Only a decade ago, the majority of UK hoteliers would have deemed anyone mad who had told them that operating a 'green' hotel was not only good practice, but also good business. Today, the reverse is true as successive governments, large corporations and an ever increasing number of paying customers and suppliers - driven by media and educational awareness - put pressure on the industry to act in an environmental, sustainable and socially responsible manner. For their part, hoteliers have realized that such adherence to good environmental, sustainable and socially responsible practice can provide excellent PR and marketing opportunities. However, a major challenge currently faced by environmentally enlightened hoteliers is how to achieve customer buy-in to their green policies, especially from those who are skeptical about the value of such practices. READ MORE

Can luxury and sustainability co-exist? To answer this question, a brand must define what "sustainability" means for the brand and its guests without losing sight of the core principles of a quintessential luxury experience. At Montage Hotels & Resorts, we have a passion for sustainability and believe that luxury and sustainability can and do co-exist. In this piece, I present our point of view and share examples of our sustainable practices. READ MORE

In addition to providing benefits to the internal management and operations of your property, the adoption of environmental and socially responsible practices at your hotel will also appeal to the changing attitudes of both the leisure and business sectors of the travel market. In this article, I review how recent societal changes have affected both public and corporate thinking regarding sustainability, and also discuss stages of the consumer decision making process where environmental and social considerations are being made by your potential guests. I also provide a few examples of how adopting environmental and socially responsible practices at your hotel can help encourage and retain green minded guests as future clients. READ MORE

More than almost any other industry, travel and hospitality has the ability to create memories and instill joy that can last a lifetime. Just one experience can create a lifelong memory, with stories recounted again and again. Of course, the opposite can happen for the traveler who has a trip spoiled due to unforeseen circumstances or ineffectively managed problems. The opportunity for Travel and Hospitality marketers is to understand and influence these emotions in a way that maximizes the guest experience - from planning through departure. Tailoring customer communications based on these emotional insights can build stronger engagement. READ MORE

In-room entertainment is becoming the focus for many hoteliers and I expect the attention and focus on this aspect of the guestroom to increase in the coming year. Technology continues to be developed at a rapid pace and it is tough to keep up with all the cool gadgets, software and online trends. With the proliferation of media now available online, the in-room entertainment options offered in hotels will need to shift in order to keep this amenity from becoming a cash drain. The convergence of entertainment options (free-to-guest programming, internet, VOD, etc) will be sought after as well. Keeping up with technology can be difficult as a hotelier, but by including a system that utilizes your existing TVs and allows access to the Internet, you can stay ahead of the curve and adapt as technology shifts. READ MORE