The scope of gaming's impact on the hotel industry depends upon whom you ask. If you're a mom and pop independent, a small franchisee, or you operate Disney (or another company where gaming can have a negative impact on your bottom line), you would most likely conclude that casinos are threats and/or competitors. That potentially includes competition for clientele, direct revenue, and indirect revenue. As you'll read in our expert panelists' comments, for example, lost convention revenue is a significant piece of this equation. READ MORE

When used effectively, hoteliers will find paid search advertising to be one of the most efficient and effective marketing tools in order to reach the right person at the right time. Today, paid search plays a role throughout all phases of the vacation planning process. One of the most valuable aspects of search advertising is the ability to understand consumer intent and to cater efforts accordingly. READ MORE

Hospitality has a glamour or cachet unlike any other form of real estate, even high-end retail. Partnered with communities and appealing to demanding and sophisticated guests, each hotel property has the dynamics of a small city. Thus, investing in, owning and managing a hotel property can be an exhilarating journey. The key to success is to enjoy the experience, while paying careful attention to choices and decisions that must be made along the entire chain of investment and management. The result can be strong daily operations and competitive posture, in addition to enhanced asset value and return on investment. In this article, we will review in list format some of the key investment and management strategies that go into maximizing the value of a hotel property. In doing so, we will consider the areas of investment and financing, business operations, and management and the competitive environment. Clearly, the factors discussed are not meant to be all-inclusive, but, rather, will focus on common threads we find running through hotel investment, management and valuation. READ MORE

"Been there... done that," seems to be the modem of today. "Same old, same old”, but why? It is easy to look outside of the box and be creative. Bring the beach, a concert feel or Latin beat into your dreams of the perfect wedding. Put your nuptials on another level and give your family and friends an event the will be talking about for years to come. READ MORE

Investing in our culinary leaders will give us more strength and depth and a better future. As a chef, learning is exciting as well as the opportunity to attend a prestigious culinary campus for a full immersion program. This is an amazing opportunity for ongoing education not to be afraid of. Attention to our highly specialized field intrigues our servers and line cooks who aspire to one day have our job. There is nothing better than a company that invests in its culinary program with a partnership at a culinary school. The respective property of the chef now has another tool in its kit for marketing and local public relations that can champion the chef's extended educational pursuit and qualifications. READ MORE

Baby Boomers are running hotels and restaurants where they're facing an increasing number of guests from the Millennial generation: twenty- and thirty-something, technology-savvy users of social media who are ready to tell the world about their experiences at your business. There are more than 80 million Millennials in the United States and their purchasing power reaches $200 billion. Millennials are - right now and for the years to come - our customers. If we don't learn their habits, likes and dislikes and if we don't please them, we risk losing them to businesses that are willing to do so. READ MORE

The term “Farm to Table” was created back in the 1970's by chef Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Since then, the term has become popularized across the country in restaurants and dining establishments. The “farm to table” movement has now become the norm across the nation and the restaurant and hospitality industry has made it a point to implement local and sustainable practices into their establishments. People are now paying attention to where their food is coming from when they serve it at home, and they expect the same thoughtfulness to be applied while on vacation or out to dinner. READ MORE

In the years following the recession, travelers, both business and leisure, have increasingly gravitated toward more casual, “live like a local” experiences, and away from formal and elitist environments. It is important for hotel executives to consider how this trend can be applied to on-site food and beverage concepts. Creating a comfortable, come-as-you-are environment in restaurants frequented by transient customers means achieving an inviting atmosphere without trading down on quality and overall sophistication. When done correctly, a casual food & beverage concept that delivers exceptional and authentic experiences to visiting guests and locals alike can be a huge boon to hotel businesses. READ MORE

Any hotel that has a high revenue-generating website and a strong digital marketing strategy that drives direct online bookings needs a great hotel digital marketing agency behind it. It's challenging to find a good digital marketing partner these days. As more and more companies join the market as 'experts in hotel website design and digital marketing,' hoteliers are faced with a difficult decision. With serious revenues at stake, here are some questions to consider when deciding on who to partner with, or whether or not to stay with your current agency. READ MORE

An increasing number of hotels are responding to growing global demand for health and wellness and are catering to the physical and psychological needs of guests while promising enhanced wellbeing - benefits that visitors can take home when the holiday is over. A far cry from more traditional vacations spent lounging on a beach or poolside chair. Westin hotels, for example, recently launched a Well-Being Movement and even Las Vegas's MGM Hotel has Stay-Well rooms. This article focuses on this trend and spotlights certain hotels around the world and the specific services they are providing for the growing number of health-conscious visitors. READ MORE

The word “engage” has several definitions. However the one that best fits our objective as hotel owners is “”to get and keep someone's attention or interest.” In order to do this we must create experiences that first gain our guests' attention. We then must also implement them successfully. If we do these things effectively we draw our guests back time and again. At the same time, we can build a network of advocates. These supporters can become our fans and will attest to the fact that our hotel is much more than a merely a place to stay. READ MORE

Is anyone else nervous leaving their mobile phone behind, in a locker, all by itself, TURNED OFF, when having a spa treatment? I know I should not be, but I am. Spa goers have traditionally visited with the intent to disconnect, to unplug if you will. At Hard Rock our goal for the Rock Spa experience is meant to plug you in, amp you up and maybe even turn you on. We began our re-tool from this perceptive. Times have changed and many spa operators have not evolved as technology and hospitality brands have. To this end we went about seeking to discover a new way forward to enliven the senses, instill wellbeing and infuse the spirit of rock and roll into our newly envisioned experience. Our objective was stated to energize and excite - we want guests to leave our bespoke treatments ready to hit the dance floor and show the rest of the band how it's done. Rock Spa is where Zen meets Zeppelin. READ MORE

When you think of “wellness,” what comes to mind? A “healthy” hotel room? A holistic spa treatment? Vegan offerings on your restaurant menu? A morning yoga class? The word “wellness” is ubiquitous. Marketers are spreading “wellness” as thick as organic hummus on a vast array of consumer products, services and experiences. But has this word lost its impact, and heaven forbid—its cachet for the traveler? Is wellness…”over”? READ MORE

According to the International SPA Association (ISPA) 2013 U.S. Spa Industry study conducted by PwC, 72 percent of American hotel and resort spas in 2012 offered 30-minute treatments. This figure shows how hotels are rapidly equipping themselves to cater to the spa needs of business guests. Business travelers are typified by little time and higher-than-average levels of stress - and spas need to adapt to their demands for short, simple, efficient and results-oriented treatments. Spa guests traveling on business are looking to find a balance they can squeeze into short breaks between meetings, presentations and travel time, and spas everywhere must learn to be flexible, customizable, succinct, connected, knowledgeable and memorable in order to attract and retain this increasingly important market. READ MORE

Getting the most out of employees has always challenged employers, and hospitality employers are no different in this regard. It is particularly difficult in today's highly regulated business environment with changing employee attitudes. But, in the hospitality industry, squeezing out the very best performance from employees can dramatically impact guest satisfaction and ultimately profitability. Performance management is not just about dealing with poor performers. Instead, as explained in more detail in his article, it is a holistic process that begins with getting the right people, setting employee expectations, coaching employees to deliver efficient, high quality service and terminating the employment of the poor performers or employees who do not fit into the organization. READ MORE