Love them or hate them, OTAs likely drive a substantial number of heads-in-beds to your property. That's not a bad thing, especially when it comes to driving first-time guests. The problem is that far too many hotels aren't putting their best foot forward when it comes to converting first-time OTA bookers into repeat guests who book via a direct channel. This article looks at some simple and effective steps that you can take that will ensure each and every OTA booker wants to return to your property and that they are much more likely to do so by booking direct the next time. READ MORE

A spa's treatment menu is the primary piece of communication with guests and is so much more than just a listing of offerings. It tells the story of the spa's brand and makes a promise of the experience. The spa menu and related pricing is a critical tool to ensuring your spa thrives. Savvy spa directors go beyond simply designing a menu by thoughtfully engineering it. Menu engineering is widely used in food and beverage, but other departments can utilize this valuable tool as well. In this article, we will review how to develop a menu engineering strategy and special considerations which are unique to spa. READ MORE

Since their emergence in the early 2000's revenue management roles have become a critical component of the hospitality industry. Training and development resources for revenue managers have grown considerably in response to this change. Given the likelihood of turbulent times in 2020 – the result of an abundance of new supply, trade wars, the continued proliferation of brands, and other social and economic factors – as a general manager or asset manager the need for a skilled revenue manager is becoming more and more essential. This article provides an overview of the ideal revenue manager, including their most needed attributes as well as how best to measure performance. READ MORE

Hotel chains are using mergers and acquisitions to expand their portfolios and increase revenue, but many don't consider the impact on Revenue Management. For many, the acquisition results in disparate Revenue Management systems that don't integrate with the different brands or create efficiencies of scale. Additionally, some go with an off-the-shelf solution that doesn't take into account the needs of the different mix of economy vs. luxury brands. This article provides an insight into the most common problems hotel revenue managers encounter with mergers and acquisitions, plus some solutions on how to address them. READ MORE

Artificial intelligence has become a prevalent part of our everyday lives. From the digital assistants in our homes providing us with access to virtually anything we can think of to the AI-powered apps helping us make important financial decisions, we rely on AI to boost efficiency and productivity in just about every area of our lives. And while no industry has been impervious to the impact of artificial intelligence, hospitality has seen especially significant changes due to the rise of the machines. In this article, we look at how AI has affected the end-to-end guest experience from booking to checkout. READ MORE