In today's fast-paced world of the hotel industry, guests are demanding that they have the ability to engage on property with their smartphones. What if you knew when a particular guest was arriving as he or she walked in? What if guests had the option to skip the check-in line and go right to their rooms? And what if you could send personalized messages to guests based on their loyalty program data and previous behavior? Beacon technology can now make all of this possible, and it will enable the next generation of guest engagement and a much deeper level of personalized interaction with guests than ever before. With a blend of Bluetooth® Smart and Wi-Fi indoor locationing technologies, hoteliers can provide every guest with the ultimate in personalized service from the moment they walk into the hotel to the moment they walk out. READ MORE

We are living in a native app age. The apps downloaded have become native to our productivity [native apps] leading to have the same impact in today's businesses as websites did in 90's. Surveys have shown that users prefer native apps over mobile apps or websites; according to a survey by Flurry in 2014, “Time spent on a mobile device by the average US consumer has risen to 2 hrs and 42 minutes per day”. As the trends continue, every business is trying to leverage native app technology to their organization's success. READ MORE

The digital customer is not yet fully served by the hotel industry and the opportunity for a hotel to fully leverage mobile to capture this customer has now arrived. In order for a hotel to become truly customer-centric they need to explore how off-property hospitality can address the customer's pain points and enhance the customer's experience by developing engaging mobile apps. In this article we explore how leveraging “Big Data” in a mobile strategy is beneficial but limiting, and why hotels must also leverage the “Small Data” and digital interactions to provide “delight” to customers. READ MORE

What are you doing to tell your hotel's brand story in a way that deepens loyalty with existing guests? Are you leveraging every on-premise touch point? Are you maximizing digital properties in a way that delights the customer throughout every step of the purchase decision? Today, everything can be viewed as a communications channel, and the opportunities are endless to strengthen the bond between customer and brand. Respected marketer, Prentice Howe walks readers through best practices from industry leaders to learn creative tactics in a way that's ownable to your property's brand story. READ MORE

Another year has come and gone, and hoteliers worldwide are already planning for the months and quarters ahead. Renovations, expansions and overall segment growth will continue to fuel the industry and will gain much attention throughout the year, but it will also be crucial to monitor the constant evolution of today's hotel management environment. Change is upon us, and the ways hoteliers operate more efficiently while driving better revenue is the newest frontier. Take revenue management for example: no longer dictated by gut instincts or stagnant spreadsheets, the practice of revenue management—and the technologies driving it—continues to incorporate new strategies for maximum profitability. Not only are hotel operations more tightly integrated with revenue management technology overall, but that technology is extending to other areas within hospitality as well, enabling hoteliers to take a more holistic revenue approach. But these are just some examples of what to look for in revenue management as we begin a new year. Let's explore a few more. READ MORE

Of all the challenges facing hotel management teams, linen loss may sound minor. Yet wasted linen is a tangible problem that affects a hotel's bottom line. Left unchecked, it can waste hotel resources and create crises that leave guests dissatisfied and staff frustrated. If controlled, it can generate savings, both of money and staff time. When we talk about linen loss in hotels, we're talking about the approximately 15 to 20 percent of linen products that are lost or discarded before the end of their useful life. That adds up. At approximately $250 per room for a four par of basic sheets and towels, linen purchases cost the hospitality industry $1.25 billion per year. If we factor in premium items like duvet covers, pillow shams and bath robes, that estimate goes up to $350 per room or $1.75 billion. That means the cost of replacing lost linen is between $50 and $70 per room, or between $2.5 million and $3.5 million industry-wide. READ MORE

The on-property guest experience represents the fourth-screen in digital marketing. Savvy hoteliers recognize the value of providing a Guest Portal in terms of customer service and revenue potential. It is a practical way to push unique content to guests staying at the hotel and visiting the lobby. Managing and pushing content to a Guest Portal is easy and cost efficient. The main benefit to a Guest Portal is an improved experience for guests. Additionally, the hotel will experience a boost in revenues from on-site amenities such as their restaurant, spa and any on-property promotions. Serving the same experience to guests, regardless of whether they have made the booking or are currently staying at the hotel, is not an effective way to communicate with or make your guests happy. By serving a fourth-screen, or Guest Portal experience, any hotel can offer an improved guest experience which in turn leads to higher review ratings, increased guest satisfaction and repeat bookings. READ MORE

Mobile technology has empowered the hospitality industry to connect with and get to know travelers in an entirely new way, and as of recent, mobile features that enable collection of location related data are among the most popular ways to maximize a mobile strategy. This article discusses the specific trend of geo-fencing and how it can improve a brand or hotel's relationship with guests. READ MORE

This year, 106.3 million people will actually book travel online, and a third of them will book via mobile. This is a powerful statistic that will only continue to grow, and it makes total sense. Travel is a completely mobile experience and it should continue to be. Whether it's using your phone to check for directions, researching dining in the neighborhood or even looking up a local telephone number, the mobile device is always by our sides when we're on the move. This, combined with the increasing number of travelers out there who expect more and more from their travel experiences, is why we work in Guest Relationship Management. Marrying these two together to provide the guest with a travel experience that starts as soon as they've booked and goes on well after check-out is what we do and is what's driving growth in the travel industry. READ MORE

As we witnessed different technologies, such as telephones, cameras, and GPSs, converge into one smart mobile device, what did this convergence bring to the hotel industry? The speed of mobile technology penetration is fascinating, and provides important implications for the lodging industry and the society at large. According to the Pew Research Center, by the beginning of 2014 90% of American adults had a cell phone, and 58% of American adults had a smartphone. Moreover, 63% of adults use their mobile devices to go online, and for 34% of them mobile device is a primarily way of accessing the Internet. Cisco estimated that in 2013 mobile data traffic grew by about 80% over the 2012 mobile data usage, and 18 times exceeded the overall web traffic generated in 2000. READ MORE

I read somewhere that anyone can tell you to exercise more. But matching it to travelers' lifestyles and making it fun forever is hard. That is both the challenge and opportunity for every hotel everywhere in 2014 and beyond. We all want to live longer and better. And with rising health care costs, more of the responsibility to do so falls on our individual shoulders. That's why the media, the government, and business are admonishing us to eat healthier and exercise more. Hotels can be an integral partner in helping their guests maintain fitness as part of their traveling lifestyle. In this article, you'll read about five fabulous fitness trends for your hotel which I call the Fab Fitness Five. READ MORE

Now that everyone has the ability to be an online publisher and reviewer, the story of one person's experience is no longer limited to who they know. Stories can grow into worldwide Internet sensations. There are also no shortages of sites where a guest can express their opinions to other travelers. TripAdvisor leads the pack, but there's also Priceline,Orbitz, Expedia, hotels.com, booking.com, and many other smaller players, not to mention the reviews that pop up on Facebook pages, Google plus, and within Twitter and Instagram streams. READ MORE

Choosing a landscape company can be a daunting task for property managers and owners, and knowing when it's time to switch can be even trickier. But choosing a contractor that can help you make a great first impression to your guests is a mission-critical task. Your landscape is an extension of your brand, so you must identify a landscaper who understands your vision, and quickly part with those who don't. READ MORE

It's a great time to be in revenue management! Demand is up, rates are raising, and the revenue management discipline is getting attention at the highest levels in the organization. After five years of economic growth, organizations are feeling comfortable enough to invest in people and resources to improve decision making. Revenue management has always been at the center of data and technology investment in hotels. In 2015, revenue management has the opportunity to guide organizations to the processes and investments that will make the most impact on revenue and profits. READ MORE

Your customers' behaviors and expectations are changing -- and, unless you react, this is costing you money. You expect customers to pick up the phone, go and thumb-thru an (perhaps) outdated guest services book. Fewer and fewer customers conform to this behavior. This drives customers to pick up their mobile device and browse for information. And once on their mobile devices, the hotelier loses control over the guest experience. But, now you can fight back READ MORE