA’s goal is to reduce harmful emissions from jets by half, cut the area affected by noise planes produced from takeoff and landing by 83%, and enable planes to reduce fuel consumption by half. The plan is to have planes that adhere to all of these requirements in the air by 2025.

It will be just as exciting to hear about the developments from these two companies as it will be to see the design of the aircrafts that are developed. An article in the Los Angeles Times gave a glimpse into the funding from NASA and readers were invited in to see a few of the green plane concepts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With additional requirements that the aircraft be able to carry a minimum of 100,000 pounds in either passengers or cargo, and fly at the speed of sound for 7,000 miles, NASA is urging both companies to think outside the box.

Flying has changed dramatically since its birth in the early 1900’s. It’s not unfathomable to think that in another 50-100 years we could be travelling by air much differently than we are now. It’s good to see that we’re taking the steps to make sure that when that time comes, we won’t be using outdated methods or technology and potentially contributing to added noise and pollution.

Government, NASA, Travel

December 23rd, 2010 by TRT Blog

With the holiday season coming to a close, we are reminded of all that we have to be grateful for.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays from all of us here at The Refinishing Touch!

Happy Holidays

December 21st, 2010 by TRT Blog

For this month’s ‘Beneath the Surface’, we head east to explore the natural beauty and super-natural history of the Omni Mount Washington Resort. Quietly nestled amongst the mountains of Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, sits the magnificent creation of Joseph Stickney, now a National Historic Landmark.  The hotel was built in 1902 by Stickney, who gained his fortune and success in the coal mining industry as well as the Pennsylvania Railroad. Unique for its time, the hotel was built as a steel structure and installed with innovative heating and plumbing systems. The Grand Hotel opened to the public on July 28th, 1902 and was staffed by no less than 350 employees.

After Stickney’s death, his widow Carolyn frequently returned to Bretton Woods, eventually owning it until her death. This is where the famous ghost stories began. Many people have claimed to see Carolyn wandering the grounds, peering down from her balcony, even sitting in the dining hall at her own special table. If you are one seeking a super natural adventure, be sure to include the Omni Mount Washington Hotel to your list of places to experience.

The hotel was sold and purchased numerous times throughout the 20^th century. It all culminated in 1991 when area businessmen purchased the hotel and soon after the surrounding property – such as golf courses, development land and New Hampshire’s largest ski area, Bretton Woods. With all the acquisitions the area became a year-round destination, and on Thanksgiving Day in 1999, the resort began its first ski season beginning a new era for the hotel and resort.

This year, The Refinishing Touch arrived at the property to lend their hand in restoring not only a one-of-a-kind hotel but one of our Nation’s historical landmarks as well. A hotel with this much history is one that must be taken care of properly. Our crews set up a heated tent outside in the frosty northeast to preserve the hotel’s interior while work to refinish the hotel’s original 100-year-old wooden doors took place. Guests will notice the beautifully modified armoires in each of the rooms as well as the freshly refinished and re-upholstered chairs in the dining room. Preserving and enriching places with such a storied history is truly a joy. We are honored to have done so at The Omni Mount Washington.

And in case you were wondering, there were no reports of Carolyn Stickney from our crew, but we hope that she notices and appreciates the work we’ve done in her dining room.

hospitality, Operational Update, Sustainability

December 17th, 2010 by TRT Blog

As the hotel industry continues its recovery and banks are finding it more appealing to lend to hotels, building managers and GMs are looking to spend money again to make their property pleasing on every level possible for their guests. And while some will be looking to upgrade with all new furniture, many will see the benefit of refurbishing and reupholstering existing furniture assets to not only refresh the look of each individual piece, but breathe new life into the rooms they are in.

While renovating can bring the same improved aesthetic as new furniture can to a room, project managers need to make sure that they aren’t spending as they would on new furniture. Smart and effective renovations are the key to getting the most return on your investment. Spending lavishly could get the job done, but there’s no guarantee you or your hotel would get the best quality. There are many different ways to maximize renovation projects and this recent article in Lodging Hospitality offers some great pointers.

We strongly agree with all the points made, particularly with regards to “keep[ing] pace with the recovery”. Getting your projects started sooner rather than later in order to take advantage of the soon-to-be returning guests is a must, but we’d be quick to point out that you shouldn’t rush your project. Anything hurried to completion is more than likely going to cost more in the end with fixes to something that wasn’t done properly the first time.

Popular design is another point that stands out to us. While the advice of the contractor or designer who’s handling the renovation are important – and are usually made with your best interests in mind, there’s no question that the voice and opinions of those who stay (or have stayed) at your property should be held just as high. The demographic of guests and location should all be considered when renovating, otherwise you could be losing money on making renovations that guests simply don’t care enough about or worse, dislike.

The article makes other good points about effective renovations and we’re excited to see these types of stories being written. It’s a good sign when we can look at ways to improve by spending money instead of cutbacks being made to save money.

hospitality, renovations

December 14th, 2010 by TRT Blog

While not likely to happen anytime soon, the debate on whether or not to invest in the reduction and reversal of climate change should be a short one. The bottom line and the harsh reality, is that our environment needs to be improved, or else we may not have much of a planet to live on soon. Unfortunately, there remains too much discussion about ‘how we’re going to get there’ and the need to change our ways, and not action being taken to actually make an impact that future generations can benefit from.

Businesses are slowing things down and have significantly impeded government progress on regulating pollution. Their argument usually comes down to solutions being ‘antiethical to their economic interests’, as this GreenBiz article points out. And while businesses certainly have to the right to express their opposition to the rules that our government looks to put into place, at some point they (and we as a people) need to recognize that the millions of dollars they are feeding into propaganda and misinformation to keep the status quo is only going to hurt us in the long run.

GreenBiz continued to point out some of the steps that countries across the globe are taking to put themselves ahead in the envrionmental race. Germany, for example, has been and continues to be a dominant force in alternative energies while China and it’s growing economical and political clout is investing over $750 billion dollars over the next decade to clean energy technology. These countries are aware that the leader in these forms of technology can and most likely will lead the global economy in the 21^st century.

Our president has been quoted saying as much, and it’s obvious he would prefer America to be the nation that leads. However, with the steps some companies and organizations are taking in the name of profit, we may be our own worst enemy and find ourselves playing catch up to others who found a way to put profitability second to positive change.

climate change, green, GreenBiz, Sustainability

December 10th, 2010 by TRT Blog

The airline industry has taken a beating the last ten years. Whether it’s the cost of travel for a family, the lackluster accommodations on the planes, or subpar ability for carriers to remain on schedule, taking a trip by plane no longer provides the majestic feeling of travel for some. Compounding these feelings recently have been the TSA’s new heightened security measures.

After some scares in airports surrounding packages and travelers, the TSA recently turned to full scale pat-downs and full body scanning to screen passengers getting on flights. Almost immediately, backlash arose from flyers. The full body scanners were already a source of concern in terms of privacy, but now the full pat-downs amplified this concern. Lines at security checkpoints are backing up and are taking more than our time.

In a somber piece in the New York Times, Nate Silver looked at some of the negative impacts that could occur when people choose alternatives to air travel because of heavy handed TSA tactics. The loss of recreational travelers can hurt areas which depend on that revenue. Business deals can be lost when companies choose to teleconference as opposed to meeting face- to-face. The equivalent of roughly four Boeing 737s crashing each year equal the number of deaths of people who travel by ground instead of by air!

All of these stats are of course worse case scenarios, and the article does point out that the new security measure can have the opposite effect. But in 2002-03, while travelers claimed new security measures gave them the feeling that travelling is safe once more and would fly more frequently, actual numbers suggested otherwise. Hopefully, history doesn’t repeat itself and these polarizing feelings on the subject even out and the airline industry can get back to putting the last decade behind them.

airline industry, Travel, TSA

December 7th, 2010 by TRT Blog

This year’s Green Build Conference took place on November 17-19 in Chicago. Sustainability is always one of the key themes as that is what this expo is designed around. Its speakers were no different, and all discussed the importance of creating and maintaining a system designed to grow the practice of sustainable building.

This was echoed by one of the chief speakers at the event, Martha Johnson, Administrator of General Services Administration for the United States Government. At the GSA, Administrator Johnson is in charge of securing all goods, services and property for the civilian government. She was at Green Build Expo to reinforce the GSA’s dedication to sustainability. In short, the GSA’s goal is not to ‘limit’ its environmental impact, but to ‘eliminate’ it with an absolute Zero Environmental Footprint (ZEF).

She acknowledged that it can’t be done alone and with the help of an invigorated country and backing of the government, green collar jobs will help make the difference. Many, Mrs. Johnson explained, including President Obama believe that green collar jobs are the future. During her presentation she quoted the President saying:

“Countries on every corner of earth recognize energy supplies are growing  scarcer, energy demands are growing larger and rising energy use imperils the planet we will leave to future generations. That’s why the world is now engaged in a peaceful competition to determine the technologies that will power the 21^st century.“

It would appear so far that this is not ‘greenwashing’ either. With over $5.5 billion invested in retrofitting, modernization and the construction of green buildings, the GSA is taking the steps to make a ZEF government a reality. It’s impossible to say whether or not the plan will succeed, but as Administrator Johnson stated: “Can we succeed? Yes, we can.”

Government, GSA, Sustainability

December 3rd, 2010 by TRT Blog

Want to get away? Most U.S. travelers do and quickly, this according to The Ypartnership/Harrison Group 2010 Portrait of American Travelers. The national survey of over 2,500 U.S. households with an annual income of at least $50,000 showed that ‘last minute’ vacations have soared in popularity with American travelers. According to the survey, 27 percent took a last minute trip last year that was planned in an average of just six days prior to their departure.

The results provide an in-depth examination of the impact of the current economic environment, social values and emerging media habits on the travel behavior of Americans. One of the market forces accelerating the trend is the growing use of ‘flash sales’ by travel service suppliers. These impulsive offers, often delivered through unsolicited emails, have become the norm during the past 12 months as suppliers try to liquidate what would otherwise be unsold inventory.

The survey revealed that one out of seven recipients of these flash sales reported purchasing a travel service as a result. And it’s not just your weekend getaway; travelers are booking complete vacation packages or a cruise.

Types of services booked as result of a flash sale:

• Airfare (47 percent)
• Hotel or other lodging (47 percent )
• Vacation package (38 percent )
• Cruise (2 percent %)
• Car rental (20 percent )

According to the survey, 26 percent of leisure travelers took a vacation in their local area as an alternative to a destination requiring extensive travel. These ‘staycations’ appear to be yet another indication of the trend toward more impulsive vacation behavior on such short notice – and open up a range of opportunities for the hospitality industry across the USA.

spending, tourism, Travel, vacations