Today, almost everything we use is driven by technology. This includes your hotel's waste management program: Enter the smart waste compactor. The goal of a compactor is to condense waste to optimize the space for everyday trash disposal. A smart waste compactor takes this the next level and delivers a real-time, cloud-based dashboard to give you the insights about your compactor you need to better understand your hotel's waste usage. We wanted to give you a rundown of the key benefits of a smart waste compactor on your hotel and how it can make your hotel's waste management program smarter. READ MORE

Over the past decades, we have seen how significant our impact on nature can be and the long-term consequences that imply. Leisure and business tourism move millions of people every year, and taking initiatives to protect nature should be a main priority for all hospitality companies around the globe. Taking care of the environment through a green-building approach, implementing new systems to preserve and recycle water resources and developing a biomass power plant to provide green energy are just a few activities that Toscana Resort Castelfalfi has undertaken to preserve the pristine nature that surrounds it and to ensure guests' wellbeing. READ MORE

Inspired by the location's rich history, embracing today's prevailing trends, and with a steady eye toward the future, Current doesn't suffer the effects of time. Every element of Tampa's new Marriott Autograph Collection hotel on Rocky Point is steeped in intention, from the location, architecture, art gallery, and dining options, to the guest rooms – each one specifically designated to make sure it maintains an ocean view. The hotel stimulates all of the senses, and the excitement of something new is right around the corner. Offerings remain fresh with ever-changing menus at Julian and Rox, and a curated art gallery with rotating exhibits. In this way, Current travelers and visitors are always offered a unique taste of Tampa Bay. READ MORE

The women of today have begun to shift public opinion on who is able to travel alone-studies have shown that accommodations booked by female lone travelers has increased by 45 percent in recent years. As women continue to venture out into the world for solo travel experiences, safety precautions remain a major concern. Throughout Japan, this issue has been remedied by women-centric travel and experiential accommodations. Taking women's comfort into consideration, sleep capsules are being utilized in hotels that exclusively serve women or offer the option of gender specific floors, offering women necessary privacy and safety in their own spaces. READ MORE

This article points out the vital importance of hotel leadership in effectively aggregating human capital into social capital to achieve higher degrees of competitiveness. This article draws upon the role of hotel executives as social architects that provide elaborative insight for followers by illuminating how hotel executives can effectively build and spend social capital within hotels. This article suggests that it is critical that hotel executives understand that hotel leadership supports social capital to effectively implement knowledge management projects and therefore, remain competitive. READ MORE

Increasing ADR, in conjunction with appropriate occupancy levels, is an ever-present goal. Not only does this increase RevPAR, but gaining more revenue through ADR provides assets with increased profitability. Consistent application of the following proven techniques leads to consistent rate dominance. In this article, co-authors Marcelo Trujillo and David Beaulieu rely on their experience of more than 35 combined years to thoroughly analyze and explain the pathway to sustainable ADR to maximize a hotel's success. READ MORE

A recent Econsultancy survey querying companies on the most exciting opportunity for 2019 found that customer experience (CX) topped the list, edging out content marketing and mobile marketing. This CX trend has been accelerating over the last several years – especially in the hotel industry. As hotels pursued customer experience strategies, however, they often neglected to invest in their most important competitive advantage: the employees tasked with delivering the customer experience. In the hotel industry, you can't outcompete rivals on CX without an employee experience program that produces satisfied, well-trained employees. READ MORE

The hospitality industry is enjoying a healthy period of innovation and growth, with many opportunities for differentiation among the various brands. Successfully "doing business differently" requires pioneering leadership, however, and it's not always easy to find CEOs with the right skills and attributes. With the changes brought about by technology, finding suitable business leaders for the future is paradoxically both easier and more challenging. Hotel company CEOs now need to have a completely different skill set than they did before. This article looks at six of the trends we're currently seeing in hospitality leadership and where hotel companies can source people with the leadership skills they need. READ MORE

There is a new breed of traveler emerging, one that places importance on social responsibility, environmental responsibility and overall sustainable travel. This shift in the marketplace will undoubtedly encourage hospitality companies to analyze their current practices and see how they measure up. Legacy Vacation Resorts was seeking a way to do just that and subsequently became a Certified B Corporation. Now, leadership is hoping to use their conscious business model to inspire other companies in the industry and beyond to utilize their business as a force for good and focus on a triple bottom line of serving people, the planet and profit. READ MORE

Jeff Hart, General Manager of the Los Angeles Airport Marriott explores the evolution of airport hotels in 2019 and discusses ways in which the properties can "take off." From challenges to opportunities, Hart gives a 360-degree look at the operations of an airport property and provides tactical advice to elevate offerings and stand out amongst competition. According to hart and the team at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, 2019 is the year of the airport hotel, and now is the time for properties to look at the ways (small or large) in which they can level up their spaces, offerings and approach. READ MORE

By addressing channel performance-the concept of measuring key performance indicators across a complex, multi-channel booking landscape-hoteliers can optimize pricing and marketing across all channels, and boost revenue as a result. But for those new to the world of advanced revenue management practices and technology, how does one begin to map out a proactive and profitable distribution strategy? How you choose to distribute your offerings must be carefully and regularly assessed, with the goal of maximizing your profit potential always in mind. Evaluating channel acquisition costs, looking beyond online travel agencies (OTAs) for better revenue opportunities, and finding ways to drive more direct bookings are all good practices for monitoring and improving the health of your distribution strategy. READ MORE

Revenue managers face a daily melange of ingredients to analyze, digest and base decisions on. Advances in Big Data and tools to make sense of it are making life a little easier. But, amid this data-overload, losing sight of the bigger picture - exactly how these metrics are impacting on your bottom line - is an ever-present risk. In what will be a refresher course for some readers and a set of new ideas for others, we present our crucial data tips for profitable revenue management, from KPIs to supply and demand factors, and technology to better visualisation. READ MORE

When the world is facing high levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), in part thanks to fast-changing technological, social and business environments, leaders and companies must be prepared to increasingly adjust to unanticipated events. VUCA in hospitality manifests on different levels and can affect individual hotel properties, tourism and entire companies, on a global basis. Many today would assert that, given the current geopolitical climate, the world's VUCA level has again spiked to higher than normal levels. People and corporations must increasingly adjust to unpredictable events. The hospitality sector is no exception. READ MORE

Hiring isn't easy, but there are many ways in which hotel leaders and hiring managers exacerbate the issue. These can include asking the wrong people to be part of the interview process, or worse, asking a committee that's too large to come to a consensus. They can also be basic, like failing to elect the right point person for every candidate. Finding candidates is hard, and when a role has been open for too long, it's possible to let urgency become the chief decision maker. This article provides a balanced breakdown on who should be included in the interview process, and also looks at how to build an effective hiring committee. READ MORE

In today's political climate, taking strong stands can work for or against a business, just as it can for a Hollywood celebrity. While many consumers embrace brands that hold activist positions, there is an equal and opposite reaction for others. If you are a hotel brand, is corporate activism a good idea? This article will examine the arguments for and against it, including examples of hotel companies choosing to lead the charge – and four ways to consider taking action that could add value to your brand. READ MORE

Wildfires have wreaked havoc out West in recent years, threatening California's wine country and other northern towns, as well as Los Angeles and its suburbs. While ensuring personal safety is the first priority after wildfires, a subsequent step should include exploring what a homeowner or in this case, hotel owner, can do to best handle a future wildfire situation. In this article, we'll discuss how hotels impacted by wildfires can take steps to deter damage and get their businesses back up and running. This could include starting up air handling equipment or bringing systems back on-line, among other things. READ MORE