Google's continually evolving ecosystem presents both a challenge and an opportunity to business owners looking to maximize their impact and increase visualization on the web. Today, the algorithms behind Google are designed to make recommendations based on a user's intent rather than direct keyword matches, a trend observant hoteliers are taking advantage of. This article will outline the cornerstones of a strong search engine optimization plan, how business owners can adopt an intent-based search process, and why these strategies are integral to your future success. READ MORE

The push and pull of music licensing in the hotel industry has always been somewhat emotional. Because it is a devilish task to determine the value of music to the industry, it is easy for the hotels to conclude they pay too much and easy for the licensing companies to conclude that they, and the artists they represent, are entitled to more. Over the years, the hotel industry and the music industry have gradually gotten accustomed to each other and some of the companies in the industries involved have truly understood how they can help each other. This article is an attempt to explain what is going on. READ MORE

The hospitality sector relies heavily on service providers and supply chains. Cybersecurity risk management and data privacy considerations are increasingly a critical factor in those relationships, both to deter poor vendor practices as well as to mitigate exposure in the event of a cyber incident. This article explains how cybersecurity is a risk management function that can be applied to all aspects of a vendor relationship, along with overarching practices for such relationships. The article focuses on cybersecurity considerations in vendor contracts and offers a practical "cybersecurity checklist" that can be used to vet contracts and ensure that cybersecurity and related considerations are being tended to. READ MORE

Hotel executives realize that knowledge is the most strategic factor for empowering the capabilities of a hotel and improving its competitive advantage in the marketplace. Knowledge is shared and synthesized with an aim to providing higher quality services. However, this is still not enough for hotel executives because knowledge is quite elusive and is changing on a day-to-day basis with discontinued services and the ever changing vast array of environmental issues. The key is for hotel executives to integrate risk management, knowledge management and talent management within hotels so that information can be found and used instantaneously. READ MORE

So, what does the future hold in store for the wedding event as well as business? The hospitality industry is currently going through what can be termed as the guest experience customization craze. No one wants a cookie cutter stay in a hotel. They want their stay to be a memorable experience. Well, if that is the requirement, wedding events have a lot going for them. To begin with, they are already clear, important events in any one's life. Thus, the motivation to make it something to remember is already there. What new initiatives would you bring to your target market's wedding or anniversary events? READ MORE

Navigating through Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits for multi-jurisdictional employers can be challenging. Christine Samsel of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck provides a summary of several key issues to consider, from combining different types of PTO into a single category to different states' handling of PTO as a vested wage entitlement or a contract matter between employers and employees, and the impact that has on PTO policies. She also dissects the interplay of PTO and paid sick leave laws, and outlines some of the pitfalls of a recent trend - unlimited PTO policies. READ MORE

Of all areas affected by changes in the way people live, work and play, public spaces are chief among them. David Ashen, president & CEO of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design, explores what's behind the shift, including generational preferences, an increase in remote and co-working environments and a need to surprise and delight guest like never before. Ashen explores how hotel brands can stay relevant to leisure and business guests by reimagining meeting spaces and ballrooms to make way for fresh possibilities and a world of flexibility. READ MORE

Tourism in Canada is on the rise, leading to a bevy of opportunities for hotel brands, developers and owners. For the All Suites brands by Hilton, comprised of Embassy Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Home2 Suites by Hilton, the state of the market combined with the use of multi-brand builds and flexible prototypes has led to great success, with the category recently opening its milestone 30th Canadian property. With a robust pipeline and recognitions such as Great Place to Work®'s 2019 Best Workplaces™ in Canada, it's no wonder the brands are seeing continued growth in Canada. READ MORE

The obscure maze of alcohol licensing becomes even more confusing as the hotelier encounters different state laws. Because states are vested with the authority to create their own alcohol laws, there is often no uniformity in laws from state to state. As hoteliers build their portfolio in new territories, it can be difficult to remember what law applies. This article does not teach the laws of any state, rather it identifies the legal issues that hoteliers face when making application for an alcohol license in the various states. It is these questions that create the foundation of understanding of the specific state alcohol regimes for the hotelier. READ MORE

One of the world's largest hotel chains experienced a massive cyberattack in which a hacker exploited their lack of adequate IT security controls, exposing the private data and travel details of nearly 500 million people. Security threats can come from a number of touch points, such as hotel Wi-Fi, credit card reservations/sales, loyalty programs, guest services and interconnections with vendors. Adding to such vulnerabilities is a labor shortage. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the hotel industry will experience a 600,000-worker shortfall. Couple this with the dearth of qualified cyber security professionals, and you see an industry at a peak point of stress. READ MORE

With the constant flow of hotel acquisitions and investments, global conglomerates, private equity funds, and venture capitalists regularly find themselves navigating alcohol beverage laws and regulations enacted from a bygone era and drafted in response to societal abuses and evils at that time. Alcohol beverage tied-house laws serve to prevent manufacturers and distributors from holding interests in or exercising control over retailers and prevent cross-ownership or investment in different tiers in the alcohol beverage industry. While some may question their relevancy today, "tied-house laws" separating the three tiers of the industry remain a legal hurdle to acquisitions of, or investments in, hotel businesses to be reckoned with. READ MORE

Over the past few decades, the environmental movement in the U.S. has gained quite a bit of momentum and started to impact more facets of everyday life. Spurred on by the interconnectivity of the internet and social media, consumers have become more demanding of their favorite companies - they want those brands to echo their own social and environmental values. To prioritize the energy efficiency that consumers demand, companies will need to make some major changes. While overhauling your organization to be more environmentally friendly sounds daunting, these changes don't need to interrupt daily operations or break the bank. READ MORE

Modular construction is a hot topic in the construction industry and in particular for hospitality projects. Hotels, given their often-repetitive nature, are ideal for modular construction. The citizenM New York Bowery Hotel which opened a few months ago is a prime example. This new 19-story, 100,000 square foot building is located at 189 Bowery, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It consists of 300 guestrooms, double height lobby and lounge, as well as a rooftop lounge and outdoor deck with spectacular views of the city. The hotel won the 2019 World of Modular's First Place Award of Distinction and is the tallest modular hotel in the world. READ MORE

During the height of the "green design" craze, hotel RFPs fairly regularly required their buildings to receive some level of L.E.E.D. accreditation. As the general public became increasingly aware of the climate changes happening around them and their own carbon footprint, they started to consider how their own actions contributed to the environment they inhabited. Hotel owners quickly tried to capitalize on the growing market segment. New hotel brands, such as Element, were created specifically for the environmentally-conscious guest. After approximately 10 years or so, it seems like a reasonable time to step back and ask the question, was all the hype for "green design" worth it? READ MORE

Identifying, recruiting, hiring and training new workers are expensive, time-consuming propositions for hospitality groups these days. As hoteliers work to find enough qualified workers, there is no one answer in understanding and appealing to the moving target of what motivates an ever-changing employment pool, including those who already work with an organization. What are we to do? This article considers some approaches to finding those workers we need to operate quality properties, care well for guests and develop meaningful, profitable organizations that are poised for growth in a highly competitive economy and industry. READ MORE