Hotels eager to cooperate with Market Authority
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 17, 2002
HIGH POINT — While parking and transportation issues have generated the most complaints from High Point market-goers, hotels haven't been too far behind.
The construction of several new hotels in the Greensboro-High Point area during the late 1990s has significantly added to the supply of rooms, but horror stories about exorbitant room rates, large non-refundable deposits and lengthy minimum-stay rules have made the rounds for years.
As a result, Market Authority President Judy Mendenhall was prepared for the worst when she began visiting executives of area hotels and motels last fall. But after meeting with representatives of more than 100 properties, she concluded that the perception was worse than the reality.
She acknowledged there are a few properties (she won't name names) that do charge what most people would consider exorbitant rates, but the vast majority does not. Virtually all of them increase rates during market, but not to unreasonable levels, she said.
Rather than the indifference she was prepared for, she found hotel and motel executives to be eager to work with the Market Authority. Several told her they knew relatively little about the furniture market, and for many, it was the first time anyone representing the event had ever sought their input.
"I was very well received, … and I got a lot of good feedback," Mendenhall said. "It quickly became clear to me that we needed to go a lot better job getting information out to them."
To help hotel and motel workers answer their guests' questions about market, the Market Authority has scheduled a bus tour April 3 for bell captains and key front desk people. They'll be taken to downtown High Point to see the market's showroom buildings, the site of the shuttle pickup center, and other key transportation features.
"Those people are our ambassadors. We need to give the best information possible," said Mendenhall.
Hotel employees also are being encouraged to ask each guest to buy a shuttle ticket and avoid taking a car to High Point. The Market Authority is staging a contest among employees of a test group of hotels to see who can sell the most tickets.
-
27 High Point-area hotels cut April market rates
Feb 3, 2006 -
Area hotels reduce rates for April High Point Market
Jan 23, 2006 -
Mayor jawbones hotels
Oct 21, 2005 -
High Point gouging guide eyed
Jan 20, 2002 -
Mendenhall cites market's progress
Oct 5, 2003
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