When surveyed, over 90 percent of U.S. travelers said they would choose a green, environmentally conscious hotel over a non-sustainable, non-green hotel if it was comparable in price. With the current abuzz about sustainability, the environment, and waste management, it is important for hotels to understand the many benefits that come from going green. Hotels must consider the cost, as well as their location, staff, and customers when choosing which green programs to implement. Although there are many costly ways to be environmentally friendly, such as solar panels, there are also many easy, non-costly ways your hotel can work towards becoming greener, such as a towel exchange program, a ride share program, and composting left over food. READ MORE

To paraphrase an old advertising tagline, green has come a long way, baby! Today, green - and all its derivatives - has come to symbolize a movement. A movement of sustainability, of being eco-friendly, and of being environmentally aware. A movement that has grown out of our emergent realization that we have to take better care of Mother Earth if she is going to take care of us. A movement that, at its core, represents the capacity to endure. And a movement that impacts every hotel and every guest they serve. In this article, you'll learn that, in addition to the 3 traditional Rs of Greening efforts - reduce, reuse and recycle - Greening has a forth "R", reputation - of your hotel's property and, indirectly, of your guests. READ MORE

Now more than ever, most hoteliers are searching for demand generators and are relying on direct sales to impact revenues to fill the significant void left by the ailing economy. Depending on the type of property i.e. transient vs. group-based, direct sales could be responsible for as much as 50%-90% of the occupancy. But many times, the sales person or sales leader is at a loss as to find new prospects. This article will address some key tactics for uncovering sales prospects and in maintaining consistent systems and procedures to produce quality information for current and future prospecting. Implementing new tactics, combined with a motivated sales department will ensure that the sales organization is fully productive in accomplishing their roles of generating business. READ MORE

Our travel choices are shaped by today's lifestyles, fashions, and economy. At home, we're used to upscale amenities and technological conveniences - and we don't want to give them up when we're on the road. That's why today, there's more to hotel design than just coordinating wall colors and furniture. The goal of every hotelier and interior designer is to create space which is practical yet appealing... intimate yet dramatic... elegant yet everyday. READ MORE

If there is one thing that has been constant over the last twenty months, it is change. Changes are all over the map in the hospitality industry and, in the spa industry, most changes are categorically the same as hospitality and other businesses driven by world economy. Using the understanding of these changes as springboards for repositioning and renovating current spas or developing new spas; we can pay attention to the changes and be prepared for the return swing of the pendulum and placement in the compelling forefront. The five major changes included in the article may not be big surprises, however, they are notable. These changes are not passing trends or fads that will soon be past tense. These are changes that are indicative of the future. READ MORE

Service excellence, customer involvement, and customer satisfaction are all facets of the same jewel for the hospitality industry, because they all contribute to increased revenue and profitability. These issues were examined in detail in keynote speeches at the recently concluded QUIS 12, the international Quality in Service conference held in June this year at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. This meeting of the biennial QUIS conference featured four keynote speeches. READ MORE

There is an abundance of ways to make a difference in the communities we serve and in which we live and work. Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives differ from brand to brand and by property to property, each driven by a genuine desire to be of service. Truly effective CSR programs combine this dedication to service with an abundance of heart to create meaningful and effective programs that bring real value to stakeholders. Here are some guidelines on effective CSR initiatives that can help your hotel create programs that will work. READ MORE

Pop culture ultimately affects hotel design and guest experiences, whether we realize it or not. As hospitality designers, we constantly look at the latest trends in technology, fashion, celebrity lifestyles and more. At the same time, we scour, find and determine the upcoming trends to stay ahead of consumer demands. Today, pop culture and technology meet today's fast-paced world while always changing and evolving. An ongoing trend in pop culture is accessibility, attainability and sustainability. In this article, we'll discuss how those pop culture and technology trends affect hospitality designs in the spas, restaurants and hotels we frequent. READ MORE

We began the PanEarth program at Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle as a hotel-wide program that honors the triple bottom line: people, planet, profit. The program was initiated last year as a conscious effort to place sustainable and environmentally friendly practices as a top priority. Through PanEarth and the hotel's valuable partnerships, guests can contribute to the local community and neutralize their carbon footprint during meetings, events and hotel stays. We believe it's a win-win situation for us all. READ MORE

Only a decade ago, the majority of UK hoteliers would have deemed anyone mad who had told them that operating a 'green' hotel was not only good practice, but also good business. Today, the reverse is true as successive governments, large corporations and an ever increasing number of paying customers and suppliers - driven by media and educational awareness - put pressure on the industry to act in an environmental, sustainable and socially responsible manner. For their part, hoteliers have realized that such adherence to good environmental, sustainable and socially responsible practice can provide excellent PR and marketing opportunities. However, a major challenge currently faced by environmentally enlightened hoteliers is how to achieve customer buy-in to their green policies, especially from those who are skeptical about the value of such practices. READ MORE

Can luxury and sustainability co-exist? To answer this question, a brand must define what "sustainability" means for the brand and its guests without losing sight of the core principles of a quintessential luxury experience. At Montage Hotels & Resorts, we have a passion for sustainability and believe that luxury and sustainability can and do co-exist. In this piece, I present our point of view and share examples of our sustainable practices. READ MORE

In addition to providing benefits to the internal management and operations of your property, the adoption of environmental and socially responsible practices at your hotel will also appeal to the changing attitudes of both the leisure and business sectors of the travel market. In this article, I review how recent societal changes have affected both public and corporate thinking regarding sustainability, and also discuss stages of the consumer decision making process where environmental and social considerations are being made by your potential guests. I also provide a few examples of how adopting environmental and socially responsible practices at your hotel can help encourage and retain green minded guests as future clients. READ MORE

More than almost any other industry, travel and hospitality has the ability to create memories and instill joy that can last a lifetime. Just one experience can create a lifelong memory, with stories recounted again and again. Of course, the opposite can happen for the traveler who has a trip spoiled due to unforeseen circumstances or ineffectively managed problems. The opportunity for Travel and Hospitality marketers is to understand and influence these emotions in a way that maximizes the guest experience - from planning through departure. Tailoring customer communications based on these emotional insights can build stronger engagement. READ MORE

In-room entertainment is becoming the focus for many hoteliers and I expect the attention and focus on this aspect of the guestroom to increase in the coming year. Technology continues to be developed at a rapid pace and it is tough to keep up with all the cool gadgets, software and online trends. With the proliferation of media now available online, the in-room entertainment options offered in hotels will need to shift in order to keep this amenity from becoming a cash drain. The convergence of entertainment options (free-to-guest programming, internet, VOD, etc) will be sought after as well. Keeping up with technology can be difficult as a hotelier, but by including a system that utilizes your existing TVs and allows access to the Internet, you can stay ahead of the curve and adapt as technology shifts. READ MORE

ALL ABOARD! Interviews are complete. New employees are hired. Orientations are scheduled. Training is about to begin. How does your organization view and define the training experience before it takes place or before it leaves the station? Who are your lead engines and how will they fuel the service attitudes and disposition that will be a lasting foundation for new employees? What criteria and guidelines should be used for trainers and those who teach the examples that will be translated into real results for guests? To ensure training gets on and stays on the right track, keep the following guidelines in mind... READ MORE