There is much discussion surrounding new hotel openings, design enhancements, room upgrades, guest perks, etc., all of which contribute to the continual revolutionize of guest experience. The hospitality industry continues to evolve as new trends surface and hotels undergo continual changes not only to accommodate the changing needs and expectations of guests - but to set new standards in how we serve our customers. In this article, I will discuss the emergence of new trends, shift in consumer preferences, and opportunities for continuous innovation to drive results. READ MORE

When a hotel enters financial distress, the prospect that the owner may become personally liable for the property's debts is often a source of substantial concern. This article addresses one potential source of exposure for a hotel's owner: nonrecourse carve-out guaranties, often referred to as “bad boy guaranties.” In some circumstances, a nonrecourse carve-out guaranty can result in liability for the hotel's owner up to the full amount of the hotel's debt. READ MORE

There has been a lot of talk about big data recently. Hotels are struggling to understand what this means for them. Revenue management in particular has always been a data intensive discipline, leading some to argue that revenue management is already solving a big data problem. With new data sources and faster analysis of that data, there are new opportunities in today's dynamic market place to make better pricing decisions faster. In this article, I will outline the opportunities available to revenue management in today's “big data” world and how revenue managers can determine the value that their “big data” provides. READ MORE

While some employee turnover is inevitable and even healthy for an organization, rampant turnover constitutes a challenge for even the best hospitality firms, given the expense and disruption caused when employees leave abruptly and new workers must be brought in and trained. For these reasons, human resources researchers at Cornell and other universities have targeted turnover in numerous studies designed to analyze the specific reasons that employees leave and, more important, identify the levers available for limiting unwanted employee turnover. The available levers include specific methods of employee compensation, paying attention to employees' attitudes (particularly as a group), and allowing employees reasonable flexibility. READ MORE

Managing employee leave and staying on the right side of the law is challenging for employers, especially as federal and state laws continue to be enacted and interpretations of laws change and evolve. Hotel human resources teams must be prepared to recognize when and which law applies to an employee request for leave and manage the leave process. But they can't do their job if the employee's leave request is never brought to their attention or brought to them too late. Employers must train supervisors and managers to recognize requests for leave or attendance issues that may implicate federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act or state laws that provide for leave for a variety of absences such as school visitation, pregnancy or leave for crime victims, to name a few. Hospitality employers should address attendance and leave issues from a centralized decision-making perspective to ensure consistent application of, and possible modification of, relevant company policies. READ MORE

At its pure essence, business is about people. No matter the industry, the product or the service, it is people who make the difference. A business's success stems from aligning people against the organization's strategies. Culture is the soul of alignment, and though it is shaped by leaders, it is nurtured and driven by Human Resource professionals. In her article, Renie Cavallari, CEO and Chief Inspirational Officer of the hospitality training and consulting firm Aspire, presents the findings of 18 years of field research about what works and what doesn't to drive results in business. Her answer? Human development. READ MORE

Collaboration is vital to hotel success and a critical driver of improved operations and more valuable and meaningful customer experiences. But it won't happen on its own and hotel leaders and HR professionals have an important role to play in engaging and connecting employees in new ways so they can share their knowledge, perspectives, and passion for unlocking the real potential in every guest's visit. READ MORE

Just hearing the words "high-maintenance guest" can cause your blood pressure to rise. High-maintenance people come through your door with a barrage of demands and requests; you or your staff can spend hours trying to please them, keeping you from other guests and distracting you to no end. They can show up just about anywhere, from budget and mid-range to boutique and five-star hotels, and not only expect you to put up with their baggage, but carry it too. Can insecure egomaniacs, prima donnas, hypochondriacs, anxiety-ridden artists, temperamental CFOs, fussy elite athletes, divas, and manic-depressive narcissists be customers you can (and actually want to) keep coming back? READ MORE

Leaders in the hospitality industry need to communicate effectively with people from all walks of life. A conscious awareness of the way leaders choose language and how they deliver the words brings about certain affects and effects in people. The way leaders deliver messages is one of the key tactics in reducing stress within the workplace. Stress may improve or impair memory. The improvement or impairment is due to excessive workloads, isolation, lack of communication, and feeling undervalued in professional kitchens. READ MORE

In today's economy, the competition for hotel guests is strong. First impressions are important and a property's curb appeal is one of the first things a guest may notice. Ensuring the property looks its best year round will help draw guests anytime of the year, while quality customer service and generous amenities will encourage guests to return to a property again and again. In the article “Seasonal Color: Effectively keeping color in the landscape year-round,” U.S. Lawns President Ken Hutcheson discusses how to develop a healthy-looking, eye-catching landscape that provides year-round color, setting your property apart from the competition. READ MORE

The development of a number of major trends made 2013 a banner year for green hospitality. New interest in sustainable hotels prompted the debut of three annual green lodging conferences. Realization of the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit has fueled explosive growth of sustainable technology and practices. In this article, we will examine a number of rapidly developing trends that are leading hotel companies to increase their investments in environmental initiatives. READ MORE

Remember when you went to the “Personnel” office to interview or make a change to your benefits? Now you go to “Human Resources”. Did you enter at the “Employee” entrance whereas now you go to the “Team”…“Talent” or “Cast” entrance? More than just the signs on the door have changed. The level of respect, focus, importance and sophistication of the “HR” function has morphed particularly in our industry that is hospitality. READ MORE

While human resources in its inception was traditionally viewed as an administrative function and career option for those with strong soft skills, the expectations of today's HR professionals have transformed significantly in that HR must now have deep business acumen while being fully engaged with organizational strategy and continually focused on identifying innovative ways to deliver value. One of the most effective ways to ensure that members of your HR team are fully grounded in the operations of your business is to hire them from within whenever possible. Growing talent internally will yield you multiple benefits: helping to enhance the credibility of your HR managers; completing work more quickly and efficiently; and strengthening the culture of your organization. READ MORE

Job credentials and employee portfolios are two sides of the same coin. The continued emphasis on professionalism and hiring the optimally competent candidates makes the development of a credential portfolio and important factor in the selection, recruiting and hiring processes. We have often heard about transferable skills, for example, veterans coming out of a branch of the service have gained experiences and training that could be useful in other venues. The issue is, are those skills being valued and do organizations see the transferability of those skills? Job candidates, in the example veterans need to assemble and communicate to prospective employers a portfolio of credentials. A portfolio, which is the collection of an individual's best efforts documented in some way: certificates and more will be the useful when applying for a position and enable employers to match credentials with job responsibilities and objectives. READ MORE

If you think your work should speak for itself then explain to me why so many famous artists were unknown until their death? If you want to be known in this lifetime as a master at your craft then you'll need to learn how to manage up in the top down world of business. HR professionals spend a good deal of time helping people in their organizations get noticed so these employees can receive the recognition and promotion they deserve. If this sounds like you, then it's time to step back for a moment and focus on your own career so you can continue to help others thrive. READ MORE