Guest expectations are changing. Not only do they want a good price, they also want to feel valued. They want to know their opinion matters and can positively affect your business. But this isn't information you can learn from data and numbers—it comes from the stories they share. The key is learning to listen to your guests' individual stories, understand what they are telling you, and then internalize their advice in ways that make a real difference to both your business and your relationship with your guests. READ MORE

The lineup of new technology products in the hospitality industry grows every year. Emerging technologies, such as digital guest experience applications and Internet of Things (IOT) hardware/software solutions represent the cutting-edge of what's next, but, are less clear on the ROI they can deliver. Plus, you have your core suite of technology to consider -- PMS's, revenue management, restaurant POS, housekeeping / maintenance software, website, accounting system, video system, WiFi, credit card gateways and more. The complexity of managing technology can be overwhelming. So what are 2015's best practices in how to craft a strategy, implement technology and measure the ROI of your investment? READ MORE

Hotel executives need a technology solution, which complements their respective marketing goals, branding initiatives and access to valuable Web analytics. Through the democratization of design and data, hoteliers can now enjoy the freedom to customize a site worthy of the properties they oversee... with the liberty to examine the data about the diverse interests (and ways to cater to those individual points of interest) concerning business and leisure travelers. Automating this process - and delivering these resources to hotel executives at an affordable rate - is a significant milestone for the hospitality industry in general and hoteliers in particular. READ MORE

According to Kathy Conroy, MAI, CEO and Director/Partner of HVS's operations in Florida, one of the key influences for a United States city to achieve “world city status” has been the willingness of foreign capital to invest in the local real estate. Successful marketing of United States' cities to foreign travelers as tourist destinations eventually leads to increased foreign investment. In this article, Conroy compares the volume of foreign investment in hotel assets in various cities from the prior strong three-year period in operating performance experienced by the US hotel market to the most recent. READ MORE

One of the most important issues in the hospitality industry today concerns the value proposition being offered to the customer. This proposition can be real or simply perceived. This fundamental issue begins by asking what the value proposition is that we offer our customers and then the manner or channel in which it is communicated. In this brief article we consider a number of ways that hotels can create a favorable value proposition in a manner that increases customer satisfaction and choice. READ MORE

The “Principle of Reflection”Of all the ways that customer service can be sliced and diced, the one fundamental that stands out the most significantly to me is: “Upper management must create a culture where customer service is valued and esteemed, taught and rewarded. Customer experience leaders who can drive this kind of cultural change will radically affect their companies' competitive position and business performance.” There is nothing more important in the effort of driving customer service than driving a strong customer service culture. It's the foundation to everything else. Period. READ MORE

In today's hyper-competitive, hyper-connected global marketplace, customer experience has assumed a major role as a key business differentiator. Within the hospitality industry, there's a growing understanding that competition based on price alone is no longer a viable strategy due to the potential volatility as well as the negative impact on profitability. READ MORE

Born between 1984 and early 2000s, Millennial are the largest cohort in the United States today. They are becoming the most sought-out demographic among hotel brand portfolios. As they continue to mature, they will not only impact travel numbers, but also become an influential and highly profitable segment. They exude distinct online and offline behavior. This has altered their outlook towards guest services. The present challenge faced by many hotels is that they are inundated with decade-old guest service delivery principles that are baby boomer and generation X focused. Are hotels ready to reevaluate these traditional offerings and embrace the 21st century notion of guest services? READ MORE

Companies, including hotel companies, promote their focus on hiring veterans. These initiatives generate positive publicity. Yet hiring veterans is not only a goodwill gesture. It can make solid business sense - especially for the hotel industry. Veterans have the skills, training and character to meet the tough challenges of the hotel world. This article discusses how and why veterans are well-suited for the hotel industry. This article explores how hotel companies are or can support veteran hiring. Finally, I offer tips to expanding hiring of veterans — especially at an individual property. It concludes that veterans offer a wide variety of skills, values, and attributes making them well suited for the contemporary hotel environment. READ MORE

Business owners are obsessed with revenue generation and profit retention and hospitality stake holders are no exception. A sustained stream of profitability is what these investors like best. And so management has its work cut out. The problem is unless management is clued in on the direction their enterprise is taking, often, they are confronted with nasty surprises. One of the most critical pieces of information for management on their business performance is whether they are “losing money” as the often-ambiguous term goes. But knowing this is easier said than done. Enter the principle of break even. READ MORE

Online guest satisfaction scores, such as those found on travel sites and online booking sites contain more valuable information than we realize. They're not just a summary or description of guests' opinions of our hotel, or even of their experience in our hotel. They are an encapsulated expression of the market's valuation of our hotel compared to our competitors. As such they provide accurate insights into exactly what we can charge for our services - the market price for our product. By cross referencing our scores against our competitors and comparing them to ADR we can determine the ADR we can and should achieve. READ MORE

In the hospitality industry, it's no surprise that the guest experience is a top priority. Yet customers today are looking for more memorable and dynamic experiences - ones that make them feel their business is appreciated. Whether it's altering a menu item to accommodate individual preferences or extending a room check out time, these above-and-beyond actions are what guests have come to value in their experiences. While organizations place an importance on this need to please customers, many fail to realize that their employees play a pivotal role in creating these guest experiences. The reality is that employee satisfaction and employee loyalty have a direct link to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. READ MORE

Lately, business has been good for hoteliers. Really good. Revenue per available room is up, average daily rates are strong and occupancy is higher than it has been in in quite some time. With the numbers looking this good, what could go wrong? Everything. It's no secret that the hotel business is a cyclical one and where there are ups, there will most certainly be downs. Regardless of market conditions or environmental factors, there is one component of the hotel business that every hotelier can and must control the success of: the guest experience. READ MORE

Historically, hotel quality assurance or “QA” programs have their roots in the hotel franchise model. Franchisors needed a way to ensure their franchisees were living up to the franchise agreement. Internal auditors or third parties were often deployed to measure hotels on a set of strict standards and unwavering objectivity. After all, the results of a QA inspection can play a big role in determining if a hotel gets terminated or de-flagged from its brand. Partially to keep things consistent and mostly because it wasn't a priority, little to no attention was paid to measuring the guest experience or customer service—all that has changed. READ MORE

Great guest service means that you need to have solid processes in place to (a) avoid problems in the first place, (b) make it more likely that customers will tell you about problems so they can be resolved before your reputation is hurt, and (c) ensure that front-line staff (the folks on the other side of the process bridge) can solve problems quickly when they do occur. Staff smiles and apologies will only go so far; they can't make up for defective processes that lead to bad experiences. Find out what it takes to build a solid process bridge between your staff and your guests and back again to build your profits. READ MORE