Often an overlooked meal period, Sunday brunch provides an excellent opportunity for hotel operators to increase revenue and traffic in their three-meal restaurants. Creating a signature brunch can help to both expand your restaurant's brand identity and increase visibility with locals in your market. Also, given the unique nature of the brunch meal period, it presents a chance for operators to expand their concepts and vary slightly from standard operating procedures, giving staff and guests alike something to look forward to. An examination of the creation of our signature Pajama Brunch at Simon @ Palms Place in Las Vegas highlights the key factors in creating a successful Sunday Brunch. READ MORE

Remember the days when you had to book advance reservations one month out to get a dining reservation at some of the most popular restaurants. One month was conservative for the best of the best, some places were sold out for months. This is not the case anymore after the housing crash. It's a consumer's market. You can shoot a cannon in some of these restaurants these days because expense accounts have been cut, It makes more sense to cook in or get on the web sites such as Groupon and Social Living and buy into to the deep discount restaurants are offering just to stay in the game. Times have truly changed. Those restaurants which were once busy now find themselves with the challenge of how to make adjustments to their food operations and marketing strategy just to keep their heads above water and stay in the game. Let's look at an example of what one company is doing to address the challenge. READ MORE

Often confused with position, popularity or charisma, leaders today appear to be thrust into a leadership role that many want no part of. In any relationship or venture, it appears that most individuals lack the fundamentals of what a “leader” is and most importantly the definition. Let's start by looking at the definition of a leader and then the values aspect of the words as stated in the Merriam Webster Dictionary. READ MORE

Everyone will agree, post 2008 we have seen changes and challenges galore in the spa and hospitality industries. The Spa Industry's wheezing financials are in an uphill battle to regain the profit margins earned prior to the last four years and recapturing revenues is a moving target. Our spa and hotel guests along with consumers in general are more discerning, pickier and more tech savvy than ever before. Value is celebrated as the latest and most sophisticated trend and no one wants to overpay for the service or product they receive. Truly, the current economy is the acid test of any spa brand. The word in vogue is “value” and we must deliver - but not with lower prices. Read further to learn the key to satisfying and not satisficing spa guests. READ MORE

Hotel executives are looking for new ways to create a competitive advantage in a tight economy and talent management offers a relatively untapped opportunity to maximize operations and focus on delivering outstanding customer service. While other areas of hotel businesses have already been optimized, human resources continues to be challenge. READ MORE