The hospitality industry is on the mend and 2013 is expected to be an excellent year. But hoteliers now find themselves in a new game where customers are dictating what hotels need to do, and technology is forcing hotels to change at an exponential rate. Tighter collaboration within a hotel and investments in rational pricing approaches will bode well for their future profitability. Technology is no longer a barrier; only the mindset is. It will take both villages - internal and external - for the hospitality industry to surge ahead and meet the new challenges head on. READ MORE

Leaders in the hospitality industry face an ever-expanding list of priorities and responsibilities. It is widely accepted that revenue management is a critical component of any successful lodging operation and can no longer be ignored. The challenge for leaders today is that the practice of revenue management appears to be far too complex to manage effectively. Revenue management brings with it a multitude of opportunities and yet pitfalls also abound. So what should a business leader know about revenue management? The following is designed to provide you with some unique insights along with some tips and tricks to both managing and supporting the individual(s) you have assigned to this position. READ MORE

Meeting and conference rooms are an untapped source of revenue for hotels when it comes to wireless, and demand is on the rise. Meeting room wireless can help set you apart from competitors. It's also quickly becoming a must-have amenity, one that has to perform well - fast Internet speeds, easy to access, simple login (no multiple logins) no matter how many devices one user brings with them - to provide a great user experience. This is good news for the hospitality industry, as un-wiring your meeting rooms can create new revenue streams, boost your brand and give you a competitive edge. READ MORE

Think you know what the 'Lo' in SoLoMo stands for? Think again. Spelled out as Social, Local, Mobile, too often the 'Lo' in SoLoMo is thought of as strictly location-based initiatives. But what about the actual locals living in a hotel's proximity? For hotel brands looking to ultimately attract, engage and retain a much wider audience, locals are ideal "test guests" - proving that if you can't appeal to your "home team" then you're unlikely to win over out-of-town converts. In other words, "local" and location-based marketing aren't simply about performing a search for "hotels in Nashville" or researching "Vietnamese restaurants near New York's Plaza Hotel." The following article examines how hotels are beginning to better engage a traveling subset that recent data shows has largely been overlooked and how hoteliers who find themselves late to the localizing bandwagon can adapt their own tactics accordingly. READ MORE

With analysts suggesting that 50-70% of all hotel bookings start with search, your SEO strategy is on the front line of increasing your revenue, occupancy and ancillary bookings like spa, dining and tours. Follow these 14 detailed points to supercharge your hotel's visibility strategy and see bookings increase from 37-100%. READ MORE

You don't have to be a digital rocket scientist to pick up some extra online bookings. I have outlined 10 easy ways that you can get started at your own property. Things have become so competitive these days when it comes to search engine marketing and social media. In some ways it reminds me of the early days of The Olympics when some countries allowed professionals while Team USA continued to send our best younger players from college. READ MORE

Effectively streamlining the contract negotiating process will allow sales leaders the ability to efficiently maximize time, as well as a chance to earn respect and credibility with their clients. Open communication will foster an understanding for what motivates each party, thus creating a foundation from which both parties can build upon. In the end, the best deal will result when both parties are satisfied with the timely negotiation process and agreed upon contract terms. READ MORE

People are loyal to great brands without thinking about them - their relationship with the brand is based on a deep, unconscious, sense that this brand can be trusted to fulfill their needs. People don't think about the beer brand they choose; they don't think about the washing powder they use and in a few cases they don't think about the hotel they prefer to stay in (Four Seasons, for example). This deep emotional engagement is not coincidental, and can be earned by any hotel or hotel chain, operating anywhere at any level. This article explains how unconscious branding works and offers six intriguing ways to start on the path to unconscious engagement. READ MORE

Ecotourism is reported by the World Tourism Organization to be the fastest growing market in the tourism industry. At least 35 countries with at least one unique environmental rating system exist and each with nuances and assessment methodologies specific to that country's climate, economy, building technology and culture. It has become environmental Babel. International hotel developers need a common environmental benchmark to evaluate properties. The development of standardized international rating tools and metrics is a critical next step in the maturation of environmental assessment. READ MORE

The hotel industry, like the world around us, is in a constant state of change. Hoteliers have risen to the challenge of what is now the "new normal" - understanding every new trend, amenity, technology offering and process, all while maintaining maximum ROI and providing best-in-class service to guests. While understanding the multifaceted world we live in today is a must-the most important asset to any hotel is the same as it has always been: people. Having strong A-players on your team and creating a culture of success will do more for the bottom line than any mobile app, or high-tech renovation ever will. In the article that follows I explain why a strong staff is so critical and how to effectively engage them. READ MORE

From their five-star rating system to certain worldwide brands being synonymous with towering standards, hotels have always been about creating positive customer experiences. But how can you ensure that your recent multinational marketing campaign truly hit home for locals? Which aspects of your localization strategy actually increased customer retention, and which pieces may have subverted that intention? Guest feedback in the form of user acceptance testing can provide key insight into the quality and effectiveness of your translated content while boosting customer satisfaction-which ultimately increases your revenue potential. READ MORE

Companies are struggling to improve profitability by cutting expenses, copying competitors, replacing CEOs, and hiring expensive consultants. unfortunately, most of these efforts have failed to pay off. But a number of hospitality leaders have found a source of competitive advantage. They are leveraging their own employees to find new opportunities for growth. The notion is simple. 'Regular' employees are an important source of innovative ideas due to their knowledge of operations and their own creativity. Employees are psychologically and physically close to customers and research has shown they can be very helpful in identifying customer needs and opportunities for innovation. READ MORE

With strong competition across the hospitality industry, first impressions are key when it comes to hotels contending for guests' business. While quality customer service and generous amenities will encourage guests to return to a location a second and third time, how do you ensure that they choose your hotel in the first place? The answer to this question could be as simple as the property's grounds. In the article "Showcase Your Property with Seasonal Color," U.S. Lawns President Ken Hutcheson discusses how to develop a healthy-looking, eye-catching landscape that sets your property apart from the competition without crippling your bottom line. READ MORE

Social media has fundamentally changed the consumer decision process, and in the last decade a more sophisticated view of how consumers engage with brands has emerged. This article describes this new consumer decision journey, and with examples from the tourism and hospitality sector, describes how savvy marketers are benefiting from social media engagement. READ MORE

On January 31, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") implemented revised regulations covering what is required by public accommodations to meet the Americans With Disabilities Act standards for accessible design. The new standards mandate for the first time that pools and spas be made accessible at most places of lodging, including hotels. Advocates for people with disabilities have made clear that the time has come for the hospitality industry to comply or face the risk of sinking in a pool of private lawsuits and federal enforcement actions. Here is what you need to know about the new ADA standards and what to do if your venue does not comply. READ MORE