Catering sales in small, boutique hotels can conservatively, represent 50% of the total food and beverage revenues. So achieving catering revenues can make the difference between food and beverage profitability and food and beverage loss, and can significantly impact total GOP. One of the biggest challenges in small hotels is to clearly define catering responsibilities. Does it belong with Food and Beverage or does it belong with Sales? Is it an operations function or a direct sales function? Over the years, customer needs and tastes have evolved, and new competition has emerged with demand for free standing restaurants, lofts and penthouses, and tourist attractions. With the many venue choices for customers, it is important to understand how to drive business into your venue. And with the impact on GOP, it is important to maximize those revenues generated. READ MORE

Where butler departments are established properly, they enjoy varying degrees of success based on their adherence to the basic purpose of butling: the providing of a discreet service that anticipates guest needs. Failed butler departments are caused by violating a few basics: not selecting proven service professionals for butlers; not training them on the persona, mindset, communication skills, and service skills of the butler in a hospitality setting; launching the butler program without bringing the rest of the employees aboard, so it appears as a threat to their income stream; and trying to cut costs by cutting service, resulting in harried butlers providing an irreducible minimum of service to too many guests. What drives these shortcuts? In my experience, it has been one or more of three distinct impulses.. READ MORE

The basic answer to the guest from hell is to focus on educating employees on this kind of personality and then letting them have fun predicting what the guest will do or say next. When employees recognize the characteristics in a guest, they also know why they behave as they do, see them for what they are, and can predict how they will behave. Employees no longer think "mea culpa" and "mea lose my job" when assailed by such guests. One sees through the intensely mean-spirited and unjust smokescreen and confusion to a miserable individual whose only ability to create an effect has been reduced to upsetting others. READ MORE

Nearly two-thirds of affluent travelers surveyed in a Pepperdine study last summer stated they set their sites primarily on being pampered-luxury and premium service being key elements-when deciding where to stay while away from home. This is good news for those hotels and resorts with spas that have invested in the latest industry concept of spa butlers. READ MORE

Hotels offer an array of job opportunities for every level of worker; yet many people aren't aware of the benefits of working at a hotel and the career advancement prospects that exist. As the labor market tightens in the current economic downturn, attracting and capturing the right candidates for your open positions is crucial to your success. Effectively branding your hotel to jobseekers and potential candidates is one of the best tools in your pocket to achieve that success. READ MORE

In this challenging economy, any kind of decision-making can be difficult, as the pressures to maintain your staff and profitability can be strained in ways you may not have expected. As a leader, some of your decisions regarding budgets may have to do with your recruiting strategies; and chances are you're trying to do more with less and figuring out how to spend the money you do have in the best ways as possible. To do that, you have to design the right recruiting mix. This article offers details on what vehicles can be used in these challenging times to create an effective and efficient recruitment plan. READ MORE

In the hotel industry, your employees truly are your brand and as the labor market continues to tighten, understanding and appealing to the next generation will be critical to your organization's long-term success. Beyond salary and benefits, what are you doing to attract recent or prospective college graduates? How are you distinguishing your employment opportunities? What are you doing to dispel some of the myths about hospitality jobs and raise awareness about the lucrative career paths the industry offers? READ MORE

One of the greatest benefits of a career in hospitality is the ability to connect with others - whether it's working directly with guests or developing programs and services that impact guests' experiences. Employment opportunities in hospitality are aligned with the qualities that many workers say make a job ideal. In fact, a recent CareerBuilder.com survey of more than 6,300 workers finds that 81 percent of workers feel it is important to impact others in their jobs - one-in-five (20 percent) say it is absolutely essential. Developing, implementing and promoting Career Path programs can help establish your company as a preferred employer and that has many advantages. Here are just a few of the ways Career Path programs can positively impact your organization. READ MORE

The challenges we face due to our current economy will continue to a have a significant impact on all of us. Furthermore, the lifestyles of active-minded Americans continue to be action-packed, making time a luxury that most of us can not afford to waste. These two themes will play prominent roles, influencing the business of fitness and the choices that hospitality-based fitness center owners and managers make throughout the year. So with that, let's take a deeper dive into the specific fitness trends the hospitality industry needs to be reckoning with in 2010. READ MORE

The hospitality industry was not immune to the challenges that many organizations faced in the past year. Benefit cuts, layoffs and restructuring are just a few of the hurdles that were encountered in 2009. As hospitality employers look ahead to the coming months, they will remain cautious with their hiring plans, but they do plan to add more headcount than they did last year. According to CareerBuilder's hospitality hiring forecast, 12 percent of hospitality companies plan to add full-time employees this year; compared to only 5 percent who said the same in 2009. Temporary hiring - often a positive indicator of future full-time recruitment - is also forecasted to increase with 22 percent of companies saying they will bring on part-time help. READ MORE

Today the hospitality industry is dominated by a handful of large international hotel chains. Like other industries, consumers continue to look to recognizable brands for comfort, value, dependability and quality. Learning to "go local" and break away from "corporate uniformity" does not mean abandoning the value of a national reservation and incentive program, but it does require an understanding that, in today's market, appearing to be part of a "larger enterprise" is not always the most effective way to increase market share in the industry. A combination of marketing that includes utilization of branding programs and corporate good will, with more personalized local services and unique experiences, is necessary. READ MORE

The relatively young hotel and resort segment of the spa industry continues to develop and mature as guests become more spa savvy and managers are held responsible for achieving higher performance. As owners/developers invest more heavily in spa facilities, and property managers become more aware of spa revenue opportunities, everyone is taking notice of this once quiet sector. While simply having a spa doesn't necessarily drive revenue, being smart about its development and operations can mean the difference between a profitable spa and an amenity spa. READ MORE

In today's world there are many reasons for including a spa in the hotel footprint. Spas are no longer built simply as a differentiator. Spa has become a revenue generator and a guest expectation, leaving many owners and investors asking the question. "How much space do I really need to secure a place in the spa market, add value to the asset and meet the needs of my guest?" Hypothetically the answer is a simple one. The minimum square footage required to build a spa complete with locker rooms is approximately 4,000 square feet. However, we all know the simple answer is not always the best solution, so the question becomes 'what is best for the project?' There are generalizations we can use to address this simplifying the process and find a starting point. READ MORE

Spas and spa- related services are generating mass-market appeal while at the same time developing a sophisticated consumer who frequents spas and seeks a particular experience. This experienced spa consumer, frequently found in the luxury segment, makes travel and wellness decisions based on larger lifestyle and individual needs. While this segment is growing more and more aware of lifestyle wellness spas, the broader population is being introduced to spa services through the resort industry, the cruise ship industry and the local day spa. Because guests' spa needs shift and develop as they begin to become more comfortable in a spa environment, it is evident that each segment of the spa industry feeds the others leading to the conclusion that hotel companies can be in all of the spa markets in the same way they operate in various hotel markets. READ MORE

According to the recently released report, "The Global Spa Economy 2007,"* the international spa economy is estimated to be worth a staggering $255 billion per year, $46.8 billion of which are directly related to spa services and operations. Suffice to say, the spa industry has grown tremendously in the past several years as demand throughout the world continues to increase. As developers, owners and hoteliers look beyond their own borders in which to invest and operate, it becomes increasingly important to understand the various markets and their implications on specific spa operations. Whether you are making a forray into new markets, or simply trying to market your existing location to a more international audience, the complexities, sensitivities and expectations for spa around the world will vary considerably, and proper attention should be paid to the nuances in order to ensure success. READ MORE