Word: denison
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Prior to 20 years ago, these small hotels didn't even exist," says Mary-Anne Denison-Pender, whose Mahout agency promotes small Indian hotels in the U.K. In the '80s, in a bid to finance maintenance on their private properties, some families tried their hand at the hotel business. "Every person with a fort thought they had a hotel, but many of them didn't invest enough, and they got backpackers and low-budget tourists," she says...
...plagues, strikes, terrorist attacks and floods, sending all but the most determined tourists scrambling to alternative destinations. Some of the independent owners upgraded their properties, taking cues from the larger chains or from their own travels abroad. "The best ones reinvested, and now they've grown up," says Denison-Pender, who set up her agency in 2002 after 17 years as a travel planner. She likens the boom to the riyadh craze in Marrakesh. The small hotels she represents range in price from $50 to $700 per night, compared with the average price of $350 for the luxury category...
...without the hefty marketing budgets of the large hotel groups. They're not for everyone: "The sophisticated spoiled rich traveler may be better off in a big hotel. You have to be able to be a little more accepting" to have a good time at the smaller places, says Denison-Pender. But parents traveling with children, those looking for inside addresses from locals and those who are exhausted by the many tips expected at larger hotels (most of the guesthouses opt for a collective tip box) will soon be hooked...
...rule seems clear for retail soundscapes: slow is good. As people's biorhythms often mirror the sounds around them, a gently meandering mix of classical music or soothing ambient noise encourages shoppers to slow down and relax. And, says Denison, an unhurried consumer is exactly what retailers want. "If customers are moving less quickly," he says, "they're more likely to engage with a product and make a purchase...
...Muzak formed a partnership with ScentAir, a U.S. firm that specializes in installing inviting aromas in hotels, restaurants and stores. "Instead of asking a customer, 'How does it sound?' when they walk into a business, we're now saying, 'How do you feel?'" says Muzak's Finigan. Shopping psychologist Denison says growing competition for the attention of time-pressed consumers will force businesses to focus more on the total sensory experience they provide: "Retailers will have to make their stores more stimulating." The message, loud and clear: master the senses, and pump up the sales volume...