Running a hospitality business today is much more complicated and requires more resources than in the past. When talking about this topic, the feedback from senior managers of international hotel chains is always the same: "Everything changed... The clients changed, as did their satisfaction threshold." Due to the Internet, social media and the low cost phenomenon, the customer of today is more informed, travels more, and as a consequence, he is much more demanding. He looks for excellence, for sophistication, for unique emotions and experiences, but... he doesn't lose sight of his wallet. READ MORE

A trend is defined as "a current general direction" or "a gradual change or development that produces a particular result". Hmmm - do we want to follow or lead? Here is a hint - we've seen some financial trends lately that no one wanted to follow. We have also seen trends come and go in the hospitality industry and some have been very expensive and fleeting, others have had a great return and are enduring. If you are looking for the latest and greatest trend to add to your spa to garner a media flash, stop here. With over 22 years in the very young, dynamic and constantly evolving Spa Industry, I have seen spa trends come and go. This article will examine enduring trends, evolving trends and fleeting trends and discuss how to identify trends that are enduring with a positive impact for years to come. READ MORE

In 2010, the hospitality industry regained the number one spot as the top industry suffering from data breaches, accounting for 40 percent of reported incidents. As cybercriminals shift their attention to small hotels and restaurants in an effort to "play it safe," the situation could conceivably become even more dire if hoteliers don't proactively protect their businesses. It's time that hoteliers confront this reality, implement effective data security measures and take the target off their backs. With the right technology and security policies, it's easier than you might think. READ MORE

In this article, Tom O'Rourke, President and CEO of O'Rourke Hospitality Marketing, discusses the importance of informing your guests that you have a hotel app available and explaining how they will benefit from using it. The more guests that download your app, the more successful your mobile strategy will be. The article lists 11 valuable tips on easy and cost-effective ways to promote your app and increase downloads. It also addresses the question of how many downloads a hotel should expect to receive. READ MORE

Municipalities throughout the U.S. are on the proverbial financial ropes and that is not good news for prospective hotel developers. Taxpayers are realizing public long term debt obligations will be harder to meet and this will create new pressure on politicians. We will discuss how we got here, where it is headed, and best practice strategies hoteliers can use to obtain financial incentives in future public-private partnerships. READ MORE