In this article, we will discuss some approaches to meeting this challenge of being “technicians with a heart.” The goal is to make good use of these new approaches to operating a hotel, while making sure we provide guests with the meaningful experiences they undeniably crave, as we do ourselves. One is tempted to call them our phantom guests. With today's technologies, a guest can make a reservation, sign in and, perhaps, check out without talking to or being seen by someone at the front desk. Timed right, a guest may not even interact with maintenance or housekeeping. READ MORE

Meeting planning in today's world is more complex than ever. Whether you're a planner or a supplier, our jobs are now 24/7. We are dealing with shorter lead times than ever, tighter budgets (on both sides), and expectations based on the perfection projected by social media and reality TV. Our job is no longer simply about dates, space, rate - we now need to compete at a world-class level on a daily basis. As a supplier, it takes extreme creativity at the venue level. Starting with the initial design, event space must be as flexible, innovative and as Instagram-worthy as possible. READ MORE

The ability to create memorable experiences and drive emotional connections with your customers is a differentiation strategy that works. It is our job to develop a differentiation strategy to create unique and memorable experiences for guests and meeting attendees. These experiences need to be genuine, and they need to be authentic. It is the only way to create an emotional connection, and what I have discovered is once these experiences become branded, once they become turn-key, it can back-fire on you. Once the experience is no longer authentic, it can be viewed as contrived or artificial, which goes against what you are trying to accomplish. READ MORE

Engagement and commitment are at the core of our professional lives in a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week operation. No matter the size or complexity of the box, engagement and our commitments should be a core fundamental that not only surfaces in our every interaction, but guides and directs our proactive decision making and our strategies and executions. Hospitality 101 teaches us as hospitality professionals, to engage with our guests, to make eye contact at 10 feet, to speak within 5, to escort when possible and to use our guests name in conversation. READ MORE

Meeting planners have more than enough to think about when it comes to searching for the perfect venue - and eco-consciousness is increasingly making its way top of mind for many. It is currently estimated that the average hotel guest generates 2.2 pounds of waste each night of their stay. And, with the meetings and event industry recently being deemed as the second most wasteful sector in the United States by the EPA, we at JW Marriott Austin knew we had to go above and beyond to deliver more efficient meetings and events with the lowest possible carbon footprint. READ MORE

As hotels continue to focus on their sustainability efforts, the importance of proper hazardous waste management cannot be overlooked. Proper management of hazardous waste is crucial to maintaining a hotel's brand reputation, remaining compliant with government regulations and being a good steward to the environment. There are many best practices to follow when handling hazardous waste, and a foundational understanding of the regulations defining what constitutes hazardous waste is key to laying the groundwork for a proper waste management program. Let's take a look at what you need to know… READ MORE

In a recent interview, Airbnb co-founder and chief strategy officer, Nathan Blecharczyk, said their future goals lie in “becoming a platform for the entire trip, so no longer just about accommodations…really trying to reinvent every aspect of travel.” I believe hoteliers need to think along the same lines: how do we reinvent the travel experience - from search to booking to providing a top-notch experience on-site - to not only compete with the likes of Airbnb but also to achieve your hotel's top goals? READ MORE

While graduation is mostly over, the workforce is still adjusting to an influx of recent college grads. In hotels, leadership and hiring managers have likely already met multiple candidates in making an addition to the staff, and in some cases, making the decision to hold off. It can be hard to choose the right candidate for the job for many reasons, but there are ways hiring managers can identify candidates that will ultimately be successful in their roles. READ MORE

Hotels provide a variety and growing number of ancillary services from child care to swim lessons to spa treatments. With so many different services being offered in one hotel, it can become increasingly difficult for hotel owners and operators to make sure they have the right protections in place in case anything goes wrong. Unfortunately, when a hotel is providing day care services, youth related events or intimate spa services, among other things, risks abound. In this article, we talk about the insurance coverages hotel owners and operators should consider when they add additional service offerings to their suite of hotel guest services. READ MORE

Hotel companies are continually seeking to understand and define what the discerning traveler desires and how to deliver at a level of creativity and consistency that exceeds expectations. I like to define touchpoints as any product or moment experienced by the guest, specific to a hotel or resort landscape. Our goal, as leaders, is to understand what these touchpoints or opportunities for interaction are and then to architect the experiences at an elevated level at every one of these defined opportunities. The best international luxury hotel brands have done a tremendous job of understanding touchpoints that pertain to the individual leisure traveler. READ MORE

Hotel sales managers and meeting planners have been working together for decades. We have had our ups and downs with everything and anything that could go right and wrong. That said, at the day we are here for our clients and guests. With that common ground established; now how do we achieve our common goal? For me, I am 100% transparent with my meeting planners, groups, and guests. I teach my team to not be in it for the next best group that comes along. We want to create strong partnerships with our colleagues for the long haul. READ MORE

Out of the $250 billion of hospitality revenue from transient and leisure business, only 10% is spent on marketing. And although your hotel website provides the top source of marketing ROI for your organization, meetings and events are a close second. Build your marketing plans to support planner behaviors all year, and you'll quickly fill your group business need dates. With business intelligence and support from your destination, you'll be able to use seasonality to build brand awareness, develop stronger relationships with planners, and intercept the competition before they even see it coming. Here are some of Cvent's go-to tips for improving seasonality-supported strategies for hotel sales and marketing teams. READ MORE

As demand for hotel rooms drives increasing ADRs and climbing occupancy rates, hotel sales teams and revenue managers are honing sales strategies, evaluating deployment and group segment potential, and strategically choosing the right mix of room inventory allotted to their transient and group segments. Pursuing the best segments and selling smartly is the name of the game in an economic environment in which many hotels can afford to be particular about the business they book. Previously, it has been easier to analyze market performance for the transient segment than the group segment but now it's becoming just as clear for the group side due to recent advances in technology. READ MORE

Whereas OTAs are constantly experimenting with ways to make the guest experience more streamlined and inclusive, hotels seem to be focused on cutting costs by putting more work on the shoulders of the guest and outsourcing valuable touchpoint with the guest. I understand that hotels live in a world they are reliant on OTAs but everywhere possible hotels should try to maintain the guest relationship. READ MORE

Total Revenue Management is growing in popularity for discussion, but there remains some ambiguity as to what this really means. Some discuss the application of revenue management principles to ancillary departments like F&B, or a narrower application of simply enhancing room sales to include additional ancillary revenue. Others focus on things like cost containment or various fees. For the purposes of this article, we will define Total Revenue Management as the concept of monetizing every area of the operation in various ways to capture the highest profits given the time-perishable aspect of a hotel's various types of inventory. READ MORE