Cate Farmer, General Manager of Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort delves into the trends that are dominating the discussion around the future of guest service in today's hospitality landscape. With an increasingly competitive atmosphere and online reviews now accessible at travelers' fingertips, the importance of providing the highest level of hospitality, service, and attention to detail is not only of the utmost importance but it is becoming a base expectation for today's travelers. By prioritizing a positive work culture, leveraging guest personalization, and offering engaging experiential activities, resorts and hotels will be able to generate future success in customer demand. READ MORE

As hoteliers, we tend to strive for the highest guest service score ratings. These measures can help provide us with an ongoing progress report on the "health" of our hotel. Guest scores and comments tend to shed light on the hotel areas that shine and those in need of extra attention. So how can we help each hotel department and team associate feel ownership for guest satisfaction and ultimately improve guest service scores? READ MORE

Vendor selection, training and follow-up are key components to ensuring your guests receive the same level of service from your vendor representatives as they do from your in-house staff. The cost of service failures may be difficult to calculate, but their far reaching effects will negatively impact your bottom line. In their quest to maximize profits, some hoteliers have made the decision to outsource front line staff. "But, as with every other business strategy, outsourcing has its own limitations and 'unintended consequences' that if not addressed, can turn it into a bad business strategy." READ MORE

During my twenty-year career in the hospitality industry, the most valuable piece of advice I've carried with me has been to treat clients not as I want to be treated, but as they want to be treated. I am able to witness this practice daily in my role as Director of Sales and Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., located in the heart of our nation's capital. This year the hotel is celebrating twenty years of unparalleled service, consistently ranked as the premiere luxury hotel in the city Luxury and impeccable service is expected of our property and rightfully so, but pushing the boundaries and raising the bar for service in the way that The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. does is setting the tone for others to follow suit. READ MORE

Walking through the front door, your lights are set precisely how you want them. The temperature is exactly how you like it. Your favorite music or television show is playing softly in the background. The "smart home" is becoming more popular these days, but this isn't your smart home. This is your "home away from home." This is your favorite hotel guestroom. A guest's experience at a hotel should reflect their experience – and level of comfort – in their own home. While design plays an important role in this goal, adopting modern technology is just as important in 2020. READ MORE

Is bigger better – or can independent hotels thrive in today's hospitality environment? David Ashen, president & CEO of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design, takes a look back at hotel trends over the past several decades to examine guest preferences over the years and how they tie to changes in culture and consumption. Ashen explores the push away from big brands, including what's driving the shift, risks and rewards, and how hotel owners and operators can successfully make the transition. In this piece, he shares examples of hotels that experienced success and cautionary tales of the challenges ahead. READ MORE

This article examines the importance of an engaged workforce for hospitality companies, where employees are working directly with customers all day and a positive guest experience is highly valued. An engaged workforce starts with cultivating talent and incentives to keep employees motivated in their work. This article also goes into detail on how hospitality companies can increase motivation, including cash bonuses, incentive travel and special merchandise. In using these tools, hospitality companies position themselves to succeed in any economic environment and helps prevent employee turnover. READ MORE

Alissa Gardenswartz and Airina Rodrigues, both shareholders at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, share legal insights around the potential impact of downplaying or concealing coronavirus risk and how it could result in consumer protection or false advertising lawsuits. The article takes a deep dive into why hotels, who have a duty to warn guests of any hidden or concealed hazards that are known or reasonably discoverable by the hotel, may face allegations of deception from regulators, consumers and competitors by not disclosing an exposure to coronavirus on their property. READ MORE

Hostels have significantly evolved since their inception in 1914. While many of their basic hospitality features remain the same, namely providing inexpensive lodging to mostly young travelers in locations and settings conducive to social interaction and cultural enrichment, they have now taken on features that are comparable to stylish boutique hotels. Many of the new hostels are beautifully designed with amenities that attract locals to enjoy music, food, cocktails, art and invigorating social interaction with its guests. Similarly Micro Hotels provide inexpensive lodging compared to their counterparts and feature miniaturized but well-appointed guestrooms, focusing investment dollars on high design and dynamic public spaces that attract guests and locals alike to engage in robust social interaction. READ MORE

Guest experience is the biggest buzzword in the hospitality industry today, and rightfully so. In the experience economy, where every moment matters, those who differentiate, win. No other industry understands this notion more than hospitality. As a result, we have seen it serving up some of the most creative and top-notch experiences ever. But accommodation options have expanded - ala Airbnb - creating a more diverse set of options for guests and making differentiation and personalization even more important in winning consumers' hearts and wallets. So how are hoteliers differentiating to win? How does the pre-arrival guest experience come into play? And what role does technology play in helping hoteliers perfect the pre-arrival experience? READ MORE

Technology is a thing of beauty or the bane of our existence depending on many factors. As a small business owner, I would be lost without computer programs which assist me in so many ways i.e. electronic filing, tracking business, accounting and more. Driving in my car I not only can talk hands free via my cell phone, I can connect to my emails and social media and point my vehicle to my destination thanks to navigational features. All of this is so commonly used it's taken for granted yet I confess to being in awe of the advantages of modern technology. READ MORE

Technology has permeated every aspect of the hospitality industry, from mobile check-in and key-less entry, to gate-less parking, in-room iPads, and more. Each of these innovations has made great strides in driving convenience and maximizing user experience for guests, but only scratches the surface of what's possible. Over the past 30 years, the hotel industry's explosive growth and advent of alternative competitors like Airbnb have given consumers more hospitality choices than ever. The variety is great for the discerning guest. READ MORE

In the age of digitalization, personal interaction has taken a different turn and definitely is perceived in a completely different way by the majority of people. Call me a nostalgic, not old fashioned, but I still believe that human contact and personal interaction is what makes the difference in authentic hospitality. In this article you will learn what makes a difference in a luxury hotel with real examples of what works and what does not as well as measure how far you can go to get up close and personal with guests. READ MORE

As a company focused on Music Architecture as a key guest engagement tool, I stand committed to the hotel community by sharing new and intriguing insights. I want all hotels (large and small) to reap the benefits of engaging your guests based on what you distinctly deem necessary for your specific property, considering what your guests' expectations are. Tools that drive guest engagement through content management (like music and digital signage) are becoming more flexible, such that you can better invest in exactly what you need. They're also becoming more cost effective, compact, and user-friendly. Content management that is flexible and customizable better facilitates the creation of guest memories…on your terms. Here's some insight on what's next… READ MORE

Technology is a hot topic of discussion in the hospitality sector. But while hotel professionals are intrigued by the disruptive potential of new tools and technologies that promise to improve the guest experience and impact the bottom line, the tech revolution in hospitality is introducing new and concerning vulnerabilities. Increasingly connected hotels are a target for bad actors, and with more sensitive information exposed, hotels - many of which are behind the cybersecurity curve - are ripe targets for increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks and other digital scams. With email phishing and ransomware at an all-time high, it is incumbent upon hotel owners and operators to protect themselves, their properties and their guests. READ MORE