Experiential marketing offers a way of integrating hotel operations with marketing efforts in order to fit into the modern paradigm of how consumers discover new products as well as how guests broadcast their brand advocacies. In essence, it's a system of integrating the onsite and online property experiences as well as the nurturing of guests so that they can act as pundits on a hotel's behalf. Experiential marketing offers hoteliers a best practices approach to fully exploit a great hospitality experience, turning it all into an engine for lasting results. READ MORE

To avoid landing in court, hotels must stay on top of the latest rules and regulations. In January, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued new guidelines for tips and service charges. In addition to the IRS' new rules, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which issues standards for the basic minimum wage and overtime pay, has a separate set of guidelines for service workers, which if not followed, makes the hotel industry vulnerable for lawsuits. Since each state has its own laws regarding service charges and tipping, hotel operators must ensure that they are compliant with their state regulations to avoid legal issues. READ MORE

For the hotel industry, 2014 may well go down as the year of rebranding. This is in response to the intense competition and the need to cater to a new audience: the millennials. To ensure a successful transition, properties should consider business and legal implications to avoid costly time-consuming problems especially intellectual property issues. To those unfamiliar with legal jargon, it boils down to creating and protecting strong trademarks, trade dress, and an effective web presence. These are essential to debranding and rebranding to give a brand a competitive edge in the ever-growing hotel industry. READ MORE

Thanks to the compromises that brought about the failed social experiment of Prohibition in 1936, the laws governing the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the U.S. are a patchwork quilt that vary wildly and widely from state to state. Federal law lays over this patchwork of state laws to create a layered web and, together, state and federal laws make alcohol one of the most heavily regulated - if not the most heavily regulated - consumer-oriented products available at retail without a prescription in the world. READ MORE

How do you use social media to encourage your current and prospective guests in different countries to engage with your hotel brand? It's a question that is hard enough to answer for a social media program in one country, let alone for multiple countries across the globe. Emil Atanassov, general manager, Asia Pacific at Sajan, lends his expert insight into all aspects of fostering multilingual conversations—and hotel brand loyalty—among guests. Learn best practices on everything from responding to messages in near real time using machine translation to personalizing your engagement strategy for each target audience. READ MORE

The United States Green Building Council estimates that buildings account for approximately (“~”) 38% of carbon emissions, ~14% of potable water consumption, ~30% of waste output, ~40% of raw materials, and a significant portion of our energy consumption. In California, roughly 19% of all energy consumed is for water treatment and pumping for human consumption. These numbers hold true for hotels, resorts, and casinos in warm climates. Maximizing sustainability in a hotel, resort, or casino property takes time and a considerable upfront capital investment. Detailed, below, are some reasons why sustainable measures are a “must” in the nation's hospitality market. READ MORE

2014 has been a big year for the hospitality industry as a whole. Business is improving, and many hoteliers are seeing larger Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) gains than they have in several years. Technology has played a critical role in the effort to grow revenue while simultaneously managing rising costs, and it will continue to be an important part of changes in the industry as we enter the new year. READ MORE

How much is a good customer experience worth? Some might argue that it is priceless. Most will agree that the holistic brand experience can make or break effective customer engagement. But will consumers pay more for an amazing experience? Recent data on this subject indicates that consumers do indeed make decisions based on factors other than price. According to a CEI Survey, 86% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience. But only 1% of customers feel that vendors consistently meet their expectations. READ MORE

Generating customer loyalty in hospitality is a surefire way to drive sales and revenue, as guests tend to remain dedicated to certain hotels based on positive experiences. However, what it means to have a positive customer experience at a hotel has been transforming as of late, and marketing and sales must keep up with new customer expectations to stay competitive. Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, an unbiased, voice of the customer loyalty marketer's association, explores the new landscape of loyalty in his piece “The Loyalty Renaissance: Navigating New Expectations to Deliver an Exceptional Experience in Hospitality.” With expert insight and examples from hotels doing it right, Johnson delivers a must-read piece for anyone implementing a loyalty program in the hospitality industry. READ MORE

There is no question that we will see a tremendous explosion in the use of strategic content marketing in the relatively near future. With the proliferation of mobile devices, and the growth in all things Internet, people will be connecting anywhere, any time. So your brand message had better be ready and able to inform interestingly, entertainingly and with relevance 24/7. This takes what I am dubbing the 5 Cs of Kontent is King. In this article, you'll see how your these 5 Cs can help your hotel develop an effective content marketing strategy for guests and prospective guests alike. READ MORE

The old saying that “everyone's money is green here” might seem like true hospitality in action, but for a marketer with limited resources, it's a recipe for failure. Clearly defining target markets means identifying who we believe will respond first and most often to our concept. However, it also means consciously acknowledging that we can't be everything to everyone for every occasion. Demographics alone are no longer sufficient and marketers must deeply know their guests. Initially, this process can seem time consuming, but it can ultimately lead to stronger brand loyalty and the generation of greater revenue at a lesser cost. READ MORE

Major events provide a unique opportunity for hoteliers a chance to increase their revenue potential and improve ongoing financial stability. However, more often than not many Hotel Owners and Hotel Managers fail to recognize the need for 'pre-event' planning. Without a proper level of planning prior to an actual event, hoteliers may find themselves overwhelmed by the patronage they experience when the event begins. Similarly, without effective marketing and sales strategies in place in the lead up to the actual event, hoteliers may find they do not reach their full patronage potential that they had originally hoped for. READ MORE

As the wider hospitality industry continues to face a prolonged period of economic uncertainty, hotels should be looking inwards during this time with a view to protecting and making the most out of their intellectual capital. Whilst many organizations are wisely using this current economic downturn to adequately plan for the future through improved levels of staff investment, many others are not heeding the warning signs and are instead shedding costs wherever possible. READ MORE

As the wider hospitality industry continues to face a slow recovery, savvy hotel owners and managers should be looking inwards during this time with a view to ensuring that the technology they use to help run their facilities are best suited for the roles they have to perform. Whilst many international hotel organizations have used the economic downturn to adequately plan for the future through improved levels of technology and staff investment, many others are not heeding the warning signs and are instead shedding costs wherever possible - which can lead to disastrous consequences. READ MORE

In this period of uncertainty, how is a hotel to set long term strategies for 2010 and beyond? Who can predict how next year's economy is going to shape up and when demand is going to return if even the world's best economists are having difficulties predicting global economies for the next few months. Savy owners, operators and managers therefore should not only push back on dooms-day scenarios but put in place two key strategies for a successful 2010... READ MORE