Interior designers work hard to sharpen their savvy and well-oiled sales pitches - sales pitches that often seem to include validations of our essential service offerings. As a designer - I myself am often guilty of reasoning over details and well thought out design concepts, which in most cases focus on the end-user and revenue generation. Designer concepts fall all too often on misunderstanding ears as proverbial designer fluff, but within this article I'll present valid scenarios that clearly assuage the misgivings of property developers and owners and in the end validate the work of designers. READ MORE

Without a doubt, the most significant line item under a hotel's operating cost umbrella is energy. Lighting, cooling, heating, and supplying water to a hotel and its guests is pricey. Therefore, it's the smartest place to look for savings. But it's impossible to reduce energy spend without first understanding your consumption. That's where the power of the utility bill comes into play. READ MORE

Qualitative marketing research can be a valuable tool for gaining an in-depth understanding of business travelers' behaviors and attitudes toward hotels. It is a means for investigating what influences business travelers' purchase decisions and why. Obviously, business travelers today have many hotel choices. In fact, in many instances, these choices are within walking distance of one another. So, why do some business travelers choose to stay at your hotel while others stay at the one across the street? How can you drive more traffic to your property? Understanding what motivates them can greatly influence your bottom line. READ MORE

"Spray and pray" is so pass'e. Gone are the days of promoting yourself to everyone in the hopes of capturing anyone. With the advent of technology, the increasing presence of the Internet and the growing savvy of travelers, it's now possible - and necessary - to shrink your focus and target very select groups of customers. Niche marketing may mean going after fewer guest segments, but you may find these smaller groups are so much more qualified and loyal, generating greater revenue at a lesser cost as a result. READ MORE

Small, independent hotels have the added challenge of limited marketing resources as they are typically established as a percentage of revenues. Therefore, each dollar spent and each strategy implemented must be efficient and produce the greatest ROI. This article addresses the key components to establish a plan; how to effectively evaluate its effectiveness; and how and when to change course, without "knee-jerk reactions". READ MORE