The add-on sale is a simple way to enhance your guest's spa experience while adding to your spa's profit margins. Adding a service or retail package onto your guest's standard listing of treatments will enhance their experience and create a sense of competency among your staff that is not likely to emerge under any other circumstances. Most of all the add-on sale contributes to your bottom line, client retention and the guest's overall spa experience. Learn how to easily implement an add-on strategy to your spa's operations in a few easy steps. READ MORE

Social media web sites have triggered an ever-growing global conversation on every topic imaginable. The question is not whether your hotel should be using social media to start a conversation about your property; that conversation is already happening. The question is, are you going to be a part of it? In this five-part series "A Hotelier's Guide to Social Media Marketing," I look at the many ways your hotel can grow and drive the conversation about your property on a number of social media platforms. To start, here are my top 10 best practices you should know to get your property started off right with social media. READ MORE

So you did it! You placed your hotel on the Twitter map! Now what? By this time all of you know what Twitter is, its capabilities, shortcomings, advantages and disadvantages. Most of you have probably decided by now if you will have a presence on the 140 character mass-marketing social media platform that has enjoyed immense popularity in the past year and a half. Read my article on why it makes sense to be on Twitter, why it isn't going anywhere, and how its mass global outreach can help your property. READ MORE

One thing that's no secret is the fact that there's not one single way to optimize guest communications. Instead, a variety of communication channels must be integrated and orchestrated for maximum impact: this is the essence of cross-channel marketing. It's no different with social media marketing -- the "new frontier" for marketers today. Read on to learn more about the value of social marketing for the travel and hospitality industry, as well as real-world examples from both inside and outside our market. Also, hear more about how to get started in a way that's a fit for your organization. READ MORE

If you're thinking of selling your hotel, or simply need advice on a specific area of running the business, you can find great value by tapping into your social networks. By now everyone has heard of social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and various message boards; and business owners are finding a wealth of information by connecting with others on those sites. It's also important to remember, though, that small business organizations - as well as your own personal contact list - can serve as excellent networking resources. Read this article for details about social networking opportunities that hotel owners should consider when selling or running their establishments. READ MORE

Social media gives travelers a voice — a loud, almost immediate, and unfiltered voice. Whether you're out there or not, your guests are — sharing their preferences, talking about their experiences with your hotel, your staff, even Tweeting about the chocolate and turn down service they did (or did not) receive. As a hotel leader, if you're not participating in social media, you're missing out on an opportunity to connect with highly engaged travelers and you can guarantee your competitors will jump at the chance to disrupt the conversation. There are so many opportunities to connect with current and prospective guests through social media. Let's take a look... READ MORE

No hospitality facility or destination is immune from potential threats and emergencies caused by nature or human action. Considering tragic disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina or, more recently, the flooding which left the atriums of Nashville's landmark Opryland Resort under 10 feet of water, the time to plan for an emergency certainly isn't in the middle of one. Properties and convention and visitors bureaus (CVB) who take a proactive, collaborative approach to crisis management by creating and continuously updating an emergency plan are far better prepared to respond, minimize negative outcomes and recover faster. READ MORE

With increased public interest in accountability and transparency by the private sector, many hospitality programs and technical colleges have realized the need for qualified environmental engineers and sustainable management professionals in the hospitality industry. In this article I will highlight a few of the driving forces behind the formation of company - university partnerships and why some of these programs would be helpful in training your team. READ MORE

Just as in past periods of economic recession, the latest downturn provided everyone in the hospitality world with a stark reminder of how important it is to keep a keen eye on the fundamentals such as revenue management, cost control and customer service. Some commonly overlooked costs impacting hotel operators are those associated with workplace procedures and workers' compensation insurance, which is often misunderstood and frequently thought of in the same terms as other insurance products. With workers' compensation, businesses can evaluate practices to significantly reduce their costs, and create better operational efficiencies by improving workplace safety. Now, more than ever, hotel operators must continuously evaluate cost structures and work to enhance operational efficiencies amid a series of ongoing challenges. READ MORE

The most hotly contested yet least publicized piece of President Obama's agenda since taking office is the Employee Free Choice Act, the most notable provision of which is "card check." The Act proposes changes that will have dramatic effects on the nature and scope of collective bargaining, including that between hotel management and employees. Falling just nine votes shy of passing in 2007, the Democratic Parties' dominant performance in the 2008 elections seemed to all but assure the Act's passage. Today, however, the law remains unchanged. This article offers insight into what happened, and why hotel owners and managers should still be paying careful attention. READ MORE

Many hospitality employers may not be aware of the numerous state and federal  hiring-based tax incentive programs available to them and the benefits these can have on their bottom line. With the most current tax incentive programs in place, hospitality employers can receive an average of over $600 per new employee hired.  Over a three year period, including retroactive credits, this can easily add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars per location. Here are some best practices on implementing such programs, specifically the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, the Hire Now Tax Cut and the Enterprise Zone and Empowerment Zones programs. READ MORE

The economy is finally showing signs of recovery. And while that gives hoteliers good reason to be optimistic, it's still critical that they make smart technology purchases, choosing solutions that will help decrease costs (or at least keep them in line), streamline efficiency and enable the property to realize a competitive advantage. Some of the newest technology has a big 'wow' factor, but the return on investment may not justify the expense. Fortunately, there are exciting software selections that can help position your hotel for success and provide a fast ROI. Following are five technology purchases that can help your property stay ahead of the competition in 2011 and beyond. READ MORE

Each traveler seeks something unique from his or her hotel experience. For some, the goal is to find a home away from home; for others it's being treated to luxury and indulgence. Regardless of the objective, there are two mainstays of the traveler's expectations: convenience and service. That combination becomes even sweeter when its delivery increases efficiency in hotel operations. This is the opportunity that presents itself when we examine the integration of cashless small-ticket purchases through key card payments with property management system software — and how it can benefit your guests and your bottom line. READ MORE

Mounting evidence shows that the choice of venue and the physical facilities for learning can play a critical role in maximizing the success of a corporate learning program and/or training session's objectives. Research has found that if the environment is bad, then people will generally perceive the training to be bad, regardless of content. And with new forms of training such as multi-sensory learning, e-learning, hands-on lab settings and blended learning, there are sure to be additional adjustments and enhancements beyond current certification standards regarding quantifying meeting ROI. READ MORE

Whether the economy is in good shape or bad shape, Revenue Management is a tool, if used successfully, will drive increased sales and bottom line profits. Revenue Management is something everyone knows about but not everyone uses. While there is normally a cost to implementing this at your hotel, there is also an intuitive cost if you don't use it. Our desk clerks are not trained reservation agents and in most Property Management Systems these same desk clerks have the ability to make reservations at the front desk. Unfortunately, they also have the ability to by-pass revenue management strategies in that same system with very little difficulty. Why do we allow this to occur when the remedy is so easy... easy for the customer, easy for the desk clerk and easy for the top line as well as the bottom line. READ MORE