Benjamin Franklin needs no introduction. His accomplishments and contributions to our country in the seventeen hundreds were many. Likewise, his words of wisdom have been recited to us by our mothers and fathers for many generations. Some of my family's favorites included: "A penny saved is a penny earned", "A place for everything and everything in its place", and "A small leak can sink a great ship." But some of the less known phrases are the ones that can perhaps teach us the best lessons if we relate them to the world of hotel franchising. In particular, two Ben Franklin quotes come to mind: "Well done is better than well said," and "A countryman [or hotelier for our purposes] between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats." READ MORE

As our labor force increases and we evolve into more of a leisure society, many of our new-generation workers do not want to spend as much time on their jobs as employees of the past. This means that one of the key words we as managers, should keep in mind when seeking new talent is balance. We need to make sure that the people who work in our industry keep a balance between work, family and leisure time. The more balance, the more stability. The more stability, the more productivity and less turnover. If we are going to attract the new wave of talented managers, we need to measure a person's worth or accomplishments based not on how much time is spent on the job, but rather on the person's productivity. A highly productive 50-hour, gung-ho enthusiastic manager who gives 110% is much more valuable than a tired, half-conscious 70-hour manager going through the motions. READ MORE

Hospitality spas are highly vulnerable to branding disconnect. "Branding" often occurs at the corporate level, far away from a spa's employee training programs. Marketing spins gorgeous fantasies to lure customers in and Operations deals with gritty day to day realities, often completely unaware of the marketing promise. When the two contrast sharply, the brand can be badly damaged. READ MORE

The idea of making a property green or environmentally responsible may not automatically bring to mind images of guest enjoyment and aesthetic pleasure, yet a truly sustainable property should, in fact, enhance these aspects of a guest's stay. This article will analyze and explain how several key areas of a property can improve its aesthetic appeal when they are made more sustainable. The aesthetic potential of sustainability has particular ramifications for the spa industry, as we will see. READ MORE

An ongoing issue facing an older generation of hotel owners/operators is how to best prepare and plan for the continuing growth and future of one's property after retirement. If you are intending to retire from a life managing hotels, how do you plan for it? How can an individual owner prepare all the statistics that will facilitate a sale? How can a hotel be marketed to potential buyers? What if the owner does want to sell at all, but his children do not want to manage? How can an owner retain possession and not have to run the business or rely on another individual to manage the operation on his behalf? READ MORE

Not only is payroll the largest single expense item on your profit and loss statement, but it's important to remember that spa clients generally only interface with line employees, such as their massage therapist or esthetician. If professionalism is not engrained into the fabric of your corporate culture and your employees are not truly enthusiastic about your operation, you may be setting yourself up for problems. READ MORE

Tourism executives are being put to the test to anticipate guests needs before their competitors. A hotel room is truly becoming a home away from home and a refuge for travelers regardless of the purpose of their hotel stay. Guest's expectations for a stress-free hassle-free visit are increasing. Which begs the question: What is being done to afford comfortable guest experiences? READ MORE

One thing we know for sure is that diet fads will come and go, but people will always have a desire to eat healthy. When the Atkins diet was introduced, everyone jumped on the bandwagon. Hilton Hotels Corporation did not. In addition, many manufacturers rushed to produce low-carb products. I've sampled some low-carb breads that were tasteless and so hard that I doubt a beaver could gnaw or digest it. I thought, "Who in the world would want to endure that kind of an assault on the taste buds and digestive system?" I'm sure that eating a loaf of this bread would cause anyone to develop jaw muscles that pit bulls would envy. READ MORE

How many of us hotel marketing directors dread the time of year when marketing plans are due? So much work! And for what purpose? When completed, most marketing plans only get placed in a tabbed binder, while the Owner, Management Company and General Manager may or may not even glance at it. Then it goes on a shelf and collects dust. First things first: everyone along the food chain needs to take responsibility for marketing plans that are not meaningful. Sometimes Management Company executives or General Managers just want a plan to look good...i.e. big and thick with lots of graphs. Marketing directors just want to get it done and move on to the next project - like actually selling rooms or putting out the first fire of the day. I can remember that when I was on property I dreaded marketing plan time because I had so many other things to do, and I was also a tad resentful because I knew the plan would really never be read carefully by anyone else. READ MORE

There are so many things you want to know about a person when you interview them, the most important being their work ethic. There are ways to find that out with proper questions and review of a resume. You want to set the stage from the beginning that you operate a professional business. It isn't just a caf'e, diner, restaurant or deli. It's your business and, if you want to take an aggressive approach, ask questions of your applicant that will reveal personality and the salesperson in her. This is assuming you want a personality that wants to sell and not take orders. READ MORE

Measuring employee productivity in the "stay" spa differs significantly from doing the same in the day spa environment. Day spas look hard at statistics such as client retention and retail ratios. Hotel spa employees work with a transient guest, who is, according to popular wisdom, less likely to return and less likely to buy. Or are they? Not all "stay" spas are the same. Understanding typical guest behavior can enable you to create realistic measurements of guest retention by spa employees. READ MORE

You know that getting more value from your energy dollar is always important. This winter it will be imperative. According to the latest Short Term Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the price of natural gas, heating oil and propane will all be higher this winter. The EIA predicts natural gas prices, for example, to rise by 50 percent, on average, compared with last year. Even if your company has locked in lower prices through long-term fuel contracts, you still should be making sure you are doing everything you can to get the most value from your energy dollar. The lodging industry spends over $5.5 billion per year on energy. That is a lot room for potential savings. And greater profitability. READ MORE

Almost every property is a part of the community around it. As such, it affects the community's economic condition in some way. In this article, we explore the ways in which a sustainable lodging property can positively affect the community's economic vitality. We will discuss this from the following perspectives: the property's environmental footprint; the property's effect on the health of its workers; the property as community leader or model; the property as educator; the property as donor; and the property as a magnet for business. READ MORE

Today in most resorts the inclusion of a spa is no longer a luxury, but rather a standard amenity, expected and ubiquitous. Significant cross pollinating among the day, medical, amenity, and destination spas has created a competitive and comprehensive spa environment that here-to-fore that has never been experienced. This dynamic has created the phenomenon of Spa Wars, where product differentiation is subtle and the competitive edge can be paper thin. It is ironic that as the spa industry matures, distinctions between spa types are becoming blurred, resulting in subtle levels of segmentation and product differentiation that provide "options" to the savvy spa goer and "confusion" to the rest of us. Historically, hotel and resort spas have been classified as either "destination" or "amenity", meaning they were either the specific reason to travel to a remote location or they were and an added amenity (sometimes created as an after thought) for the an indulgent resort clientele. READ MORE

It is important for meeting planners to be aware of the many ways they can plan for and conduct highly effective, memorable meetings, while simultaneously taking their organization's budgetary parameters into consideration. Now is the ideal time-especially as we embark on a new year-to start a clean slate comprised of cost-savings strategies and planning decisions that ensure both financial benefits for your client's organization while also generating a successful meeting for their audience. So, if you or your client need to plan big with a budget that's small, let the following tips from ACOM-the Association for Convention Operations Management-serve as a helpful guide to achieve both objectives. READ MORE