The spa industry is sitting in the vortex of a perfect storm... The first front in this storm system is an aging population who have the desire and means (and as they retire, the time) to do what it takes to "stay forever young", as evidenced by the fact that of that 60 is the new 40. The second front of the system is that many are defining youth with matrices that only start with external looks and extend well into more complex issues of quality of life, disease prevention and psychological well-being. The third front of the perfect storm is related to the American medical system. Our health care system is failing. To that end, spa regimes, meditation, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle classes are some of the ways that consumers are supplanting their allopathic care. The last component to complete the storm is the fact that boomers are savvy, result-driven consumers who collect experiences the way their parents collected possessions... READ MORE

The difference between a franchise agreement and a management agreement often comes down to the almighty dollar. Each agreement provides a different level of control and access for both the hotel owner and the brand owner. So which agreement should a hotel owner choose? That decision comes down to the brand operator, the lender and costs considerations. While some hotel owners flirt with management agreements, the franchise agreement is becoming increasingly common, and seems to be taking hold even within the full service sector of the hospitality industry. READ MORE

Looking for an asset manager can sometimes be equated to looking for Waldo. Everywhere you glance in a "Where's Waldo?" drawing you think you spot the cartoon character wearing his famed red-and-white striped apparel. Upon closer inspection, however, you realize that the red-and-white striped image that caught your eye is simply camouflage on another look-alike. Sound familiar in your business? Unlike Waldo, owners wear many hats - especially multi-property owners and those with supplemental real estate investments outside of hospitality. Managing a vast portfolio can't be done alone, so oftentimes these owners hire a management company to oversee day-to-day operations. But who's watching the watchdog when the asset isn't performing and investment objectives aren't being met? READ MORE

It's a New Year, and like most folks, dear reader, some of your resolutions were once again repeat resolutions: to eat healthy and to exercise more. In fact, these two resolutions are number one and number two respectively on the New Year's resolution chart since they started keeping track. With this in mind, hotel food and beverage departments must take a good hard look at their menu offerings for kids. No longer is a children's menu filled with fried foods and buttered noodles acceptable. READ MORE

Managers and employees need to be better prepared to work in the fast paced hospitality industry. The rigors of the economy, community interaction, public policy and keen competition need to be handled by well prepared managers and employees. Education, training and professional development has become increasingly important and in the current climate education appears more important than ever. The issue for many employees and or their employer is when is there time to get the needed education and or training? This article provides a guide to those thinking about and or seeking additional education in general and more specifically a distance education (DE) option. There are many choices but the issues of fit and program quality are key for student success. READ MORE

So often, hotel and resort managers view fitness centers and related services as merely a "value-added" amenity, provided to reinforce a positive guest experience. Granted, this is without question, a valuable role. But at the risk of sounding harsh, it's a perspective that is often short-sighted and may eliminate a wealth of profit-generating potential inherent to any fitness center when managed with an eye toward generating revenue. That being said, I thought it would be valuable to break some of these down and demonstrate just how a fitness center can go beyond merely pumping up your guests, and pump up your bottom line: READ MORE

In today's highly competitive hospitality environment, an inviting spa can create a truly memorable guest experience. To that end, there are any number of "small items" that can make a big difference in how your spa is perceived by both a guest and non-guest population. These areas include several basic initiatives with your staff and with the guest that will assist in providing impeccable guest service while energizing the spa. READ MORE

These are certainly interesting times. Headlines are abundant with doom and gloom and everyone is looking for that magical 'economic stability' and hoping that the current economic maelstrom will pass sooner than expected. There is no doubt that in the short term our guests will spend less, but spending less doesn't represent a change of intent. Our guests will still take vacations and spa visits, and in doing so they will look for better value and promotions, even from their favorite brands. READ MORE

Just for fun, I googled (Remember when Google was only a noun?) the term, creative hotel marketing. I got more than 6.5 million hits! WOW! If the number of hits were to equal the number of really creative hotel marketing programs, we would have one fun, successful industry! But, unfortunately, what passes for creative is more like common, colloquial, comfortable, commonplace, conventional, and customary. Or, as our grandkids are prone to say, as they place two fingers in an “L” on their foreheads, Loser! I've found that one of the barriers to developing and launching a really creative program is the erroneous belief that creative marketing is too expensive. But it really doesn't take a lot of dollars to develop and implement a successful promotional strategy. In this article, we'll see some ideas to get your juices flowing. READ MORE

What happens when great hotels or great hospitality organizations, with great reputations, become legends in their own minds and less than so in the minds of their guests? How can a hotel that has worked so hard for fantastic fans and award-winning applause neglect a foundation of service and respect that won the fans and awards in the first place? Why would management take greatness for granted and simply ride a reputation? Who benefits, who does not and who CARES when service is on auto-pilot and the team rests on their laurels? I was overwhelmed with these questions when recently visiting one of my favorite hotels in one of the greatest seaside destinations in the country. READ MORE

In an age of unprecedented hospitality litigation, electronic discovery has arguably become the most critical factor in determining the outcome of major cases in our industry. Why? Because the growing concentration in today's hospitality arena has led to bigger players fighting larger, more complex disputes. SEC inquiries, M&A transactions and owner-manager dealings are all resulting in "bet-your-business" cases. The tools used to service these cases must match their sophistication and complexity. Positive results depend on how each side effectively manages technology and electronic discovery. Once a competitive advantage, effective electronic discovery has now become a competitive necessity, and therefore should be understood not only by corporate lawyers and outside counsel, but also by the management companies and individual owners who employ them. READ MORE

The fitness industry is constantly evolving. As exercise physiologists, fitness and athletic trainers and wellness professionals push the envelope of untapped knowledge and new technologies, fitness trends emerge and change. Most importantly, as these changes occur, so do the expectations and demands of consumers. Fitness services can absolutely drive bottom line goals for hotels and resorts including revenue generation, but most certainly in guest experience, retention, and beyond. However, significant returns are only realized by management committed to keeping their facilities in line with these changing trends and consumer demands. Fitness is no longer a "throw in" to a hotel or resort's mix of services. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the current trends that are pushing the industry and consumer demand into uncharted terrain. READ MORE

You read the trades, talk to fellow hoteliers, make the conference circuit and hear all the good news. Times are good right now. Rates are up, occupancy is up, RevPAR is up, it's all turned around from the doldrums of recent years and everybody's happy: Your creditors are happy, your lender is happy, and best of all, you're happy. You're making more money, you're playing more golf and you're taking bigger and better vacations. Life is good-and if you listen to most industry pundits, it's going to get even better. It won't be long before you'll be able to do the things you've been putting off . . . like trading up to that Lexus, building your dream house, maybe even buying or building your next hotel. Talk about Heaven on earth, right? And isn't it about time? Actually, it's about time to wake up from that dream. READ MORE

The immediate outlook remains promising but the future is less bright according to prominent analysts i.e. PricewaterhouseCooper and Smith Travel Research. One school of thought is "If it ain't broke, why fix it?". But we know that the hotel industry is driven by various economic factors that create many ups and down. The bad times don't last forever and the good times don't last forever, either. So what better time to address any weaknesses in the organization, flaws in the system, or product deficiencies, than when occupancies are strong and the outlook is favorable? This article will address the benefit of early prevention and will identify areas to evaluate in order to ensure that your property is well positioned for any downturn so that it will remain profitable and vibrant. READ MORE

Rejuvenation of your hotel, whether it be new carpets and drapes in guest rooms or an upgrade in the ambience and functionality of the common areas, goes a long way towards protecting your assets as well as maintaining superior guest services. However, to achieve or exceed your long term ROI goals, it is crucial that renovation costs stay in line with your budget. It is very easy for even the smallest project to get out of control and create a "money pit" of unexpected expenses, cost overruns, labor issues and inconvenient delays. READ MORE