Custom branded content is booming in today's media landscape. For the travel industry, hosting leading travel bloggers to create and deliver enriching branded editorial has become an effective complement to an integrated public relations strategy. The California Highway 1 Discovery Route has implemented a paid blogging program to connect this diverse region with targeted travelers in a dynamic way. READ MORE

How can travel marketers learn and understand their customers' multi-screen, multi-channel behavior to better engage them? What best practices and marketing tactics will help marketers grow revenue in this increasingly fragmented landscape? To overcome these challenges, today's travel marketer must gain these three competencies in order to deliver personalized experiences.... READ MORE

We have seen it all over the Internet and the news stations: California is facing its fourth year in a drought, and it is affecting every resident and every business in the state. The economic and financial consequences could be disastrous if water conservation strategies are not implemented immediately, and the state has promptly mandated that everyone do so. The hotel industry is one of the country's biggest users of clean water, out of all types of commercial and institutional facilities, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Unsurprisingly, most water is used for bathrooms, laundry, landscaping and kitchens. This is the perfect opportunity to take heed of the moment and reduce your property's water usage. READ MORE

A hotel executive's greatest professional challenge is also the easiest to overcome: The fear of public speaking, whether as a featured guest at an industry event or as an extemporaneous host, without even a rostrum to lean against or a podium to hide behind, in which the speaker thinks he or she must deliver a set of remarks with the baritone of a King or the authority of a Queen (see, respectively, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or King George VI or Queen Elizabeth I), summoning the spirits of slaves or rousing a people encircled by Nazi slave drivers, or dispatching troops to defend an island nation, when, in fact, this speaker - you, the hotel executive, who will walk to the dais - only has to say a few things before dinner and after dessert. READ MORE

The key to a successful, flourishing and sustainable enterprise, in our still somehow workable and work oriented society, is to have a very open mind, an extreme empathetic view on the happenings on this planet, being able to see how well connected everything is, open to the organic development of life, and able to communicate with all available senses; and there are more than just the basic 5. Without these qualities, any business and/or personal relationship will simply not survive if any of the above points are not a given. READ MORE

Imagine yourself in 2020 wanting to book your next holiday. You are in the kitchen making dinner and, as you are great at multitasking, you ask Google to research hotels in your shortlist of holiday destinations. By this time, Google will know pretty much everything about you: your likes and dislikes, who your friends and family are, your hobbies, the TV programmes and films you watch, the restaurants and bars you visit, even how you spend your spare time. So, Google will be able to make some very smart deductions on what information to show you. READ MORE

“It's hard, and it's not going to get any easier.” That's how Gary Leopold, president of ISM/CP, phrased his takeaway from HSMAI's Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, where nearly 300 hospitality digital marketing executives met in New York City. But we all know with challenges come opportunities, and the hospitality industry is focused on taking advantage of the opportunity to connect and engage with today's traveler. Much of the discussion at the conference focused on harnessing information about potential guests and long-time clients and using that to tailor each online experience to them, truly talking to them on an individual basis and delivering the services that they want. READ MORE

What inspires meeting and event planners to engage with hotels? The customer journey map for a meeting planner varies from the leisure traveler and hotel marketers need to adjust their marketing strategies in order to provide relevant content to meeting planners during the research and site selection stage of their journey. READ MORE

Over the past ten years, social media has gone from “passing fad” to a strategic imperative. Brands are dedicating significant resources to cultivating a rich online presence and every year, marketers invest more and more in their overall social strategy. The hotel industry has been particularly active in the social media space - not only engaging with existing customers but also trying to capture prospective guests. Social media makes it easy to share, like and recommend brands and content - but these indicators don't always translate into increased engagement. How can hoteliers ensure a solid return on their social media investment? READ MORE

If I were to cite an example of a company that sings the right notes but strikes the wrong chords, a brand that encapsulates this contradiction between authenticity and blatant falsehood, I would point a motley crew of copywriters and art directors, and marketing executives and studio musicians, to the worm coiled within the recesses of my ear; because this commercial, aired during Super Bowl XLVIII, is an unintentional metaphor for business leaders everywhere, including hoteliers who must never convey anything but graciousness and sincerity. READ MORE

Bed bug infestations and the resulting liability can strike any hotel, no matter how high-end and reputable. Hotel guests around the country are reporting being bitten by bed bugs and are filing claims seeking compensation for insect bites and ruined hotel stays. Reviews can turn a guest's complaint about bed bugs on a travel website into a viral public relations nightmare. This article provides a detailed overview of what you need to know about bed beg insurance claims, infestation remediation and how to soften the impact of alleged infestations. READ MORE

While many industries are notorious for employee turnover, it is particularly painful for hospitality, where guest service is such a crucial part of the product. How painful? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the hospitality and leisure industry had the second largest number of employees voluntarily quit their jobs in 2014, with more than 6,000 people choosing to leave their current position. One might first conclude that the recovery of the industry brought many employees new opportunities to take better offers with a competitor. After all, “once hospitality is in your blood, you don't leave,” as so many in the industry like to say. READ MORE

Digital advertising channels have changed the way hospitality brands and independents go to market, not necessarily for the better. Based on the fallacious belief that online channels are "free" or cheaper than traditional channels, and the follow-on belief that SM vehicles are cheaper than digital channels, hospitality marketers have developed strategies that have the unintended consequence of increasing the commoditization of hotel brands. This is unfortunate and unnecessary. In this article we discuss how these channels can be used to build differentiation and distinctiveness, and used in conjunction with other media to build strong, effective brands.? READ MORE

A super platinum-everything status guest with a certain brand hotel chain walked into one of his favorite properties after this brand recently merged with another chain, looked around and said, “It just isn't the same. I don't even recognize them anymore.” He then walked out of the door determined to find a new favorite property he could count on. Does this sound far-fetched to you? It shouldn't; it happens all too often, and it should send chills down every leader's spine. While this anecdote focuses on the guest, you can imagine the impact this would also have on the employees. Mergers and Acquisitions can surely impact the bottom line in the short term, but more importantly, they can also impact guests, team members, and anyone associated with a brand. Unfortunately, these components often get lost in the short-term activity and shuffle. In a world where M&A can happen anytime, to (almost) any company, leaders need be prepared and know how to manage and facilitate the process. READ MORE

This year, for the first time ever, more people will access the internet through their mobile devices than their personal computer. According to IDC, 150 million Americans currently own a mobile device and 10 million more will join them by the end of the year. But wait…there's more! Since they were introduced, only 3 short years ago, about 71 million US residents have bought a tablet (a 55% increase year-over-year). What does this proliferation of mobile technology mean for you? We believe the mobile revolution is here… and that it has marched right into your lobby. Whether you are ready - or not - it's time for your hotel to position itself to meet the needs of your mobile customers. READ MORE