In the past year I've traveled to New York City on several business trips usually staying at the same hotel every time. I did that in part to learn how the hotel would interact with me on each repeat stay. Would they treat me differently? Would they recognize me on my fourth stay? Would they remember my name? Each time the reservation staff warmly greeted me but always asked “Have you stayed with us before”. Upon arriving in my room there would always be a hand written letter from the GM welcoming me to the hotel. READ MORE

Today's hotel guests have embraced the convenience of mobile and digital technology that facilitates everything from booking specific rooms online to checking in and using Digital Key on their smartphones. This proliferation of technology combined with excellent hospitality ensures that guests' needs continue to be met or exceeded. At the end of the day, like we say at Hilton, we are a business of people serving people. The key is to offer guests the technological innovations they want - and some they haven't even imagined yet - while utilizing these advances to automate basic transactions. READ MORE

There are growing numbers of quasi-service hotels that are carving out a new niche between select-service and full-service properties. Select-service hotels have been a hot hotel industry segment for several years now. From new concepts to new developments, it has established itself as a clear front-runner in the hotel category horse race. That being said, a recent uptick in full service hotel development clearly shows that segment remains vibrant, as well. The interesting piece of all of this is not so much what is happening, as it is why it is happening. What factors are behind the rise of the quasi-service hotel trend we're seeing? READ MORE

Branded residential projects offer all the comforts of “home” with the luxury, prestige and high level of services offered at a hotel. This is not as easy as it may appear at first blush and savvy developers are jumping into the branded residential sector with an eye toward high level design and quality, as well as, a keen sense of what the potential purchaser is ultimately seeking. The key to a successful branded residential project is the integration of the hotel services and amenities with the security and privacy of residential living. If done well, this can be quite profitable for the developer as the branded residential real estate market is on the upswing with enhanced sales velocity over unbranded residential real estate by 20 - 30%, especially in emerging markets. This article will take an in-depth view at branded residential reality and recent reemergence of branded residential reality. READ MORE

The ability to provide a rich selection of goods and services for potential customers has aided the rapid growth of peer-to-peer platforms. Airbnb, one of the most successful of these, defines itself as “a social website that connects people who have space to share with those who are looking for a place to stay." Because of its rapid growth and popularity since Airbnb's launch in 2008, hotel industry leaders worldwide have been attempting to answer the Airbnb challenge. With each discussion comes a variety of responses and platforms, some accusing Airbnb of unlawful practices and others praising Airbnb for its innovative platform. READ MORE

As an American working with colleagues in other parts of the world, nuances about collaboration in the business is key. This takes experience, savvy and know-how. Hotel investment decisions, opportunities in the Middle East and opportunities for those from the Middle East looking elsewhere are shared from the eyes and insights of a seasoned hotelier and hospitality-focused financial advisor. READ MORE

When guest satisfaction scores started to slip in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the town made an unprecedented move by offering customer service training to every single resident in town. The program, initially involving four four-hour sessions over the space of a month, taught the very latest in customer service culture using many Disney examples of 'going the extra mile.' This article takes a closer look at this initiative and focuses on how service providers in Steamboat both benefited from, and built on this initiative to exceed guest expectations. READ MORE

If you are in hospitality, you already understand the value of what The Ritz-Carlton calls, “surprise and delight,” and other companies call, “the wow factor.” Countless hours of training have been delivered explaining that “wowing” a customer is about exceeding expectations in small and large ways. But what is often overlooked as companies push harder and harder to get to the “wow” are two fundamentals: hiring and supporting employees who have what I call “optimal service awareness,” and truly understanding their customers collectively and individually. If we focus here first, all our other efforts will more naturally fall into place. READ MORE

Inspired! Refreshed! Rejuvenated! That is exactly how I felt after a recent stay at the Grand Hotel, Point Clear, Resort and Spa. This incredible property has been around since 1847. It has an exquisite history, full of tradition, elegance, and grace. What I experienced has been part of family traditions for weddings, anniversaries, and other special occasions and memories for over 150 years! Travelers are ready for automated services. This is great news... it means that hotels can concentrate and invest in team members who are guest-centric, being experience co-creators with guests. The question is, "Is your hotel ready for it?" READ MORE

Hotel data can be messy and confusing. Traditionally, capturing and utilizing hotel guest data for a personalized experience has been a challenging process for hoteliers. Reservations arrive in the property management system (PMS) from a variety of sources with varying degrees of completeness and quality. This info may not always be reliable which can lead to service liabilities. It is easy for this data to get disorganized, such as duplicate profiles, and often times many hoteliers have more data than they know what to do with. This can be tremendously frustrating, especially in an industry that sees high turnover and long training cycles. READ MORE

The value of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) status can't be overstated. By meeting quarterly asset and income tests, REIT dividends can pass through to investors without running a federal corporate income tax gauntlet. It's the reason for REITs in the first place. It's why Ashford Hospitality Trust owns more than 25,000 rooms, and why Apple Hospitality REIT owns 236 hotels operating under Marriott or Hilton flags. And why Hilton recently split into Park Hotels, owners; and Hilton, managers. READ MORE

As a growing number of cities and states legislate minimum wage hikes, hotel operators might be tempted to respond with a hiring freeze to avoid higher labor costs. This article explores the potential negative impacts hotels risk with a halt-on-hiring approach as well as more effective ways to offset higher wages. The not-so-simple truth is that increasing the minimum wage will require hoteliers to take a more measured look at their business in specific time periods. They'll need to understand the wage increase impact at peak and non-peak times, and determine what their true minimum staffing levels can be while still servicing customers to their expectations. READ MORE

Discrimination has been a hot topic in the news lately. The “Hate Has No Home Here” campaign, women's marches, LGBTQ issues and Black Lives Matter protests are just a few examples of how Americans have been turning up the heat on what some view as existing but emerging threats to their race, gender, age, religion, or lifestyle. On the corporate side, the discrimination issue has left virtually no industry untouched. In this article, we will examine the impact of the topic of discrimination as it continues to gain steam in the hospitality industry, in particular. We will also discuss examples, insurance coverages available as well as risk management tips. READ MORE

Creating financial leadership in your hotel has the same fundamental realtionshift at its roots. The traditional relationship in the hotel with reports and deadlines to submit; forecasts, budgets and commentaries is to have the financial leader tell the non-financial department managers when reports, forecast, budgets and commentaries are due and to send out schedules and hound everyone every month several times about the pending deadlines. This system does not work. I know because that was my system for nearly 20 years and all it ever consistently produced was my frustration and a lack of usable content. READ MORE

Technological innovation is transforming business and our lives. And the travel and hospitality industry is on the front lines, looking for ways to deliver meaningful experiences to guests even as their interactions with staff continue to diminish. According to LoyaltyOne Consulting Partner Melissa Fruend, the key to long-term success for hoteliers is personalization - understanding what make great customer experiences, while leveraging new technologies to adapt services and interactions to guests' changing needs and expectations. READ MORE