Nelson Mandela said it best…”it always seems impossible until it's done.” Mr. Mandela was a man who understood that only through aligning people to a higher purpose could the greatest accomplishment of his generation be achieved for South Africa. He was the kind of leader who understood that within each of us is a common need. As he said: ”for to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” This was a truly inspiring, compelling and engaging vision for his people. READ MORE

Quite the buzzword in today's literature, 'millennial' is often associated with words such as 'narcissism' and 'entitlement' - generalizations that may or may not be entirely accurate. A simple internet search of 'millennials in the workplace' will display nearly one million results advising you as to best practices in 'dealing with' this new generation of workers. Much of these publications focus heavily on the problems and challenges associated with this new labor pool. It stands to reason, however, that it is futile to spend one's time complaining about the millennial generation, when one should instead focus on how to successfully work with this generation. READ MORE

This article looks at how hotels in ski resorts are having to offer their guests more than just skiing and snowboarding these days in order to keep them satisfied. In fact, an analysis of market trends suggests that an increasing proportion of those who take winter sport holidays on a regular basis do not ski at all. Also, avid skiers are typically skiing less. As a result, winter resorts, and the hotels operating in them, have realized that they have to offer more activities - both on- and off-snow. The article provides examples of two hotels responding to these trends. READ MORE

I'm an experiential traveler, looking for different types of places to stay depending on the nature of the trip. I'm not brand-loyal. What matters to me is how the place I choose to stay in fits my needs, so service and distinctiveness matter to me more than familiarity. Community matters to me, too. I like to feel at home wherever I am. I also want to stay in a place that surprises me - pleasantly. I book trips different ways, too. READ MORE

Big data has become a big buzzword. Like any buzzword, all of the talk about big data has created big confusion in the marketplace, and it can be easier to tune it out than to take it on. The reality is, whether you want to call it big data or not, there are now new opportunities to take advantage of data to drive decision making and ultimately competitive advantage. Identifying these opportunities and understanding what to do about them is the challenge facing hotel managers today, particularly in revenue management. It is time for some plain speaking and practical advice about this complex phenomenon. READ MORE