As Peter Drucker once said, "Marketing … is the whole business seen from the point of view of its final result, that is, from the customer's point of view. Concern and responsibility for marketing must, therefore, permeate all areas of the enterprise." While viewed most often as a necessary evil, guest recovery, when done correctly, is an additional opportunity to build loyalty. True service recovery is defined as "... a situation in which a consumer has experienced a problem which has been satisfactory resolved, and where the consumer subsequently rates their satisfaction to be equal to or greater than that in which no problem had occurred." In today’s highly competitive marketplace, having an authentic recovery interaction is paramount as guests’ expectations continue to evolve. Read on...

In the ever growing hospitality industry, first impressions are critical for establishing and maintaining a competitive edge. Each property has its own unique twists and turns that can be used to create an appealing look and feel for the property. In the article “Mini gardens and specialized landscaping,” U.S. Lawns President Ken Hutcheson discusses how every landscape can be used to create an attractive space that transports guests to a different place, whether you want to create small, intimate spaces, highlight a particular feature, or maximize a difficult-to-tame sloping property. Read on...

Most revenue management experts agree that in order to continue to drive revenue and profits in a changing marketplace, the hotel revenue management discipline must evolve from revenue management to price optimization. As hotels make this important shift, it is crucial that executives understand what price optimization is, how it relates to revenue management, and what advantages will be gained from this approach. In this article, I’ll briefly describe how pricing in hospitality and travel has evolved over the past few decades, then I’ll define price optimization and describe why it is important for hotels to leverage this approach. Read on...

Hotels have it tough in the energy game. Unlike retail stores or office buildings, hotels run 24/7 in order to serve guests at all hours. Not only that, but hotels continue to add perks to sweeten the pot for prospective customers. Now hotels must not only offer comfortable rooms, but heated swimming pools, spas, top-notch health centers, 24-hour restaurants, and more. These additional features, along with the hotel industry’s doors-always-open business model, guzzle energy and leave hotel owners paying astronomical utility bills. In fact, hotels and motels spend an average of $2,196 per available room each year on energy, which equates to a total of 6 percent of all hotel operating costs. This is no small number, and for that reason, hotels should be constantly seeking ways to reduce energy consumption and regain lost revenue.The best way to achieve this goal is to improve energy efficiency from energy sucking systems. These improvements not only reduce energy consumption as a whole, but are often eligible for rebates or tax incentives. Read on...