Our industry is experiencing one of the strongest travel markets in recent years, so many new properties are being built and many existing ones are being renovated. But great hotel rooms don't just happen - they have to be carefully created with meticulous attention to the four stages of FF&E, namely, design, purchasing, transportation, and installation. Exactly what are today's "hot" trends for "cool" rooms? Here are three "do's" and three "don'ts" that are helping many properties sizzle without burning up their FF&E budgets - and these tips can easily be implemented by you. READ MORE

Thousands of properties are undergoing refurbishment every year, so owners are challenged to minimize the impact to operations - and to guests. Renovation is the lifeblood of the hotel business - properties must stay fresh in order to attract today's sophisticated and demanding travelers. Lose appeal and you lose guests - lose guests and you lose revenues. In fact, today's slowed economy provides the ideal opportunity to undertake renovation projects at a time that occupancy may be slightly lower. Projects launched now will result in less lost revenue nights and will position your hotel for the travel upturn. READ MORE

Do you want your hotel to look good, work well, and perform financially? A good place to start is your interior designer. Indeed, your interior designer may not be the first person you think of to add value to your property and your bottom line, but my article shows you five specific ways this member of your team can do exactly that. READ MORE

Among the factors affecting design and purchasing decisions are 1) a tight economy, which is changing plans for both business and leisure travelers while creating price increases in products to be purchased as well as in the transportation costs for delivery of those products, 2) new standards by almost every franchise brand, which have led to considerable hotel renovation as well as property rebranding, and 3) travelers who have become more discriminating and demanding about their hotel accommodations. Nevertheless, the hotel industry certainly knows how to weather a storm - and this article provides specific tips for how owners can lower their risk and raise their chances for profitability by hiring the right FF&E team in this difficult environment. READ MORE

Hoteliers are always looking for those little touches that can make a big difference, for their guests and for their bottom line. My article this month suggests how some answers can be found through creative attention to art and accessories. We know that when a hotel looks special, guests feel special - so I offer ideas that can transform a nice hotel into a breath-taking hotel. Ideas that combine an uptown look with a down-home feel. Ideas that make your rooms anything but square. Many of my suggestions are easy to implement, all are easy on the eyes. READ MORE

First impressions can be effective or disastrous, but they are always lasting. Nowhere is that more true than the highly competitive hotel industry, where the look and feel of a property can immediately turn guests on - or off. But in the months after September 11, occupancy was down dramatically and franchisors relaxed their quality inspections - so hoteliers put many of their purchases for furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) "on hold." Here's how you can maximize your FF&E investment and minimize your service interruptions. READ MORE

Hotel owners want to stay competitive and in compliance for the least amount of money. For them, "value" means price. Hotel guests want to stay in a place that offers the amenities of home while being friendly, tasteful, and meticulously maintained. For them, "value" means ambiance. An FF&E professional can help meet the expectations of both owners and guests - and that will pretty up your hotel and your bottom line. Here's how to streamline your decisions and your expenses. READ MORE

What puts you in a good mood? Hotel owners and designers are constantly looking for new answers to that question because they know today's travelers want their hotel to be as pleasing as their trip. Colors, music, and artwork are among the popular ways hoteliers try to create a special environment. However, two especially effective techniques are within reach and under foot, literally - in the form of lighting and flooring. READ MORE

High tech, high touch, and high energy continue to characterize the hotel industry - owners are designing and furnishing their properties to keep guests comfortable, efficient, and coming back. Let's look at what this means for your furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) decisions as you plan new construction and renovation projects in 2008. READ MORE

First impressions can be effective or disastrous, but they are always lasting. Nowhere is that more true than the highly competitive hotel industry, where the look and feel of a property can immediately turn guests on - or off. That's precisely why hoteliers are increasingly turning to professional design and purchasing for their furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). Buying FF&E can be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be painful - either for your peace of mind or your bottom line. READ MORE

In recent years, it has become trendy for some Westerners to use feng shui in making life decisions. Of course, feng shui has guided the lives of many people in the Orient for more than 3,000 years. Yes, feng shui is a complex concept, but its implementation is based in large part on common sense; such as correlating form with function or selecting and positioning objects in a way that is smart as well as aesthetically pleasing. My article explores some basics of feng shui and then applies them in a simple, useful, practical manner to the interior design of a hotel. READ MORE

Buying furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) can be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be painful - either for your peace of mind or your bottom line. Yes, you're spending a lot of money to furnish your hotel - but a purchasing professional can help stretch the dollars you spend, while also building the value of your property. By definition, choosing your FF&E means making choices - and the right choice for many owners and property managers is to assign purchasing responsibilities to an outside source. So when people claim that they can do effective buying of products for you, how can you be sure you're selecting a reputable purchasing agent for your FF&E needs? READ MORE

Most of us eat three meals a day, 365 days a year for a total of 1,095 dining experiences. Surely some of these should be memorable, and that's a key goal for managers at fractional interest resorts. Restaurants and food service are without a doubt the most competitive aspects of the fiercely spirited luxury resort hotel industry. Top-notch hotels and resorts have started recognizing this growing trend and are now being pushed to raise the bar on culinary services still higher as a new generation of "foodies" want more on their vacation menus than just room service and all-you-can-eat brunch buffets. READ MORE

US-based hotel chains are in various stages of adopting corporate environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility programs. The trend tracks rapidly increasing utility costs, growing awareness among guests of global environmental issues such as climate change and scarcity of water resources, and the introduction of a wide variety of "environmentally-friendly" product and technology alternatives. US hotel chains are also taking advantage of collaborative voluntary initiatives at the local, national and international level. READ MORE

The Travel marketplace is at the top tier of the web's explosion of channel aggregation, information, and game changing consumer sophistication. To compete and win, today's hotelier must develop a multi-layered strategy and deploy an array of finely-tuned tactics. And must do so while battling a recovering economy and navigating crowded sea lanes. Special times require special measures, with the keyword being "Specials" - a tried and true marketing tactic that can help you beat your competitors, engages consumers, and can be profitable when smartly done and managed. READ MORE