Many hotel spa operators are facing their first significant economic downturn. The first because many hotel spas are new, and hotel spas were among the pioneers of the new spa industry that has developed in the past decade around the world. How is the spa industry faring? The newness of this industry means there is no directly comparable historical data. Further in a fragmented spa market data is scarce. This article looks at the performance of a mixed bag of broadly comparable businesses, that is beauty and personal care, to give a flavor of the disparate industry. READ MORE

Ask most parents of young children (10 and under) where they are spending New Year's Eve and Day and the answer you will most likely hear is, "We'll be at home with the kids". Your marketing team's mission is simple: Change that answer to, "We'll be celebrating at a hotel that has an awesome family New Year's Eve Package-it's our tradition!" Kids get excited about New Years Eve; they can stay up late and celebrate. A well-designed package that includes a celebration earlier in the day for the family, and options later for the parents, will provide families with an exciting way to begin each new year and create tremendous good will for your hotel and brand. READ MORE

As the information gatekeepers of your property, your PR team is usually the one who issues news releases, and anything that should become public knowledge. Whether it is an agency or an independent professional, or your own in-house department, it is essential that PR should be notified first of any changes within the property; from something as trivial as a special rate gimmick for one day, to something as serious as ownership change. PR can then strategically respond on behalf of the hotel to the media, the community, and even internally to employees. How do you know if you need PR and why? Read my article and find out if you are in need for a PR presence READ MORE

Each of us as a consumer at one point or another has uttered the phrase "Ok,it's worth it." We have evaluated a situation that required the expenditure of either personal or financial capital and made a judgment call as to the value of what was being spent versus what is being received. When booking hotel or travel packages, travel agents and consumers alike go through that very process. READ MORE

Most hotel management principles focus on enhancing revenue and improving efficiency. An assumption that many hoteliers make inaccurately is that all of the revenue they earn actually makes it to the P&L. Most hotels experience revenue slippage due to problems with error and theft. In the major divisions, revenue control practices are put in place to safeguard against these issues, but these are rarely seen or enforced in the minor operating departments. This article will focus on revenue control in the non-core focus areas of the hotel and what you can do to improve it. READ MORE