Until recently, Indonesian hotels lacked the ability to measure their energy performance. With funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Tetra Tech designed and implemented a pilot program for 30 hotels in three destination: Jakarta, Jogjakarta and Bali. The program consisted of an energy benchmarking tool, energy intensity indices, energy assessments of the hotel facilities, energy monitoring software program, training for hotel engineers, and a guidebook for energy management linked to national “green hotel awards”. This article provides an overview of the approach taken, the results of the pilot program, and the expectations for Indonesian hotels to embrace energy efficiency READ MORE

Today, hoteliers have never been more connected through countless online resources to consult during the guest lifecycle—from check-in to check-out. Travelers' expectations have evolved significantly. Long gone are the days when just post reviews helped hotels fine tune their product and service. Nowadays, it is easier to learn from real-time reviews and on-site/post-stay surveys to learn how to best serve your guests. TripAdvisor's TripBarometer infographic provides hoteliers very insightful information on how the hotel industry can best measure traveler sentiments and emerging hospitality trends. With the growing influence of online reviews on booking decision, it has never been more important for hoteliers to ensure that guests check out happy through social listening. Hotels should use the data offered by review sites to quickly identify, prioritize and implement changes that will have the greatest impact on their hotel. READ MORE

Branding is at the heart of everything we do in the hotel business - even for (especially for) independent, unbranded hotels. This article discusses the imperative of having a well-defined brand, and shows the four cornerstones of branding: brand description, brand expression, brand experience, brand delivery. Thinking of “branding” in these simple terms helps independent and small unaligned collections of hotels operate from the customer centric, brand platform that attracts customers and, equally importantly, attracts investors and lenders. READ MORE

The topic of using employees to shop the competition discusses a practice that we have performed before successfully and that only a few establishments (which we know of) have dared to try. Needless to say, they have also been successful, thereby achieving a great return on their investment. Interestingly, I posted a couple of discussions on this topic on many of my Linked In hospitality groups, to find out if this is a project of interest and/or if they currently (or in the past) do/done this. The responses so far, are without a doubt, have been the most active and continuous I have seen from any of my other topic discussions so far. That said it is with great privilege that I write and share this wonderful and useful idea... READ MORE

As the only hotel on Oahu's Fabled North Shore, Turtle Bay Resort takes its role in preserving and enhancing the North Shore's rich Hawaiian culture, surfing heritage, and fragile ecosystems very seriously. Since 2010, the resort has been transformed under the leadership of Replay Resorts and has significantly raised the bar in terms of sustainability best practices by introducing two conservation easements totalling 1,134 acres, green roof installations, rooftop solar panels, and integrating authentic Hawaiian culture into every facet of the operation. READ MORE