Does F&B have sufficient sales focus? Can the F&B model as it exists in full-service hotels learn from other sales cultures? We maintain that it not only can, but must, if profit returns are to be lifted. We demonstrate how an incremental beverage sales strategy based on impulse sales, trade-up sales, add-on sales, and solution selling methods, can be successfully applied within F&B operations - in a way that not only protects the establishment's service reputation, but significantly enhances it through greater enjoyment for diners. A crucial element is the use of diner psychology techniques within the expertise capability of all floor staff.

At Sage Restaurant Group, Co-Founder & COO Peter Karpinski sees it as his mission to create unique restaurant brands at hotels that outperform the best competitors in their markets. Relying on strong hotel partnerships, proper upfront involvement and investment, plus an unwavering commitment to a proven vision, SRG restaurants now have an impressive track record, winning over customers and providing solid returns for investors. Karpinski breaks down how his restaurants fulfill this mission and the impressive results SRG gets when locals and guests alike perceive a hotel restaurant as the best spot in town.

Profitable food and beverage in a hotel environment is possible, but it needs to be taken seriously as a priority. Owners no longer tolerate amenities in hotels with one hundred plus percent cost. Understanding your market and what you want to be, as well as hiring the right food and beverage skills to suit your operations will give your restaurant a chance to succeed.

Today's hoteliers, challenged as they are to do more with less, are often tempted into cutting corners in the one area where reputations are born. The front-of-house service. Yet an efficient front-of-house experience offers an instant positive impression, and triggers feelings of welcome and safety. Your valet, doorman and bellman are subtle ambassadors who set the standard for your establishment, sow the seeds of your online reputation and offer the number one most overlooked opportunity to generate more perceived value (and actual profit) per guest.

When it comes to curb appeal, the importance of first impressions cannot be overstated. However, given the state of today's economy, some property managers are faced with changing the way they landscape their properties. Native landscaping uses plants, shrubs and trees indigenous to the region in which you are planting, to create a lower-maintenance landscape. The plants and trees that are used in native landscaping are acclimated to local weather conditions, so they typically require less chemicals and watering to maintain.

Welcome to the wonderful wacky world of the Experience Economy, where winning guests and their loyalty will become the stage on which they are engulfed in compelling experiences. Think the Nike Store. Think the Madonna Inn. Think that wonderful little neighborhood hole-in-the wall pizza place in your home town. The whole notion of the Experience Economy came to the forefront in 1999 with the publication of Joseph Pine II's and James Gilmore's book of the same name. “In a world saturated with largely undifferentiated goods and services, the greatest opportunity for value creation resides in staging experiences.” In other words, for any hotel to attract and retain increasingly sophisticated and demanding guests in a progressively competitive environment, providing a comfortable bed, good service, and beautiful facilities are not enough.

The focus on motorcoach safety is rising exponentially, following recent high-profile accidents including a tragedy where 15 passengers were killed when a bus returning from an overnight trip to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut crashed, and the horrific fatal accident near Atlanta, Georgia involving the Bluffton University (Ohio) baseball team. In the Bluffton University case, the resulting lawsuit was not only against the motor carrier but also against the university, and cost more than $25 million. While the final cost to the Mohegan Sun Casino is not known yet, it is estimated the accident will cost the casino more than $100 million.

According to a recent survey by the World Tourism Organization, there were over 940 million international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2011. Almost 60 million of those travelers are coming in to the United States. This presents a huge market that hotels in the US should be sure to target in any online sales strategy. International travelers tend to book early, stay longer, and rarely cancel, all attributes that make international travelers ideal candidates for staying at your hotel. In order to reach these travelers as they start their online planning, your hotel must make a conscious effort to target them in the channels they use the most.

If I tell you something, the only way I can be sure you heard it is if you respond. Whether we're sharing information or making a request, we need some type of confirmation to know the communication has been received. It's no different for people interacting with hotels online. Listening serves as a prerequisite for any program designed to improve customer satisfaction, but it cannot end there. How would you feel if, when you ask someone for a request, they simply listened to you - then went on with their day? The speed and quality of your response will determine the guest's level of satisfaction with the service you provide. In this article, I explore how this looks for hoteliers today: the process of responding to guest feedback directly, and often, publicly.

Tuckley Devlin delves into the Hemingway Hotels & Resorts lifestyle concept, sharing the meaning of a name and establishing an identity in today's landscape of launching a new brand. Tuckey Devlin is a seasoned real estate and business development professional with 25 years in the industry. He founded Hemingway Hotels & Resorts in 2011 with partner Matthew Weld, an attorney and visionary literary expert. The properties of Hemingway Hotels & Resorts will provide a travel adventure experience through a combination of unique accommodations, urban and outdoor activities, and a level of service consistent with luxury branded hotels.