As ever-increasing numbers of guests adopt a wellness lifestyle, resorts, tour operators and travel agents are incorporating various elements of wellness into their product and service offerings. Resort Wellness Encounters provides an expanded vision to elevate, influence and inspire guests to an immersive encounter of enlightened living. Guests no longer want to be passive and adhere to the resorts rigid programs of yesterday wellness, as guests become empowered they want to design their own experiences, learn about the local culture, flavors, and healing traditions, creating their personal authentic journey that redefines wellness through unique moments and memories. Today the where, when and how are the new variables of the new hospitality matrix. Read on...

Jeff Hart, General Manager of the Los Angeles Airport Marriott shares tangible and practical insights and tips on how hotel executives can motivate and inspire the team during a hotel renovation. From facelifts to complete overhauls, properties must take the necessary steps to stay up-to-date with current trends, latest technologies, and the needs of today's travelers – which brings many hotels to renovation. Hart discusses the idea that during a renovation, emphasis must be placed on inspiring and uplifting staff, as it is their overall project knowledge, enthusiasm, and feelings towards the transformation that ultimately trickles down to the guest and the experience they have on property. Keeping the staff motivated, invested, and enthusiastic is a vital piece of the job when it comes to team leadership, and Hart shares nine tools in which managers can do so. Read on...

The war over direct bookings has died down in recent months. Despite Hilton and Marriott's best efforts with their "Stop Clicking Around" and "IT Pays To Book Direct" campaigns, nothing much has changed. I still speak with properties on a daily basis who are 60%, 70%, or even 80% reliant on OTAs for their bookings. This not only eats into a property's profits but it also places them in a really risky position as we face a possible economic downturn,. Read more about the real danger of over-reliance on OTAs and how you can avoid falling into the same trap. Read on...

Spas were once seen as simply an amenity in a hotel. However, as the annual growth in RevPAR slows, it is more important than ever for other divisions, such as spa, to maximize their profit potential. According to the 2018 Spa Industry Study by the International Spa Association (ISPA), nearly one third of resort and hotel spas operated with a profit percentage of 25% or higher. The global wellness market is valued at $4.2 trillion (and growing), so the demand is evident. Benchmarking and a keen understanding of the spa's key performance indicators (KPIs) can dramatically improve these business results. Read on...