Typically, the spa business is relatively slow to embrace new ways of doing things. Perhaps this is due to its centuries-old roots of tradition and culture. Yet an increasing number of top-performing spas are embracing technology for reservations, booking, CRM and outbound marketing. The beauty is you don't have to be a tech-guru to take advantage of what's being offered, what it does and how it can help your spa. In this article we look at how technology can have a positive impact on guest marketing and brand loyalty initiatives. Attention is paid to a handful of specific suggestions that can have a positive impact on guest traffic in the spa. READ MORE

There is no end to surveys proving that people change jobs for a variety of subjective and objective reasons, most of which have nothing to do with pay. All that having been said, executive recruiters know one great truth: While candidates have been known to decline high-paying jobs, few will accept low-paying ones. Many employers, nonetheless, find it increasingly difficult to offer superior candidates superior salaries. That's because salary ranges have fallen victim to disappearing merit budgets, the flattening of corporate organization charts and the growing emphasis on pay-for-performance incentives in place of high base pay. Hiring managers and HR professionals can address this challenge by keeping three compensation principles in mind: (1) there is more to compensation than salary; (2) not all components of compensation serve the same purpose; and (3) different kinds of organizations need different kinds of compensation plans. READ MORE

Because good interviews help ensure successful hires, they should be conducted with the same foresight and finesse that one would bring to a major sales meeting, union negotiation, security analyst conference or board of directors presentation. To paraphrase a well-known saying, an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure. READ MORE

No candidate is likely to possess every characteristic you desire, nor may the best qualified (on paper) of three or four finalists prove to be the best fit for your organization. Ultimately, we hire those whom we like - and the more inclusive we can be at the beginning of the search, the more exclusive we can be at the end. READ MORE

It's the 'Main Event' - the face-to-face interview - at which new careers will be launched or left at the dock. The employer is deciding whether to extend a job offer, while the candidate is deciding whether to accept one if offered. This is clearly an interview that's going nowhere. Totally monotonous and stuck in an endless loop of resume verification and leading questions. Indeed, no effort is required to conduct it. By contrast, great interviews require a clear understanding of what information the interviewer hopes to obtain - and what kinds of questions will produce the intended results? Here are ten questions that do an especially good job of revealing what makes a candidate tick... READ MORE

Are your employees simply showing up most days? Half of all workers hate their jobs. Wait, scratch that: let's be more precise. According to a new survey by The Conference Board, a non-profit organization that studies business issues, just 51% of all American workers say they are satisfied with their jobs. That figure stood at 59% just seven years ago. Perhaps most alarming, workers aged 35-44 had the highest level of satisfaction in 1995 (at 61%) - but today have the lowest (at 47%). READ MORE

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL recently confirmed what many long have suspected - namely, that "Online job boards have lost their cachet." (July 12, 2005) Why? According to the Journal, they are yielding "landslides of r'esum'es" that mostly come from unqualified candidates. "The trick - something that executive-search firms and headhunters have known for decades - is that the perfect candidate is usually working happily at a desk somewhere." The Journal is exactly right. READ MORE

Although hotels, conference centers and meeting planners may not be taking the smoke-free phenomenon as far as some, they are finding that going smoke-free is quickly becoming the norm. Some companies in business and leisure industries are taking the lead and acting on the health concerns of its delegates. This year, the Westin hotel chain, for example, officially implemented the widest-spread complete smoking ban in the hotel industry, making 77 of its properties completely smoke-free. The conference center industry is also closing in on the trend. READ MORE

Spa is being embraced by a broadening spectrum of consumers, growing beyond traditional demographic profiles and target audiences. As a result, the industry has responded with more choice, offering an array of business models and branded spa concepts that address these niche consumer segments. This of course is a boon for hotel owners, developers and operators in terms of identifying the ideal spa solution for a property's amenity platform. It also makes choosing the ideal spa partner a very critical part of the equation READ MORE

Up until recently, attending a business conference may have also meant long sedentary periods of physical inactivity-sitting in airports, sitting on planes and even more sitting in conference room meetings. The dining experience, often didn't work to enhance healthfulness, consisting of high-calorie snacks and meals that may have sustained participants' energy levels, but didn't necessarily sustain their waist lines. The recent trend toward the greening of the conference center and hotel industry has also come to include the 'greening of guests.' Conference centers are taking a holistic approach to sustaining the environment that not only involves incorporating environmentally friendly paper products, building and cleaning materials, and lighting and landscaping, but also a commitment to providing the highest quality foods that sustain a healthy lifestyle and help the planet. READ MORE

Going green is especially imperative to the meetings and hotel industries. While hotel and conference customers may not think twice about using a new towel with every shower, leaving the lights on when no one is in the room, or printing out more copies than are needed, companies like ARAMARK Harrison Lodging are taking their environmental responsibility seriously. It is important to keep in mind that the average hotel purchases more products in one week than one hundred families typically do in a year. Add to this the products and services used for learning and training events and it is easy to see why conference centers can have a huge impact on the environment. READ MORE

In good economic times, and even more so in bad, it's essential to do almost anything to keep the customers you have. They not only return to your property over and over, but when loyal, they become promoters. My article highlight several strategies that hotel staff can implement to keep guests returning and keep your hotel on their "evoked set" of preferred properties. Whether a large hotel chain or small boutique property, customer experience is key to keeping up occupancy rates. By taking care of complaints, empowering and training your customer-facing employees, and paying close attention to your customer service initiatives, you are sure to earn repeat guests and referrals. READ MORE

Over the last two years, the value of the US Dollar has significantly declined against foreign currencies significantly deflating Americans spending power abroad. The hotel and travel industries have been among the hardest hit by the drop in the dollar value as exchange rates have kept Americans from traveling to places where the dollar was once king and spending was frivolous. In today's market, room rates and occupancies have been drastically affected by the global economic condition. Small Luxury Hotels of the World sees 65% of their global business originating within the United States, thus making it crucial for member hotels to react to the current economic situation and reach out to the US traveler. With both the British Pound Sterling and Euro at their highest levels in decades, the challenges of hotels in the international markets are not only to maintain business levels but continue growth within them at the same time. READ MORE

The hotel executive must be very sensitive to the relationship between the Hotel Concierge and the guest, as it is undoubtedly a key element in the success of your property. The concierge is the link between the guest and your property and a professional concierge can develop and nurture loyal relationships between your guests, your brand and your property. After careful examination of this relationship, we must acknowledge that every element of this relationship comes down to one word, and that is "trust". Let's examine some of the qualities that a concierge must present in order to gain and build the trust of their guests. READ MORE

I believe it's safe to say that most of today's travelers are much more "travel-savvy" than ever before. They surf the internet for the best deals, the best amenities, and they are very loyal to their favorite brand or property. Are you putting your concierge team at the forefront of your best amenities and services? Is your concierge team fully prepared to surpass the expectations of even the most discerning guest? READ MORE