In recent months, purchases of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) have been on an upswing as hoteliers launch the construction of new properties and the renovation of existing hotels - activities which had slowed down or been put on "hold" since September 11, 2001. FF&E consists of several distinct steps or stages. It starts with design, proceeds to purchasing, then culminates with transportation and installation. Each step requires its own specialized attention to detail, yet too often the most forgotten or overlooked aspect of FF&E purchases is transportation - namely, the costs and logistics of delivery. READ MORE

Here's How Works of Art Can Make Your Rooms and Public Space Stand Out. The word "artwork" typically brings to mind paintings, wall hangings, and sculptures. However, there are several other types of decorative elements that you can use to make a positive visual impact on guests. Exactly how you combine these various "artwork" elements will depend on four factors - brand standards, interior design, owner preferences, and budget. More and more hoteliers are using art to add a "picture perfect" final touch to their public and guest room space. If you want artwork to enhance the visitor experience at your property, consider these simple guidelines... READ MORE

Our industry must especially adjust its FF&E design and purchasing to the values and habits of younger, more style-conscious travelers. While the older "baby boom" travelers take more trips and fill more rooms than their younger Generation X colleagues, it's the Gen X-ers who spend more money and use more services per stay. Some hotels are trying to straddle the fence with their FF&E decisions and appeal to both categories of business travelers, so that they don't offend either. Other hotels are taking the attitude that Gen X-ers are leading our country's cultural trends while boomers are following, so why not appeal to the cutting edge - and so far, boomers show no sign of backlash to the Gen X-inspired changes. Quite to the contrary, baby boom travelers seem to appreciate the fresh new wave of upscale amenities, comfortable colors and fabrics, and state-of-the art technology that are being offered by hoteliers. So exactly what are today's business travelers looking for? READ MORE

Why can the manufacturer of the Dr. Skud flyswatter, which was crafted by famous French designer Philippe Starck, sell five cents worth of plastic for $12? Why has the Motorola Razr V3 set sales records when it doesn't work any better or differently than other cell phones? Why does Apple's iPod dominate the MP3 player market when there are many similar devices available from other manufacturers? The answer to all three questions is the same - smart, striking design. Now, more and more hoteliers are coming to the same conclusion - that good design is good business. But it's been a long, slow process and some hotel owners are still reluctant to invest in anything beyond minimal design. To understand why, let's look at the difference between "design" and "purchasing." READ MORE

Quick - how much was the freight cost for your most recent FF&E order? You can probably remember the price you paid for each of your television sets or for the carpeting in each of your hotel rooms, but shipping is usually like sales tax - it's an "invisible" charge that seems to disappear or blend into the overall invoice. So how you can keep your freight costs reasonable, avoid shipping surprises, and stretch your FF&E budget? Consider these suggestions. READ MORE

Unfortunately, the advent of online reservation services and their increased accessibility to a traveling public with widespread access and greater comfort with Internet purchasing, has come at a time when the hospitality industry has gone through a major slump. Initially, faced with steep declines, many properties were happy to sell blocks of rooms at deep discounts to online resellers, who would then market and sell them to the public. But as travel industry began to recover, and these third party services began aggressively advertising and selling rooms at deeply discounted prices, the hotel industry quickly realized that they were, in effect, competing against themselves. How can properties adapt to this new reality? What issues should concern them and how should they deal with them? READ MORE

What once served almost solely as a waiting place - a place to kill the time before check-in or after check-out, the hotel lobby is now becoming a destination in and of itself. Many of the greatest moments in film and literature have taken place in hotel lobbies --- from the lazy summer days at The Plaza in The Great Gatsby, to The Graduate's Benjamin Braddock's realization that Mrs. Robinson was indeed trying to seduce him in the lobby of the Taft Hotel. And now great moments can happen again each and everyday, as lobbies are no longer just quiet waiting spots, they are becoming the "it" spots at the best hotels around the world. READ MORE

By integrating software tools that are now available on the market for real estate management and project performance, many hotels are becoming more and more reliant on computerized databases to monitor, assess, and report on their companies' environmental and social goals. In this article we will try to explain how making improvements in hotel management software systems and other types of workflow management systems can enable hospitality managers and property owners to adopt a life-cycle management approach within their brand or property. READ MORE

Electricity is there when you need it. And it has been this way for almost one hundred and twenty-five years, since Thomas Alva Edison developed the first practical electric light bulb and set off a revolution that changed virtually everything in our society. But electricity, and indeed all energy, is something we can't take for granted. Although most people think about electricity only when they flip on the light switch, the U.S. electric system consists of a massive, interconnected network of generating plants, transmission lines, and distribution facilities. Energy legislation is needed now to reinforce electric reliability, foster more efficient, competitive electric power markets, promote fuel diversity, and expand our energy supplies and production. At the same time, a national energy bill needs to stress efficiency and the wise use of existing resources. With electricity consumption expected to increase 49 percent between today and 2025, these supply and demand measures are the best long-term solutions for our energy future. READ MORE

So what type of branding is your hotel engaged in to reach children? Have you considered the impact branding has on children under the age of 10? Branding is an advertising method designed to establish recognition and positive associations with a company name, product or logo, with the goal of creating lifelong customers. We know now it's possible to reach customers even when they are still in diapers. Since brand recognition begins as early as 2 years of age, particularly when cartoon (think cereal advertisements) or cartoonish (think fast food advertisements) licensed characters are used to sell products, experts agree that marketers who reach these very young children with an effective branding campaign build stronger brand loyalty as a child grows. READ MORE

The ultimate responsibility and goal of a hotel manager is to achieve a profit for the hotel's owner and ensure that the hotel's guests are happy with their stay. To that end, a hotel manager acts behind the scenes at a hotel like a puppeteer with numerous day-to-day responsibilities for nearly all aspects of a hotel's operations, including, but not limited to, supervising and managing personnel, marketing, sales, security, maintenance, and food and beverage operations. READ MORE

We are well into the 21st century, and as technology continues to advance all around us, the business climate is changing. PKF recently forecast that lodging is going to be down again in 2009, but that capacity is on the rise. With the combination of both, profits are expected to also decrease. However, the lodging industry is adept at taking cost out when demand drops, and using bloggers and other social media to continue your communication efforts is critical. READ MORE

We are no longer mouthing the words, "Doing business in a brand new way". With the recent changes in the economic climate and subsequent changes in travel patterns and customer loyalty, we are doing business in a brand new way and saying "Who do we want to attract and who do we want to keep as loyal customers?" In the spa business, the anchor currently is the Baby Boomers. READ MORE

We've equipped our stylish guest rooms with the most current, cutting-edge technology, provided unparalleled bedding made from the finest Egyptian cotton and luxurious spa-like guest baths and products. Yet all of those amenities and appointments can quickly dissipate in the eyes of our guests if they do not encounter employees who are responsive to their needs and sincerely hospitable. Simply put, it's paramount to remember that the most logical and practical way to outperform your competition is directly through your employees. They are the ambassadors for your hotel - and should be recruited and trained to complement and enhance your multi-million dollar assets. READ MORE

It should be known by now that all we do is connected to selling. We sell concepts, dreams, fantasies, hope, results, and more. But so often we only think that the products on the shelf are all that we sell, but this is far from the truth and usually the last thing we sell, if we sell at all. It would behoove all of us to take inventory on what we are really selling so that we know how to clearly and consistently market it to our potential guest. READ MORE