When executed at the highest levels, sustainability is a win-win proposition for your lodging cleaning program. A successful program can cost effectively deliver clean, safe and healthy guest rooms, using efficient products that are simple for the housekeeping staff to use. Does this seem too good to be true? If so, let's review the historical approach, and then explore a framework for the systematic design of a sustainable lodging cleaning program. READ MORE

When Piazza Hospitality first started developing its h2hotel concept and design in Healdsburg in the mid 2000s, “green” properties were hardly as well-known as they are today. Architects tended to simply follow Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines, and most consumers weren't really clear on what “eco-friendly” meant. H2hotel's Eco-Friendly View Is All About You The idea of being earth-friendly seemed like something everyone could and should embrace, but bringing that vision into a reality consumers actually wanted could be challenging. READ MORE

193 out of 196 possible countries have agreed on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in 2015, 194 countries signed the Paris Agreement that includes a joint commitment to leave 80 per cent of known fossil fuel resources in the ground. These are signs of a paradigm shift that is happening right in front of our eyes. What does this shift mean for an individual hospitality executive in May 2017? Has it, or will it perhaps change the playing field dramatically? READ MORE

In October of last year, Pepsico started shaking things up with their digital marketing strategy. They decided to take the social media portion of their digital marketing in-house for the Pepsi brand. There was a lot of buzz about it -- questioning whether this was a smart move. Outside of the tremendous resources needed to have an in-house agency focused solely on social media, the concept of what Pepsi was doing intrigued me. In fairness and full disclosure, I work with a digital marketing agency for the hospitality industry. READ MORE

Historic buildings are a window into the past. Unfortunately, few of them operate today as they were originally intended to, and, of those that do, only a handful have been successful at it. Today, urban and resort hotels are thriving again. Some are renovations of long dormant properties. Others are down-sized urban grande dames whose owners sold off parts of the hotel as residences and reduced guestroom counts. My mission as a developer and hotelier is to preserve these touchstones from the past in ways that connect them to present-day users. If they are not kept relevant through use, they run the risk of becoming relics or museums. READ MORE

Every hotel needs to accept credit cards as a payment method, and to do that you need a credit card processor. As you select a processor, you should look at what they can do for you and how you will connect to them, because not all are created equal, and the choice you make could have a far- reaching impact. First, will you connect directly to them or connect through a switch, gateway or other intermediary? You may be constrained by the choices your property management system (PMS) or even your hotel brand offers, but it's good to explore those choices and make the decision that works best for you. READ MORE

Discussions of sustainability in the hospitality industry have focused mainly on strategies at the level of energy-efficient and eco-friendly adjustments to operations and maintenance. These "tweaks" can include programs to reduce water usage, updating lighting to LEDs, campaigns to increase guest participation in recycling, and similar innovative industry initiatives. Often overlooked-not only by industry experts but even by hotel operators and designers-are possibilities for hotel design and construction that can make a property truly sustainable from the get-go. READ MORE

Utility costs are the second largest operating expense for most hotels. Successfully reducing these expenses can be a huge value-add strategy for executives. Doing this effectively requires more than just a one-time investment in efficiency upgrades. It requires ongoing visibility into a building's performance and effectively leveraging this visibility to take action. Too often, efficiency strategies center on a one-time effort to identify opportunities with little consideration for establishing ongoing practices to better manage a building's performance ongoing. READ MORE

Hotels brands have actively engaged in large-scale efforts to become more environmentally friendly. Individual hotels have made great strides on property. Many significant large-scale eco-initiatives are most easily built initially into the infrastructure and design of the building and surrounding areas. Given that the adaptation of these large-scale changes into the existing asset base is expensive and disruptive, hotels seek different ways to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. One way is to shift the focus from large-scale change to "small wins." Small wins can help a hotel create a culture of sustainability. READ MORE

As an industry we could add more sustainability to our benchmarking, as we benchmark the comp set for other hotel amenity and service attributes. Thus, our quest for hotel sustainability benchmarking began. In the years since, we've worked with the big support of hotel chains to push this concept forward, now benchmarking sustainable practices and performance across thousands of hotels worldwide through various initiatives. One of which, the Green Lodging Trends Report provides the empirical results for this article's title. Through this free benchmarking exercise, hotels can see how they compare among trends in over 100 best practices. READ MORE

Though historically associated with residential and low-rise commercial buildings, modular construction has gone more upscale in recent years. What are the benefits, and what should hotel developers consider before going modular? The term "modular construction" once conjured images of small construction trailers or antiquated mobile home clusters just off the highway-not the most alluring draw for high-end developers and top-tier hotel companies, nor for their gentrified clientele. Today, however, the concept of modular construction has evolved, with developers across the U.S. adopting a modular approach to building 2- to 4-star select-service, full-service, and even boutique hotels. READ MORE

Whether a guest is staying at your hotel for business or pleasure, their first impression can be a lasting one. Even before they walk into your hotel's lobby, they've already started to form their opinion of your hotel - whether that was based on a visit to your website or as they drove up to your hotel. Just as the messaging on your website helps to set expectations and provides your guests with a glimpse into your commitment to making their stay at your hotel an enjoyable one, so does the appearance of your landscape. Every touch point the guest has with your hotel impacts his or her customer experience, making it even more critical that those encounters reflect your brand. READ MORE

This article highlights the benefits and available options of third party outsourcing for hotels. Hotels have historically outsource services to restaurant operators, parking and audio visual professionals, with resorts often outsourcing recreational services and landscaping as well. Today's options for outsourcing are much broader, as new firms have developed business models to provide expertise with greater efficiency at lower costs. Have you considered outsourcing your entire housekeeping operation? How about stewarding, overnight cleaning, or laundry operations? Other options could be banquet services, night cleaning, HVAC Services or Accounting Services. READ MORE

Hotel executives are starting to catch on to digital technology as they strive for better customer experiences across the board. With powerhouses like Hilton and Marriott leading the charge, competitive hotel brands are raising the standard for guest experiences in the digital age. A recent study by Hospitality Technology found 57 percent of hotels plan to spend more on technology across the board in 2017 than they did in 2016. And while improving customer engagement and enhancing payment and data security stood out as the top priorities for many hospitality industry decision-makers, it appears far fewer are considering a critical investment: Enterprise Asset Management (EAM). READ MORE

Over the years, luxury has been defined by everything from fancy objects and shiny finishes to exceptional service and authentic experiences. Today's definition of luxury encompasses a new element, eco-consciousness. Whether a property is Platinum LEED certified and positions itself as “green” or simply promotes responsible practices, an element of eco-tourism is now the expectation at upscale hotels and resorts around the world. Leisure travel contributed $7.58 trillion last year to the global economy. Furthermore, the number of travelers who are aware of sustainable travel issues and the willingness of said travelers to spend on environmentally-sustainable travel have increased by a third in the last decade. READ MORE