When Lee Goossens purchased Wickwoods Country Club, Hotel & Spa in 2010 it was bankrupt and empty. It is now an idyllic weekend getaway for fitness enthusiasts, walkers and tennis players - and the hotel is also attracting both corporate and wedding guests. This article focuses on the advantages and the challenges facing boutique hotels in a market dominated by big brands - and highlights the interesting history of this boutique hotel, showing how Goossens, with shrewd business acumen, an innovative investment plan, and a $2million renovation, has turned things around by responding to trends and focusing on quality and top-notch customer service. READ MORE

What does your hotel's customer ecosystem look like? Impactful first impressions, personalized service and pleasant surprises sound like terms ripped right off of a customer service checklist: is your hotel employing them? Are you leveraging your employees to build meaningful relationships with your guests? Do you consider the idea of community engagement a necessity to success? Learn why personalized attention in hotels is reshaping the way we offer guest service, and how your team can create advocates for your brand through something as simple as understanding what your guest really wants. Hint, it's not a fancy lobby. READ MORE

It is unquestionable that we are faced with strong economic conditions, especially in the United States, which have had a dramatic impact on the lodging industry. For the past five years, all success indicators (occupancy, average rate, and RevPAR) have climbed steadily and most owners have enjoyed record profits. In New York City alone, demand for the first six months of 2014 increased by 6.6%, breaking all records, per Smith Travel Research (STR). READ MORE

Gathering places for people to meet and hold events have been around since mankind began and there have been many fascinating meeting venues which have been built over the centuries where historically significant decisions have been made to shape the world we live in today! Back in 1981, a group of hoteliers recognized the need to provide a serious concentration on the productive meeting environment and founded the International Association of Conference Centres. In the years since the term "conference centre" was coined, and for IACC, it represents a total commitment to the concept. READ MORE

Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim summed up the key to a successful marriage in the musical Company by noting in the song 'Perfect Relationships' that “it's the little things.” So too with the partnership between a meeting planner and a hotel—it's the little things that add up to a booking, a successful meeting and the potential for repeat business. CMA Association Management (CMA) has provided comprehensive association management services to national and global professional and trade associations for over 25 years. In that role, we have staged hundreds of meetings, conferences and trade shows, most of which have been at hotels across the country and the world. READ MORE