The first three words in real estate are location, location, location. A hotel property inevitably prospers based on its location to nearby elements and attractions. A major city center, national park, shopping outlet, theme park, or convention center can be counted upon to fill a lot of room nights and buoy occupancy. In a vacuum, you need nothing more than a great location. Of course, the real world is different. There is competition galore, especially in the best locations. How do you ensure that you have captured your fair share of the market? It's all about your amenity mix. READ MORE

Brand standards are adjusting as hotel executives recognize that staying true to the brand does not require a strict, cookie cutter approach. Architects have long championed the value of a site-specific design approach, believing that a hotel should take its cues from elements of the surrounding architecture to create a modern yet sensitive response, and that the design for a hotel should also acknowledge the local climate, flora, fauna, and terrain. No one is suggesting that brand standards be chucked out the window -- just that there are a variety of ways to appropriately deliver the experience a guest expects from a brand and from a destination. READ MORE

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word "design" to mean many things, one of which says…"to plan and make (something) for a specific use or purpose." In there lies the first task of a good hotel designer….Understand the use, purpose, desire, and interest of your guest(s). The hotel designer has to envision how something will look, how it will function and what experiences a guest will have from the moment they pull up or walk in to the property, through every inch they wander. READ MORE

The benefits of sustainable practices within the hotel industry are clear and more and more hotel companies and individual properties are establishing guidelines to help them become more eco-friendly. But designing programs that outline efficiencies and best practices is only the beginning. Turning theory into practice requires a committed, motivated partnership between hotel staff, guests, vendors and the local community. L'Auberge Del Mar, by Destination Hotels & Resorts has had great success implementing an effective sustainability campaign by getting the four partnership entities vested as outlined in this article by Vice President and Managing Director, Michael J. Slosser. READ MORE

The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji is one of the South Pacific's most renowned vacation destinations, distinguished for offering mindful and discerning travelers a five-star way of connecting with the ocean, land and local culture. Named for the son of legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort is dedicated to preserving nature's balance by respecting and existing harmoniously with the natural environment and through involving guests in its preservation initiatives. "What is a scientist after all? It is a curious man looking through a keyhole, the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on" - Jacques Cousteau READ MORE