No business is immune to a cyberattack. Hotels handle guest personal information and credit card information. They also handle numerous transactions in person and via the Internet. If one hotel employee were to fall victim to a sophisticated phishing scam, the hotel's reputation and revenue stream could be deeply affected. To avoid this, hotel owners and operators need to identify and understand their risk exposures. As hackers get more sophisticated with each passing day, it's important to reevaluate a business's risk regularly. In this article, we discuss recent cyberattacks affecting hotels and the repercussions, as well as what hotel owners and operators can do about it. READ MORE

Some of the worst news a hotel owner can receive is that guestrooms or other facilities within the hotel are noticeably contaminated by excessive mold growth. This article, written by an industrial hygienist and an attorney, explores the physical dangers and legal liability caused by excessive mold growth in hotels, means of preventing this problem, and steps hotel owners and operators should take to minimize damage and liability upon discovery of excessive mold growth. READ MORE

The annual budgeting process should involve much more than preparing a simple operations budget. An effective budget is a tool to communicate both goals and expectations. Budgets provide operational objectives for your team and help them stay on track and they are both a standard for comparison and a baseline for future planning. A well-organized budget involves a business plan that includes marketing and new programming, as well as capital expenditures which contribute to the long-term vision beyond the next operational year. In this article I outline a plan of action that every hotel spa director can benefit from. READ MORE

The U.S. unemployment rate is at a near record low yet the hospitality industry is facing a massive labor shortage. There are many incentives which hospitality industry employers can offer their employees to maintain their current workforce but taking a lax approach to employee discipline should not be one of them. Engaging in disparate disciplinary treatment likely will result in the filing of employment lawsuits or labor grievances which otherwise may have been avoidable. Lodging industry professionals should ensure that their management team consistently administers disciplinary policies and procedures in an evenhanded manner and provide training which identifies and explains the consequences of disparate discipline. READ MORE

Google's continually evolving ecosystem presents both a challenge and an opportunity to business owners looking to maximize their impact and increase visualization on the web. Today, the algorithms behind Google are designed to make recommendations based on a user's intent rather than direct keyword matches, a trend observant hoteliers are taking advantage of. This article will outline the cornerstones of a strong search engine optimization plan, how business owners can adopt an intent-based search process, and why these strategies are integral to your future success. READ MORE