There is a great deal of focus in the wellness world on physical fitness, but very little on mental fitness. The latest research shows that it is possible to grow and strengthen our brains to prevent cognitive decline. These are exciting scientific developments not just for those at risk for cognitive impairment disorders, but also those interested in increasing their mental potential. Corporate groups, in particular, are seeking programs to increase productivity and boost the cognitive performance of their top talent. Just as with strength training to grow muscles, cognitive fitness programs can increase the size and power of the brain. This is an area of opportunity for expanding your wellness offerings and attracting new business. READ MORE

Hotel executives can improve organizational processes through employee engagement that will enhance organizational learning and personal development. These leaders can effectively engage employees in organizational decision making process because it takes a task-based approach by translating the management of knowledge into various organizational processes. This task-based approach develops a firm-specific approach by which organizational knowledge provides a significant contribution to business objectives through the context-dependent way it is managed. This can help hotels identify their inefficiencies in each process, and subsequently recover them on an instantaneous basis which enables hotel managers to prevent further operational risk. READ MORE

Tru by Hilton disrupted the midscale hospitality segment by taking a deep approach to gathering insights and leveraging owner feedback to build the brand from the ground up. Combined with consumer research, this approach unleashed new ways of thinking and resulted in a complete reimagining of every aspect of what a midscale brand can deliver to both developers and consumers. With the fastest brand launch in the industry, a REVPAR index premium, 100-plus open properties and 320 hotels in the pipeline, Tru's success has proven how innovative thinking can lead to true differentiation. READ MORE

Select service hotels are one of today's most popular and successful hotel asset classes, attractive to investors, developers and property and asset managers, as well as guests. For more than a decade, they have accounted for more than 60 percent of planned builds in the hotel development pipeline. This strength is reflected in favorable construction windows, labor costs, flexibility in offerings of food and beverage services and other amenities, and gross operating profits. This article discusses factors for success in select service today and some of its development challenges and opportunities. READ MORE

The past tenderly reveals itself in the present, whether through a curved archway, heritage tree on site, or local relic long buried. To create hospitality environments that embody the local history, charm and character of place, we try not to reference history too heavy handedly or focus so much on the story we want to tell that we lose sight of the site and its heritage. There aren't objective facts about a site or landscape; it's the sensations that drive us. This article explores how to channel historical character in hotel design guided by the site itself and its surroundings. READ MORE