The unpredictability of Mother Nature and extensive havoc she can wreak is one of the most universally acknowledged threats to people and businesses, including hotels. The best defense against any foreseeable weather emergency is a proactive plan. Both literally and figuratively, when the clouds roll in, will your hotel be able to withstand the storm, as well as the possible damage it leaves behind? Have the proper steps been taken to keep that damage to a minimum, and if not, do you know how to get started? This article will address preparing your hotel for the worst case scenario. READ MORE

The current hotel cycle, well into its ninth year and what in previous cycles would be considered the late period, is acting differently from historical norms. Occupancy and real ADR are diverging to a degree unprecedented in the hotel market. The difference is present in varying degrees in most studied markets. Exceptional increases to hotel room supply may explain some of the difference, and the introduction of unconventional, short-term rental supply may also contribute to dampened real ADR growth. The two effects are estimated to be approximately equal in explanatory power and jointly explain over half of the occupancy gap. READ MORE

Corporate travel comprises an extremely important component of any hotel's total room nights and overall revenues. Thus, the importance of the Rates for Proposal (RFP) for the corporate rates negotiation process each year. At its simplest, even if two entities commit to an equal number of rooms to be occupied, the value of those commitments varies based on a number of factors, including the days of the week or season involved, typical length of stay or, perhaps, even anticipated total room spend. Regardless, the best corporate contracts achieve a win-win-win partnership for a brand, hotel property and corporate travelers. READ MORE

One obstacle revenue and distribution managers at hotels face is parity. This has become a major concern in the hospitality world, as hotels are losing valuable revenue, harming their business. Providing hoteliers with transparency on parity performance is key so they can create actionable insight as it could impact their properties. In this editorial written by Gino Engels, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-founder of OTA Insight, he takes a dive into the issues of parity and how you, the hotelier, can reduce your hotel's parity problems in order to better control your distribution costs. READ MORE

The same yield strategies that for decades have helped hoteliers optimize room revenues can lead to similar gains in their food and beverage operations. A restaurant seat, like a hotel room, is a perishable item, meaning that revenue lost anytime it sits vacant will never be recovered. And that’s the very challenge that yield management is designed to address. So why does the industry continue to overlook its potential? This article explores how hotel operators can apply a yield management approach to their restaurants to capture the maximum possible revenue from each seat. READ MORE