Tip Sheets Archive

Hotel Safety Red Flags: Empowering Every Team Member to Spot the Signs

Hotel Safety Depends on Back-of-House Awareness Human trafficking awareness training is crucial in hospitality — but too often it focuses only on the front desk. Housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, and other back‑of‑house teams routinely enter guest spaces where subtle signs may first appear. January, which marks Human Trafficking Prevention Month, is the perfect time to shift that imbalance and ensure every hotel employee understands their role in spotting red flags and reporting concerns. 📌 ICYMI: Check out our article on the foundational signs every team member should know: Human Trafficking Prevention Month Overview Red Flags Every Back-of-House Team Member Should Know Back-of-house teams like housekeeping, laundry, and maintenance spend more time in guest areas than any other department. This gives them a unique opportunity to recognize early signs of human trafficking or unsafe activity that might otherwise go unnoticed. Here are common indicators that team members should be aware of when

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Supporting Hotel Operations with MOP in 2026: A Letter from our MOP Product Owner, Sara Csende

Dear Valued Hoteliers, Efficiency-Focused Operators, Housekeeping and Maintenance Leaders, and the Frontline Teams Who Keep Operations Moving, As we adjust to 2026, I want to take a moment to recognize and appreciate you, your teams, and the incredible individuals behind the scenes who keep your hotels running smoothly every day. As part of the MOP team at Visual Matrix, we’re passionate about helping you work smarter, respond faster, and support your teams in delivering exceptional guest experiences. In the year ahead, my focus and the focus of the entire MOP team is on helping you elevate efficiency for housekeeping and maintenance teams so they can shine in their roles. With MOP’s intuitive mobile workflows and communication tools, your teams can stay connected, clear on priorities, and empowered to take action quickly and confidently. My 2025 Highlight: Improving how Lost and Found is managed was especially important to me. That focus

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Human Trafficking Prevention Month: Why Every Hotel, Every Role, Every Day Matters

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and for those of us in hospitality, this is not an abstract issue. It affects real people, real hotels, and real communities. One of the most dangerous misconceptions is this: “Only certain hotels or locations are at risk.” The reality is that trafficking can occur at any property, in any market, at any price point. What traffickers look for is opportunity, not a brand flag or zip code. Spot the Signs: How Every Hotel Employee Plays a Part Preventing human trafficking is not the responsibility of one department. It is a shared effort built on awareness, confidence, and clear procedures. What to Look For Signs are often subtle: Guests who appear fearful or avoid eye contact Individuals unable to speak for themselves or control ID or payment Excessive requests for linens or towels Frequent room changes or unusual foot traffic Signs of physical distress

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Turn Slow Days Into Smart Days with MOP: 5 Revenue Boosting Tasks for Hotels

💡 Slow shifts don’t mean wasted time. MOP helps your hotel turn downtime into revenue-building strategy. ✅ 1. Create Deep Cleaning Tasks in MOP Use quiet days to tackle deep cleaning in guest rooms, hallways, public areas, and back-of-house zones. With Visual Matrix MOP, you can: Assign detailed cleaning tasks by area Standardize processes for consistency Monitor completion in real time This improves cleanliness scores and increases positive guest reviews, influencing future bookings and loyalty. 🔧 2. Automate Preventive Maintenance Proactive maintenance keeps your hotel running smoothly. MOP allows you to: Schedule recurring checks for HVAC, plumbing, appliances Catch issues before they impact guests Reduce costly service calls and comped nights Avoid reactive repairs — set your team up for long-term savings and better guest satisfaction. 🎯 3. Update Packages & Promotions in Your PMS to Drive Future Bookings Slow shifts offer the perfect window to review and refresh your

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Looking Ahead to 2026: A Letter from our CEO, Georgine Muntz

Dear Visual Matrix Clients, Technology Integration Partners, Industry Collaborators, and Fellow Fighters Against Human Trafficking, As we welcome a new year, I want to pause and say thank you. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and the meaningful work we continue to do together across this industry. This past year brought real momentum. We delivered powerful new features, strengthened system performance, and continued improving the speed and quality of our client support. Most importantly, we’ve continued to build and enjoy strong, collaborative relationships with the hoteliers, partners, and advocates who inspire our work every day. At Visual Matrix, we believe great technology should make life easier, not louder. Our goal has always been to give you a better way to be a great hotelier by simplifying operations, supporting your teams, and helping your properties run with confidence and clarity. We also remain deeply committed to protecting your guests, your

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Hotel Maintenance Debt: The Hidden Cost That’s Draining Profits

As we approach the end of the year, hotel owners focus on budgets, initiatives, and guest experience upgrades. Yet one costly issue often goes unnoticed: maintenance debt. These unresolved maintenance tasks quietly pile up, creating operational strain—especially for housekeeping teams—just as a new year begins. Reduce with MOP Automation Read the FAQ’s Book a Demo Get Free Coffee What Is Maintenance Debt in Hotels? Maintenance debt refers to postponed repairs, inspections, and upkeep that accumulate over time. While deferring small fixes may seem harmless, these delays compound—resulting in higher costs, inefficiencies, and guest-facing issues that are harder to resolve later. For housekeeping and engineering teams, maintenance debt often surfaces as recurring room issues, last-minute fixes, and workflow disruptions that impact both productivity and morale. The Challenge of Maintenance Debt in Hotel Operations When unresolved maintenance tasks roll into a new year, teams are forced into a reactive cycle. Instead of

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🎄‘Tis the Season for Holiday Chargebacks: The Fortis Guide to Keeping Your Hotel Protected

Holiday Readiness Chargeback prevention • Visual Matrix + Fortis Holiday Chargebacks Are Preventable — Here’s How Hotels Stay Protected The holidays bring full rooms, fast-paced check-ins, and packed reservation logs. But they also bring a rise in fraudulent charges, processing errors, and costly chargebacks. Whether it’s guests disputing charges after checkout, stolen cards sneaking through during rush hours, or third-party reservation confusion—the risk is real, but preventable. This guide walks you through practical, hotel-focused strategies to reduce chargebacks during the holiday season and stay protected with support from Visual Matrix and Fortis. Why Chargebacks Spike During the Holidays Holiday conditions create the perfect storm for fraud and errors: 1. Friendly Fraud (Most Common) Guests file chargebacks because they: Claim they cancelled a reservation. Are dissatisfied with room conditions or amenities. Say they didn’t authorize the transaction. Often, these aren’t intentional scams. They result from poor communication, missing documentation, or the

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Visual Matrix – Tip Sheet 63

This week we are covering issues on preventative maintenance tasks and scheduling. This month is Human Trafficking Prevention Awareness Month – Is Your Staff Safe? The panic button built into our mobile operating platform – MOP – can help protect them from harm. Subscribe to our companion tip sheet published once a month and focused exclusively on all things MOP. We’re thrilled to have John Kelly and his team as a big part of the Visual Matrix family. Help us spread the word about our technology solutions and hotel community by leaving us a review. Read the whole Tip Sheet here

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Visual Matrix – Tip Sheet 64

Hihotels by Hospitality International has nominated Visual Matrix for its Vendor of the Year Award. Join us on February 16 as we explore all things folio, from what a folio is and the differences between folios to adjusting room charges, split/share, group folios, and house accounts. This week’s features include tips for managing groups more efficiently and how to do it in the group booking rooms. Read the whole Tip Sheet here

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