The key to a hotel's success is its employees. The finest restaurants, most luxurious guest rooms and latest amenities are meaningless if your team isn't behind them. Leaders, no matter what industry, must inspire passion in their employees if they are to achieve success. While there are many ways to motivate others, it is important to recognize that one method will not work for everyone, so it is often best to use a combination of tactics to reach your goals. READ MORE

Money does not motivate employees (at least, not long term). This is often a very controversial statement with employees. Quite simply, they want to believe that they are motivated by money, and definitely want others (e.g. their boss and employer) to believe that they are indeed motivated by money (for fear that salaries and / or bonuses will be reduced). Most employees, of course would never explicitly admit that money does not motivate them. On surveys, ratings for "I am adequately compensated" are consistently low across all industries and with all companies. No one wants to give their company a license to cut pay or to reduce raises. READ MORE

Used correctly, social media can allow hospitality operators to establish relationships with customers. One great potential advantage of social media is that guests are willing to share information about their likes and dislikes. By using appropriate analytic methods, hoteliers can get a sense of what guests want generally and how they react to a hotel brand specifically. Hotel chains are developing mobile apps, since travelers-business travelers especially-expect to use their mobile devices to book rooms or other travel services on the spot. In a comprehensive strategy of customer engagement, hospitality firms will become information providers on all social media, whether its Facebook or Flickr, YouTube or Twitter. READ MORE

Being a leader means more than making great speeches. It means modeling the day-to-day values that you want your employees to exemplify. What gets measured gets done, we have all heard that, but the way a leader spends his/her day is what employees interpret to be important. How are you spending your days? Do you say one thing yet do another? If so, you are sending a mixed message to your employees and you shouldn't be surprised when they don't perform the way you hoped they would. READ MORE

The recruitment process can be costly, so any business that wants to try to and attract the perfect employee and get them up and running with a minimum of disruption. Management time to sift through all the applications, let alone advertising, interviewing, and induction, all take their toll. And that's without considering the potential lost opportunities for productivity, customer service and increased sales due to lack of key staff. So what exactly can you be doing to attract and hire the best employees to your hotel? READ MORE

Interested in creating an online media experience that attracts more guests to your hotel? Today, images and video help you share your hotel stories and value proposition with the world. Everyone's gone visual at the same time that customers are time starved and text weary. Forrester Research reports that a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. The bottom line is, most guests will skip reading marketing copy if they can instead learn about your hotel through photos, virtual tours and other video productions. This article offers proven techniques for building a strong online visual reputation that sells more rooms. READ MORE

Getting an in-room massage used to mean asking the concierge to work their magic - spinning through their rolodex to find a massage therapist who was available for a hotel visit. It's no longer just the purview of the savvy concierge, as many hotels - and even entire brands - have developed a formal in-room spa services program which they Tweet, post and otherwise tout directly to guests to capture higher occupancy, greater loyalty and REVPAR benefits. READ MORE

For hotels seeking new methods of promoting the luxuries of their in-house spas, I kindly suggest you think of your potential clientele in terms of two groups: captive and non-captive audiences (meaning those both staying in your hotel and those that are not). These two groups can then be sub-divided by gender. Men and women make their own decisions based completely different with respect to direct purchases or spa services on beauty, self indulgence, relaxation and life in general. READ MORE

I wrote in this publication a few years ago about the importance of managing public relations in connection with major hospitality disputes. As a law firm that often represents owners, developers, investors and managers in high-stakes legal matters, we recognize the importance of being advocates not only in the courtroom - but in the court of public opinion as well. Given the interest in that previous article, I am writing this follow-up to underscore why hospitality professionals or their representatives must not only be familiar with the process of working with the news media; they should embrace it. The news media, after all, is a gateway to customers, employees, investors, analysts and legislators - all of whom have the ability to affect your business. READ MORE

In tough economic times, businesses including hotel and resort spas have a tendency to slash marketing budgets. While an ailing economy may seem like nothing but a negative, it also creates an even greater opportunity for savvy businesses to fine tune marketing concepts and execute plans that are relevant for right now, accelerate company growth and help surpass the competition. Following are six guidelines I used while creating and developing eforea: spa at Hilton, the first global spa concept from Hilton Hotels & Resorts, in the thick of the recent economic downturn. READ MORE

Revenue management and marketing really are two sides of the same coin. Each department holds key pieces of information about demand that, when integrated, result in critical insight about demand patterns, product preferences and purchase behavior. Unfortunately, employees in these two closely related functions do not always work well together. Misaligned goals and poor communication result in situations where marketers, with a goal of generating demand, sends out discount promotions that dilute rates during peak periods. While revenue managers, trying to maximize revenue, close off promotional rates meant to encourage stays from the most loyal guests. These conflicting activities damage revenue performance and guest relationships. READ MORE

River rocks along the back, mud masks, cucumber slices or a freshly picked orchid resting atop a massage table - Spa marketing is overrun with tired, undifferentiated marketing cliches. If you have any doubt, just try the Logo Swap Test. Grab the nearest spa ad and replace the logo with a competitor's logo. If the message is unique, ownable and true to the spirit of the spa, the ad should no longer make sense. Problem is, in most cases, the ad functions exactly the same with the competitor's logo in place. READ MORE

Simply put, experiential marketing creates a stimulus for the consumer to learn about a brand (in this case a hotel spa), try a sample, purchase, and ultimately build brand loyalty. Like no other marketing strategy, experiential marketing allows potential clients to see, feel, hear, touch - totally experience - your spa. And, when you think about it, isn't a spa the perfect business to incorporate a marketing strategy based on total experience? Take note to how many spas use the word "experience" in their promotional materials: experience total relaxation, and experience our new aromatherapy READ MORE

In 2011, the trend will be for hotels to begin taking back their online customers. While driving customers directly to their site will be the primary concern, hoteliers must also concentrate on encouraging customers to complete the booking process. Website optimization encompasses all of the current industry best practices for 1) grabbing the customer's attention upon entering the site; and 2) driving the customer to and through the booking engine. This article gives some fundamental, yet often overlooked website optimization tips for hotel properties. READ MORE

Embassy Suites Hotels was recently recognized by the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index Study as the top brand for the upscale hotel category in 2009. The brand has won the JD Power and Associates "Highest Guest Satisfaction among Upscale Hotel Chains with Full Service" award eight out of the last eleven years. Jim Holthouser reveals Embassy Suites Hotel's best tips to maintaining successful customer loyalty year after year. READ MORE