The biggest innovations poised to alter the travel industry are actually happening outside the travel industry. Nevertheless, these changes will have a dramatic affect on the way in which travel businesses market to, acquire, and retain their customers. In these fast-paced, consumer-savvy, and consumer-picky times, if you're not innovating and continually improving how you interact with your customers, you will fall behind. Pricing wars and slick advertising campaigns won't win you more or lasting customers. READ MORE

The success of Embassy Suites Hotels' F&B product is a testament to the brand's unparalleled consistency. Looking at the driving factors in this success story, Jim Holthouser, global head of Embassy Suites and full service brands, Hilton Worldwide, and Beth Scott, vice president, restaurant concepts, Hilton Worldwide, examine Embassy Suites' approach to hotel restaurant planning, design and operation in an economy that remains uncertain. Market knowledge, identification of emerging trends, and flexibility in design are key factors in laying the foundation; authenticity, quality and consistency map the way forward. READ MORE

Business and leisure hotels alike represent an escape, an escape from the same old, same old. Whether a short stint to support a critical business meeting or a week of R&R at a sprawling resort, guests respond to "new", "fun", and - perhaps most importantly - benefits and amenities they are actually inspired to take advantage of. For many, simply a great LCD TV in their room will bring joy. For others, learning that you have invested in a welcoming, energy-enhancing, (and dare we say "fun") offering in fitness can send them over the moon. You may have just given them the best gift possible during their travels - helping them stay in the healthy and fit state of mind nearly all of us struggle with when on the road. If repeat and referral business from wellness-minded travelers is of benefit to you, here's how you can begin to impress them... READ MORE

First and foremost the most important rule is : know your guest. Anticipate what your guests want and when they want it and how much they are willing to pay. Here at Lansdowne Resort, we have the great luxury of having various dining options. At 'On The Potomac' we focus on what is around us - local farms, local wineries, local dairies and craft beers - we work closely with all to ensure our guests get a true appreciation of the local area and taste phenomenally fresh flavor. READ MORE

Hotel restaurants are finally becoming significant players in the incredibly competitive restaurant market by “standing” alone. Boutique hoteliers and even larger brands have begun to embrace the idea that the traditional three-meal-a-day “restaurant for everyone” is no longer a requirement and that more creative offerings can lead to guests to staying on property and spending money in their restaurants and bars. These stand-alone hotel restaurants, bars and lounges have become compelling draws for locals and guests and important sources of revenue. READ MORE

Just as they do in their everyday lives, when hotel guests desire a quick meal or snack, they appreciate a convenient limited-service restaurant. Technomic has studied hotel customers' dining preferences and behaviors and found that more than one third of them visit onsite limited-service options—from coffeehouses to outlets of national restaurant chains—at least once during their stay. This article by hospitality industry veteran and Technomic Business Development Manager Jodie Tristano points to the trends that are driving the growth of limited-service options in hotels, including partnering with chains and offering grab-and-go options from existing foodservice operations. READ MORE

Aleenta Resorts pioneered high end boutique resort experiences in Southeast Asia and now they are again boldly going first towards a new approach to food and beverage. Founder Anchalika Kijkanakorn is a strong believer in providing healthy and upscale lifestyle experiences to her guests - a belief that led her to develop her own organic farm so enable her to supply her own resorts with the freshest fruits, herbs and vegetables available. More than that, it was another way to involve and support the local community, and in doing so set in progress a long term and sustainable plan that would be of benefit to locals and guests alike. READ MORE

In the old days yield management systems worked best when paired with complex and arcane pricing structures such as the ones that were used at airlines and hotels. For other industries, though, the complex techniques and price structures from airlines and hotels weren't really applicable. Fast forward to 2011. The emergence of state of the art pricing and revenue management systems has introduced a shift from a "yield" approach to "pricing" approach. Whereas "inventory classes" and "yield management" was something that a few industries like airlines and hotels cared about, "pricing" is something that impacts every industry. READ MORE

At the 2009 American Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), the overriding sentiment seemed to be relief, relief that we had survived the devastating downturn that hit in September 2008. Never before had we clung so tightly to the numbers to understand our fate - the depth of the downturn, the damage to demand, incredibly shrinking rates. Six months later, we began tracking data from billions of monthly hotel shopping transactions to track industry performance, and ultimately, help the “survivors” understand the road to recovery. Like the major lesson in rate-cutting we all learned post-September 11, 2001, the last three years have taught us some incredibly valuable lessons. READ MORE

The ability for guests to open a mobile app/web app and instantly connect to their hotel and surrounding area is changing the way hotels interact with their guests. Simply put, if a property hasn't implemented a well planned mobile strategy, then they are missing out on countless opportunities to connect with their guests and increase RevPAR. READ MORE

Building strong relationships in the community produces room nights for hotel operators. Positive reputations earned through community involvements, provide General Managers opportunities to gain a stable footing in the market. Joining forces with community leaders with the Chamber of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau, local clubs, churches and sports team, along with the American Hotel & Lodging Association afford hoteliers various opportunities to gain room shares. Who you know is as important and possibly more important than what you know for a Hotel Manager to succeed. READ MORE

Have you ever thought of having an outside hospitality professional conduct seminars, training or talk to your staff about innovative ideas to improve service levels? If not, have you thought of having someone assist you in developing and using as a tool to train your employees? Do you use outside trainers? That said why not use hospitality and hospitality/service educators to execute this? The reason we ask is because industry professionals predict that the climate of the hospitality industry will improve in the long term yet we are seeing that as changes are impacting the industry, there is still a lack of properties embracing innovative ways of improving their service, which impacts their bottom line. READ MORE

In these economic times, hoteliers across the globe need to be more aggressive in pursuing demand in order to deliver profitability. Ensuring coordination between key hotel operational departments is paramount in targeting the right guests and helping to establish customer loyalty amongst profitable guests. In this environment, hotel owners and managers alike need to be mindful that their marketing and revenue management departments are working together and it is important that open channels of communication are maintained. Both the marketing and revenue management departments are unfortunately siloed in many companies, but each holds an important key to the business, which, when used together, become a powerful tool for generating hotel revenue. READ MORE

Does the quality of your f&B make a difference in your hotels overall success? Absolutely! But more importantly, the lack of quality and variety in your F&B programming will cripple your hotels ability to drive average rate, compete in the market for RevPAR share and maintain captures. We don't have to be fancy; we just need to be smart. We have to know who we are, who our core customer is and then simply do a good job. It's not about the volume of your content, but rather the quality of it. Less is more, keep it simple and do it well. This will keep your customers coming back. READ MORE

When it comes to a hotel's food and beverage programs, there are studies upon studies on what contributes to the success or failure of one. While it is imperative to stay current with the trends - small plates, world cuisine, DJs spinning in restaurants - are becoming increasingly popular - it is equally, if not more so, important to remember the fundamentals of food and how they make or break your hotel's food and beverage plan. READ MORE