Providing a good experience for your guests should always be the goal of your hotel's entire staff, not only for your visitors' comfort but also to build brand loyalty. There are just a few easy steps you and your staff can use to turn current sales into future ones. For example, teach your team to foster good relationships with guests during every encounter, whether it's providing them with the tools to offer sightseeing tips or empowering them to resolve conflicts as they arise. By practicing these and the other simple tips outlined in my article, your staff will create positive experiences for your guests and will facilitate a profitable relationship for your hotel. READ MORE

In today's ultra-networked world, you are only as good as your reputation. Your guests are telling your story, and no amount of PR or advertising can stop this. It doesn't matter how much you embrace social media: you cannot afford to ignore reputation management. Reputation management for hotels often focuses on reviews written by guests on sites such as TripAdvisor, but also involves monitoring other websites and networks. In this article, we address some of your top questions on this topic, and include some thoughts from Brian Payea, trade relations manager at TripAdvisor. READ MORE

With this summer's tourist season come and gone, it is time for all hoteliers to review the efficiency of their operations and determine if their staffing needs were properly met to ensure that the tourists of today will be satisfied customers of tomorrow. Scores of proprietors are looking for temporary staff to assist with the daily operations throughout the busy vacation season, and luckily for employers, a program offered by the U.S. Department of State, The Summer Work Travel Program, offers students abroad the option to travel and work abroad. And because their visas and related immigration processes are predominately handled by an intermediary sponsor agency, hospitality companies bear little to no cost. READ MORE

Customer service is an essential element of room service; it is what gets counted at the end of a stay and added on the comment cards left in the room on the desk. It's good business practice to assure the service guests receive is exceptional. When people with disabilities travel, it is difficult enough finding a venue which is accommodating and accessible, but when a hotel is located and the individual accepts the accommodations they also want to be assured their service will be what was promised. READ MORE

Communication is critical in determining how to better serve customers and it serves as a tool to retain customers. It determines what a customer needs in terms of service to enable them to receive the quality of service the hotel/motel can deliver while they are guests. It begins once reservations are made in the initial phone call and the scheduling of a room assignment. The person servicing the phone call has to be able to listen to the potential guest and determine what their unique needs may be. Once a person mentions they have a disability and requires specific accommodations, the reservationists' job is to communicate in such a way as to identify the individuals' unique needs. READ MORE