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Easy sparkling sangria

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2023 will be a Different Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. We know there will be restrictions on the number of people who can visit our fields and gardens (and other retail establishments/restaurants/venues) based on COVID guidelines established by the state and county governments. We will be following those guidelines, but still be working to welcome you and help you with your visit. Tulip Town has set its ticketing policy; you can find out more at https://tuliptown.com/pages/visit. RoozenGaarde has done so as well; find out more at https://roozengaarde.ticketspice.com/skagit-valley-tulip-festival-tickets.

This is event is geared towards visitors of all ages but if you happen to be traveling with a tot, here are some tips from a local mom on how best to prepare for and execute your adventure.

Seattle Southside mom, Meilee, bundled up her four year old and hit the road and this is what she learned:

The drive is easy freeway driving for approx. 90 minutes each way (from Seattle Southside). For lightest traffic plan on arriving at the fields early in the day on the weekends or travel during non-rush hours mid-week.
Stop at the Tulip Festival Administration office 311 W. Kincaid St. Mount Vernon, WA 98273 for free maps, advice on where to start/stop your excursion and special event info.
With maps and “Tulip Route” signage the fields are easy to find.
Wear practical shoes. There aren’t sidewalks in the fields; be prepared for dusty to muddy conditions. My daughter wore her pink polka dot rain boots for fashion and the practicality purposes.
Walking paths are made out of firmly packed gravel or dirt. Check weather forecasts to get an idea on stroller friendly conditions.
There are multiple tulip farms to see and each is immense. For families with young children I recommend pacing yourself and expect to visit one farm maybe two. We spent two hours at one field, had dinner then drove back. It was a long five hour outing for a four year old but days later she’s still talking about the “bee-you-tee-ful flowers” and I’m still admiring a collection of charming photos.
The RoozenGaarde field has food vendors. (fair food cuisine and prices) There’s a grassy area with a few tables and room to have a picnic.
Bring cash. Some vendors accept cash and plastic – others take cash only.
There are plenty of facilities (porta-potties) at the farms. For families with babies or young toddlers, bring a blanket in the diaper bag because I didn’t see any changing areas.
No pets allowed in the tulip fields. Leave Fluffy or Fido at home.
*Bonus tip – make sure your camera has plenty of battery life you’ll have a “bazillion” photo opportunities.

Restaurant

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Talking about improving hotel operations can´t go without addressing SOPs, which are at the heart of a hotel´s operations. They play a key role in making sure processes run smoothly and guests are provided with the best service, as consistently as possible.

Writing SOPs seems like an easy task at hand, but be careful, taking the cookie-cutter approach here could cost you dearly. We are mainly talking about two things here;

  1. Every hotel is different, make sure your SOPs reflect that. Some workflows might work well for one hotel, but require small changes to make it work perfectly for another;
  2. BRANDING!: making sure that your brand values are reflected in your SOPs is essential. It allows employees to adopt the values of your hotel and thereby communicate the brand message that you would like to portray much better to your guests.

Other

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When we talk about cost control in the hotel industry, we typically refer to the management of expenses and the optimization of resources. By diligently managing costs, hotels can ensure profitability and financial sustainability. Cost control challenges can vary from hotel to hotel, depending on the market segment, location, and star classification, but most hotels face similar issues. Hoteliers highlight the wider economic situation as the next biggest challenge (48%), followed by staff acquisition and retention (43%) and cost of staff (42)%.

Before digging further into why cost control is important for hotels, it is important to follow a structured approach with clearly defined steps that help to make well-informed decisions:

  • Identifying expenses: All expenses incurred by the hotel are identified and categorized.
  • Establishing benchmarks: Allows you to compare results vs. other similar hotels.
  • Analysing expenses: Identifying outliers that require further review.
  • Implementing cost-saving measures: Based on the analysis, cost-saving measures are implemented in the areas where costs can be reduced without affecting the quality of service.
  • Monitoring expenses: The hotel’s expenses are continuously monitored to ensure that the cost-saving measures are effective.

Rooms

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Technology plays an integral role in improving hotel operations. A solid tech stack can help hotels save time and improve guest experience. Specifically, the below tools can greatly improve your hotel´s operational performance:

PMS (Property Management System) & POS (Point of Sale System)

  • Frictionless interaction with customers;
  • Reduce labor intensity and risk of errors through automation;
  • Access to better data (less prone to errors than manual reporting);
  • Well-designed systems allow for features such as keyless check-in.

CRM system (Customer Relationship Management)

  • Drive loyalty and increase service level through personalized offerings;
  • Automated marketing initiatives including email campaigns.

RMS (Revenue Management System)

  • More in-depth analysis of hotel performance;
  • Less time-consuming analysis.

Internal collaboration tools

  • Software to manage guests’ preferences, requests, complaints, maintenance, housekeeping, internal communication and more…
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