Spas have certainly come a long way in the last 15 years. In that period, growth of the hotel spa segment has been rapid and for the most part sustained at a strong pace. That strong growth was fueled by two attitudes that hotel operators seemed to share: first, a “build it and they will come” mentality, and second, the “keep up with the competition” approach. And at first, the business results suggested it was working - guests were indeed visiting these new spas and strong spa revenues proved it. However, since the early growth days in our industry, we have had to survive numerous challenges to our businesses; and those challenges continue today. This article explores the top 8 key challenges facing spa operators today. READ MORE

In October 2010, Hilton Worldwide launched eforea: spa at Hilton, the first global spa concept from its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand. The concept has grown to include eleven locations in eight countries around the world with more than 90 new spas currently in development for Hilton Worldwide's full service Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Embassy Suites Hotels brands. Here Tyra Lowman, senior director, global spas, full service and luxury brands, Hilton Worldwide, discusses design challenges intrinsic to the worldwide reach of the innovative spa concept. READ MORE

Social media is still a “thing” not completely embraced by our industry. However, those who are doing it right have already captured market share, cut costs and are leaving the others in the dust. Learn more about using social media in your spa and property and implementing it in a significant, yet easy way, right now. READ MORE

After a guest leaves your hotel they will not remember the beds, breakfast, or building, they will remember how you made them feel. Creating a culture of “making guests feel good” will bring them back as loyal customers. Goals are great, but have the effect of turning a guest into a number or statistic. Remember culture eats goals for lunch. A warm friendly greeting, an open door, solving a problem now by meeting or anticipating a need, not passing it on are the basics of guest service. Whenever or however you touch a guest will make them feel good. Culture; great hotels guests love. READ MORE

Do you know the distinction between a salaried employee and an employee being paid hourly as it relates to your payroll taxes? How well do you really understand the variety of payroll tax regulations? Payroll processing can cause lots of headaches for hoteliers who often have a variety of employees with different payroll tax requirements. Because of the severe penalties associated with missed deadlines, incorrect employee data and unpaid payroll taxes, hoteliers need to make it a point to stay up-to-speed on payroll tax compliance issues so they can focus on what's truly important - running a hotel. READ MORE

The practice of consumers checking, evaluating and analyzing guest reviews and rankings of lodging properties before making reservations is commonplace. Yet the idea of consumers guests actively participating in shaping a brand is a relatively new realization for many revenue managers. This new paradigm presents one of the most significant challenges, and opportunities, for revenue management. Increasingly, online brand management and revenue management intertwine, opening the door to the next step in the evolution of the revenue management profession. Those who can harness and work effectively with the plethora of online information will be those who truly impact their properties' brands. READ MORE

The amenity spa can and should be more than, well, an amenity. It should be a valuable profit center within the entire hospitality operation. This article focuses on three key areas: people, inventory and average service rate. It provides specific tips, steps and controls that are proven to lead to profit. READ MORE

There has been a major shift in consumer behavior in regards to spas. This is due to a combination of factors that include lifestyles, the economy, and a concern with health. But whatever the reasons for this shift, wellness is in for the spa user, while pampering is in decline. Today spa users want “results,” this is clear form the latest spa market research published by Diagonal Reports. By results the users spa treatments which enhance wellness or make them feel better. Feeling better for most people means relaxing tense and tired muscles. Massage therapies which re-energize people account for most business in spas. The demand for massage is benefiting large spas and hotel spas in a major way because these spas already specialize in massage therapies. READ MORE

In spa branding, the retail company you keep is especially critical to preserving the integrity of your own brand. A five-star operation aligns with product brands that are akin in quality and image. Should any of those product brands show up at the local corner drug store or online discount retailer, the ripple effect can be damaging. This article provides a template for spa-retail brand alignment and offers tips for avoiding pitfalls in matching product brands to the spa. READ MORE

The new economy, partnered with the explosive and dynamic growth of “always on” technology, has created multiple channels for hotel spas to engage a highly demanding, knowledgeable and connected clientele. Traditional marketing efforts must be accompanied by a shrewd Internet strategy to effectively engage and deepen the relationship with customers. This article explores practical techniques that can be applied with minimal investment to increase your market share as well as customer loyalty. READ MORE

Revenue management is not a new concept, yet some are still struggling with its uptake, while others are revelling in the ongoing success it has brought to their organizations. Two recent conversations with global clients have stood out in highlighting very contrasting approaches to adopting revenue management principles. These two organizations have a very similar business model, operating in the same space, with similar stakeholders and yet they have taken two very different approaches to adopting revenue management principles. The first organization has clearly demonstrated the value of revenue management in a way that it is no longer questioned. It is now part of the intrinsic fabric of the company's operations. While the second is yet to articulate what value revenue management can bring. What has made the difference between the two? These three key strategic viewpoints can help companies successfully demonstrate the value of revenue management on a daily basis. READ MORE

Many hotels are using workflows designed as long as 50 years ago during the age of centralized computing when mainframes were state-of-the-art technology and paper was the accepted form of communication. This started to change with distributed computing - namely, the advent of PC's and databases - which minimized the use of paper, but didn't eliminate it. Now mobile applications are harnessing the power of mobile computing. We are seeing “workflow automation” - and with it, almost no need for paper. The impact is significant on how hotels operate, how staff members perform daily tasks, and how human resources are managed productively. My column examines “how” and “why.” READ MORE

Most managers appreciate that understanding customer value, and more importantly customer lifetime value (CLV), can help them plan strategies to encourage loyalty behavior, increase revenues, and ultimately drive profits. In fact, companies invest heavily in loyalty and rewards programs primarily to collect customer data that they can ultimately use to calculate customer lifetime value. Casino companies are well known for collecting information on their patrons' spend on the casino floor and across the enterprise, and using this information in marketing, rewards, and pricing. Because of this success, hotel managers are also interested in exploring the opportunities associated with CLV. READ MORE

In the wake of mass affluents pulling back on their vacations and businesses also restricting budgets to deal with increased costs of business travel, the tourist industry has had to be even more creative in providing perceived value for money to attract guests in an environment where facilities and pricing do not differ materially within any one category—all while staying within their own restricted budgets. READ MORE

Do you want your spa to be profitable? Do you want your spa to help improve your hotel's occupancy and increase the revenue per guest? If yes, have you invested any resources (money, training or coaching) to help your spa director to be a better financial business manager? If you haven't invested in educating your spa director to be a spa "business" director, don't expect your spa to be as profitable as it could and should be. READ MORE