Do you know at what point your hotel is neither making money nor losing it? Do you know what fixed and variable costs are in relation to total sales, room revenue, restaurant seats sold, rooms sold and occupancy? If you answered no to any of these questions, you need to understand how break-even analysis can aid in determining your hotel's short and long-term financial profitability. . This article will provide a definition of fixed and variable costs so as to aid in the calculation of a hotel's break-even point. READ MORE

For hotels, motels, and resorts, insufficiently insulated windows can be a serious problem that literally sends profits “out the window” in the form of excessive heating and cooling bills. Additionally, hotels located near noisy streets, highways, train tracks, airports or urban city walks, keeping external noise from penetrating into what should be the quiet, peaceful sanctuary of the guest room might seem an impossible task. Whether hotel owners seek to reduce heating / cooling energy costs or protect their customers from invasive external noise or both, soundproofing existing windows rather than replacing them, is now an option. READ MORE

It's easy to feel intimidated by today's travel distribution landscape. Travelers are changing the way they buy, new players are disrupting existing monopolies, OTAs are buying each other, and hoteliers have access to so much data that it's become a full-time job to interpret it and put it into use. The key is to find ways to interpret this data, act on it quickly and leveraging technologies that can help with this. As long as you continue to strive to understand the market - and, most importantly, your guests - you'll be able to tap into the opportunities that, as a whole, make all the difference to your bottom line. READ MORE

First it was bookings, then it was mobile, and now it's the Internet of Things (IoT) - a trillion dollar consumer market that is poised to disrupt the hospitality industry. Hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton and Best Western are already piloting IoT initiatives in the pursuit of improving their guests' experiences and reducing energy and maintenance costs. Some are even building custom Alexa devices to fundamentally change the way guests communicate with their staff. But IoT doesn't need to be complicated or eat up an entire hotel budget - boutique hotels can also leverage IoT strategies and see quick return on their investments. READ MORE

Technology impacts every facet of our lives. From smart devices to mobile apps, we rely on innovative products to provide convenient and valuable services each day. Not surprisingly, the application of technology has made its way into the hotel industry. Technological integration has become an expectation of hotel guests and an opportunity for hotel managers to improve their bottom line. Well-known technological applications such as mobile check-in, smart TVs, enhanced Wi-Fi and mobile room keys are already present in many hotels. However, there are other ways to use technology in hotel settings that are less well known. READ MORE