Green initiatives have become widespread across the hospitality market, often denoted from a sign that kindly asks guests to reuse your towels or use less water. These are small steps that hotels can take, but new technologies are making large-scale sustainability programs possible. This next wave is about more than material conservation; now the whole building is starting to get smarter through design, automation systems, sensor technologies and a fully integrated guest experience. One of the first aspects that hotels consider when going green is the materials for the decor as part of the branding and custom experience. READ MORE

The United Nations designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector. But how will those of us whose purpose it is to innovate and drive change in corporate social responsibility affect change among consumer behavior? It is not enough to just implement policies and practices. Communicating our actions to guests is the key to inspiring change in everyday behaviors. The United Nations designation provides a platform to communicate the great programs and initiatives happening all over the world, especially within sustainable sourcing. READ MORE

Travel industry marketers are setting their sites on the customer, following in the steps of other industries such as retail and using digital platforms to strategically target and message across the customer journey. The advances in customer experience we see today are the result of platform and technology availability. Knowing customers like to be treated as individuals is not a new concept in customer service. Not long ago personalized treatment was reserved for face-to-face conversations and luxury experiences. Digital has evolved, but the concept remains the same. READ MORE

Whether it's a conference center, a local restaurant or a leading international hotel, customer experience management needs to be in play and top of mind for business leaders, the hospitality industry and their teams. Each touchpoint, each point of customer contact will contribute to a comprehensive series of events that will yield the final experience impression. Leaders must understand where any one experience begins and where it ends. They must understand all the spheres of influence on those beginnings, endings and everything in between. They must understand that everyone on their team will or will not impact emotional connections in a positive, negative or indifferent way. READ MORE

The Harvard Business School coined the term Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) as a marketing concept in the early 1940s. Abelow PR, a boutique public relations agency that specializes in the hospitality field, follows this strategy as the basis for its campaigns. Identifying these points about your brand is a fundamental step. From there, you should develop an elevator pitch that summarizes what makes you different from everyone else. During the dot-com boom of the 1980s and 1990s, the elevator pitch was created to give the target market the gist of a company and overall raison d'être. Here we'll discuss the steps involved in creating a successful PR campaign. READ MORE

An API (Application Program Interface), is simply a set of rules and protocols that establish how applications should interact with each other. Said differently, APIs are the pipes that connect applications across the internet, allowing secure passage of data between companies. Customers don't see APIs, but APIs are the means by which data is shared. Using an example to crystalize this concept, many hotel websites will incorporate Google Maps into each of the pages dedicated to their properties. This is one basic use of an API. Another common use of APIs has to do with social media. Companies like Hootsuite, which connect various social accounts for organizations, use APIs in order to foster those connections. READ MORE

A personalized guest experience is important in today's hospitality industry. Guests can voice their opinion about a hotel in seconds because of the Internet, and their feedback is contained in sources like social media sites and online reviews. Potential guests read this information when they are looking for where to stay on their next summer vacation. Guests will post online reviews about their experiences. According to research by ReviewTrackers, 45 percent of hotel guests are likely to leave to a review after a negative experience, while 37.6 percent of hotel guests are likely to leave a review after a positive experience READ MORE

Before the first shovel was in the ground, we knew Aria Hotel Budapest would be an extraordinary hotel. For the Library Hotel Collection and our founder, Henry Kallan, creating a hotel that is beyond ordinary is everything. We think about each detail of the design and experience to create wow factors for our guests. These elements generate rave reviews, and rave reviews are the cornerstone of our marketing program. This is how we became the #1 Hotel in the World in the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards. READ MORE

Mobile devices are not only important when planning trips, they are indispensable to guests when they are on the actual trip. According to the Expedia and Egencia Mobile Index published last year, travelers rank their smartphones as their top priority when on the go. Mobile devices are so important that survey respondents ranked them higher than a toothbrush or a driver's license. The mobile experience extends beyond the point of booking the room-it's now an integral part of the journey. READ MORE

Home sweet home. Your dog recognizes the sound of your car pulling in the drive and waits anxiously for you at the front door. Your thermostat knows the temperature that you expect the kitchen to be as you prepare dinner. Your stereo knows what playlist works best with tonight's recipe. Your television has your preferred programming all cued up when you're done with your meal. The list goes on. Home sweet home. What if you could make your guests' next experience at your hotel just like home - but better? You can. READ MORE

With the annual chaos and excitement of the NCAA Tournament upon us once again, this is a good time to take a closer look at how hotel professionals manage high-volume external events. From concerts to conferences, and festivals to big games, the unique challenges of high-volume special events can put a strain on even the most well run and accommodating hotel property. READ MORE

Traditionally, hotels were most exposed to staff turnover in January, a timeframe directly after the holiday season had ended and corresponding holiday bonuses had been paid out. Today however, as many large hotels report their annual earnings in March, the timeline has shifted, and hotel leaders find themselves facing uncertain employee retention issues as we enter the second quarter of the year. Employees and hotel leadership alike should look at April as an opportunity to further develop career paths, either through open and honest dialogue that clearly establishes next steps within a career path, or through a change in role. READ MORE

The food service industry is volatile due to the low barrier to entry, high level of competition and significantly low-profit margins. Foodservice operators are likely to reduce expenditures and save money wherever possible. Additionally, food service operators are known for being creative to attain an advantage on the competition. Designing menus that are less taxing on the consumer's choice are a common approach to increasing revenue and enhancing the consumer experience. Furthermore, unique menus are likely to attribute to an improved consumer experience that carries an intangible value of word of mouth marketing between consumers. READ MORE

Hoteliers place a significant investment in their grounds that can be dramatically diminished without proper care and oversight. Given how important it is to protect this asset, you should have a grounds care provider you can rely on. Someone who knows the specific needs of your hotel, what challenges your region can expect, and how to take care of your landscape. Otherwise you risk the health and overall appearance of your landscape. Your grounds care provider should have a plan in place to handle the various dangers your property might encounter. Depending on the location of your hotel, your landscape can face several threats throughout the year, either as a result of natural causes or human error. READ MORE

By now, nearly every type of traveler prepping for a journey scans TripAdvisor for reviews of hotels in their destination city prior to securing a reservation. By perusing prior guest comments, consumers receive unfiltered and unbiased perceptions of specific properties. Travelers want to know before they book for instance if: Are the rooms clean? Is the service top-notch? Most importantly, does a hotel deliver value for the price? READ MORE