At the Sustainable Brands Conference in San Diego in June, Kate Heiny, Director of Sustainability for Target took the stage and said “When the CEO of Target is talking about the importance of sustainability in everything Target does, sustainability has officially become mainstream”. She's right. Not only is sustainability now a mainstream business imperative, the hospitality industry is being told it needs to make sustainability changes to survive. Deloitte's 2015 Hospitality report Game Changers or Spectators was anything but ambiguous in its assessment that “Sustainability will become a defining issue for the industry in 2015 and beyond … sustainability will need to be embedded within all facets of the industry, rather than regarded as a stand alone issue”. READ MORE

A battle that has been raging since the origin of free trade. Which function is more important? Operations? Without a product or service, there is nothing to sell. Sales? Without sales, there would be no money to keep the doors open. How do we determine which is more important to a hotel and its brand? True sustainability requires that sales and operations work in harmony. READ MORE

Fifteen years ago, revenue management was not considered a crucial part of hotel operations. Revenue Managers weren't even committee members within the industry as they were more thought of as “glorified reservationists,” who at most would report to the Director of Sales and Marketing. As a consequence, hotels trailed behind, still learning the dynamics behind rate-optimization and pricing strategies that were only implemented a few times a year. READ MORE

This article discusses the growing market for accessible tourism and the opportunity it represents for the hotel sector. The article focuses on one hotel chain in particular - Scandic - that has positioned itself as a world leader in accommodating visitors with disabilities. With 230 hotels spread across Europe, Scandic is the Nordic region's leading hotel chain. In 2003, it drew up an accessibility standard as a platform for all accessibility work at every hotel. Such a proactive approach has given Scandic a competitive advantage in the hotel sector. READ MORE

People buy from other people, not from corporations. This mantra - or any other version of it - has existed for almost as long as the craft of salesmanship itself. And it makes sense, too. We build rapport far easier in person than over the phone or via the internet. Furthermore, human beings are genetically programmed to constantly read faces and facial expressions as a means of analyzing social cues or forming emotional bonds with the opposite party. We mentally connect with and remember faces much quicker than with objects, places, symbols or words. READ MORE

In today's swirling economy and society, achieving and spreading meaningful identity and culture for our hospitality organization is an ongoing challenge. Externally, we must address the demands of diverse audiences that include our competitors, consumers, elected officials, business leaders and community leaders Competitive forces or factors include the advent of multiple instantaneous, digital platforms for advertising, reservations and group sales, and critique of our product. Internally, we must address our investors, strategic partners and team of key leadership, managers and staff. Into this mix, we add the franchise affiliations, or flags, with which most all hospitality management and investor groups partner. READ MORE

The way people travel is changing. This article examines some of the travel and tourism trends and discusses the impact on hotels. It provides some fodder to hotels to adapt and understand the mindset of the consumer and reconsider ways to satisfy their needs. These changes will add to the hotel industry current efforts to respond to new customer demands, increasing reliance on technology (by customers, in hotel marketing, and within hotel operations). READ MORE

We have seen it all over the Internet and the news stations: California is facing its fourth year in a drought, and it is affecting every resident and every business in the state. The economic and financial consequences could be disastrous if water conservation strategies are not implemented immediately, and the state has promptly mandated that everyone do so. The hotel industry is one of the country's biggest users of clean water, out of all types of commercial and institutional facilities, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Unsurprisingly, most water is used for bathrooms, laundry, landscaping and kitchens. This is the perfect opportunity to take heed of the moment and reduce your property's water usage. READ MORE

A hotel executive's greatest professional challenge is also the easiest to overcome: The fear of public speaking, whether as a featured guest at an industry event or as an extemporaneous host, without even a rostrum to lean against or a podium to hide behind, in which the speaker thinks he or she must deliver a set of remarks with the baritone of a King or the authority of a Queen (see, respectively, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or King George VI or Queen Elizabeth I), summoning the spirits of slaves or rousing a people encircled by Nazi slave drivers, or dispatching troops to defend an island nation, when, in fact, this speaker - you, the hotel executive, who will walk to the dais - only has to say a few things before dinner and after dessert. READ MORE

The key to a successful, flourishing and sustainable enterprise, in our still somehow workable and work oriented society, is to have a very open mind, an extreme empathetic view on the happenings on this planet, being able to see how well connected everything is, open to the organic development of life, and able to communicate with all available senses; and there are more than just the basic 5. Without these qualities, any business and/or personal relationship will simply not survive if any of the above points are not a given. READ MORE

If I were to cite an example of a company that sings the right notes but strikes the wrong chords, a brand that encapsulates this contradiction between authenticity and blatant falsehood, I would point a motley crew of copywriters and art directors, and marketing executives and studio musicians, to the worm coiled within the recesses of my ear; because this commercial, aired during Super Bowl XLVIII, is an unintentional metaphor for business leaders everywhere, including hoteliers who must never convey anything but graciousness and sincerity. READ MORE

Bed bug infestations and the resulting liability can strike any hotel, no matter how high-end and reputable. Hotel guests around the country are reporting being bitten by bed bugs and are filing claims seeking compensation for insect bites and ruined hotel stays. Reviews can turn a guest's complaint about bed bugs on a travel website into a viral public relations nightmare. This article provides a detailed overview of what you need to know about bed beg insurance claims, infestation remediation and how to soften the impact of alleged infestations. READ MORE

While many industries are notorious for employee turnover, it is particularly painful for hospitality, where guest service is such a crucial part of the product. How painful? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the hospitality and leisure industry had the second largest number of employees voluntarily quit their jobs in 2014, with more than 6,000 people choosing to leave their current position. One might first conclude that the recovery of the industry brought many employees new opportunities to take better offers with a competitor. After all, “once hospitality is in your blood, you don't leave,” as so many in the industry like to say. READ MORE

A super platinum-everything status guest with a certain brand hotel chain walked into one of his favorite properties after this brand recently merged with another chain, looked around and said, “It just isn't the same. I don't even recognize them anymore.” He then walked out of the door determined to find a new favorite property he could count on. Does this sound far-fetched to you? It shouldn't; it happens all too often, and it should send chills down every leader's spine. While this anecdote focuses on the guest, you can imagine the impact this would also have on the employees. Mergers and Acquisitions can surely impact the bottom line in the short term, but more importantly, they can also impact guests, team members, and anyone associated with a brand. Unfortunately, these components often get lost in the short-term activity and shuffle. In a world where M&A can happen anytime, to (almost) any company, leaders need be prepared and know how to manage and facilitate the process. READ MORE