While the busy summer season may have just wrapped up for most hotels, another equally busy season is right around the corner: the winter holidays. According to a past Hotels.com survey, about 58 percent of Americans plan to travel within the U.S. over the holidays. Of those who are planning to travel, about 43 percent of respondents prefer to stay in a hotel rather than at a family member's house. This surge of guests means opportunity to receive positive reviews, so your hotel should make delivering top-notch customer service a priority. To do so, having a strong, reliable workforce is critical. READ MORE

Lighting remains firmly entrenched as a dynamic, versatile and often untapped interior design element. Both functional and abstract, lighting can transform a hotel, spa, dining outlet, lounge or lobby and help articulate and even tell a brand's local story. By creating drama and intrigue, lighting can be used to solidify an emotion, forge a meaningful tie and formalize a sense of place. HOK's Hospitality practice has used lighting as a creative, abstract feature on major global projects for decades. We design lighting solutions that help express our hospitality clients' brands and aspirations while always respecting the property's regional nuances. READ MORE

The Royal Palms Resort and Spa represents an exceptional example of adaptive reuse from a private estate into a beloved regional treasure, preferred and proclaimed by the sophisticated neighborhood that reflects its nearly 90 year architectural influence, as the gem of the Scottsdale-Phoenix 'resort row'. Situated approximate to such classic properties as the Phoenician, the Hyatt at Gainey Ranch and the venerated Arizona Biltmore, the Royal Palms enjoys a history and an intimacy with its Arcadia neighbors - and the greater hospitality-savvy residents in the Valley of the Sun - unequaled in affection and selection. READ MORE

Every great hotel has a great story. There is nothing more enduring, nor more sacred, than the art of storytelling. It is ancient in its origins, found in every culture. It is a seminal part of every childhood and is arguably the greatest economic driver on the planet. Consider the combined value of the film, music, publishing, and advertising industries, and the billions that go into brand building for nations, companies, products, beliefs, and any part of our culture - large and small - that requires a producer and consumer equation. We're surrounded by stories, some trite and superficial but others transformative, enhancing life in ways never believed possible. READ MORE

Every town, village, community, and city has its own character, its own vibe, and its own history. Each location has a story to tell about what makes it unique. Isn't it important to tell that story through the practice of interior design? Shouldn't designers be called to task to bring the story to life in a unique way for each and every project, especially hotel projects where people stay? Doesn't the guest travelling on vacation or on business want to understand the locale, and what makes it unique? Won't this lead to better experiences for guests? READ MORE