Hotel renovation is on the rise. There are many reasons, but chief among them are that brands are issuing Property Improvement Plans (PIPs) for properties that have recently been neglected. That banks are acting to enhance the value of assets they have foreclosed on. That owners of older hotels are trying to stay competitive with newer properties. And that in today's economic climate, financing is easier for a new look than for new construction. While the end result of a renovation is almost always satisfying, getting the project done can be hard on a hotel - fiscally and physically. So how can you manage the challenge in a way that minimizes the strain on your budget, your staff, and your guests? READ MORE

Around this time last year we told you about the importance of the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9, which all employers have been required to keep on file for their employees since 1986. Form I-9 requires that new hires provide specific documents which establish their right to work lawfully in the U.S. to their new employer within three days of hire. Since taking office, President Obama has directed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to strictly enforce sanctions against employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers. That trend continued throughout 2010 and all signs seem to indicate that the same will hold true for 2011. The hotel industry is closely watched as it bears a reputation for being a hotbed of unlawful employment. READ MORE

Correctly integrating new construction techniques and processes into the development of a new hotel can improve the time, cost and or quality of property. In order to realize the value of new construction techniques and processes, it is critical to take the time to fully understand them, their potential value to the overall project and the time and effort their implementation requires. Learn about how your next new hotel development can benefit from new construction techniques and processes by reading this article. READ MORE

The hospitality industry has always been a fertile ground for price wars. This industry ? indeed the entire travel industry ? is one of high fixed-costs, low marginal-costs and price transparency. That means when one hotel cuts prices, other hotels react quickly, typically matching the lower price to avoid losing customers. The thinking is that it's better to put a head in a bed ? at a low price ? than not at all. During a recession, the situation becomes more desperate, as hotels slash prices in an attempt to stimulate new demand or gain market share. Every dollar of revenue is vital to cover the high fixed costs of building and maintaining properties. READ MORE

In the travel competitive arena, hotel executives have to deal on an every day basis with various challenges of distributing their room inventory. These challenges include Internet-only rates, distressed room inventory web sites (such as Priceline and Hotwire) and an increasing number of OTAs and Meta sites such as Hotels.com, Kayak.com and others. In order to distribute effectively the room inventory, a deep knowledge and understanding of the distribution channels as well as the impact of e-CRM and social media is required. One challenge is determining the combinations of distribution channels and the optimal number of hotel rooms to be offered for sale through each channel. READ MORE