Training at five-star resorts around the world offers a window seat into the more-refined sector of creativity and the achievements of those who are constantly striving to enthrall guests—guests with ever-rising expectations driven largely by access to an ever-expanding field promising and delivering equally exceptional experiences—and so move beyond merely satisfied guests into the heady domain of delighted guests who return again and again, friends in tow. The following anecdotal observations of effective initiatives being undertaken at the sumptuous end of hospitality are just that: neither official and sanctioned statements nor measured analyses with scientific conclusions; they do, however, have the advantage of a cross-chain perspective filtered through the prism of a butler's luxury service mindset—with the same basic stresses and initiatives being relevant, equally, to three- and four-star environments. READ MORE

Who do you work for? It might not be who you think. In fact, who you think you work for might actually work for you. Hierarchies and the good 'ole chain of command aren't gone, they're just better understood. I'm not saying your Human Resources department is useless (mainly because the Legal Department won't let me) rather, I'm simply proposing that the Human Resources department is unnecessary. Just think about all the time we'd save writing job descriptions and interviewing unqualified candidates if every team member at your hotel knew what they had to do. And, they did it happily. If you work in, near or around a hospitality venue, this is your job description: Everyone works for the guest or someone who is and, yes, that means you. READ MORE

Maintaining excellent guest relations is a vital way to boost customer loyalty and brand recognition. But often this practice is watered down to niceties and small talk with guests, and nothing to really spark a genuine connection. To propel these relationships to the point where consumers will actually form an emotional bond with a hotel, the concept of guest mentorship can act as a precision tool. In essence, it involves taking on the role of teacher in order to satisfy guests' inner desires for meaningful life experiences. READ MORE

In the hospitality industry, getting heads in beds is directly related to guest satisfaction - one of the foremost services focused on to generate revenue and high return rates. From the moment a guest inquires about a potential visit, whether online or by phone, staff need to be on point and equipped with the proper information to answer any and all incoming questions. Furthermore, the hotel industry cannot afford to lose engagement with guests while on property or following their visit because of the large competition and desire for brand and experience loyalty. READ MORE

In a highly competitive and increasingly commoditized environment, many hoteliers feel that delivering a more personalized guest experience will be the differentiator, and recent research backs up this claim. With more guest data available than ever before, and the emerging technologies to capture, comprehend and act on that data, this vision is coming close to reality. The hotel company that is able to turn all of the data about guests and operations into improvements in the guest experience will win. Revenue management and pricing has a key role in this initiative, ensuring that personalization is delivered profitably. READ MORE

The dynamics of hotel pricing has always been a classic case of cat & mouse game - where the hoteliers have to balance the see-saw every minute on several factors. How do you balance the see-saw of high season vs. low season, an exorbitant rate vs. customer loyalty, price optimization vs. revenue optimization, inventories vs. competitive pricing? Hotel pricing has always been a never ending roulette for an hotelier. It is increasingly clear that hotel industry is moving towards Dynamic Pricing as hoteliers can now assess online rate performance and see how they can change their prices more frequently to increase revenue, all thanks to the competitive benchmarking tools available in the marketplace. The question that requires more discussion though is how should a hotel respond to unusual events in town? READ MORE

From devastating fires and employee theft to the major liability exposure associated with food contamination and serving alcohol, food and beverage operations present some of a hotel's most significant risks. Hotel executives can limit their exposure by implementing a thorough risk management program with proven safety and training initiatives, as well as by ensuring they have adequate insurance coverage for all their food and beverage risks. The result can be a safe and profitable food and beverage operation that provides value and pleasure for guests. READ MORE

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, Vine, Instagram, SnapChat, Linkedin, YouTube, Flickr, Tumblr. Trying to keep up with the news, trends, and changes in social media can seem like walking through a bazaar with merchants calling out to you to get your attention. It can feel overwhelming and intimidating. You know your brand needs to be social, but your resources are limited and you need to find a way to focus on how to get what you need for the least cost and effort. If you start by knowing what you want to achieve followed by what is available to you, it all becomes much more manageable.  READ MORE

The hospitality industry welcomes and needs to be creative and innovative to continue its survival, more so with its talent. Hospitality and customer service are very important to seeing a brand experience become efficient in the market. We do need to do our best to improve and keep retention rates of employees as high as possible. If not we risk not hitting realistic figures in our financial statement, because if there is inconsistency, in the workplace and day to day operations, then the guest will ultimately have to pay the ultimate price. READ MORE

With the high cost of working with OTAs and the growing challenge of acquiring your own new customers, hotels are quickly realizing that they need to focus their efforts on driving customer satisfaction and capturing guests' attention and loyalty at every stage of the travel process, from inspiration to post travel. By focusing on driving guest satisfaction, you improve your chances of having guests book directly with your hotel during the inspiration phase of travel or when they return to your city in the future. With the distraction of mobile devices, social networks and the always-connected nature of life today, engaging guests and forging strong connections isn't always easy. But to be successful, hoteliers need to figure out how they can drive the highest satisfaction possible, whether pre, during or post stay. This article covers some best practices for driving guest satisfaction at every stage of the travel cycle. READ MORE

Customer Service Magic: How Other Industries Make it Happen. For years, our industry has been providing the model for outstanding customer service. The proliferation of concierges is just one example. Let's turn the tables and take a page or two from companies in other industries! This article explores what two service superstars are doing to create unique customer experiences. Their commonalities include generating positive emotions in their customers, strategic use of technology and an insistence on authentically warm, friendly personal contact. Basic principles, when applied creatively, make satisfied customers into loving fans. For more of the latter, other's tricks of the trade can be leveraged to our great advantage. READ MORE

At Market Metrix, we've worked with hundreds of brands. We've noticed that the brands with the highest levels of loyalty and retention have something in common: a clear understanding of who they are and who they are trying to serve. They know what part of the market they own. They have an attitude and provide a unique, memorable experience to their guests. Here are a few examples: READ MORE

Food sourcing is a fundamental to our industry as hoteliers, and food supply has developed to be a sophisticated machine subject to the influences of international politics, monetary policy, weather trends in local, international, and long-term climate change theaters, biotechnology, risk management, consumer perception and preference, and domestic and international regulations. How do transgenic foods fit into this symphony, and what does it mean for our industry? What is the impact if we require non-GMO foods, or if we accept GMO foods? READ MORE

Despite a continuing economic recovery, many properties are experiencing a reported “pricing ceiling,” which is stifling their ability to maximize ADR. While some fault commoditization for the creation of this ceiling, the truth is that most guests are still willing to pay higher rates for enhanced value and a better stay experience. What determines whether a hotel can successfully upsell however, is its ability to clearly communicate the benefits of that enhanced value to the guest. Done correctly, an upselling program incentivizes employees and equips them with the necessary skills, ensuring both increased guest satisfaction and true long-term growth and profitability. READ MORE

The focus on "customer loyalty" by most hotels most of the time is little more than generating repeat customers, something which a well-executed hotel experience should result in anyway. In brands, customer loyalty results in guests staying at other hotels within the brand family, a good and valuable outcome. But for smaller hotels, a loyal customer is a much more important and complex prize. True loyalty, the kind of loyalty that results in guests evangelizing your hotel and feeling personally proud of your success, should be the goal of independent hotels and small chains. This article discusses what this loyalty really is and how to achieve it. READ MORE