While attending The LeWeb Conference in 2005, I became convinced that user generated content would revolutionize the web. But it was not until the last few years that the implications in the hotel industry started to become evident. In fact, until just this year, hotels were not making significant investments in this area. But with feedback from the social web now affecting all hotel departments, the case for investing in reputation management is stronger than ever. In my conversations with managers of small independent hotels to executives at some of the largest hospitality groups in the world, I have noticed a few major trends related to reputation management that are affecting the industry. READ MORE

Our guests are no longer Baby Boomers or Gen Xers or Gen Yers. Those monikers defined them by the year in which we were born. They were described by age. But no longer. Now, thanks to a myriad of converging forces, they can all become members of the same generation - one that is defined by choice. They can choose to be members of Generation C. The Gen C nickname had its genesis around 2004 when trend watchers began noticing a new type of consumer emerging - one that crossed age boundaries and defied traditional segmentation strategies. In this article, you'll read about five trends that helped form Gen C and what your hotel can do to take advantage of the opportunities it offers. READ MORE

As search engines consider social media channels on their Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), it is important for hotels to have a strong presence on these channels and manage it well. The most common mistake that hoteliers make today is ignoring the importance of these channels with the concept that managing such channels takes too much time out of their busy lives. Although this may seem overwhelming, it's important to know that we are only at the beginning of the imminent social media explosion and the online activity in these channels is bound to increase. The question now asked is, should hoteliers care? And the answer to that question is absolutely YES READ MORE

You remember those days. Your hotel made it on the front page of the daily newspaper, or scored an awesome feature in a prestigious glossy travel publication. You ordered tons of hard copies and sent them along with personalized notes to your repeat guests. You laminated copies of the article to place in fancy frames all around the hotel, and your office. You added copies to your press kit and send off to media to generate more interest. It worked like a charm for new marketing and sales opportunities. Well, those golden days of print are gone. Yes, gone and disappeared for good. READ MORE

What will the hotel of the future look like? Today, most hotel guests rate connectivity as the most important amenity. But this means more than just Internet access. Hotel guests want to always be connected. Hoteliers are spending a great amount of resources on network technology and applications as they are on other amenities. Hotel customers expect the same online convenience and customization they have in their homes. Nearly every traveler equipped with laptops, iPad and smart phones, they also expect their hotel to be place of ubiquitous connectivity. This "hotel of the future" is as much an information management center as it is a place to have a good night's sleep. Managing that type of critical information flow is not easy. This article will outline seven technologies that will deliver advantages for hotels. READ MORE

Steven Slater bid farewell to the passengers on his flight, including an explicit message to the passenger who disobeyed his request to return to her seat. He then grabbed a couple of beers, activated the emergency slide, and escaped down it. And as if nothing had happened, he got in his car parked at the airport and drove home. This incident has much relevance to the hotel industry... READ MORE

Guests using a hotel's mobile application benefit from unobtrusive marketing using promotional notifications and direct messaging. By keeping guests informed and offering exclusive promotions, guests are able to get the most out of their vacation and feel like a VIP doing it. At the same time, having a constant connection to guests provides a tremendous opportunity for hotels to maximize revenue while allowing for instant adjustments that immediately boost the bottom line. READ MORE

One of the most frequent questions asked prior to this year's HITEC Conference was, "What cool guestroom technology is going to be shown this year?" Because so many companies use HITEC as their product launch location, I can never answer that question definitively. So, when I was asked to do this article, I decided to conduct a survey, not of what kinds of guestroom technology would be at HITEC but, what the industry thought should be in a guestroom. Following the survey results, I am also interjecting into the survey results some of my own research ideas and/or pictures of things that I would be included in my ideal guestroom. READ MORE

All hotel guests are not the same and neither are the digital devices that they utilize during their stay. Whether in the lobby, the guest room, or the palm of their hand, your guests have different expectations of the digital amenities that you offer today - and tomorrow. Learn how to deliver valuable features and content on your display boards, televisions, desktop computers, mobile devices and more. It can mean the difference between offering unbeatable guest experiences or incurring unrecovered expenses. READ MORE

With the buzz surrounding mobile Internet usage for travel, many hoteliers are wondering whether to adopt mobile as a component of their strategy both on-property and online. This article is the result of a study of over 300 properties using mobile technologies and discusses the most important items to take into consideration when thinking about the mobile experience whether pre-stay, on your property and what happens after your guests have left. READ MORE

The Hotel Gym today can take on many looks. Limited service hotels that in yesteryear would rarely have considered the offering of such an amenity, today find themselves rapidly defining a space for fitness. Larger hotels and resorts for some time have made varying commitments to the fitness amenity. However, in some cases today, many can claim they rival a well equipment health club. The common denominator between these hospitality based environments remains their relevance and appeal to the guests they serve. The following review of these fundamentals will help you remain on point when it comes to the active care required to support the ongoing evolution of the hotel gym. READ MORE

In our gadget-obsessed world, technology has grown from a convenient amenity to an essential element of every hotel's design and services. The challenge is to blend high-tech with high-touch - namely, to use cutting-edge science in a meaningful and memorable way that enhances every guest visit. Let's look at nine ways you can meet that challenge, attract more guests, and justify higher room rates. Most of these are relatively easy and economical to consider for either new construction or renovation, although a few are more exotic, more expensive, and require considerable advance planning. READ MORE

Is your establishment doing all it can to accommodate guests with disabilities who are blind or have low vision? If not, a significant sector of your potential business is being ignored, not to mention the perils that may arise from potential disability discrimination or physical injury claims. It makes good sense to implement or enhance measures that go a long way toward making guests with vision loss feel welcome. READ MORE

The hotel market today is increasingly global, webcentric and competitive. To succeed, revenue and general managers must incorporate sophisticated intelligence systems into their practices to optimize rates and assume optimal margins, market share and brand integrity. In response, competitive and price intelligence technologies for the lodging industry are now moving beyond simple rate monitoring and analysis, and incorporating qualitative customer rankings and reviews. From technology-driven Web extraction tools to focused business solutions, qualitative data is driving bookings and marketing programs. This article reviews the way qualitative information is changing the intelligence market, and how hoteliers can best evaluate new market offerings. READ MORE

Each year, many hotel owners decide to sell their business for a variety of personal and financial reasons. Whatever the cause, selling successfully requires the owner to think creatively and strategically to attract the maximum number of potential buyers and weed out those who aren't serious about buying. As the Internet has emerged as one of the most efficient and effective vehicles to publicize your business sale and attract potential buyers, part of this strategy should include an online listing. Here are some guidelines for a well thought-out and well-written listing that will allow a seller to attract more prospects and ultimately close a deal. READ MORE