As a lawyer involved for over 30 years in the drafting and negotiation of contracts for the hospitality industry, I can assure you that disputes are inevitable. Even among parties such as owners and management companies that have the best working relationships, there will nevertheless be issues that cause discord. It is in how we resolve these matters that will determine if the relationship between the disputing parties will survive. If preservation of the contract and the relationship is desired, then the goal of both parties should be to resolve the matter quickly and efficiently, while also recognizing at the outset that neither of them is likely to be completely satisfied. READ MORE

A hotel's vitality hinges on the guest experience. Out of all the business trends, none is more powerful than the growing wellness movement. Wellness is everywhere. This is especially true in tourism, with healthy amenities at airports, airlines and lodging. Healthy hotel brands are leading the way and other properties are following suite. Hotels deliver healthy options related to physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental and social wellbeing. READ MORE

Making guests feel comfortable during their stay is a critical part of a guests' overall experience. Whether they're traveling for business or pleasure, hoteliers to create the right environment—from the interior to the exterior—to satisfy guests' expectations and make them feel at home. For example, business travelers are looking for clean and efficient features, while vacationers are looking for features that will help them unwind and relax. READ MORE

With the growing presence of UGC, consumers have more information than ever before when they are making a hotel room purchase. The question is: how do consumers use all this information, with price, to establish value and ultimately make a purchase decision? Understanding this, particularly across different segments of guests, will help hotels make better pricing and positioning decisions. The unmanaged business traveler represents a large and very valuable segment for hotels. This group of frequent travelers is potentially highly influenced by their loyalty affiliation. Does their loyalty change their reaction to price and UGC? READ MORE

There are roughly 80 million millennials in the United States, and each year they spend approximately $600 billion. Clearly, marketers have recognized this group and are scrambling to reach out to them, connect in a relevant way and convince them of brand relevancy. Some are missing a big opportunity for success, however, because they are operating under the false assumption that all millennials belong in the same gigantic group. There is more than meets the untrained eye here, and properly targeting millennials is a multi-faceted, complicated effort. If you're like me, you are inundated with articles, webinars and conferences READ MORE