The drive to go green by hotels comes not so much from environmental concerns as from economic considerations. How then, does an expensive butler department fit into this fundamental drive to balance shrinking budgets? Perhaps a more fundamental question could be visited first: is there still a demand for luxury in the hospitality world? This may sound like a question that could only come from a Martian or a socialist or communist zealot, but at the 32nd NYU International Investor Conference held in midtown Manhattan during early June, a gathering of preeminent capitalists, the first workshop was entitled Luxury: Postmortem or Post AIG? READ MORE

We all appreciate that a hotel functions as a critical component of the travel experience. Over the years, I've come to think of the hotel stay itself as a journey as well. From arrival and check-in, through corridors and public areas to experiencing the accommodations, enjoying the dining options . every moment forms a key element with potential for making the entire visit an adventure that is at once enjoyable, memorable, and worth repeating. Smart design is the first step in ensuring this journey is a success every time, and presents an important opportunity for developing a brand storyline. READ MORE

Loyalty programs have a long and rich history in our culture, but what does a loyalty program today look like? What are our expectations of them as travel and hospitality marketers? We need to think beyond the traditional membership-based approach of earning points for a free night's stay or an upgrade. Traditional loyalty programs no longer make sense for travel and hospitality organizations and the travelers they serve. Instead, a well thought out Customer Dialogue Management (CDM) Program monitoring behavior and orchestrating cross-channel communications is what today's travel and hospitality organizations need to develop true loyalty and engagement. READ MORE

Customer complaints are a regular part of the hotel business. No matter whether the feedback is justified or nothing more than the grumblings of chronic complainers, the way we resolve the complaints of guests makes a lasting impression. Listening is the key to constructive complaint resolution. Satisfying the customer emotionally is not about solving the problem. Instead, it is about listening to and understanding the customer's perspective. When we listen, we get the information we need to demonstrate our understanding of the customer and keep the conflict headed toward constructive resolution. READ MORE

It seems ironic that fitness centers, meant to be vehicles for health, can actually foster unsafe environments. The threat of injury prevalent within gyms can not only put the member's health at risk but also lead to litigation against the facility. As a business owner you must protect your investment by limiting risk through due diligence in both design and operations. This article highlights a number of areas within the gym setting that have lead to the majority of the lawsuits filed against fitness centers and steps you can take to decrease these liability risks. READ MORE

The U.S. has grown accustomed to being a top destination in international travel, but recent data shows that the number of foreign travelers visiting the country is declining. Although this year showed a slight increase in foreign travel to US markets, it is not enough to offset the sharp losses we experienced after September 11th. While the travel industry is making small progress, greater initiative is needed to revive our status in the international community. With the domestic economy faltering, the travel industry should be more aggressive in exploiting the dollar weakness to its advantage and bringing more foreign money to American shores. READ MORE

Verifying employment eligibility is a complicated task for all businesses but it poses particular difficulties for the hotel industry. As a high-volume and often seasonally driven business with very high turnover, juggling employment eligibility verification forms (also known as Form I-9) can be a deceptively tall order. Despite the challenges, taking the time to familiarize oneself with Form I-9 compliance is a worthwhile investment in order to avoid weighty fines or possible criminal penalties. READ MORE

It takes a lot of work to keep a hotel staffed with good employees and, as in any service industry, nothing is more pivotal in ensuring your guests' positive experience. Yet therein lies the challenge: finding, hiring and retaining those employees is no easy task. What's more is that this undertaking becomes more complex as the U.S. workforce grows increasingly diverse. There are certain guidelines regarding foreign-born labor that employers should keep in mind in order to protect their businesses from legal action while simultaneously fostering a friendly and tolerant atmosphere for all employees. READ MORE

As if hoteliers didn't have enough to worry about, a new concern can be added to their list: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been ramping up its investigations of foreign-born workers and their employers. If your hotel employs immigrant and nonimmigrant workers or, worse yet, undocumented workers, you should be on high alert. In the 2008 fiscal year alone, ICE made over 5,100 administrative arrests based on immigration violations and over 1,000 additional criminal arrests for charges like harboring or knowingly employing illegal aliens. READ MORE

Travel 2.0 means business. It is not like Web 2.0, which is primarily defined by social networking sites like YouTube, Facebook and Flickr. In Travel 2.0, additional sites such as TripAdvisor, Google Maps, Virtual Tourist, and TravelPost empower consumers with interactive tools to research hotels and plan their trips, comment on their recent stays, and interact with other like-minded consumers. Savvy hospitality operators are embracing all aspects of Travel 2.0 - and beyond - because of its ability to drive business, build community, and empower guests. What are the best ways to leverage it? Here are five strategies... READ MORE

To the misfortune of the designer many properties entering the market face considerable negative criticism due in part to many things like the shang-bang construction, ostentatious colorizing or architectural theme and even more caustic in today's market is the irresponsible landscaping surrounding the building. Creating unique, memorable and economically viable hotel environments is what hospitality designers do, however we are not the financiers of the dreams, we are merely the dream weavers that have the enviable task of creating the folly of others. As a designer my intent in this article is to pinpoint three very important considerations when working with an owner to build, renovate or re-flag a property. READ MORE

Having working in the Meeting and Incentive industry my comprehension of hotel design has been enriched. From the meeting planners perspective my consideration of the hotel facility was based on a properties flexability, and overall apperance. Pairing my meeting planner experience with my knowledge as a designer I am equally aware that the durability of the FF&E within a hotel property is paramount to the success of the hotel and I strive to place as much intelligently designed product within a property. In this article I bring to the forefront a few concepts designers should keep in mind when working with the operators of hotel properties. These considerations should assist in assuring that both the designer and the operator are working toward the same goal - to create spaces that achieve the greatest ROI. READ MORE

As a developer, real estate is, by its nature, an expensive non-liquid asset. It costs a lot of money to own it, and it can be difficult to sell. In development activity, there are also added costs of improvements and included are the fees of various consultants necessary to get the development work done, but with more than three trillion dollars annually feeding the global hospitality industry there remains considerable motivation for developers to continue to build. As a designer I am challenged daily with a multitude of new global projects, and though each project varies significantly in it's scope, - the five considerations highlighted in this article serve as guides in the design execution process. READ MORE

With the dizzying amount of environmentally responsible planning, development, and operational incentives currently offered by local governments, the analysis and decisions for how to engineer and operate your lodging property can feel like more of a hassle than a benefit. In this article, we will try to outline how local governments are streamlining this market and, especially for hotels, make the implementation of environmentally responsible polices and practices a faster and cheaper process. READ MORE

When faced with the task of implementing environmentally responsible policies and programs on the ground, many property and chain managers feel overwhelmed by all the options and considerations in greening their operations. The delivery of high quality hospitality services depends in part, on a property's dependence on suppliers for quality products and services. In the first half of this article, we highlight why greening your supply chain can be a benefit for you, your suppliers and local community. In the second half, we provide some key tools and points to consider when greening your relationships with suppliers. READ MORE