HOTELS

Roger Hill

Need For Speed When Disaster Strikes
August 27, 2008

With Katrina’s three year anniversary looming and Gustav gearing up for a Labor Day battering of the Gulf of Mexico next week, (the biggest since Wilma in 2005, they fear,) I thought that it might be appropriate to blog a little bit about hurricane and other natural disaster preparedness. 

Isn’t it always the things that we can’t predict that keep us up at night!? Mudslides, floods, forest fires, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, even sink holes the size of three football fields have a way of causing constant anxiety even among the best of us. In cases like these, we can get unbelievably good at tempering our anxiety with this all-time favorite: “It surely won’t happen this year.” 

Before we paddle too far down that river that we know as Denial, let’s remember what we likely already know in the back of our heads: The key for all hoteliers who are facing property recovery following a natural disaster is getting back up and running ASAP.  

Recovering from the damage like what Wilma caused (above) seamlessly and quickly is the focus, but obstacles are many. Remember, in the post-hurricane environment, electricity and basic necessities are often compromised, labor limited and communication difficult. 

It’s All About Speed
Recovering your property as quickly as possible after a hurricane strikes is the overriding goal in minimizing lost revenues that will affect you long after the storm passes. Having an advance game plan is critical. If you haven’t refreshed your internal recovery team in a while, it’s time to get moving. 
 
This is just like that childhood fable about the ant that spent the summer building his home, and the grasshopper who whistled it away only to find himself in dire straits when winter came. Some think that merely having a disaster budget put aside is enough. I urge you to think through the logistics of getting back up and running in advance. It’s indeed critical to determine who will you call first? More importantly, who will take your call? 

Remember, contractors, project managers, plumbers, etc, will be inundated with business during the recovery phase. So having a contractor on board, a project manager on the line, a plumber in your back pocket and some sample pricing from all, are the critical pieces of the puzzle. The last hotels to get their disaster recovery plan into swing are the hotels that get the worst labor in their re-build efforts, are the last to secure financing and--worst of all--the last to re-open their doors-–something that none of us can afford. 

The Silver Lining
Hard to say when Gustav is hurtling its way over the Gulf of Mexico at the moment, but what an opportunity hurricanes can be. I’ve always been a “glass half full” kind of guy, and from both a branding and maintenance standpoint, hurricanes or other damaging storms can result in a marvelous “clean slate” opportunity to reposition your greatest asset for the future.

However, the only way that you and your property can emerge from a natural disaster with such a light attitude is if you’ve planned ahead and succeeded in laying out a plan that will help you traverse the first month following the storm with ease. Secure the best team to recover with before the storm even hits.

Posted by Roger Hill on August 27, 2008 | Comments (1)