Hotel brands these days have much to gain by integrating a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program into their core business strategy. Doing so benefits their profitability, increases trust with their target audience, and can significantly boost a hotel or chain's reputation. A strong CSR program enhances brand awareness and traveler loyalty, while providing the essential ingredients to build a competitive advantage in the market. Employees also benefit from the opportunities offered to give back to the community, and CSR can be a powerful way to retain top hotel talent. Discover some of the novel ways different types of hospitality properties have implemented CSR strategies, and how their activities are benefitting local (and not-so-local) communities. READ MORE

Niquesa Travel is dedicated to providing clients with hyper-bespoke travel experiences, aimed less at where they want to go and more at how they want to feel while there. It believes that travel should be transformational, attending to each desire or need of guests. These intensely personal requirements demand an exemplary level of client care; gaining their confidence and intuiting their needs to curate the experience that they are seeking. Mark Allvey, Managing Director and Founder of Niquesa Travel, outlines its approach to guest service which goes above and beyond the expected from the outset. READ MORE

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