Workplaces are becoming increasingly more cosmopolitan with employees from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. While this dynamic presents opportunities and benefits to many businesses - including those in the hospitality industry - it also presents challenges. Employers have important obligations under federal law not to discriminate against employees because of their religious beliefs and to make reasonable accommodation of the religious practices of their employees. Just what does this require of an employer and what are "religious practices" that trigger this obligation? This article will address these issues and provide tips for compliance. READ MORE

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, let's consider a few milestones in hotel history that are influencing the sweeping changes now occurring in all areas of the hotel experience, especially in the lobby. With the recent and continued enhancements in technology, hotels are increasingly able to personalize the guest experience through the design of the lobby space. READ MORE

I've had a lot of memorable hotel experiences lately. Unfortunately, they were memorable for the wrong reason. Most people don't expect perfection. However, they do expect a quick resolution. Leaders need to have the skills to delicately handle guest problems and must train their people to provide high levels of service, especially when things go amiss. All you are to a departing guest is a memory. What type of memories are your staff creating for your guests? Here's what you can do to make sure your guests leave singing or tweeting your praises. READ MORE

Everyone knows there's no place like home. For this reason alone, the very best hotels seek to capture the essence of home. In turn, luxury hotels, resorts and spas serve as great inspirations for residential projects with distinctive features designed to wow and attract visitors. From a design perspective, homes and hotels are invariably linked. That's precisely why hotel design - like residential design- is always evolving to satisfy consumer demand. READ MORE

Hotel brands across all sectors are looking for experiential design to support the brand promise. From luxury to select service, the aim is the same - to offer an enhanced guest experience that caters to their guests' needs. Our firm is best known for designing luxury and convention center hotels. Recently, we have begun working on select service hotels in urban locations. While the sector is new to us, the goals of these hotel operators are not. The focus is on the guest experience. This appeals to us as designers, because our firm is built on the philosophy that architecture exists to serve people - all people, not a certain class of people, but everyone. READ MORE