The slow, but steady, rebound of the economy has lead to cautious optimism about the immediate future of the commercial real estate market as assets begin to trade again. Lenders are beginning to get back into commercial real estate lending and have been conservative with terms depending on the overall financial strength of the owner and industry experience. Institutional investors have a distinct advantage over private investors as far as access to capital through both the debt market and private equity offerings. Some are even buying mortgage loans as a way to gain control of an asset. READ MORE

As a whole, the pantry program should be a simple to supply, simple to manage effort that adds thousands of dollars to your bottom line each month. The frustrations that GM's and Management Companies run into happen to every group that I work with. They are typically easy to resolve issues that are conquered with a clear plan, some core sales data, and the realization that the revenue opportunity that the Pantry presents is worth the upfront planning and effort. READ MORE

I recently had to give a prediction for the future of IT in the next five years to Computerworld magazine for their list of premier leaders in IT. They asked me to offer my boldest, most out-on-a-limb prediction. Mine was that the traditional IT department operating in a specific industry will cease to exist as IT will continue to migrate towards the community model. If you work for a major hotel company in an IT position, the nature of your job will change, period. READ MORE

When hotel executives think of smartphone and other mobile technology, guest self-service applications are most likely to come to mind. After all, consumers increasingly use mobile applications to check in and check out, order room service, schedule wake-up calls, make restaurant reservations,request luggage pick-up and confirm car rentals. It offers the ultimate in convenience, ease-of-use and efficiency. Yet, this same technology can also be employed by hotel staff to boost productivity and streamline operations. READ MORE

From the kiosk at the limited-service, select-service hotels, and extended-stay properties to the full scale “shopping centers” at the convention and resort hotels, retail operations are a critical component of the hospitality industry. Clearly, retail operations can be beneficial to the bottom line, but savvy hotel owners look beyond percentage rent and thoroughly analyze how the retail offerings at their hospitality product enhance the entire programmatic experience, and the competitive market position of their hotel. READ MORE