Without a sale there is no profit, without a person that is no communication and without features and benefits there is no sale. How does your art balance the components of people, progress and profit as we creatively brush at the colors of communication and passion that a hotel artist may use today. The success of each piece is through the canvas, color and palette that YOU bring to your audiences by and for the people through progress in a finished product and the profit of a sale. Balance of these components in a defined manner will without question lead to undiscovered revenues and thus increased profitability whether today or in the future. READ MORE

Hotels no longer face the choice of whether or not to go mobile, as the necessity to implement a mobile strategy is well established. Now the question is what platform to develop on. There are many options, each posing unique advantages and disadvantages. We'll identify and address some key factors to help you decide which options best satisfy your unique needs, both short and long-term. Properties should consider several factors when determining what ecosystem will provide the desired results. Some key elements include: cost, maintenance, functionality, exposure, distribution, and sustainability. READ MORE

The hospitality industry has long been defined as the “people business.” What's more hospitable than helping those who need it? Steve Belmonte believes that it's our responsibility to give back to those who need it the most and hotel corporations have great reach and opportunities to do so. Joining forces with a charity and putting the weight of the brand behind the philanthropic mission should be a no-brainer for hoteliers. By giving a charity organization 100% of your commitment, you'll see that, you really can make a difference in the world - whether it's just to one person, an entire community, or the planet. And customers will respond positively to that. READ MORE

It's an age-old story: Revenue managers are paid to improve unit-revenues and profit margins, but down the hall, the sales department is paid to hit sales targets. Question: What's wrong with this picture? Answer: Nothing. The yin and yang of RM departments disagreeing with Sales organizations, if managed properly, is healthy and moves a business closer to great results. However, if not managed carefully, it can deteriorate into power struggles and politics that will doom an organization to fail. The keys are communication, communication and communication — and an RM team that understands how to position revenue management techniques as a win-win-win for the company, the salespeople and the customers. READ MORE

To understand the benefits of revenue management, it is important to understand just how far the technology has come in recent years. This article covers the early days of revenue management in the 1990's, where its primary focus was single and independent hotels to the 2000's where it has continued to evolve to deal with the advent of the internet and third party booking sites. For hotels to use their revenue management technology to its full potential, they need to understand its ongoing ability to keep pace with the ever changing hospitality industry. READ MORE

As a hotelier, you it is your responsibility to select the best executive team possible to streamline daily operations, maximize revenue, monitor exposure, stay ahead of your competition, increase repeat business, while managing a million other things every day. Your executive team members represent specific areas of the hotel that generate revenue, as well as influence and interact with the guest experience. Communication and messaging, both internal and external are key functions to managing your property effectively against competition and market changes. So, why isn't Public Relations on the Executive team? READ MORE

The philosophy and tangible actions of anyone in a leadership or management role will steer employee behaviors in the direction of service excellence--or quite the opposite. The words, interactions and thoughts reflected in any one leader's style will rub off and influence all those with whom he or she comes into contact. READ MORE

The process of identifying, qualifying and acting on a new hotel location does not have to be a daunting or overwhelming task. In fact it can be a fun and exciting process as long as you establish your objectives and fully investigate the opportunities presented to you. Roedel Companies, through its construction management subsidiary, ROK Builders, is in the business of designing, building and renovating nationally branded hotels along the east coast of the United States, both for itself and independent investors. Over the past four years, ROK has completed over 40 major renovation projects along the east coast for independent investors. Learn about the five most crucial points to address when selecting a location for your hotel in this article. READ MORE

In many ways, 2011 was the year reviews and social media went mainstream within the hotel industry - becoming nearly universally embraced by hotel executives as both a key source of customer insight and a tool to achieve operational and service excellence and to drive revenue growth. From my perspective, as founder and CEO of a company that is leading change in the way hotels leverage and benefit from the social web, I would like to share the top trends I see in this area in 2012. READ MORE

Since ADA sensitivity is a growing concern in the hospitality industry, a proactive plan for training would seem prudent. Discrimination - especially subtle discrimination - continues to thrive. It is the everyday stereotypes and assumptions about our differences that are the basis for most unintentional discrimination and a lack of training about sensitivity issues that can result in these inadvertent offenses. READ MORE

The global hotel market is at a tipping point. Booking windows have shrunk from weeks to days, and the increase in mobile bookings is leaving hotels behind who are trying to stick with the old ways of managing distribution channels. If hoteliers are not using the right tools and techniques to maximize bookings across all available platforms, they are risking a fate of continually playing catch-up to those hoteliers who have embraced channel management technology and the advantages that these systems bring. To help hoteliers on the road to a successful channel management program, here are the top five mistakes that are commonly made in this field, and how to avoid them. READ MORE

Over the past 10 years, the web has become a powerhouse for growing business. For the hotel industry, it has changed all the ground rules, from how you interact with your customers to how you drive bookings. Ten years ago, hotel chains started investing in online virtual brochures. These sites were designed simply to lay out the product and drive customers to call centers. As the sophistication of the web platforms increased, rudimentary booking engines were laid into the websites. No one anticipated that this electronic brochure would soon be a key business driver. READ MORE

In the 70's and 80's many communities built Convention Centers as the cornerstone of economic development. The same cities have exhausted their taxing ability so the Convention Centers are left with annual deficits. Rebates have been the answer to offset their costs. Now, Convention Centers have increasingly become competitors in the local market they serve. Becoming a competitor in the local economy is not fair, and they continue to increase rebates. There is little to no government regulation on the amount of rebates, or their business plans. Each city should take a close look at their Convention Center, and get back to basics. READ MORE

Never before in the history of our industry have hotels had so many opportunities to market and sell their room inventory. Facebook, TripAdvisor, Google, mobile, online, GDS and traditional voice, among countless others, present infinite opportunities to increase exposure for a property on a global level. However, there is one tool that remains crucial regardless of the channel you're selling through, and that is the hotel website. Many hotels, especially independents, have only scratched the surface with the foundation of their online presence, inadvertently making serious errors that may in fact be hurting their chances to sell. Following are the five website failures hotels make, along with how to fix them. READ MORE

One of the greatest challenges that hotel executives face is retaining their valued employees. Hoteliers don't always have the extra funds to reward their valued employees the longevity increases that they want and often expect. So what can you do to reward longevity─without spending a lot of money? Many non-financial rewards have a high-perceived value to your employees and no-cost to you. In addition, we provide some low-cost alternatives for you to explore. While this article offers a wide variety of rewards, the best ideas for you may not be here, but we will tell you how to find them─without spending any money. READ MORE

Litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) has long been a favorite of plaintiffs' employment attorneys. Claims under the FLSA are expensive and difficult for employers to defend and offer plaintiffs and their attorneys the possibility of attorneys' fees as well as the potential for significant liquidated damages. Claimed attorneys' fees often significantly exceed the damages awarded to employees. One area of the Fair Labor Standards Act which is seen increased litigation recently is claims by tipped employees. READ MORE

A hotel's housekeeping department is what keeps everyone in the hotel employed, especially a general manager. The relevancy of a clean guest room or hotel building is paramount to the success of the business. It is incumbent on the general manager to ensure the property is meeting his or her standards. The biggest fear a general manager has is being featured in an undercover story on the cleanliness of their bathrooms, or their bedding, or any part of their building. General managers must recognize the importance of their role in the success of the housekeeping staff and be actively involved in all aspects of the housekeeping process. READ MORE

The purpose of the article is to certainly touch upon the importance of the service standard, but also, we will dig deeper into situations that can perhaps be damaging existing standards. Perhaps you may not have any to begin with, so how do we start developing a base set of service standards, while identifying where we best fit in the market (or in this case establishment scale)? Let's take a look (from an end user's standpoint) into a hospitality establishment that has obvious service standards, vs. a comparable that has them (service standards in place) but not being implemented or executed properly.. READ MORE

More than ever it is essential that spas deliver the exceptional experiences that ensure guests come back time and again. In this article, we look at the top five ways spas can make their customers fall in love with the staff, service, and overall operation. The focus is on building and retaining a relationship with the primary guest base. READ MORE

Selling a hotel can come with a great amount of pressure to ensure the business appeals to prospective buyers. If sellers don't take the steps necessary to make their businesses marketable, they could face a long, tedious process and ultimately sell for much less money than they had hoped. Fortunately, there are steps that sellers can take to avoid this situation and put themselves in the position for a quick, smooth sale. Read my article below to learn what hotel sellers need to know about marketability when putting their businesses on the market. READ MORE

The challenge of optimizing IT investment is relentless for the hospitality sector. This article reviews some of the salient issues that impact on optimizing new technologies by revisiting the determinants of technology adoption and then by sharing some of my research into Strategic Technology Relationships in the Hotel Sector, conducted earlier this year with the hospitality technology managers (CIOs and IT Directors) in the major European hotels. Finally, some suggestions are proposed for the future optimization of technology in the hospitality sector. READ MORE

With hotel executives discussing the newest updates to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating systems, LEED 2012, due to be released in November of this year by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), many are asking what this will mean to the hospitality industry. Trish Donnally, ForrestPerkins' director of communications, talks to top hoteliers and sustainability specialists and reveals why LEED 2012 could be a game changer. READ MORE

Some of us prefer to pay for well-made products that operate effectively, yet when we try to buy a cell phone, landline phone (or almost anything else you care to name) that has not been made in China (usually with as many short cuts as possible to maximize profits) it proves practically impossible. The ubiquity of it all makes for a grim shopping experience. Extrapolating into the hospitality world, imagine if hotel ratings were adjusted so that two-stars were reported as five-stars because occupancy rates were insufficient in "higher-end" hotels to justify the service levels of "old-style" five-stars. READ MORE

Great employees know the importance of good customer service. They are willing to dedicate themselves to the success of the company they work for, especially if they are motivated and recognized for their success. Let them know how important they are to the company and to the customers. Pat your employees on the back for a job well done - they need you and you need them! READ MORE

In today's competitive hospitality market, it's essential to approach improvements and renovations with a comprehensive strategy and an understanding of how you can benefit from a variety of tax deductions available to hotel owners. Can improvements actually pay for themselves through smart tax strategies like cost segregation and making energy efficient upgrades? Can you still take advantage of past renovations or somehow take a deduction for new equipment purchased or leased this year? Looking at the big picture and working with the right professionals as you plan your renovations and upgrades can provide a big payoff in tax savings and boosting your cash flow this year and in years to come. READ MORE

The concept of revenue management has been around for quite awhile, with the airline industry first formalizing it with its computerized Yield Management system. The hotel industry, although late in the game, has now made a "revenue management" position as part of its standard staffing. This position was primarily developed as a way to capture revenues generated by the increasing demand over the past decade. Now that business is significantly down, many properties are at a loss as to how to generate business and how to ensure that each room is sold at the right rate to the right market. This article will provide some tips on ensuring that you manage your rates from a position of strength for both a short term and long term pay off. READ MORE

Your spa is a natural addition to your hotel that shouldn't be down played or ignored. In fact, many hotel spas now are the driving reason why bookings are increasing among many hotel brands. Make the natural leap between ordinary hotel marketing and extraordinary spa promotions when creating your next brand strategy. Take advantage of the tie-ins between your hotel's character and your spas experiential nature. READ MORE

How will the trends of today's fitness minded traveler change the way you address health and wellness in 2012? Bryan Green, Founder & CEO of Advantage Fitness Products shares with us the Top 10 Trends in Fitness for 2012 and how they will apply to the fitness amenity and beyond in hospitality. A general understanding of demands of active adults and their children alike may help inspire you to find creative solutions as they relate to the integration of wellness on property. READ MORE

Wordpress is an open source, content management system [CMS] and publishing software. Wikipedia reports Wordpress as the platform of choice for 22% of all new websites and nearly 15% of the top 1 million websites. Big brands, entertainers, media outlets and Fortune 500 companies such as UPS, Sony, The New York Times, CNN, and Martha Stewart all use Wordpress. So why have so few hotels taken the plunge? This article introduces Wordpress as a smart, cost-effective hotel marketing solution and spotlights the bold leadership of Aqua Hotels and Resorts in switching to Wordpress. READ MORE

As travel shopping continues to fragment within the online space to a myriad of channels, devices, and platforms the role of the hotel marketer is becoming increasingly complicated. Today, audiences are jumping from online travel agencies to review sites to social media and so on, using their smartphones, computers and tablets to do so. This makes for a complex web of touch-points for hotel marketers to explore and take advantage of. Success requires balancing a number of priorities and activities that make up a hotel's greater marketing strategy. Included in this strategy are activities that convert website traffic to bookings on the hotel's own website and third party websites. READ MORE

To green, or not to green? To pursue green certification, or not? Those are questions many hoteliers are asking themselves today. As more and more travelers claim they are aware of hotels' environmental practices, and consider themselves environmentally conscious travelers, hoteliers should take note and respond accordingly. At the very least a hotelier can decide to go green and receive green certification, of which there are many types, in order to save money. There are other benefits to pursuing green certification, though; namely, enhanced image, expanded marketing opportunities, differentiation, and clarity. READ MORE

Most hoteliers realize that they must have some kind of spa in their hotel in order to be competitive in today's market; however most do not know how to determine the most appropriate spa concept for their hotel. Just having a spa in a hotel, ten or even five years ago may have been enough, however as supply increased and consumers inevitably became more and more spa savvy, just having a spa isn't enough anymore; it's all about having the right type of spa for your particular hotel. READ MORE

As a hotelier, what is your best investment on "customer retention insurance." Last year at this time, your answer might have been easy - the latest and greatest in design, FF&E and amenities. In light of the current economic climate, however, the answers have changed and the currency required to pay these insurance premiums aren't in euros, dollars or yen. The currency is commitment, in flesh & blood. Investing in your people is the best customer retention insurance there is - in good times and bad - and my article discusses some ways to focus on turning your people into active, engaged partners in the ongoing battle to serve guests and make sure they keep coming back. READ MORE

There is no more important time than now to make sure that your rate distribution and online experience is understandable, uses good imagery and the descriptive terminology speaks to your target audience. Too many hotels use poor images on their booking engines and tend to create rate and room type copy as if they were selling to hoteliers and not to the general public. Look at your online presence from the guest's point of view. Are you really selling yourself the right way online? READ MORE