The hospitality industry has historically played a role in promoting cross-cultural understanding. Western brands have thrived in China, but recent geopolitical tensions and regulatory challenges have led to declines in foreign investment, student exchanges, and tourism. Despite these challenges, sectors like hospitality and biotech continue to see opportunities in China's vast market and talent pool, although the future of Western engagement in China remains uncertain. READ MORE

Franchising is a key strategy in the hotel industry, enabling rapid expansion with minimal capital investment. While it offers benefits like brand recognition and financial efficiency, challenges include maintaining quality control and managing franchisee relationships. The model's future will be shaped by emerging markets, technology, and evolving consumer preferences, requiring careful balance between growth and brand integrity. READ MORE

Many hoteliers joined the hospitality industry due to a passion for people. This passion often exhibits as altruism in our communities. The responsibility to make a profit and desire to do good in our communities is not a juxtaposition. This article begins with an explanation of hospitality personalities moves into best practice examples of how lodging has leveraged unique capabilities to do good in communities. READ MORE

The rise of digital platforms has significantly transformed the way hotels interact with guests. From personalised email campaigns to targeted advertisements and curated content, businesses now have the tools to understand and anticipate customer behaviour and preferences. This shift towards personalisation not only enhances customer satisfaction but also increases the likelihood of conversion and brand loyalty READ MORE

Managing is hard. Managing people with different perspectives is harder. Managing people who come from different generations and have different expectations is the hardest. As Gen Z enters the work force, managers from earlier generations need to understand this cohort in order to promote effective work environments. This article highlights generational differences, and discusses how to best motivate and work with Gen Z READ MORE

Our Retail Rate and Discount game plan begs a closer look with yearly seasonal changes in business levels. The key to success is to start early and confirm strategic price positioning and availability and even enlist a bit of creativity to drive additional occupancy and revenue. Let's look at a few tried and true recommendations and maybe even a couple new ones to add to your revenue tool belt. READ MORE

Sustainability is part of any business decision-making process. This article will provide an overview of sustainable hospitality and tourism from the framework of United Nations sustainability goals to benchmark examples of hotels embracing sustainability. Sustainability can be more holistic and comprehensive, e.g., for gross national happiness advocates, embracing care for the environment, care for communities, their people, its visitors and their businesses. READ MORE

An effective upsell strategy in hospitality hinges on understanding guest needs and offering personalized, relevant enhancements to their stay. By integrating upsell options into the booking process, hotels can elevate guest experiences, maximize amenity utilization, and increase revenue. Prioritizing transparency and sustainability in these offers builds trust and appeals to all types of guests, ultimately fostering long-term loyalty and encouraging direct bookings. READ MORE

The hotel industry faces lasting impacts on brand value and brand strength due to pandemic-driven marketing cuts, as detailed by Brand Finance. Despite fiscal relief, these reductions harmed brand health and market positioning. Hotels that maintained marketing efforts rebounded more quickly. Strategies for recovery include reinvesting in marketing, leveraging data, embracing digital transformation, enhancing customer experience, and focusing on sustainability. READ MORE

What is the best marketing tactic for hotel tech vendors to maximize sales leads and ROI on their marketing spend? The answer is simple: event marketing. By providing a platform for direct engagement, building credibility through education and thought leadership, and leveraging unique event topics/angles/formats to engage and build relationships with attendees, event marketing offers a cost-effective solution for sustained business growth. READ MORE

Have you ever felt trapped? And wellness trapped? Doing some or all the 'overs' and 'unders'? Want to know what is over and what is under? Based on 20 years of experience in 40 countries here is the series of traps any hotel, resort, leisure and recreation developer and operator may experience with wellness components and investments. READ MORE

Gen Z's nonlinear shopping habits and social media have disrupted the traditional marketing funnel. Brands must adapt by prioritizing engagement over mere exposure and personalizing marketing with data-driven insights. The travel industry is particularly affected, with consumers interacting with brands across multiple touchpoints. To succeed, brands need to be agile, responsive, and prioritize building connections through authentic engagement. READ MORE

Like other industries, the hospitality environment is undergoing a transformation, and the hotel industry is on the front lines. Leaders must navigate through differing employment expectations, vast customer perceptions and wants, and rapidly changing technology. All are significant and codependent. For executive leaders, these challenges can feel like they are turning a big ship in treacherous waters. Is there a way to navigate through? Yes. READ MORE

A subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreement or "SNDA" is a key document in hotel financing that establishes the rights and obligations of the lender vis-à-vis the hotel manager. This article is intended to provide a high-level explanation of each of the components of the SNDA and provide some insight into perspectives and positions of each of the lender and hotel manager. READ MORE

As employers we have a unique opportunity to help remove barriers to civic responsibility and uplift our team to become the best citizens they can be through a variety of different programs. By providing resources and overall encouragement, we develop a more engaged and informed workforce while also fostering a culture of civic responsibility that has a ripple effect of positive impact beyond business hours. READ MORE