Revenue Optimization as most know has drastically changed over the past few years and is still constantly changing. How people shop and where they get their information changes on a day by day basis. The old adage of "right room, right person, right price" is no longer applicable and a successful property has all bases covered from demand and content management. As the world of Travel 2.0 grows, the traveler is getting smarter and access to more and more tools they may not have had in the past. Sites such as www.gusto.com have made the traveler the one in control. With real time access to like-minded people, the new Web 2.0 allows the potential guest to see what they really want to know about the destination they are going to and this includes value. As the adage goes, price is what you pay for something and value is what you get. READ MORE

As we go through the throws of the budget and planning season, people consistently wonder how does one look into the future to get more accurate budgetary planning and get good data for revenue strategies. Now, is always a good time to start planning. There is one fundamental difference between Revenue Management and Revenue Optimization, the former is passive and the latter is active. More than that, it's proactive. Revenue Optimization looks into the future and builds a plan to effectively create revenue and harness demand to fully return the best revenues possible. This is the goal of all who do Revenue Management (Optimization). So, what are the keys to proactive Revenue Management? What can move a property from Revenue Management to Revenue Optimization? Let's look at the process and learn how to maximize our return. READ MORE

Revenue Management continues to change rapidly. The days of "right room, right person, right price at right time" have long disappeared. So how do you really measure success at the property? Now-a-days, the margins are getting ever closer and with more and more rooms being sold at net or wholesale rates, it's ever so important that properties look beyond the top line and see how their bottom line is effected by the decisions they make. GOPPAR, or Gross Operating Profit Per Available Room solves that need and gives a valuable look at how a property is truly performing. READ MORE

The average manager in the hospitality industry makes hundreds if not thousands of decisions every day. There are few industries with as much human interaction with guests, employees, vendors, potential clients and community. Making the right decision is a critical part of management. This article examines the decision making process and offer a framework for managerial decision making. READ MORE

Sustainable practices like any new venture have costs and in some cases costs that a small business operator cannot afford. An argument for pursuing sustainable business practices is to preserve and conserve our resources by having a business be socially responsible and be good for business. This article will examine planning for sustainable practices and sustainable businesses and the tactics and resources that can be used to achieve the goal of creating a sustainable business. READ MORE

Resort and Spa, Resort and Spa, a fitting end to a resorts name, however, what the American spa has morphed into may have now departed from what was the luxury spa experience. As with any functional item, when a boom occurs often the classical original gets diluted in the process. This article will travel back in time when the American spa was first conceived to what we now know as a resort or luxury spa facility and endeavor. READ MORE

Hot! Hot! Hot! Condo hotels are burning hot. Across the country and around the world, the development communities have discovered the concept of the condo hotel. However, it is no longer enough to create a residential development with the standard pool, restaurant and tennis court or a hotel with little of the resort type enticements. Your market now demands much more. READ MORE

The number one issue that is continually overlooked by the architects of record on spa facilities is flow. It seems that if an architect has not experienced numerous spas first hand, and by experienced, I mean actually have been a guest and used the spa services often, they do not possess the necessary experience that will provide them with all the nuances of what makes a health spa facility a success, from both an aesthetic view and an operational view. READ MORE

If you were to look at your mid week business and reflect on your occupancy, meaning treatment room occupancy, you will get an idea of how your spa business can improve. We've all designed those lovely mid-week packages, that are a great deal, but it seems that few often work enough to fill those treatment rooms during the week, unless there are guests already planning to come to your property. Having created such packages for years and tracked their success, they do little to motivate the guest that had no intention of taking a vacation at the time your package is targeted, however, they can be the reason why they chose your spa over another. So, although you may not think that they are worth the marketing efforts, do no dispense with them. They are offered by your competitors and a potential guest will take note and compare. READ MORE

At first blush, this may sound a bit absurd to ask because most would think that, of course, if your property has a spa facility, your General Manager would definitely be supportive of that amenity, right? Not always, unfortunately. Regardless of the scope of your spa services, there are still those few General Managers "out there" that look at spas as something that only women indulge in and that they themselves would never be caught dead having a massage or facial and definitely not allow someone to scrub the dry skin from their bodies. So they keep a wide berth from the spa and what goes on behind those closed doors will forever remain a mystery. READ MORE

In the 21st century, American spas have had over 20 years in development and have expanded to a more sophisticated venue. But by creating this menu of enticing services, have spa managers and product companies traveled too far in their claims? I think today's spa guest well understands, for example, that by applying a daily moisturizer helps to keep the skin healthy, but will not reverse the aging process. When a spa list of services makes unrealistic claims such as this, or, stating that a product or a treatment will cure your ailment, you begin to tread dangerously in the liability arena. READ MORE

We have all encountered that difficult to please guest. They arrive complaining even as they check in to the hotel, and they forge on through all the areas of the property, feeling put upon and dissatisfied. Having begun my spa career in the days that the majority of the people enjoying the spa experience were the very wealthy old moneyed rich, the majority of our guests were considered difficult to please. No matter what we did, they were unhappy. Read on for some juicy stories on difficult spa guests and how we remedied each situation. READ MORE

The health spa department of your property is a viable and a generous revenue producing outlet. Often, when searching for a manager for this area we tend to think that someone with general people skills is adequate to operate your spa facility. It is a mistake to regard your spa as an afterthought, since it can be the most active area of the hotel with the most concentrated daily usage by your guests. READ MORE

Everyone has a spa, everyone has a great hotel room and everyone is price competitive, but what about innovating on what you already offer? What about bringing the spa to the guest in the comfort of their hotel room or suite? Why not, seems like such an effortless service to offer, right? Let's have some fun with this. Spa services are becoming more and more creative and innovative with the advent of more sophisticated product lines and therapy equipment. The spa facility offers the guest a true escape from the rigors of a person's daily life and is often the best location for complete de-stressing. Or is it? READ MORE

Spending a day in a spa has always been a wonderful personal experience. It is a day that hopefully promises to deliver serenity, calm, warmth, individual attention to your every need, relaxing and a bit of indulgence. But as this industry has evolved, we are seeing more integration of couples treatments, that can, if done properly, deliver an additional perspective. The question yet to be fully understood, is sharing what has normally been a self pampering day really allow for that true individual tranquility? Does the interjection of your significant other interrupt just a little of your "ME" time? And, what about the trend to integrate what would normally be a segregated clothing optional space? READ MORE