What is the necessary data or benchmarks to use in order to improve or simply gauge the performance of a hotel spa? Firstly, the percentage of in-house clients that use the spa facilities which is the “capture rate”. These percentages vary based on the type of hotel and can be quite different from one another. Understanding that the hotel clients' primary reason(s) to be there does not always include the need for spa treatments; therefore spa services must be attractive enough so that the clientele will want to patronize the spa. The percentage of retail sales compared to treatment sales is also extremely important to identify how well a spa is performing. This article will provide further details about some of the most important benchmarking metrics to use for hotel spa operations. READ MORE

Hotel property ownership and hotel management leadership in china has been a hot topic in the past few years, and there have been many meetings and discussions amongst foreign managers and with local leadership about how to build and operate a hotel or spa business. Most Chinese business owners have no history or knowledge about the hospitality industry and have therefore a lack of interest or understanding of what to do with a hotel. However, due to the increasing demand of quality of products and services across all industries in china this industry will also need to undergo some re-education, change in leadership and adjustments in business regulations, in order to be on par with the international market. READ MORE

In general, hotel managers are not comfortable making strategic decisions in times of rapid and uncertain changes. Most decision-makers have some feel about the occurrence of future events that range from a high degree of confidence to a vague and ill-defined level of discomfort. Change can actually be segmented into two components - anticipated and unanticipated. If change consisted only of anticipated components, then there would be little if any risk involved for the hotel. It is the unanticipated component that is the source of risk. Not knowing what the future will hold that strikes fear into managers. The challenge, then, is to make sure that any risk the hotel takes is a calculated risk. While this sounds easier said than done, there are several techniques you can use to minimize risk. In this article, you'll learn the top three. READ MORE

Points based programs will always have a role in a hotel's overall loyalty marketing strategy, but the true value of the programs is in the behavioral rich transactional detail that can give marketers insight into the attitudes, preferences and opinions of their customers. Using this data to create strategic and tactical marketing programs is a must for success and differentiation. READ MORE

In today's fast-paced and technology-loaded business and personal environment we often forget that it is human beings who are experiencing our services. There are so many articles, websites, resources that help companies promote and market their services through technology. We hear all the time - Do you have an app for that? But there's no app to replace customer service in human interaction. As important as it is to be at the cutting-edge with the technology that supports and advances your business, in the end it's the PEOPLE, your customers, and what they experience that matters. Human interaction, feeling good and safe cannot be replaced with any app. READ MORE

Do you feel like the way you're selling lately isn't as effective as, say, two or three years ago? You're not alone. What's going on out there, and what can suppliers do about it? Shawna Suckow, CMP, a 20-year veteran planner and author of Planner Pet Peeves, sheds light on what planners are thinking these days, and why they're cutting themselves off from suppliers who use traditional marketing methods. It's not a numbers game anymore - suppliers have to use the tools that planners clearly respond to, and those tools have changed. READ MORE

Every minute of every day millions of people are online sharing all kinds of information, from family news to opinions on global issues to comments on where they stayed recently. In fact, travelers are talking about your hotel on an onslaught of travel sites such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity and ever-prevalent social media channels like YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. With the growing importance of real time media, it is critical to keep in mind that what you say and what is said about your hotel can impact not just your reputation, but also your bottom line. READ MORE

International social media. Despite the benefits, it's a field that very few hotel marketers are exploring due to the perceived—and actual—landmines. Interacting with diverse foreign audiences on social networks potentially means world-spanning customer engagement, increased online search rankings and ultimately higher booking revenue. While it entails some unique challenges, taking your social program global is achievable. From preserving your brand's identity across multiple languages and social platforms to interacting with multilingual fans in near-real time, international social media requires careful planning and localization know-how. READ MORE

Did you know that water, wastewater, and storm water fees are increasing faster than any other commodity? These fees used to be included as parts of the tax bill, but, increasingly these fees are being charged as part of your water and/or wastewater charge. The trend in the fee structure is to base the stormwater fee on the amount of impervious area that a facility has. This means that hotels and motels will be subject to significant fees because the roofs of the buildings and the parking lots are all impervious. READ MORE

On October 3, 2011, Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills was the first hotel in the West Coast and the first Four Seasons hotel in the world to launch the innovative ICE (Interactive Customer Experience) technology with iPad2 devices in all 285 guestrooms, front desk, and house cars. With an increasing number of technologically savvy guests who prefer indirect contact with the hotel via mobile devices, our goal through implementing the iPads with ICE technology was to exceed guest expectations by offering exceptional service and unique innovative technology. READ MORE

If you haven't developed an aggressive Public Relations strategy for your properties, you are missing out on one of the most effective ways to reach new guests and build your business. Find out how to leverage the power of PR, using online distribution services and services that will have news sources coming to you for stories, and use your own website to generate buzz for your properties. PR is the most cost-effective way to increase your online presence, boost your credibility as an industry expert, and reach your desired target markets. READ MORE

In truth, human beings tend to commit to only a few endeavors in their lives, so what would make them want to commit themselves and their efforts to the benefit of the hotel they work for? It's a well kept secret that a sense of alignment to an organization invariably leads to engaged and therefore committed employees. What is it about alignment that inspires employees to more deeply connect to the hotel they work for? Industrial psychologists and organization development practitioners have long used a commitment formula to help engage individuals and groups in the company's vision, mission and goals. READ MORE

Competition among destinations to snare meetings and conventions business has never been more challenging. Cities are marketing themselves with new infrastructure and services for greater buyer appeal, but there are fewer hosting opportunities and lower attendance at events. As demand has diminished from what it was a few years ago there's greater availability. Today's marketplace is demanding that destinations use best marketing practice to even survive. In a recent study, meetings buyers - meeting planners - revealed what marketing techniques meetings sellers - destination marketing organizations and other hospitality members - should use to influence buying selections. READ MORE

In 2012, the travel industry saw more business move online (and to mobile) than ever before. In 2013, these online and mobile bookings will collide with another major industry force: a rebounding economy. As expendable income trickles back into the pockets of consumers, it is absolutely critical that travel companies prepare their online offerings for the influx of dollars that will be headed their way. If they don't, their competition surely will. These five best practice trends can serve as your roadmap to success in 2013. READ MORE

Managing employee attendance has become an increasingly complicated and risky task for employers. Long gone are the days when an employer confidentially could administer a “no fault” attendance and maximum leave policies with little, if any risk. The Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) imposed the first restriction on such policies but employers soon learned not to count FMLA=qualifying leave as absences. READ MORE