As a frequent business traveler, I get clear value from my hotel loyalty program membership. My room is ready, I have check in and out flexibility, and usually free breakfast and wifi. I get points on the room spend (paid by someone else) that allows me to accumulate points for free nights, which I usually use for leisure. When traveling for a family vacation, however, the impact of my membership is less tangible. When I travel for business, the hotel loyalty program captures my interactions well and rewards me for my loyalty. When I travel for leisure, however, the program often does a poor job of capturing my total spend and delivering a differentiated experience. That's because hotel loyalty programs are designed to build relationships with road warriors rather than vacationers. READ MORE

The relationship between business travel buyers (the customer), the travel management company (TMC), and hotels has evolved since the beginning of travel management into one of interdependency. The hotelier must understand the TMC/customer relationship in order for hotels to work more effectively with TMCs to establish, build, and maintain their relationships with the customer. READ MORE

Not too long ago, I was researching for a presentation that I needed to deliver during an annual conference for a major hotel brand. The topic was networking and this brand had seen a drop in personal interactive skills of staff at all levels. People in all roles - front desk, sales, even managers and owners - were losing their ability to connect with others due to their reliance on electronic tools. Being in the world of hospitality, where a premium should be placed on service and relationships, this void was seen as critical. READ MORE

Upon graduating from Colorado State University's department of Design & Merchandising in 2004, I had no idea that my undergrad learnings would come into play during my hospitality career, over a decade later. Nor did I realize I would depart from the fashion/retail industry for the hotel business. I will always remember one of my professor's lectures on what merchandising really is: having the right product, at the right time, in the right place. It sounds quite simple, but putting this philosophy into action is more complex. READ MORE

In the ongoing power struggle between hotels and online travel agencies, one question that often emerges is, “Who owns the guest?” It's a question that will likely be debated for years, and grow even more complicated as new players continue to enter the online travel arena. The answer, DHISCO CEO Toni Portmann, argues, is “no one and everyone.” And rather than argue over who should have access to customer email and other information, she says, they should look to new technology for managing rates and inventory and sharing richer content as the bridge to more amicable relationships. READ MORE