How do you find the right people for your sales team? Not everyone is cut out for sales, especially cold calling. And the answer isn't in their job history. In this article, I break down the five key qualities to look for in every sales manager you hire to bring you the most success. While experience is obviously a factor, the people who exhibit the following traits naturally are the ones who will bring you the most success. READ MORE

It seems as if the world of technology is not only taking over our vocabulary, but is engulfing our lives, both personally and professionally. As someone in the hotel business, this means that you have to think about how your property can integrate digital communications into its promotional strategy. This is no easy task. But it is a task that must be done because the technological genie is out of the bottle...and it's not going back in. So in a hats off to David Letterman, this issues offers a "Half Top Ten" list of key areas to consider as you begin this integration job. READ MORE

Hotel transaction volumes in 2009 increased by nearly 50%. Did your hotel realize a 50% increase in bookings as a result? Odds are, you saw quite a different picture. Odds also are, not only did you see fewer guests, but you also saw even fewer guests willing to pay what they would have paid in 2008. Consumer behavior is radically different these days and we're seeing the consequences. Processing anywhere from three to five billion transactions per month last year, Pegasus Solutions handled 48% more shopping transactions in 2009 than in the travel heyday of 2008. The reason comes down to one issue: changing online consumer shopping behavior, which ultimately affect your look-to-book ratio. READ MORE

Owners of luxury hotels and the branded management companies that operate them often find their interests in conflict. Because they bear all of the economic risk, hotel owners expect their operators to maximize revenue and minimize costs so that their hotels are operated profitably. Brand managers, on the other hand, typically earn the bulk of their fees on gross revenues, not profits. That is especially true in downturns when there is little prospect of incentive fees. The result of these "bottom versus top line" perspectives is that management companies are often reluctant to lower rates and cut costs because such measures will adversely affect the long-term value of their brands while providing no short-term financial benefit to them. READ MORE

As a sector of the hospitality industry experiencing growth despite the recession, extended stay facilities may want to consider strengthening their environmental policies through improved housekeeping services for their guests. In this article I will try to outline a few important factors that extended stay property managers need to consider when providing housekeeping services to their guests, some resources available to learn more about environmentally responsible housekeeping services, and outline a list of policies and procedures that managers and owners can take to make their housekeeping more environmentally responsible. READ MORE