From devastating fires and employee theft to the major liability exposure associated with food contamination and serving alcohol, food and beverage operations present some of a hotel's most significant risks. Hotel executives can limit their exposure by implementing a thorough risk management program with proven safety and training initiatives, as well as by ensuring they have adequate insurance coverage for all their food and beverage risks. The result can be a safe and profitable food and beverage operation that provides value and pleasure for guests. READ MORE

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, Vine, Instagram, SnapChat, Linkedin, YouTube, Flickr, Tumblr. Trying to keep up with the news, trends, and changes in social media can seem like walking through a bazaar with merchants calling out to you to get your attention. It can feel overwhelming and intimidating. You know your brand needs to be social, but your resources are limited and you need to find a way to focus on how to get what you need for the least cost and effort. If you start by knowing what you want to achieve followed by what is available to you, it all becomes much more manageable.  READ MORE

The hospitality industry welcomes and needs to be creative and innovative to continue its survival, more so with its talent. Hospitality and customer service are very important to seeing a brand experience become efficient in the market. We do need to do our best to improve and keep retention rates of employees as high as possible. If not we risk not hitting realistic figures in our financial statement, because if there is inconsistency, in the workplace and day to day operations, then the guest will ultimately have to pay the ultimate price. READ MORE

With the high cost of working with OTAs and the growing challenge of acquiring your own new customers, hotels are quickly realizing that they need to focus their efforts on driving customer satisfaction and capturing guests' attention and loyalty at every stage of the travel process, from inspiration to post travel. By focusing on driving guest satisfaction, you improve your chances of having guests book directly with your hotel during the inspiration phase of travel or when they return to your city in the future. With the distraction of mobile devices, social networks and the always-connected nature of life today, engaging guests and forging strong connections isn't always easy. But to be successful, hoteliers need to figure out how they can drive the highest satisfaction possible, whether pre, during or post stay. This article covers some best practices for driving guest satisfaction at every stage of the travel cycle. READ MORE

Customer Service Magic: How Other Industries Make it Happen. For years, our industry has been providing the model for outstanding customer service. The proliferation of concierges is just one example. Let's turn the tables and take a page or two from companies in other industries! This article explores what two service superstars are doing to create unique customer experiences. Their commonalities include generating positive emotions in their customers, strategic use of technology and an insistence on authentically warm, friendly personal contact. Basic principles, when applied creatively, make satisfied customers into loving fans. For more of the latter, other's tricks of the trade can be leveraged to our great advantage. READ MORE