The scene is a common one in hotels across the nation: A police officer is standing at the front desk, asking the clerk whether a particular guest checked in. The officer wants to see a list of guests' names, and even asks for a copy of the security camera footage. The clerk summons the front office manager, and the police officer points out that the city ordinance regulating hotel operations requires hotel compliance with requests to review hotel records. Should the manager turn over the information? What are the hotel's obligations to the guest? READ MORE

Revenue management is relatively new to the hotel industry. Hotels only really started to adopt revenue management processes and systems broadly in the late 90s and early 2000s. We've managed to achieve success and gain visibility over the last couple of decades, but we are a relatively young discipline in hospitality. In fact, it could be said that revenue management is still in its teenage years, and, in my opinion, we are definitely acting like it. READ MORE

Last month, Part I of this article traced the history of robots in hospitality from Ancient Greek times to the first workplace application at GM 50 years ago, and the exponential progress made in robotics since then with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, and the rapid encroachment into the workplace, including hotels now being run mainly by robots. Surprisingly, and little known, is the fact that there is a convergence between humans and robots: the effort to make robots capable of everything and more that humans are capable of, and humans being "improved" with robotics. In just 15 years, the expectation by those aware of or driving the trend, is that humans will be largely redundant in many fields, from surgery to hospitality. READ MORE

Weddings are often viewed as an orphan kid of our industry, and special attention to this stream is only given at a narrow set of dedicated properties. Lest I remind you, however, that weddings are 'recession proof' whereby every bride wants her day to be as immaculate as possible. But it takes time and commitment to develop a successful weddings program, and to this end there's no better place to look for inspiration then a five-star, five-diamond hotel with a stellar reputation in this arena. READ MORE

Hotel restaurants compete against performance standards that exist in their customers' minds. Dishes that have excited and inspired them, intriguing and challenging wine lists, on-trend cocktail selections and artfully designed dining interiors that they've experience in the past - these create benchmarks against which every new restaurant experience will invariably be measured. Performance standards in these first two dimensions of a restaurant business, the products on offer and the ambience of the setting, get all the buzz and so receive a great deal of attention from management and critics. A restaurant which consistently underperforms in these aspects of the business is unlikely to survive. READ MORE