The best business decisions are often derived from Big Data. With revenue management so heavily influenced by dynamic changes in data, this is more true of the hotel industry than most. Just consider the variables: seasonality, local events and conferences, room types, amenities, variations of packages (such as breakfast included)... the rate permutations across hotels in a given market can easily run into the millions. So how do revenue managers adapt to this firehouse of data? It's about having the most relevant dataset. With that in mind, Gino Engels discusses the good, better, and best tactics for leveraging data effectively. READ MORE

How we find, manage, and retain top talent at revenue-managing hotels has changed dramatically since the big-data boom began. It's important that we continuously strive to provide ongoing education and support in this competitive job market. Blended learning approaches are key to accommodate varying levels of expertise, job roles, and employee age groups. On-demand, quick learning tools are especially relevant as high-turnover rates necessitate faster uptimes of skilled, productive employees. Beyond that, career trajectory and a clear pathway for upward mobility must also be considered to attract top performers. Properly training, maintaining, and elevating talent is essential to achieving an ongoing return on investment in your people, technology, and processes. READ MORE

Millennials are entering the workplace with the ideology that their tenacity and education would propel their professional career. They are being met, however, with some stark realities. In speaking to numerous millennial hospitality workers, it was apparent that there are some gaps between what they expected from the workplace versus what they are actually experiencing. These gaps are explored, and supplemented with direct quotes from millennial hospitality professionals. The millennial worker is a valuable resource to our industry, especially given the size of this young generation. It is important that industry professionals understand these misconceptions so as to maximize performance. READ MORE

What's possible when hoteliers reframe their approach and role within a design initiative? Here's a story about a historic property and ownership group that recommitted itself to its city through an immersive reinvention for both the hotel and its operations model. The results: a 15% uptick in occupancy and a whopping 282% increase in revenues associated with its restaurant and catering. We'll explore a few staff-to-guest connection strategies that evolved from this simple and cost-effective mind shift. Why this matters? We're in a new age where great design alone isn't enough to woo consumers. READ MORE

This article describes the redevelopment of historical buildings into new hotels. The design of hotels is especially suited to fit into older buildings which have lost their original purpose as the various functions of hotels are quite flexible and don't need to be the same all the time. The architect Dirk Lohan discusses the wonderful experiences travelers can have by staying at such hotels which have become quite ubiquitous. He features five unique historical hotels around the world and expresses the hope that this trend will continue to give the travelling public more choices for memorable experiences. READ MORE

Today's travelers are looking for engaging guest experiences that offer an authentic connection to the local community. For many national brands, this means designing unique hotel environments that feel rooted in each location. From the food they serve, to the art they display, to the entertainment they provide, we take a look at how hotel flags are infusing local influences into their designs to create one-of-a-kind experiences deeply-rooted in a sense of place. READ MORE

Expecting the unexpected: With significant competition to attract travelers and their getaway dollars, hotels are working hard to become destinations and offer something authentic and original to their guests beckoning them to visit. One design strategy for enhancing the travelers experience is to look to nature and outside surroundings, integrating the locale and culture into the interiors of the hotel space. Combining nature with beauty, wellness, uniqueness and healthy food creates an opportunity for each property to be a sought after destination. There is an ongoing effort in hotel design to attract guests by pulling the outside in and creating harmony with the local environment. READ MORE

In its multiple shades of brown, the Middle East is an enticing region. Its asymmetries, its complementarities, its heritages are host to proud nations and cultures. Tourism and Hospitality is a differentiated and peculiar industry, critical to build stronger, wealthier and more cohesive societies. Different phases of development, different strategies and visions equate to different levels of output, sophistication and development, both at social and at business levels. Also at the operational and sales level. How does the present look? What are we doing to improve it? Which challenges are we facing and which opportunities are we to capture? How may an optimized Tourism and Hospitality future be? READ MORE

The pace of innovation and disruption is accelerating in our industry due to the significant changes driven by technology. The distribution landscape is more and more complicated, big data and prescriptive analytics drive efficiencies and improvements to revenue management software. The growth in technology over the last 10-20 years has significantly changed consumer's behavior and fundamentally changed how we do business. To be successful today and thrive in the future, the need for a holistic approach to demand generation, customer acquisition, channel strategy, and revenue optimization is vital. So what do we do about it? This article will endeavor to address that question. READ MORE

Revenue management systems are evolving to meet the challenges of today's dynamic market, using more sophisticated algorithms, more data, and a more dynamic user interface to generate pricing recommendations that better align with market conditions. As developers focus on enhancements to elevate the power of revenue management solutions, the challenge for revenue management executives is selecting a solution that fits their revenue management vision, the expertise of their revenue management team, and that is compatible with the organization's rate management systems. In this article, we outline some of the issues to think about as you "look under the hood" of revenue management solutions. READ MORE

The all-inclusive model has gone from a low-cost cookie-cutter to the cutting edge of hyper personalized service. Understanding and adapting to the needs and demands of today's niche-driven, segmented market where diverse subsets of experience hungry clientele is all searching for a comprehensive vacation comprised of equal parts value and authenticity is the key to successfully navigating the current and future travel and tourism industry. Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts' Julio Perez, Sales Executive Vice President, offers a unique perspective on how to survive and thrive today's ever-changing landscape. READ MORE

Lately, it seems that all anyone in the hotel industry can talk about is the direct booking wars; who is winning and how are they doing it? As third-party marketing spend continues to increase, it is easy for hoteliers (especially independents) to feel like they are getting left in the dust with no way to compete. While a solid customer acquisition strategy is important for any hotel, maximizing profitability is not just about fighting with third parties for potential guests. It is about leveraging the data you already have to ensure you are prioritizing your most profitable guests. READ MORE

A haven for road warriors, a temporary home for traveling families, a site for trade shows and conferences-hotels are all of these things and so much more. For most people, waste is waste no matter the shape or size and, in the end, it all winds up in the dumpster. But for the smart hotel owner and operator, that's not always the case. Working with a proper waste broker, knowing where your hotel waste comes from and identifying key areas to focus on can greatly increase your operational cleaning efficiencies while simultaneously reducing time and stress, and helping you save costs. While there is a myriad of facets to hotel waste management, here are four key areas of waste management that are worthy of immediate attention. READ MORE

Biophilia, a love of life and the living world, continues to gain popularity in today’s modern built environment – especially as our population continues to urbanize. As a result, businesses, hotels and apartment communities across the world are incorporating biophilic design by infusing direct and indirect natural elements to create environments that promote health, wellness and productivity. While this design concept is already transforming the hotel industry, hoteliers can leverage design strategies from multifamily and residential communities to effectively create spaces that elevate the human-nature connection and guest experience to convert one-time guests into repeat visitors. READ MORE

More and more food and beverage operations in hotels are having an active online presence by making their websites more mobile friendly, thus more accessible to smartphone users. Adding to that, social media also has a huge part to play in the food and beverage industry’s revenue. Also, apps like Open Table and Yelp now make it possible for customers to make reservations in the palm of their hand. Food and beverage operations aren’t just using technology to bring customers to them, many are providing their servers with smartphones to take orders. Smartphones are creating more efficiency within the food and beverage operation, which all means boosts in revenues. READ MORE