After a guest leaves your hotel they will not remember the beds, breakfast, or building, they will remember how you made them feel. Creating a culture of “making guests feel good” will bring them back as loyal customers. Goals are great, but have the effect of turning a guest into a number or statistic. Remember culture eats goals for lunch. A warm friendly greeting, an open door, solving a problem now by meeting or anticipating a need, not passing it on are the basics of guest service. Whenever or however you touch a guest will make them feel good. Culture; great hotels guests love. READ MORE

Do you know the distinction between a salaried employee and an employee being paid hourly as it relates to your payroll taxes? How well do you really understand the variety of payroll tax regulations? Payroll processing can cause lots of headaches for hoteliers who often have a variety of employees with different payroll tax requirements. Because of the severe penalties associated with missed deadlines, incorrect employee data and unpaid payroll taxes, hoteliers need to make it a point to stay up-to-speed on payroll tax compliance issues so they can focus on what's truly important - running a hotel. READ MORE

The practice of consumers checking, evaluating and analyzing guest reviews and rankings of lodging properties before making reservations is commonplace. Yet the idea of consumers guests actively participating in shaping a brand is a relatively new realization for many revenue managers. This new paradigm presents one of the most significant challenges, and opportunities, for revenue management. Increasingly, online brand management and revenue management intertwine, opening the door to the next step in the evolution of the revenue management profession. Those who can harness and work effectively with the plethora of online information will be those who truly impact their properties' brands. READ MORE

The amenity spa can and should be more than, well, an amenity. It should be a valuable profit center within the entire hospitality operation. This article focuses on three key areas: people, inventory and average service rate. It provides specific tips, steps and controls that are proven to lead to profit. READ MORE

There has been a major shift in consumer behavior in regards to spas. This is due to a combination of factors that include lifestyles, the economy, and a concern with health. But whatever the reasons for this shift, wellness is in for the spa user, while pampering is in decline. Today spa users want “results,” this is clear form the latest spa market research published by Diagonal Reports. By results the users spa treatments which enhance wellness or make them feel better. Feeling better for most people means relaxing tense and tired muscles. Massage therapies which re-energize people account for most business in spas. The demand for massage is benefiting large spas and hotel spas in a major way because these spas already specialize in massage therapies. READ MORE