Today's savvy consumers not only compare your brand and your online offerings with your competitors; they compare you against every other site on the Internet. New capabilities are emerging every day on the big consumer sites that the hospitality industry will soon have to emulate. Hotel brands must produce and maintain an integrated offering that neatly presents all properties and services, while providing a best-in-class user experience. Customers expect that offering to include advanced features: online reservations, loyalty program redemption, local restaurant recommendations, tickets to attractions, smart profiles and much more. The demands on IT organizations are rising dramatically yet few hoteliers maintain the internal resources to stay competitive on a rapidly changing e-commerce playing field. In fact, many IT budgets remain flat or are in decline, forcing companies to turn to lower cost delivery models like offshore development as a cost-effective way to augment staff. But is this model really viable? READ MORE

"Design" is the new buzz word in hotel FF&E, but exactly how does an interior designer add value? The textbook definition tells us that an interior designer enhances a hotel with better space planning, more stylish decorating, and more effective furniture placement. The property is worth more and guests rate their visits more highly. That should probably be enough to consider using the skills of an interior designer in your next hotel project. However, the marketplace reality goes much further - in today's crowded hospitality environment, an interior designer is vital in helping your hotel not just stay competitive but actually increase market share. A more up-to-date property generates more return visits and can achieve higher room rates. READ MORE

Nearly a half century ago, business guru Theodore Levitt said that the purpose of business is to make and keep customers. It might seem that his admonition is just plain common sense, not some cutting edge revelation. On the other hand, growing competitiveness in the lodging industry has forced many executives to believe that the purpose of their hotel is making money. The focus on revenues, REVPAR, ROI, escalating costs, cost containment, and a series of sophisticated business school jargon has drawn attention away from the real purpose of any hotel - i.e. to make and keep guests. No one is suggesting that revenues are not important; they are. Without adequate revenues a hotel "ain't no more." So let's give Levitt's definition a modern lodging marketing perspective: Marketing is managing your hotel's brand so that guests recognize that your hotel will solve their needs better than any alternative. READ MORE

When limited markets are divided among competing hotels with similar facilities and services, hoteliers find that new guests can be attracted and hotel occupancy increased by revisiting the past. They've discovered that heritage corridors create additional reasons to travel a route, be loyal to a property and stay longer. These less-traveled corridors were once the beaten path, but now have nostalgic appeal for travelers in search of a slower pace, authenticity and our nation's history. READ MORE

According to a recent article in Hotels Magazine, when it comes to more meetings business, "Who gets the lion's share of the proceeds will depend largely on two key factors: the right technology and the right read on what meeting planners want." When it comes to technology, there are several aspects that hoteliers need to consider. I'd like to share six ways that that can help you get and manage more meetings business. READ MORE