Hotels in many locations have adopted sustainable practices, and many have achieved certification through such programs as ISO 14001 and U.S. Energy Star. At the same time, some industry practitioners remain concerned about the cost and market acceptance of sustainable practices. Researchers investigating these issues have found that guests are, on balance, responding favorably to hotels' sustainability practices—albeit not always by paying higher room rates—and certain aspects of sustainability certification are beneficial for hotel operation and finances. In particular, ISO 14001 certification has been found to be useful as a tool that improves hotel efficiency. READ MORE

With all due respect to my favorite Muppet, being green has never been easier. Whether its single stream recycling hitting your neighborhood or building and operating greener hotels, green is the new black when it comes to colors that make everything appear slimmer. Some of my colleagues in the hotel industry will likely insist that green development fattens the cost of construction, but frankly, the argument is as old and out-of-date as the mullet some of us sported in the 70s. Truth be told, green building practices and attaining LEED certification is reasonably easy, cost effective, forward thinking and simply the right thing to do. READ MORE

Sustainability. Reducing Your Carbon Footprint. Greening Your Property. Environmental responsibility. No matter how you phrase it, the movement to embrace environmentally conscience practices is no longer a fad; it is a fact, that almost no lodging facility can continue to ignore. As conscientious hospitality professionals, we must make changes to our operations that ensure our business is environmentally friendly. Most hotel companies large and small started these efforts years ago. Towel and linen reuse programs, recycling plans, energy efficiencies, and other simple steps to show our guests that we were mindful about how our company affects the world. As time passes and we need to deeply ingrain these programs to reduce our carbon footprint into our operations, how do owners and operators ensure that they are seeing the greener $ide of sustainability? READ MORE

Not only do Meta-Reviews provide travelers with a trusted overview of a hotel, but now all of this big data from reviews is structured. This means that it becomes simple to set up searches and filter results for hotels that fit a traveler's specific criteria. So, for example, if I am looking for a family friendly hotel with clean rooms and a central location in Bangkok, I could search for only hotels that fit those exact requirements. It creates a more personalized experience during the search-shop-buy process by giving travelers the chance to drill down to the most relevant results in the least amount of time. READ MORE

Breathing is such a fundamental, autonomic physiological process. We never have to think about it. That is precisely the reason why most of us breathe in a way that is counterproductive to optimum performance and stress resilience. In this article, we will elaborate a little more on the importance of proper breathing and explore a simple technique, very easy to implement, to teach hospitality employees to get their Zen anywhere, anytime in almost any situation. READ MORE

All hotel owners and operators are interested in cutting costs without compromising on guest satisfaction, and many of them also have adopted or are considering sustainability programs. A focused effort to reduce energy and water consumption and costs is good for the planet, good for the bottom line of a hotel or portfolio of hotels, and is the aspect of a sustainability program that typically delivers a measurable ROI. An energy or utilities portal is a web - based information and reporting platform that brings cost cutting and sustainability tracking together. This article will help hotel executives and general managers think about their utility information in a new way, a way that can provide meaningful insights into improving their profitability. READ MORE

When is it time to change the face and the direction of your hotel in order to stay open? What we have learned during the economic downturn of a few years ago can still be put to good use today. In today's day and age, hotel operators must analyze themselves and their surroundings in order to remain successful. This article uncovers what some hoteliers are doing in order to stay relevant within their neighborhoods, amongst their target guests, and within their perceived position in the market. As businesses, hotels must consider trends within these categories to ensure they continue to flourish READ MORE

This article focuses on customer service training at the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong, a Marriott property on the island. Bringing in outside consultants, training at the Renaissance is designed to encourage employees to exceed customer expectations by making emotional connections with customers. This attention to detail leads to a high loyalty rate, a higher average room rate than competitors, and higher profitability. READ MORE

Innovation has always played a significant role in making Wyndham Worldwide a leader in the hospitality industry, and has been behind much of the growth across the Company over the past few years. The continued dedication, ingenuity, and tenacity of our associates has helped drive us forward. In fact, our chairman and chief executive officer Stephen P. Holmes, leads an Innovation Council that recognizes and rewards individuals and teams for their achievements in developing new initiatives that advance the Company. READ MORE

Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite authors. As I recall, I was wandering around an airport one day with some free time (as a frequent flyer this happens on just about every trip) when I picked up a copy of The Tipping Point. After reading The Tipping Point it became imperative that I read Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. I have recently added David and Goliath to my "to read" list. But, this isn't a book review. It's really a discussion about a Tipping Point that (in my humble opinion- IMHO) has been reached in the lodging industry. A definition for a Tipping Point is as follows: The point at which the buildup of minor incidents reaches a level that causes someone to do something they had formerly resisted READ MORE

Sustainability is a prerequisite for the continued growth and profitability of the hospitality industry. Most hotel companies today have integrated operational practices to reduce their carbon footprint, realizing economic and marketing benefits. Efforts to reduce water, waste, energy and chemicals are now an industry standard. However, for long and short term financial success the industry needs to go beyond these reductions and create sustainable initiatives and programs that support and preserve local communities and traditions, and regional icons as well as the natural environment. READ MORE

Nearly 90,000 hospitality and leisure workers had a nonfatal occupational injury or illness in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 26,500 of those injuries involved workers who fell, slipped, or tripped while on the job and missed days of work as a result. Workplace injuries can be costly in terms of out-of-pocket expenses, lost productivity and potentially higher insurance premiums. A recent survey by EMPLOYERS® found that 35 percent of small businesses cite workplace safety as one of the top risks they worry about. By investing proactively in safety programs and training, hotels can not only reduce workplace accidents, but potentially increase employee retention and improve work productivity. READ MORE

We are currently in a digital age. The proliferation of new technologies and the uptake of them by guests is changing the booking landscape so quickly that even technological adept hospitality managers can find it difficult to keep up. The biggest change in recent years has been the rise and heightening reliance on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as the social media apps offered on these devices, which are available at any time in any location. The transformation in the use of technology is also turning traditional sales, marketing and revenue management on its head and demanding a more holistic approach to how hotels run their business and interact with consumers. READ MORE

Hospitality companies are faced with almost endless opportunities to pick up customer feedback. But collecting feedback isn't like it used to be. New technology has changed how we communicate and offers an expanding array of options. As a result, customers have embraced different technologies and ways to connect with each other. So how do you reach all of your customers? No single method of collecting guest feedback works with all guests. By using a combination of feedback methods - email and mobile surveys, contacts during the guest stay, facility usage data and even simple observation - your company can get a complete picture of your entire customer mix. READ MORE

A hotel is more than a building. It's a place. It should not be viewed as a commodity but rather a distinct buying proposition with meaningful benefits. By creating and delivering the right kinds of experiences it can accomplish that mission and be transformed from merely a physical space to a dynamic destination and, as a result, become the preferred spot for guests and travelers. The key to doing this is to develop an “experience framework” that details the proposed positioning of the hotel. Once established, the various contributors and property attributes should individually and collectively align and reinforce the experience proposed. READ MORE