It is challenging task to manage rate parity. A lot of effort is required to track cracks in rate parity, especially for enterprise hotel. Current market subtleties require that hoteliers move much beyond detecting breaches and focus on implementing manners to not only report breaches, but take measures to put a stop to rate disparities and also avert them in the future. In this article learn how to avoid revenue damages caused by breach of rate parity. Know what kind of rate parity tools are modern and learned hotel revenue managers investing in to stay up in the game. Learn about a well-executed rate parity strategy, to make your hotel superbly prepared to achieve its goals in 2018. READ MORE

Customer service means delivering on every possible detail at every customer and guest touchpoint. It is anticipating needs, needs that a client or guest may not even realize they have. It's about making someone feel good, putting a smile on their face, and leaving them not wanting anything more – it is hospitality in its purest form. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work for organizations that truly believe in the importance of customer service. Now I'm at the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA), the epicenter of Atlanta's hospitality district where we are creating the blueprint for customer service. READ MORE

Ever wish you could be several places at once to meet the diverse demands of the hospitality workplace? At times, mere minutes can matter to convert a frustrated traveler into a happy hotel guest, and there may not be time for a manager to initially get involved. While there is growing use of technology to address the ever-changing needs of travelers, particularly millennial travelers, the role of hotel associates at all levels to ensure an exceptional guest stay is paramount. So how can you create that “can do” workplace culture that empowers associates to confidently act to deliver on excellent guest satisfaction? READ MORE

Empowered employees are engaged employees. Engaged hotel staff results in higher guest satisfaction and ultimately higher profits. The Gallup Organization reports that companies with higher-than-average employee engagement had 27 percent higher profits, 50 percent higher sales and 50 percent higher guest loyalty. Engaged employees result in higher retention rates. Turnover costs can run anywhere from 25 percent to 250 percent of a position's annual salary. According to a Deloitte Hospitality report in the U.S. the average employee turnover is 31 percent, while it ticks up to 34 percent in the UK. With percentages like that can you really afford to have disengaged staff running your hotel? READ MORE

Millennials make great travelers. They see vacation as a way of life. But are they worth the focus? Millennials travel often which is music to the ears of the travel industry. They travel the most, but spend the least. All surveys point to the increasing importance of Millennials to the family travel market as well. They believe travel agents are totally worth it, and they like to cruise. Tap into these interesting facts about how the Millennials are traveling that will have the travel industry singing a happy tune. READ MORE

Marriott recently announced the implementation of global anti-human trafficking policies and a training program for all employees. The company's efforts highlight the growing national and international trend toward requiring companies to proactively weed out trafficking from their business and supply chains. Both domestic and international laws are making fighting trafficking a business imperative for hotels who want to avoid brand and liability risks. READ MORE

Brands increasingly seek ways to distinguish themselves in the marketplace by creating a “local” experience. The rehabilitation of vintage buildings offers real opportunities. The historic spaces give a window to the local past. The stories associated with the buildings create a unique guest experience and real sense of the community they are visiting. This article focuses on five case studies from around the country: The Langham in Chicago, the Crawford at Denver's Union Station, the Monaco in Washington, D.C, the Argonaut in San Francisco, and the Adelphi in Saratoga Springs. READ MORE

As the ski season comes to an end, my article looks at the unique challenges of running a hotel in the mountains, and at the winter-specific services provided at ski resort hotels - from the humble Lake Louise Inn in Banff National Park with its affordable family units, packed pizza restaurant, and popular pub nights for ski workers, to the spectacular Waldorf Astoria Park City, the only Waldorf on snow, that gives guests access to high-end, brand new ski and snowboard equipment, and use of its own dedicated Frostwood Gondola a few steps away from the hotel entrance. READ MORE

Trait: a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person. If you were to name one dominant trait of each person on your team, what would it be? What traits will your new hires possess? Find out before you put your guests in their hands. Learn how your prospective employees feel about empowerment before you attempt to empower them. If it isn't their job, then this isn't their job! Actual situations presented during the interview will give you needed insight into the traits of your prospective employee, and whether or not, they will harmonize with your cultural goals. READ MORE

Problem resolution techniques have been practiced for years in the lodging industry and compensation is still a common practice to satisfy a frustrated customer. This article explores problem resolution processes and other common practices used by successful hotels to improve guest satisfaction. With the importance of review site ratings, top hotels are going far beyond guest surveys and review sites to respond to guest feedback. The article explains how the best hotels use technology and management processes for handling real time response to guest issues and proactive guest recognition to personalize the guest experience during the guest stay. READ MORE

Guest service is an extremely important factor for ensuring we, as hoteliers in the customer service industry, are providing positive, memorable experiences for our guests. High stress situations are additional guest service opportunities. It is imperative that our Team Members are empowered to make decisions on the spot in order to rectify situations that may arise. In order for empowerment amongst Team Members to exist and be successful, empowerment needs to be a vital part of the service culture; training needs to be a priority; and ways to measure and track results need to be established. READ MORE

Following The Fontaine's remodel and rebranding in December of 2017, we decided it was a crucial turning point in the hotel's future. Success is dependent on evolution and we knew with the ever-changing hospitality and travel industries we were at a crossroad in the industry. In order to adapt with the current hotel trends, we had to re-organize our goals and come up with a game-plan for the future of the hotel. This included focusing on the little things that act as the building blocks for an experiential experience for our guests. We strive to give guests a memorable stay that would further enrich their lives as travelers. READ MORE

It's been reported that millennials decide within their first 48 hours with an organization whether they will stay on for an extended period of time. Talk about first impressions being the most lasting! Most importantly, the accession and training process for new hires must reflect what works best for our operating model and how we believe people should be treated within any organization. This article will discuss some best practices in making any new hire feel welcome to a hospitality organization while “coming up to speed.” It will also consider strategies and techniques that will help keep unproductive misconceptions or misunderstandings from arising between employer and employee. READ MORE

This article points out what marketers instinctively have known for a long time now: People buy with their heart and justify with their head. Noted neurologist Donald Caine said it best: The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions.” In other words, it is increasingly being acknowledged that people respond more to emotional marketing than to rational information when deciding what to buy or where to buy it. Think about memorable Super bowl commercials that moved people throughout the years. Coca Cola's Mean Joe Green. Budweiser's Clydesdale Horses. Or the 2018 Dorito's Blaze commercial with Morgan Freeman. Read on to learn more... READ MORE

The interview process works both ways, as hiring managers and candidates alike decide if the job is the right fit. Often times, however, managers leave an interview wishing they'd asked a different question or explored a topic further. Rather than being left with more questions than answers, here are 8 ways that hotel leaders can get more out of the inteview, better understand an applicant's potential, and eliminate the chances of alienating a quality candidate. READ MORE