With the start of the fall travel season, New York is a popular destination for international guests. The hotels managed by my company, M&R Hotel Management, host a large number of tour groups from around the world, including student groups. It’s a growing source of business and revenue.

Our hotel teams enjoy the opportunity to serve as ambassadors to visitors from outside the United States. Language issues are bound to arise, so our general managers work with their front desk teams to identify tour groups coming into the hotel, their country of origin and languages spoken.

New York is multicultural, so there’s a good chance one of our hotel associates is fluent in the group’s language. It’s a simple enough step and, if it improves communication and subsequently opens the door to better guest service, it’s well worth the effort.

The moment can occur at various guest touch points: during the check-in process, responding to a request for extra towels, explaining how the waffle machine works during the complimentary breakfast (or even what a waffle is), no less helping with directions.

A little bit of preparation, along with a dose of patience and a friendly smile, can resolve almost any problem and create a great experience for our overseas guests.