Think of a hotel brand, and it's a sure bet that far more than its logo will come to mind. From the initial booking of a room, to interactions with the valet, bellhop and reception desk staff, to the overnight room's comfort plus amenities, and right through to the check-out process, hotel brands are banking on providing an enhanced guest experience, overall. Certainly, the design of a hotel matters to its brand, but design alone cannot sustain a brand. It can, however, elevate the experience from start to finish. READ MORE

Given the importance of guest satisfaction to a hotel's repeat business, experienced operators know that the more hands-on their delivery of guest service, the more successful they're likely to be. Excellent service is achieved through consistent, ongoing training for every member of the hotel staff. It's not good enough to train just the senior team and expect best practices to filter down. Training must be inclusive, involving everyone who works in a hotel. And hands-on training is all about engaging with guests. READ MORE

Maybe you've been there…you look at the clock and the minutes slowly tick by. You've fallen into a rut. Often associates feel the same way. It's vital that managers engage teams to sustain their motivation and passion, both in their day-to-day roles as well as in the service they deliver to guests and customers. According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, a mere 13 percent of employees worldwide are engaged at work, a sobering figure. With engagement at an all-time low, it's important to motivate your workforce and the impact that it has on engagement. READ MORE

The hotel industry recently experienced some good news with the announcement that overall guest service satisfaction was significantly up in 2015, according to a survey by J.D. Power & Associates. In addition, the number of guests reporting problems declined to its lowest level in almost a decade. Professionals in the hospitality business should be pleased with these indicators - but not too pleased. Hotel operators need to think bigger than mere customer satisfaction, fearlessly applying innovations beyond their niche' READ MORE

The American workforce is changing. By 2020, Millennials are predicted to represent 50 percent of the working population. In terms of attracting, retaining and motivating the best and the brightest in this group -- it's simply going to take more than a paycheck, good benefits and a ping pong table. This group (and the upcoming Baby Z's) has lofty goals...they want to impact the world and connect to a higher purpose. This means there are higher expectations for meaningful work coming to the mainstream employer. READ MORE