In all of the excitement of the ever-evolving social media platforms and tools, are owners and operators forgetting a critical source of business for their properties? Direct sales, in many cases, has become just another source of social media tactics and sales managers have virtually disappeared from the public. As business owners, can we be complacent with the loss of a discipline that is the most controllable and quantifiable part of a marketing plan? READ MORE

While creating a successful brand can be a challenge for any company or industry, branding in the hospitality industry presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities in an increasingly crowded market place. At Embassy Suites Hotels, we've developed a clear identity for our brand that resonates with our guests. Five key items help us bring the brand to life every day and maintain its integrity. READ MORE

Principles matter! They are a public declaration of a firm's DNA, announcing to the world what an enterprise stands for and how it is wired. They provide much more depth beyond banal platitudes such as "We care about our customers" and "Our employees are our most important asset." Ideally, a firm's principles are conveyed in myriad of actions and behaviors of the leadership team and employees as well as the quality of the products and/or services provided by the firm. READ MORE

Difficult moments, when guests are not at their best or even worse, when accidents take place and all emotions are unpredictable, will happen. Service First Aid can come to the rescue to make those situations in any hospitality environment a little or a lot better. Just as a band aid helps protect and heal a wound, so can service help protect and heal challenging situations and accidents. Managing the risk is worth the effort and may help avoid loss and excess cost. Read this article to LEARN how to diffuse potential upsets before they get out of control and come to the rescue of those inevitable difficult moments . Hoteliers who understand this concept and train their employees to do the same recognize this is a very effective risk management strategy. READ MORE

Mobile is revolutionizing how - and where - consumers interact with travel destinations, but sites and apps optimized for mobile devices present a very different set of challenges to the PC web experience. Today's constantly-connected customer has high expectations of the mobile channel. Understanding context is essential to making the interaction a success, because demands vary according to circumstance: many business travelers want simple, fast transactions to solve an immediate problem, like booking a room for the night via smartphone. Leisure travelers enjoy the thrill of the chase and are seeking inspiration on their iPads READ MORE

As we always strive to offer cutting-edge technology for our guests at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, we recently partnered with a hi-tech company to install their Interactive Customer Experience (ICE) technology on iPad 2 devices in all 285 guest rooms and suites. From the privacy of an individual guest room or suites, guests can order in-room dining, make restaurant reservations, check in to a flight, request airport transportation, ask valet parking to retrieve their car, research Los Angeles' most well-known cultural and shopping destinations, place housekeeping requests, amenity requests, engineering, and so much more - all at the touch of a button. READ MORE

When considering mobile technologies, many hospitality managers are not convinced of the potential benefits resulting in enhanced guest engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and increased consumer spending. The common goals of mobile technology implementation are acceleration of guest traffic, heightened interactivity, promotion and sales of goods and services, and gathering of feedback relative to the guest's experience. Mobile technologies can be a critical component to a hospitality firm's strategy for obtaining a competitive advantage... READ MORE

If 2011 for hotel owners was all about learning from and joining the mobile masses simply because it was the “in” thing to do for our tech-savvy patrons, 2012 is rapidly shaping up to be the year where mobile becomes a must. In other words, the mobile marketing landscape has rapidly matured and the training wheels are coming off. This coming of age can mean only one thing: The time for hotels to launch their mobile presence is now. Not after the post-holidays' travel slow down, and not in the run-up to Valentines Day or the season's first spring breakers. READ MORE

It is time to sit down and evaluate what your marketing team has done for the past eighteen months. Has your property adopted social media trends, or are you just starting? If you have a presence on social media, is it strategically aligned with your overall message? How do you coordinate traditional PR efforts with digital media? Is the message coming across solid and intact? Are your fans and followers engaging with you? Are you using the feedback constructively? Have you seen an increase in revenue? Exposure? READ MORE

As consumers, we encounter brands every single day but most people aren't actively aware of it. However with each encounter, we register thoughts, feelings and impressions of a brand, which shapes how we feel about the company and, often, the company's product. This article gives hospitality marketers tips on how to leverage that brand exposure to create and implement a successful brand for their property. READ MORE

At its core, revenue management in the lodging industry is simple - in theory. In practice, it is an art and science, executed in a strategic manner. Evolving relatively quickly from simple inventory control, revenue management has transitioned from a tactical nuts-and-bolts operation to a profession requiring strategic thinking, analysis and execution. Understanding the strategic implications of revenue management decisions, and how they affect every part of the organization - large or small - is critical to understanding guest behavior. Managers at every level who understand the strategic role of revenue management will be able to make a bigger impact on the bottom line. READ MORE

Hoteliers are in the business of, well, hotels; the real estate, ownership, operations, RevPAR, ADR, etc. So when it comes to renovations, and the hotelier's business suddenly changes to construction, a lack of experience can quickly result in unnecessary expenses. Successfully managing the upgrades-to or the conversion-of a hospitality property can be the difference between spending excess dollars and putting money back in your pocket. Understanding some basic principles in hospitality construction and contractor selection can make a difference in the overall price of the project. READ MORE

As resources become scarcer for marketing departments across various industries, marketers need to start finding more creative ways to reach target customers. Businesses need to now drive sales by building brand awareness with the constraints of markedly decreased budgets. This can be achieved through strategic promotional partnerships with non-competing, complementary brands looking to reach a similar audience. The "Power of We," as Jonathan Tisch, Chairman of Loews Hotels, describes the practice, is essential to growing a business and maximizing marketing reach. READ MORE

If you ask a thousand hoteliers if they should discount their products or services in today's economic climate, chances are you will get a thousand different answers. While discounting is usually a boon to guests, it is often the bane of hoteliers. But discounts, per se, are not an entity-non-grata. Discounting, as a driving force in pricing strategy, is. A price break for your guests, current and potential, can be an effective short-term solution to a short-term marketing issue. The operative phrase is short-term. In this article, you get some hints on how to drive carefully down the price highway and avoid the big discounting potholes. READ MORE

Hotel security goes well beyond just protecting the property assets. Having a dependable, informed, alert and properly trained staff utilizing sound judgment that remains calm in a crisis is the foundation of good hotel security. But many other aforementioned tools and resources play a major role as well, including relying on employees and guests to assist in preventing many threats hotels face today. READ MORE