I could just give you a big list of sites you should be involved in - but that's too simplistic. Instead, we must approach social media with the end goal in mind. Decide on objectives, and from there, pick tactics. Social media works best when it is closely aligned to the culture and values of an organization. There's no use forcing social media culture on a hotel where the guests will not embrace it. Social media should be a service, so selecting platforms to participate in must involve thinking through how your social media activity will provide better service. READ MORE

In the first two installments of this “Employment Classification Trilogy,” the focus was on hotel employers who improperly (and, generally, inadvertently) classify workers as exempt employees for purposes of federal and state wage and hour laws, or classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. However, there is a third classification to be considered, only this time a hotel employer will not be affirmatively classifying anyone itself. Instead, employers need to consider whether unintended liability may arise under particular circumstances when a court deems the company to be a “joint employer." READ MORE

There are so many ways to engage a potential customer or a repeat customer. Any Web site must combine technology, content and creative in order to lead the consumer into the Booking Tunnel. It is how you apply the integration of these to support a guest experience focused on conversion at every phase in the consumer buying cycle. I would work on creating more of a vortex than a tunnel. READ MORE

Embassy Suites Hotels is an award-winning hotel brand recognized industry-wide for its customer service, satisfaction and loyalty. To reach this level of success, the brand created and instituted effective employment programs; The "Circle of Leadership" and "Make a Difference" initiatives for team members serve as an example of what this brand and others have implemented to enhance their service culture and bring visibility to established, accomplished leaders within the brand. Effective employment programs are key to retaining a hotel's most valued asset, its team members. READ MORE

To the great consternation of hotel owners, courts across the country have continually expressed a preference for the utilization of the Rushmore method to value hotel properties for real property tax assessment purposes. The values reached by this methodology typically result in higher values than if the other competing valuation approach, the Business Enterprise Approach, had been applied and thus yield higher tax bills. This is of special concern during difficult economic times. The disparity between approaches arises from the alternate treatment of critical hotel value components, which may very well be improperly included as part of the taxable real property value. Despite this seeming inequity, the Rushmore method will likely remain the favored approach in the context of hotel tax valuations. READ MORE