The American lifestyle generates one of the highest per capita emissions in the world. With nearly 40 percent of the world's energy being consumed by buildings, one of the quickest, most cost-effective ways to influence the U.S. carbon footprint is to reduce energy that escapes through leaky walls and windows. From the perspective of his 20-year career in the international window industry, Helmut Grohschaedl shares why uPVC windows are widely used in commercial buildings throughout Europe and how U.S. hotels have applied European window technology to reduce their energy costs. READ MORE

Sustainability programs in hospitality are growing, amid hotels seeking new technologies to enter their lobbies and guest rooms. Technology has evolved to provide multiple purposes. As hotels seek in-room entertainment and voice control amenities, these systems can in turn be used to manage the room's energy usage. Brands no longer have to invest just in sustainability as part of a brand initiative, it can be built into other systems to provide both guest experience and operational benefit. Layers of return on investment from these systems are encouraging adoption of better sustainability practices in-line with demand for new hotel technologies. READ MORE

Energy conservation usually isn't at the top of hotel executives' priority list for any number of reasons. Implementing an energy strategy is thought to be complicated and expensive. And there are always a host of other squeaky wheels that seem to pop up on the to-do list that take priority. It isn't for lack of trying, but for a lack of knowing that energy often takes a back seat to other issues. Shining a light on energy conservation as a process should help to eliminate some of your unknowns and move you to action. READ MORE

Technologies like the internet of things (IoT) and Amazon's Alexa are poised to increase guest expectations and disrupt operation in ways that many hoteliers haven't yet considered. Bots, location-based services are generally understood as technologies that will directly impact properties, but one area that seems likely to disrupted in the near future is the hiring process, where managers will need to strike a balance between hiring for attitude, and hiring for tech-savvy. READ MORE

Market segmentation is of particular importance in the complex and competitive hospitality world of today because it does not only help put things in perspective, but also ensures that you won't have to waste money and efforts in areas that won't bring any positive results. Cost of acquisition and contribution by revenue source are extremely important factors that need to be taken into consideration when managing a business in the highly competitive and ambiguous hotel management industry, which is another reason why market segmentation needs to be leveraged. Doing so will not only help you understand where your customers are coming from, but it will also be easier for you to figure out which areas need improvement and which customer groups you should focus on more for greater revenues. READ MORE