We have all at some point had to either hide the true emotion we are feeling or manage it, in order to create memorable experiences for our guests. While most hospitality professionals are particularly friendly people, we have all had that one difficult day when we had to put on a mask, go out there and fake being all welcoming and cheerful. We have also come to expect it as part of the job and with time we have become extremely proficient at it. That is probably the reason we do not hear hoteliers discuss “emotional labor” (the need to manage our emotions for our jobs with specific display rules). READ MORE

As we plow through the first quarter of 2018, the war for your top talent is well underway. Unemployment is below 5 percent. Employees have more options than ever for who they want to work for, as well as when, where and how they want to do the work than any time in history. The buzz on the streets from the HR world is: The gates are officially wide open. Which way will your employees run? As a hotel executive, are you prepared to win the war for the top talent? READ MORE

Impressions. Leads. Conversion. Bounce Rate. Hands up who is really obsessed in monitoring these social media quantitative metrics on a daily basis? Quantitative metrics tends to be the main priority when analyzing social media reach or success but there are some new key indicators and metrics that have been overlooked and can also be a key element for a successful hotel social media performance. Most hoteliers are constantly worried about the same old metrics and looking for benchmarks that can help them to monitor their performance successfully on social media. But what about qualitative metrics and sentiment analysis? Are they meaningful? Which ones to use? What can we learn from them? How can we measure them? READ MORE

Creating content is hard, especially with limited budgets, time, and resources. Not to mention, the content that your hotel is publishing is not only competing with content from other hotels but also with content from other brands, other industries - even users' family and friends. In the digital world, community managers are constantly trying to think of creative ways to attract and engage followers. As a social media manager, it is not always necessary to create content from scratch. Engaging content can be discovered and re-shared with your network. Often times, content curation can even be the key to increasing engagement. READ MORE

Designers and hoteliers know that while exceptional design is one component of a well-appointed property, luxury relates more closely to what guests see, touch, taste and hear. David Ashen, principal and founder of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design, shares how an elegant yet simple approach to design, moderate sensibility, exceptional service and the intangible qualities of well-considered, sensorial experiences are hallmarks of luxurious accommodations. READ MORE