From “human capital management” to less sophisticated terms like “colleagues,” it’s imperative for hotel leaders and HR folks to establish clear lines of sight into how a candidate, an employee and a property can support growth. This can be done through highlighting the importance of local brand, the importance of teams, and the overall approach to guest experiences. The following article aims to explain why certain properties do a better job than others when it comes to retaining guests and employees alike. READ MORE

A well-designed floorplan is essential to a restaurant’s success. No matter how good the food is, it needs to be served efficiently and elegantly, and it is the floorplan that determines how well each service will run. The keys to a good plan lie in coordinating and balancing the needs of both the servers and the guests. From the location of the kitchen to the exact width of the seats, every decision matters. When done well, ADA requirements can benefit all guests, with gentle, sufficiently wide paths and ample space for strollers as well as wheelchairs. READ MORE

Today’s guests, whether they are hotel or hospital guests, come with incredibly high expectations of hospitality. How does wellness fold into this equation and contribute to the overall guest experience? What does the future of hospitality and healthcare hold as it relates to the wellness factor? Jackson Thilenius, Principal at Retail Design Collaborative, explores the integration of these two disciplines and the implications for hospitality and healthcare brands sparked by the traction of the trillion-dollar wellness industry. READ MORE

The advent of eRFPs has transformed the group business model for hotels, making it easier for meeting planners to raise their hands and to consider multiple properties in their hunt for the "one." However, because eRFPs are so widely distributed, they have also introduced complexities and inefficiencies into the selection and selling process. Properties have a tough time knowing which leads are a good fit for their hotel (and sometimes who has serious interest), while buyers are barraged by a high volume of emails and phone calls from well-meaning sales teams at numerous properties -- regardless of whether they are a good match. But that doesn't have to be the case. Creative sales strategies can enable you to analyze incoming eRFPs, to prioritize the ones that are most likely to result in the best conversations, to maximize your impact with every customer interaction, and to ultimately win more deals. READ MORE

Anticipating and meeting event planner needs are key to closing the sale of group and meeting events. But, what criteria do event planners use when they select a venue and destination for their events? Your sales pitch often requires assumptions how an event planner will choose a destination. Assume no more. HVS surveys of 4,700 event planners from across the world provides insight into event planner needs. HVS identified the most important criteria event planners use when choosing their destination and highlighted the different criteria different types of event planners use when locating an event. READ MORE