Every time you swipe a guest's credit card, your hotel is charged with transaction fees. Since most of your bills are likely paid by credit card, the amount you pay in these fees are substantial. Yet, do you understand what you pay and properly manage that expense? If you are like many hoteliers, you may not drill down into credit card processing costs - first because you may not have the time, and second because the statements you receive from your payments processor are probably very confusing. If you take a good look at your statements, you will discover that fees vary wildly based on the type of card used and can reach as high as 5% on each payment. READ MORE

Westin Hotels & Resorts (then known as Western Hotels) made hotel history in 1946 when they introduced and issued the first guest credit card - a tremendous innovation for customers and the industry alike. They upped the ante in 1983 when they became the first major hotel to implement a comprehensive credit card reservation and check-out system. These advances sealed Westin's reputation as a leading-edge hotelier. They also put the hotel industry squarely at the forefront of payment card acceptance, solidifying its leadership position in the rapidly expanding credit card market. But along with the advantages of innovation, technology often brings headaches. Credit, debit and prepaid cards are no exception. While hoteliers and their guests have enjoyed the convenience and accessibility of cards for years, they - like you - have also struggled with the rising costs of accepting credit and debit cards. READ MORE

What awaits the ever-more-savvy spa connoisseur in 2006 and beyond? The number of spas in the U.S. has topped 12,000, with spas offering a dizzying variety of services that address everything from weight loss to stress relief to skin revitalization and more. Looking ahead, we believe that spas will become more focused - rather than offering a little bit of everything, spa operators are going to specialize and become expert at the services they offer, whether it's Ayurveda or male specific treatments or whatever. With the number of spas only continuing to grow, spas are going to specialize and consolidate in order to survive. And diversify they will! Medical Spas, Retirement Spas, Man Spas - Oy Vey! Watch for these very interesting developments in the year(s) ahead. READ MORE

The spa is often a leading driver for many guests as they make hotel/resort selections. In fact, consumers seek out a spa experience they feel they can trust for high quality and value. Hotels/resorts can expect an increase in average daily rate (ADR), average length of stay, food & beverage revenues, as well as in the sale of other amenities offered by the property, if the leadership and staff understand how to utilize the draw of the spa to its consumers. Here are some simple guidelines to help you start and stay on the right track of spa profitability... READ MORE

Being under the influence is serious business but it seemed like a good idea at the time, your Honor. Just ignore the global excitement to protect the planet and simply avoid "green" themes in new hotel projects. It is only the latest trendy hotel fad, right? Wrong, your green future is now. The major brands are going about it differently but all have evolving sustainability and environmental initiatives. Like the lovely Hotel California where you check-in but can never check out, make more room in rehab because hotel developers without green-colored glasses are on the road to making impaired decisions. READ MORE

Although nobody can predict exactly when the economy is going to rebound nor when hotel prices and occupancies will return to previously desired levels, it is probable that there will continue to be a decline in corporate executive retreats to luxury resorts, annual board meetings, corporate sales incentive trips, and annual holiday parties over the coming year. In fact, one can only wonder about the extent of recovery for specific markets such as luxury, as well as whether there will be a recovery at all for the condo-hotel market. Having said that, it is important to pay attention to the items that will help maintain profitability by focusing on what I think are the top ten key recession survival best practices. READ MORE

Today's quickly-changing marketing environment turns traditional approaches on their ear, with guests calling the shots, dictating the timing and preferences for communications and engagement. For marketers, this customer-driven, fast-paced environment mandates a new approach to optimize engagement - the points of contact with the brand - and maximize the guest's lifetime value. But most traditional database-driven marketing solutions fall far short of these goals. That's why savvy marketers are turning to sophisticated relationship marketing.but no relationship marketing strategy will work without the right digital marketing system. READ MORE

Every year The International Spa Association releases the spa industry trends for the coming year. The report is valued by the spa industry and looked at as a tool for marketing individual spas. Our overview of the 2010 trends focuses on the shift the spa industry is seeing and provides ideas for proactively working toward making our Spa businesses more efficient. READ MORE

In the sixth century BC, Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed "Everything changes but change itself." Twenty-six centuries later, it's still just as true. It certainly applies to today's hotel customers. Travelers, whether business road warriors or families on vacation, are more selective, value conscious and well-informed than ever before. They also have a whole new set of expectations. Hotels have a unique opportunity now to embrace and benefit from this new customer reality. Read this article to learn how you can capitalize on it in ways that will differentiate your property's brand, rise above the competition and increase customer loyalty. READ MORE

2009 is finally behind us. Now what? According to PhocusWright, demand won't reach 2007 levels until 2011, supply will fall less than 1% from 2011 - 2013, occupancy will not get back to 60% nationally until 2012, preventing rates from trending upward until 2011 and RevPAR will reach only 90-95% of 2007 peak levels sometime in 2012. So what do hotels and hotel companies do to not only survive, but also thrive in the two years ahead? How do you win going forward then? By changing the rules and the application of those rules to change the competitive landscape. READ MORE

In general, a company's culture is defined by the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors of the people who represent it. While strategies and specific objectives may change or evolve over time, a company's core values and beliefs, and hence its culture, should not. But what if they do? This year, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Over the course of the last century, the company's history has been marked by three distinct periods, each bringing its own set of priorities and cultures. READ MORE

How much information would you like to have about your employees before you make a decision about whether to hire or fire them? If you had access to all public and private information about them at the click of a mouse, would you seize the opportunity? Be careful what you wish for. This article identifies the primary problems associated with the use of social networking sites by employers in the private sector, and offers some best practices to effectively address some of the potential pitfalls. READ MORE

The hospitality industry's crystal ball is, unfortunately, just as cloudy this year as it was this time last year. Though we can perhaps take comfort in the fact that those clouds are just grey instead of black and stormy, uncertainty is still the only thing that is certain for the hotel and lodging industry in general. Even with positive GDP last quarter (indicating that the recession is technically ending), hotels, resorts and other lodging properties are still experiencing depressed demand, low average daily rates and stagnant occupancy. In other words, low RevPAR. No one can know for certain whether these negative trends will persist through 2010 but following are my thoughts and projections for what 2010 has in store for the hotel industry. READ MORE

Avatar is the second-highest grossing film of all time and has a legitimate shot at toppling the all-time worldwide box office record. 3D movies are taking the entertainment industry by storm as consumers seek more satisfying entertainment moments. Guests are seeking those more than satisfying moments in hospitality too. Hoteliers can actually capitalize on the 3D entertainment phenomenon with a multi-dimensional focus on exceptional service delivery. This article introduces a powerful methodology focusing on the procedural, personal and perceptual sides of service which lead to exceptional service delivery and a deeper understanding of guest experience management." READ MORE

Like other industries, the hotel industry has followed the environmentally friendly trend of going "green". Hotel developers have recognized the cost-saving and marketing benefits of going green, because apart from being environmentally responsible, green development could literally translate into more green in the bank by increasing revenues and reducing costs. However, now there is a compelling new reason to design and build green projects - increasingly, it is becoming the law. As green projects become mandatory, and as projects come to fruition, litigation is sure to follow as hotel developers and others go top court to resolve issues relating to going green. READ MORE