Design is constantly changing - there's always something new and better to try. As a designer, this inspires me. Currently, one of the hottest trends is the merging of residential and hotel design. This article explores this trend in detail - and suggests ways you can capitalize on it for the benefit of your hotel property and your bottom line. Certainly it's a trend that's not only changing the way we travel, but changing the way we enjoy travel. READ MORE

When renovating and refurbishing, the owners of hotel properties need to think about the potential use of federal investment tax credits for historic preservation. These credits are most typically found in the context of a "soup-to-nuts" building rehabilitation, that is, those occasions when a property is adapted to hotel use. However, the use of these tax credits need not be defined in such narrow context. Without thinking about it, owners may well leave money on the table. Tax credits need to be distinguished from tax deductions. An income tax deduction lowers the amount of income subject to taxation. A tax credit, however, lowers the amount of the tax owed. In general, a dollar of tax credit reduces the amount of income tax owed by one dollar. The federal government offers tax credits for the rehabilitation of older buildings... READ MORE

It is an extreme example, but in the 1970s, grain silos in downtown Akron, Ohio were transformed into a Hilton Hotel. Though the example is quirky, it illustrates how hotel architecture is responding to the desire of a seemingly ever growing market of urban adventurers looking for memorable spaces. This affinity for "character" has led to the rise of boutique hotels, defined not only by size, but by design - typically historic in nature. One of the pioneers was Bill Kimpton, whose foresight created the Kimpton Group. Others leaders in the field include Ian Shrager and Andre Balazs. This affinity for character has also prompted larger projects, such as Sage Development's proposed Marriott Renaissance in a redeveloped Portland, Oregon department store which will have 330 rooms. As a result of the success of these and other pioneers, hotel developers are often on the prowl of unique opportunities, thinking about the hotel potential of transforming warehouses, office buildings, Masonic temples, train stations and more. READ MORE

In the day, Portland, Oregon's downtown was home to a cluster of downtown department stores. With names as Rhodes, Olds, Wortman & King, and Lipman, Wolfe & Company, these were the local versions of retail giants as Gimbels, Macy's, Carson Pirie Scott and Marshall Field. The retail concept was simple - they sold everything and anything that customers would buy. Clothes, shoes, toys, sporting goods, furniture - even boats and bagels! They marketed themselves as THE destination for the 20th century woman including style shows, tea rooms and special events. Thanks to American ingenuity, women in this era enjoyed new found leisure but American family values did not permit entrance to the workplace. In Portland, the grand dame of the genre was the Meier & Frank Store. It was a conglomeration of three buildings on a single block: The first built in 1909, the second in 1915 and the third in 1932. READ MORE

Part 3 - Measuring and tracking the impact of your policy with guests. Have you wondered what the true impact of your environmental efforts is on your sales as well as your operational cost? Have you struggled with ways to quantify the impact of these efforts? This article will outline how you can begin to put some numbers around your efforts. I will discuss simple tips on tracking your company's reduction in energy, water, and waste as well as your company's increase in guest sales and loyalty. By the end of this article you will be able to look at your environmental efforts in a completely new light, which can give you a better ability to inspire your employees, peers and superiors to support your efforts. READ MORE