When major events come to town, such as international sporting competitions or cultural festivals, they often offer unique opportunities for hoteliers to capitalize on increased demand, gain a new loyal following of customers and maximize revenue both over the short and long -term. Yet while major events come with huge potential rewards, if not executed well, they can be very high risk resulting in anything from displacing current loyal customers to a hotel full of empty rooms, or from no-shows to cancellations. Hoteliers need to ask themselves - "Will we manage to capitalize on the increased demand for our rooms? Will we be able to balance the demand for event attendees willing to pay higher rates while also maintaining our existing customer base? Will this fabled demand actually materialize, or will our rooms remain empty throughout the event?" READ MORE

A sustainability report is an organizational report that gives information about economic, environmental, social and governance performance, regardless of whether the performance is good or bad, and more and more companies are producing the reports today. Why would any company produce such a report, especially if it may contain "bad" news? Read further for the pros and cons of creating sustainability reports. Most of the "cons" with sustainability reporting revolve around how the report is actually created and presented, but not its content. And the benefits are difficult to measure and quantify. Again, one might ask, why bother? There are plenty of good reasons. READ MORE

Inspired by the beauty of its mountains and its golden beaches, I decided to continue my professional career as sales director in Puerto Vallarta with a return to the four-diamond beachfront CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa. My foray into the hospitality industry began with my first job at the JW Marriott Mexico City and during my career thus far I have spent time in numerous properties around and outside of Mexico including the Marriott Ixtapan de la Sal Hotel and Spa, Lisbon Marriott Hotel Portugal, Airport Marriott Hotel Mexico City and most recently the St. Regis Mexico City. Having spent the majority of my career in major urban cities, moving to the coast has been an enlightening experience, both personally and professionally. Just a couple of months living in this beautiful area, I found that despite being a world-class destination, the coastal city is facing big challenges when it comes to selling this picturesque getaway locale. READ MORE

Revenue Management definition: To sell the right product to the right customer at the right time for the right price via the right channel. But how do you get there? We all know the leaders of data production - Smith Travel Research produces daily, weekly, and monthly reports on your hotels performance vs the competitive set. Travelclick supplies you with more intelligence on rate shops and Travel Agent production through 'hotelligence' and more. According to STR and TravelClick during the HSMAI ROC conference this past June, Transient Travel is increasing however group travel is declining between 2-4%. Furthermore TravelClick statistics show that Leisure travel has increased and is forecasted to continue growth. READ MORE

Every business needs to know what its industry rivals are up to in order to meet customer expectations, stay current, and charge competitive prices. For hoteliers, this can involve discreet mystery shopping with visits to local establishments or checking out the websites and social media initiatives implemented by direct competitors. For those serious about being the best in their industry, though, the search for new ideas and customer service excellence can go further than the hotels in the same town, to other countries and even other industries. This article will highlight what some hoteliers around the world do to check out the competition in order to stay ahead of the game. READ MORE