Is your hotel one of the many subject to seasonal demand? Whether it's summertime in Vail or hurricane season in Miami, not many hotels are lucky enough to experience a yearlong boom in business. Staffing needs can vary wildly from high to low season and luckily, the H-2B visa was designed with exactly that in mind. The H-2B visa is a non-agricultural worker's visa meant to fill an employer's need on a temporary basis, defined as either a one-time, seasonal, peak-load, or intermittent need. Lucky for those in the hotel industry, qualifying positions include food servers, front desk workers, housekeepers, line cooks, ski lift operators and others, as long as you can clearly demonstrate that the need is seasonal or otherwise temporary in nature. READ MORE

The comp set, or the Smith Travel Research Competitive Set analysis, is often used by hoteliers as the benchmark for their pricing or marketing strategy. But savvy hoteliers know that in today's marketplace, the comp set is no longer a robust or thorough marketing or revenue management measure. Hotels that successfully market outside their comp set can expand their potential customer base, avoid a 'following' marketing and pricing scheme, improve the reach of their brand by exploring new markets, and position themselves to better compete in this challenging environment. READ MORE

Social media marketing is one of the newest, most exciting marketing trends out there and its potential for revenue generation and brand development is enticingly high. But there is a caveat: like any marketing tactic, ad-hoc implementation will only achieve limited results at best. For a social media program to achieve a noticeable level of success, it has to work with your overall marketing strategy, not against it and certainly not as an afterthought. So here's how you can get the most out of your social media strategy. READ MORE

In today's market, hoteliers are more concerned about their marketing programs drawing in new guests than about developing a brand or laying the groundwork for a successful 2013.  Fortunately, positioning your hotel for future success and accomplishing your short-term marketing goals are not mutually exclusive concepts.  There are several ways to market your hotel for future success without compromising the pressing needs of today.  In this article, I will examine these tactics so that you can get started sowing the seeds for your property's future success. READ MORE

Ever wondered how Apple products became so popular overnight? How their sales were able to go from zero to millions in no time? Apple is the ultimate product brand and they have been successful because they have been able to develop a strong, desirable brand image. Although hotels are offering a much different product, there is a huge opportunity for hotels to use branding to increase their occupancy rates and their ADR. This article examines strategies to develop and maintain a strong, occupancy-driven hotel brand. READ MORE

Ask any event or meeting planner, or any sales and catering department, and they can tell you: events are big business.  But if hotels are only considering the revenue growth opportunities that events offer, they are missing out on a valuable opportunity.  Events of any size allow hotels to market their core services as well as their event capabilities to a captive audience of attendees, both through marketing and public relations campaigns.  This article examines the importance of event marketing (and public relations!) as an integrated part of a hotel's marketing plan. READ MORE

In the world of conventions and trade shows, there isn't an app for this, that, or anything else, for that matter. Mobile channel adoption for event planners can aid convention organization, prompt networking, and encourage feedback, and it's also a green solution. With over 50 percent of participants carrying smartphones, there's a new way to provide event information and encourage social media buzz for organizers and attendees. When it's done right, mobile channel integration might even make the next event more fun, in addition to running more smoothly. READ MORE

Over the past few decades, meeting and event planners' preferred methods of communication with venues have significantly evolved. From primarily placing phone calls in the 1980s to sending faxes in the 1990s and emails in the early 2000s, planners are pros at keeping up with the changing times. As a result, hoteliers have become master adapters when it comes to connecting with planners. However, the past few years in particular have brought, arguably, the most significant shift of them all: the move to online channels. Planners are now using these outlets to conduct preliminary research, compare venues and send electronic Requests for Proposals (eRFPs), fundamentally changing the way the meetings industry conducts business. To keep their venues top-of-mind among planners looking to book a venue, hoteliers must-yet again-adapt. READ MORE

Your switchboard people are very important associates. It's not that all team members are not important, it's just that your telephone answerers are your first impression―to guests, to prospective guests, and the world. Their tone of voice, volume, and general demeanor set the tone for future interactions with your other employees in your hotel and even indirectly influence your occupancy rates. More times than I can count, I have given up waiting for the switchboard to respond to my calls to hotels to arrange reservations. READ MORE

Managing electronic channels effectively has never been so important. Do hotels need direct connects? The term “direct connect” implies that the demand touch point will have a direct electronic connection into a hotel's inventory and rates, either through the central reservation system (CRS) or the property management system (PMS). However, given the volume and variety of demand touch points in today's market, a strategy of exclusively direct connects is not only expensive, but also incredibly inefficient. READ MORE

Today, it is common practice for hotels to implement fees and surcharges to guests' bills in order to increase revenues.  While such strategies have proven to be effective, they also have a tendency, if not implemented through smart tactics, to be met with guest revolt.  In order to avoid losing guests, hoteliers must find ways to introduce them in a way that will make them more palatable to guests. This article will examine several common types of fees/surcharges and will provide tactical recommendations on how to introduce them to guests without causing upset or losing out on future bookings. READ MORE

The sale of a hotel is a long process, but there may be no more important element of the sale than getting to know your potential buyer. As the person who will be taking over your life's work, you need to identify if your potential buyer is the right choice. This critical decision can ultimately impact your personal and financial life down the road. While it may seem to be a tough task, many of your concerns can be eased with five simple questions. These questions will help you weed out potential buyers who may be "kicking the tires" but not truly serious about buying your business, or who don't have the financial means to complete a deal. READ MORE

Demand for mobile services goes well beyond cellular voice calling. New connected devices, like tablet PCs and smartphones, are changing the way people interact with technology, and at record speed. With mobile media hitting the mainstream, hotels are eager to find affordable and non-disruptive solutions to meet guest demand for reliable, consistent in-building cellular coverage. Hoteliers need solutions that accommodate multiple wireless operators and future services without impacting guest service or overhauling wiring. This article will explore the cellular challenges facing hoteliers and unique solutions to bolster in-building coverage. READ MORE

Stay Connected, how IT infrastructure and digital services can make the difference. Access has become the Number One amenity for travelers worldwide regardless of segment, age or other demographics. Provide quality access to digital services and have a happy guest, it's that simple, but is it really? Read how Jumeirah Group, operator of some of the world's most luxurious hotels, deals with the infrastructure challenge, innovates in digital services and creates a competitive advantage by leveraging them. READ MORE

Everybody likes to be popular. Whether it is having lots of friends in high school or going to a bar "where everyone knows your name," we all like to feel a part of something larger. That is really what social networking is all about. You want to be a part of a group with common interests or a community that shares like ideas. The same sentiments above apply to hotel marketing principles. Everything that your hotel does on Facebook or Twitter needs to play into this paradigm which centers on the connections within the community. So, what do you, as an hotelier, need to do? READ MORE