First and foremost, if you are contemplating the development of a spa at your lodging facility, do you already have an unused or underutilized space in your hotel, or will you need to build the additional facility? The cost difference between the two can be significant and because it is all about the revenue per square foot that your spa will generate, and its ability to enhance your existing revenue sources so that you can justify your construction costs. A spa in a lodging environment must compliment and enhance your current operations. Spas are no longer amenities reserved for 4 and 5 star resorts. They are found in many varied lodging products, and when done correctly significantly bolster room rate, extend length-of-stay, fill in low- and shoulder-season demand, augment food and beverage revenues and create added spa and related retail revenue. READ MORE

As all of us know in the food and beverage industry, we are in a highly competitive and low-margin business. Most of our products are perishable, and providing top-notch service is expensive. Technology is becoming more important to making gains in productivity, in managing products to keep our inventories low, and in keeping products fresh. Technology is also helping us become more competitive by allowing us to manage CRM. And although technology is useful, we need to be careful when applying it so that we do not diminish the experiences that our guests expect. We need to apply it in areas that do not inconvenience or burden our guests when using it. It may make sense for guests to use a kiosk ordering system at an airport, but I would be reluctant to place that kind of technology in a full-service environment. In a full-service food and beverage operation, I feel that it would be a grave mistake to replace service with technology even though it is available. READ MORE

About ten years ago, spa receptionists came of age. Shedding the gum-smacking image of the salon receptionist, these front line employees were renamed "spa concierges" and "spa coordinators." No longer did they simply book appointments, check clients in and out, and catch up on the salon gossip between customers. Spas had evolved, and their receptionists were now part of a professional customer-care team... READ MORE

Kickbacks are an all-too-common restaurant and hotel crime involving insiders and outside vendors. Hospitality companies that acknowledge their vulnerability to these schemes are one big step in the direction of preventing and deterring significant losses. Kickbacks in hotels and restaurants can take many forms, but regardless of their unique and often ingenious qualities, nearly all kickback crimes boil down to improper payments being made to a company employee by an outside vendor. READ MORE

Soft-selling is suggestive selling. No one likes to feel like they're being "sold" anything, including food. Suggestive selling is an art form. Guests should never feel like they're being pushed into buying the most expensive item on the menu. When done properly, guests never know the server is artfully guiding them toward a higher check average, which is actually excellent customer service. Quite possibly, the best marketing line ever created was, "Would you like fries with that?" Fries go with a burger; therefore it's logical to ask a guest if he would like fries to accompany his burger! It works the same in any kind of restaurant, burgers or steaks, fries or baked potatoes. We can learn a lot from the fast food chains... READ MORE