Social media platforms provide low cost marketing avenues that assist in optimizing a brand's online visibility, and are now a major component of any digital marketing campaign to promote a hotel property within the visitor's domain. Hotel brands are utilizing the online social sphere to shape brand image, bring added value to the product and put cordial customer service at the forefront of the guest experience for both prospective and loyal clientele. Looking forward, this article discusses innovative strategic marketing techniques worth executing with the aim of remaining competitive and capitalizing on an international audience of prospective bookers arriving via social media. READ MORE

Hospitality development today often involves a mix of different uses, including traditional hotel uses, residential, commercial and other ancillary and specialty real estate products. Art Spaulding takes a look at the issues facing the developer planning a mixed use project, including how to approach the evaluation of the project¹s zoning in relation to the individual components to be included within the development. Further, Mr. Spaulding examines the benefits of structuring such a project as a condominium in light of the flexibility presented by that structure in relation to the separate sale, leasing and financing of the various components of such a project. READ MORE

Customer Experience Management is more than a department; it is an approach to how the hotel or resort is managed. CEM encompasses everything. The way in which customers experience the brand or hotel determines the success of the business. The opportunity is for hotel managers to view CEM strategically by focusing on each of the nine separate opportunities to influence the way future guests, current guests and past guests experience the hotel; and by creatively designing a relevant mix of the six different types of experiences. This strategic approach to CEM results in building emotional bonds between customers and the brand, ensuring guest are delighted, demonstrate loyalty and become advocates. READ MORE

No business has been unaffected by the economic downturn of the last few years. Most often, the state of the economy IS the state of the hospitality industry. Though the current recovery of hotel industry, overall, has been stronger than that of most businesses. PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says as the US economy inched forward, the travel segment experienced a “robust recovery.” In 2011, PwC reports, the hotel industry experienced an 8.2 percent increase in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), just 2 years after it reported a 17 percent dip. READ MORE

The world has never moved more quickly than it does at this very moment, and we can certainly expect the pressure to grow. This increasing need for speed may be the only constant in an ever-changing world with distractions and various new obstacles in our way. The companies that succeed in today's economy will be those that can adjust their cultures from the contentment of the status quo to a sense of urgency. But how do we kick-start a sense of urgency? How do we communicate the need for change? How do we continue to fan the flames of urgency and avoid resting on the laurels of success? We will explore the ways in which to react to this stark reality, and how to propel ourselves from a state of inertia into one of perpetual motion. READ MORE

I recall when I was getting my feet wet in the lodging industry, how we had so many changes in ownership/management, and how each new manager had a different strategy/approach to position the hotel and it's the brand according to the local market and also, the levels of service it provided. This was a very confusing panorama for staff members, as well as for external customers. Does this sound very familiar to your operation? Let's discuss further experiences and solutions on how to position our properties appropriately, ensuring that we are on the right track to viable operating levels. READ MORE

Networks are getting increasingly more crowded, with the skyrocketing adoption rate of smartphones and other wireless devices. Wi Fi offloading has become one of the best ways to address this issue: users are finding that switching to Wi-Fi delivers a better user experience with faster data speeds. Additionally, many applications are available only over a Wi-Fi network, and devices are increasingly being designed with Wi-Fi in mind. What can hotels do to address this? How can they leverage new options such as Wi-Fi offloading to their advantage, for new revenue streams and to increase guest loyalty? READ MORE

With Stakeholders demanding sustained bottom line performance even while there is growth in the number of hotel properties it becomes a tightrope walk for group CEOs to deliver. The additions to the portfolio may not add to the bottom line enough, dragging down group profit numbers. In other words, when newer hotel properties become operational in a group, whether the newcomers are "above" or "below" the group average profits is crucial. Further, the timing of the newer hotel property openings is critical. Thus not only the composition of the portfolio but also the timing of the additions needs to be strategically planned. Group Hotel CEOs have their work cut out for them. READ MORE

In many ways, the hotel industry in Asia is setting the pace for reaching a global customer base. A particular trend in this region that many hoteliers are experimenting with has to do with a world-sweeping technology-localized mobile applications. Asia has the highest potential for mobile growth in the world; at the same time, an increasing number of international travelers are expecting personalized service with the swipe of their fingers on their mobile devices. How are today's hotels in Asia addressing this need? And what is involved in localizing a mobile application for multinational and multilingual audiences? As more businesses become savvy in this arena, we are seeing more exciting developments in marketing and technology as global hotels expand into additional markets. READ MORE

In today's world, it is important now, more than ever, for each individual hotel to carve out a name for itself to help distinguish the brand from its competitors. At Hilton Garden Inn, the brand is dedicated to achieving success by cultivating key relationships with key internal and external players. By providing a brand promise to provide assurance for both employees and consumers, employing proper training for team members, staying on top of industry trends and adapting to suit consumer wants and needs, Hilton Garden Inn shares some best practices when it comes to growing a brand inside and out. READ MORE

The purpose of a recent Market Metrix global hotel study was to analyze the reasons why guests select a particular hotel or casino. The results offer insight into the current behavior of guests around the globe and market opportunities for companies who have a deeper understanding of guest preferences and decision making. This study is based on results from the Global Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI), and includes surveys responses from 40,000 American, European, and Asian travelers during 2012. We focused on several questions that ask guests why they selected a particular hotel or casino on their most recent visit (refer to insert for more information about the MMHI). READ MORE

Prior to the digital age, traditional market research practices involved collecting consumer data mainly either by mail, telephone or in person. The arrival of the internet, however, revolutionized how consumer data was collected, and now, the online channel is a key driving force behind most consumer initiated feedback and behavior. Today, companies have access to more data about their customers than ever before, and therefore have the opportunity to not only improve their product offering, but also to personalize their brand experience both online and in the hotel. READ MORE

Online reviews have yielded an interesting by-product, a wealth of data about customer preferences. Historically hotels have relied on surveys to ascertain levels of customer satisfaction and find areas for improvement, but customer sentiment from public reviews can provide a more detailed view of how to please customers. Learn how sentiment analysis can overcome the bias from traditional surveys, by evaluating customer driven feedback rather than customer responses. See how hotels are shifting focus away from surveys to reviews and improving operations, creating detailed incentives for managers, and getting closer to customers. READ MORE

How can an esoteric African philosophy affect best practices in customer service and guest-experience management? Customer-service thought leader, Holly Stiel, defines Ubuntu - a humanistic philosophy based on the interconnectedness of all humanity. With an emphasis on its profound and practical implications for business, she differentiates between transactional and interactional relationships, presenting a strong case for the latter. Ms. Stiel also describes how Ubuntu creates a strong foundation for diversity training. As an underpinning for a hotel's hiring and educational practices, a culture based on Ubuntu enriches the lives of both guests and staff, which cannot help but boost the bottom line. READ MORE

For many operators in the hospitality industry, it makes sense that a constant focus on the property's fitness amenity would be unlikely given the balance of priorities. However, as we all know, guest expectations as they relate to an offering in fitness continue to grow each and every year. Because it is clear that the fitness center is a frequent part of the guest experience for many, its critical to gain a solid understanding of the fundamentals every property must attend to regardless of the size or stature of the space. READ MORE