For some, it may mean Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn. To others, it may mean blogs, chat rooms, YouTube, Twitter, and Wikipedia. However you think about it, in essence, social media is simply a cluster of online tools that people can use to share information - their profiles, opinions, perspectives, insights, and experiences. And they are changing the dynamics of a hotel's marketing and communication more quickly and forcefully than any other technology since the invention of the printing press. In this issue's column, explore some of the points every hotel brand should consider as social media becomes an integral part of your hotel's marketing lexicon. READ MORE

Are your younger generation employees driving you crazy? Whether they are Generation Xers or Millennials, these younger employees seem to think and act differently than their older peers. Fear not, help is on the way. We'll not only help you understand their motivations, but we'll also give you proven tactics and strategies that will help you move beyond their get-by attitudes and engage them in ways that will support engagement and retention. READ MORE

While social media isn't a replacement for more traditional recruitment methods, with the high level of engagement they command, social media has become more and more fundamental to overall recruitment strategy. As conditions improve and you look to hire new workers, you'll need to invest in promoting your employment brand. In addition, you'll need to ramp up your hiring so that you are stacked with the right talent. You can hit these two birds with one stone through the use of social media. This article provides details on how you can leverage social media in your hiring mix. READ MORE

The hospitality industry is undergoing revolutionary changes. Long gone are the days of opening the doors of a boutique hotel in a desirable locale and waiting for your guests to arrive. In order to be successful in today's marketplace, hoteliers must first identify a potential brand opportunity to successfully create and implement a unique hotel branding strategy that allows their properties to compete in a global marketplace. In addition to identifying and developing that strategy, there are many other key factors that affect the overall success of the hotel including concept development, ownership philosophies, management styles, and guests' needs and expectations. READ MORE

The current economic situation will not change as quickly as one would hope. In fact, it could be more necessary than ever to continue adjusting expenses to account for the continued change in revenues. More importantly in an industry where labor is the biggest operating expense, the challenges are still greater than in other industries as productivity is tied more conspicuously to quality of service and consequently, to overall guest satisfaction. At a time when watching expenses is crucial because revenues have gone flat, no business can afford to mishandle what revenues are available. Therefore, it is imperative for hotel and company managers to project labor properly and frequently based on productivity indicators READ MORE

The hospitality industry as a whole, and various sectors within the industry in particular, continue to face challenges arising from changes in the local, regional, national and international marketplace. We will identify and briefly discuss some of these emerging issues. READ MORE

A sophisticated real estate investor may know all the ins and outs of purchasing office buildings, retail venues, residential complexes, and mixed-use properties, but may fall short when it comes to identifying and avoiding potential landmines in hotel acquisitions. While purchase agreements used in hotel acquisitions may appear familiar at first glance, there are several key differences purchasers and sellers should be aware of before jumping into a hotel acquisition. Since every acquisition by a purchaser requires a sale by a seller, this article will provide some insight about things to look for during the entire hotel sale and acquisition process. READ MORE

A heightened emphasis on customer satisfaction is not a bad thing at all, and wise hoteliers are realizing that improving customer service is now a much more direct way to increase sales and bookings than it was just a decade ago. But how is an improvement in customer service best accomplished? There are a few guiding principles that can help hoteliers improve the guest experience at their properties and subsequently boost their consumer reviews, land more bookings and encourage repeat visits. Hotels, take heed!  This article examines the importance of customer service and positive online reviews in increasing occupancy rates and RevPAR. READ MORE

Today's economic climate requires that spas become more attuned to ways in which they can maximize their net operating income. It is crucial to avoid leaving revenue and profits on the table by not emphasizing the importance of product sales. Many owners and operators neglect this area, and, in doing so, they are cheating their spa out of a potentially large sales opportunity. In addition, the spa guest experience is most satisfying when the consumer not only has a wonderful treatment but when they also gain a measure of knowledge to improve their quality of life. READ MORE

Having enjoyed spend the last decade, the historically high demand volumes and the ensuing economic benefits of expansion and job growth, the current state of the hospitality industry in the United States is less than lucrative. 2010 finds the industry struggling to uncover ways to rebound in this highly competitive industry. How will hoteliers work to recover, recapture and renew the RevPAR for their hotels? What tactics will be used and who will be successful in resetting the baseline for performance in the hotel industry? How can the industry best recapture the demand they once enjoyed? What is “normal” performance expected to be for this year? And the big question—is this the year for the baseline to be reset, rather than dreaming of the easier time of the past? READ MORE

Despite recent news that the economy may be on an upswing, hotels (like many other large and small businesses) continue to look for ways to reduce costs. One method has been to increasingly engage independent contractors in lieu of employees, and to re-classify current employees as independent contractors. However, this strategy can land hotels in hot water, as individuals or classes of individuals may not be properly classified as independent contractors, leading to abuses both to the federal and state government and to the individuals themselves. In our prior Part I of this three-part classification trilogy, we discussed the pitfalls attendant to the incorrect classification of hotel employees as “exempt” for purposes of wage and hour laws. In this article, we turn to the second of three classification issues: the employee/independent contractor dilemma. READ MORE

The recession ushered in new era of hotel discounting. From free nights to one penny rooms, hotels were literally giving away the house. During a recession, discounting may work to bring in business but today, as the travel market begins to rebound, discounting is not the right pricing strategy. This article will examine the real economic impact of discounting and how discounting can not only eat away at your bottom line (or RevPAR), but also erode your customer base and brand image. The article also offers alternative suggestions on ways to increase RevPAR without the slash-and-burn mentality of deep discounting. READ MORE

The Caribbean tourism sector has long been recognized for its leadership in sustainability. The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association set up a non-profit subsidiary Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) to promote environmental management and sustainability best practices among hotels and other tourism operators. Individual hoteliers have won global recognition for extending the benefits of tourism to visitors, local business, communities and even municipalities. READ MORE

There is a wide range of "green" or eco-ratings in the marketplace ranging from the relatively simple to the fully integrated and comprehensive. Their growth has paralleled the increased level of environmental concern in the collective conscience. Even though the hospitality industry has been slow to adapt any one of them as a single standard for many reasons, the industry as a whole has also been slow in looking for opportunities to reduce its level of resource intensity. The problem with both the slow uptake on sustainability activities and the eco-ratings is that they are tactical reactions to an issue of strategic importance. READ MORE

Most hoteliers have stopped short in their environmental programs with the misconception that guests equate quality with excess and that technologies guests will rebel against the poor quality lighting of compact fluorescent bulbs or low flow rates of efficient showerheads. Those trying to demonstrate their corporate commitment to sustainability have felt that a linen or towel reuse tent card on the nightstand proves the hotel management's commitment to "save the environment". The reality is that guests are becoming increasingly environmentally-conscious and have a much better appreciation for technologies and practices in hotels that share their interests. READ MORE