When used effectively, hoteliers will find paid search advertising to be one of the most efficient and effective marketing tools in order to reach the right person at the right time. Today, paid search plays a role throughout all phases of the vacation planning process. One of the most valuable aspects of search advertising is the ability to understand consumer intent and to cater efforts accordingly. READ MORE

Hospitality has a glamour or cachet unlike any other form of real estate, even high-end retail. Partnered with communities and appealing to demanding and sophisticated guests, each hotel property has the dynamics of a small city. Thus, investing in, owning and managing a hotel property can be an exhilarating journey. The key to success is to enjoy the experience, while paying careful attention to choices and decisions that must be made along the entire chain of investment and management. The result can be strong daily operations and competitive posture, in addition to enhanced asset value and return on investment. In this article, we will review in list format some of the key investment and management strategies that go into maximizing the value of a hotel property. In doing so, we will consider the areas of investment and financing, business operations, and management and the competitive environment. Clearly, the factors discussed are not meant to be all-inclusive, but, rather, will focus on common threads we find running through hotel investment, management and valuation. READ MORE

"Been there... done that," seems to be the modem of today. "Same old, same old”, but why? It is easy to look outside of the box and be creative. Bring the beach, a concert feel or Latin beat into your dreams of the perfect wedding. Put your nuptials on another level and give your family and friends an event the will be talking about for years to come. READ MORE

Investing in our culinary leaders will give us more strength and depth and a better future. As a chef, learning is exciting as well as the opportunity to attend a prestigious culinary campus for a full immersion program. This is an amazing opportunity for ongoing education not to be afraid of. Attention to our highly specialized field intrigues our servers and line cooks who aspire to one day have our job. There is nothing better than a company that invests in its culinary program with a partnership at a culinary school. The respective property of the chef now has another tool in its kit for marketing and local public relations that can champion the chef's extended educational pursuit and qualifications. READ MORE

Baby Boomers are running hotels and restaurants where they're facing an increasing number of guests from the Millennial generation: twenty- and thirty-something, technology-savvy users of social media who are ready to tell the world about their experiences at your business. There are more than 80 million Millennials in the United States and their purchasing power reaches $200 billion. Millennials are - right now and for the years to come - our customers. If we don't learn their habits, likes and dislikes and if we don't please them, we risk losing them to businesses that are willing to do so. READ MORE