The U.S. hotel industry has been blindsided by the COVID-19 Global Pandemic Black Swan Event. Instantly, hotel owners have found themselves with empty hotels, depleted cash reserves, and wondering how they will be able to make their monthly mortgage and utility payments along with payroll which were hardly ever considered to be a problem in the expansionary period leading up to COVID-19. Struggling hotel owners today have many financing strategic options available to them, but many do not even know that these options exist. Hotel industry financier Harry G. Spirides outlines some of these options for them in this article.

In the hospitality industry, the cookie-cutter approach just won't cut it anymore. With a new decade dawning, more and more travelers are looking for hotels that are immersed in local culture. They're on the hunt for a place the reflects local touches and offers local insight. They're avoiding the tourist traps in favor of truly local experiences, whether it's signature cuisine or attractions that shed light on a place. Today's traveler is searching for authenticity. Fernando Rivera, General Manager at the soon-to-be-opened Kimpton Palomar South Beach, has developed an array of strategies to help hotels tap into local culture. READ MORE

The hotel industry is complex, and every hotel and restaurant is different – where the hotel is located, the skills of the staff needed to effectively run the operation, the number of restaurants, cafes and other amenities offered – the list goes on. Finding the right labor management system is time consuming and requires extensive research, which is why so many operators chose to go with a simple, one feature set-approach. On the surface it reduces stress because of its ease of use, but depending on the business, a one-size-fits-all approach just won't cut it. READ MORE

Hotel theft is steadily declining in the U.S. While hoteliers have made strides in guest safety through the implementation of on-premise security initiatives, there remains room for improvement. Understanding and addressing areas of risk, focusing on employee training, relying on outside expertise and incorporating new technical resources can further improve the guest experience by making safety a core principle. Distinguished Programs' vice president and hospitality program manager Maryann Prestia examines the typical types of hotel theft, steps hotels should take to decrease the frequency of these risks and the ways modern hotels are creating a seamless and secure customer experience. READ MORE

Are companies like Amazon and Apple setting better examples of great customer service than the hospitality industry? There has been a sharp decline in the hospitality industry in basic customer service with more reliance on technology, resulting in impersonal or rote customer interactions. Many times, calling a hotel requires extreme patience because of all the sales and reservation messages and the numerous prompts before getting to the right area, if lucky. This article will address what great customer service is from the guest perspective and the value of general managers setting the standards. READ MORE