Wellness travel is taking tourism by storm. Growing year-over-year at twice the rate of the global tourism industry, hotels and destinations can't afford to ignore this trend if they are to remain competitive. A place on the field requires a full grasp of the niche traveler's scope of demands. The wellness experience permeates the traveler's daily existence: From their dining choices and sleep habits to their state of mind and spirituality practices. Hotels and destinations that leverage this holistic mind-body movement have an opportunity to better profitability, attract new travelers and potentially build greater brand loyalty. READ MORE

It is undeniable that technology has had immeasurable impact on the world of food & beverage. Suddenly, there is an energetic drive to "keep up" with rapid transformations and reprioritizations in our programming, operations and marketing. The younger generation remains at the forefront of these changes and thus millennial restaurant professionals are having a higher level of impact on our industry than ever before. This generation has the opportunity to tackle new possibilities aggressively and wisely. Food is changing and so is the way we learn about it. How is a millennial chef to understand their possibilities in the context of this modern age? Let's dig in. READ MORE

Pechanga Resort Casino, located in inland Southern California, is the West Coast's largest resort/casino. Its head chefs are nearly all millennials, but they're overseen by one Gen X chef. If he's at the executive chef level, why does he still feel the need to get on the front lines with all of them? Why would he spend the very small amount of free time he has sitting in traffic to get to Los Angeles to check out one restaurant? Duane Owen seeks out culinary knowledge everywhere he goes, and with it, he pushes his proteges to be and do better. READ MORE

Inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places. For instance, senior living facilities are taking their design cues from the hospitality industry, which is not unlike what we have seen in the development of luxury high rise living in the last decade. David Ashen, president & CEO of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design, relays the ways senior living developers are applying lessons learned from the hotel industry to create unique experiences in the senior living space, using case studies to demonstrate how they are realizing innovative public spaces and programing. READ MORE

In this article we look at interesting statistics and takeaways from the 2019 Leisure Travel Study. The annual research provides a comprehensive look into consumer shopping and booking preferences and behaviors. This year's data shows that hotels are missing out on a huge opportunity to reduce reliance on OTAs and drive more direct bookings, that it may be time to invest in a branded mobile app, that consumers aren't quite ready to embrace voice-enabled technology, and that Millennials really are quite different than previous generations. READ MORE