The biggest obstacle to greening the hospitality industry - that is, trying to make its operations (including purchases) more environmentally sustainable - appears to be its presumption that being green has no real business benefit. In previous articles in this series, we have made a number of points to show ways in which greening can increase business revenue and reduce costs, but a more formal business case still needs to be made. In this article, we will discuss why such a business case is needed; what does and does not constitute a business case for greening; efforts to date to make the case; and what still needs to be done. READ MORE

"Never relinquish clothing to a hotel valet without first specifically telling him that you want it back." Wits and wags throughout the ages have made much fun at the expense of hotels, usually for their failings. Oscar Wilde, while lying in a Parisian hotel, famously said, "Either that wallpaper goes, or I do." He died before the d'ecor was changed, or so the story goes. But, it is rare to find a joke about the failure of training. In suggesting that a hotel valet might need reminding to bring her clothes back, the American writer Fran Lebowitz may have made the only one about a subject that can be, after all, dreadfully dry. Or is it? Beyond someone simply looking for a bed for the night, the number one desire of most hotel guests, I believe, is to feel good. That may mean different things for different people but, overwhelmingly, it means, first and foremost, to be treated well, not by things but by people. READ MORE

How does one turn individuals from no matter what culture, country, familial and social background, who follow certain moral codes or not, into the epitome of a British butler and the quintessential service provider? Not a question most people ask, but it is one that has challenged trainers at the International Institute of Modern Butlers and which parallels the task facing trainers around the world trying to bring about some standardized level of high-quality service by employees in their hotels. We look for those with a service heart, with service experience, with some starting point upon which to hang the service culture established by corporate. And the result is generally mixed, ranging from very good to passable, more often the latter. Perhaps nowhere is it more important to think globally and act locally than in the hospitality industry of a global economy. READ MORE

Recently, HVS International completed a nationwide study of over 120 historic hotel properties with a total of 27,935 rooms, comparing their operating performance against national averages. Their findings: Historic properties have outperformed national averages in both occupancy and average rate levels. This performance is particularly evident in superior revenue per available room levels. HVS ascribes this result in part to the more affluent nature of the patrons of historic hotels. Of particular value is providing a hotel alternative to "cookie-cutter" lodging experiences, often supported with added value by leveraging the historic character of the property with unique interpretive programs. This perspective is supported by a Travel Industry Association of America 2003 market study that noted a general increase in the travelers' desire to experience cultural, art, historic and heritage activities. The study revealed that 81% of travels who took a trip away from home in 2002 included at least one such activity in their trip. READ MORE

Hotels, restaurants, casinos and resorts are notoriously desirable targets for thieves and con artists, mainly because of the large sums of cash flowing through these businesses. And, indeed, statistics do show that theft and fraud take a serious financial toll on the bottom lines of most hospitality entities. According to industry statistics, as much as 5% of annual food and beverage revenue is lost to fraud by hospitality companies. The good news is that there is a lot that hotel management can do to prevent and detect illegal activity that they're not doing now. READ MORE