Today's hospitality world presents a constant ebb and flow of sales and marketing challenges, especially with recent changes in the economy. With that in mind, there may be people on your hospitality team who present an undiscovered sales and marketing resource. Savvy hoteliers can make a strategic move in their overall sales strategy by harnessing the power of the concierge position. Before I tell you how and identify six ways to maximize this often underused resource, let me explain why this strategy will work. READ MORE

When developing a hotel, operations must be given priority standing. Operations are essential in order to get a hotel up, running, and producing revenue within a set timeline. Developers must spend the time required to integrate all aspects related to operating the hotel into the overall development plan at its inception. Failure to do so will inevitably result in costly delays. If you do not have an operations expert on staff, hire a consultant. Experienced operators are invaluable when it comes to establishing and meeting performance standards for the design, time, cost and quality of a hotel development. READ MORE

One would think that after 30-plus years in this industry, I've seen it all. But truth be told, I'm still witnessing some amazing new roles and functions that are taking place in the hospitality industry. The industry had an incredible few decades with prosperity, growth, new programs, and a new direction in terms of franchising. And now that we are at the beginning of a recession, we are seeing franchisors developing creative and ingenious marketing programs and incentives to compete with emerging brands that have captured the attention of franchisees. READ MORE

The deed in lieu of foreclosure offers lenders and borrowers an alternative to foreclosure when the going gets rough. However, when the subject of foreclosure is an operating hotel, there are many complexities that must be analyzed and understood prior to handing the keys over to the lender. READ MORE

It is nearly impossible to escape the talk about today's economy. Everywhere you turn, people are constantly discussing the recession-like atmosphere of our nation. During the presidential race, polls showed that the economy was the number one issue on people's minds. And as we inched closer to Election Day in November, many media outlets focused heavily on the crisis. From the initial meltdown of the housing industry, the nation's credit crunch, and the increasing stock market woes, we were (and are) continually bombarded with negative messages about our future. READ MORE