Over the past 33 years, I have been privileged to work in just about every hotel department imaginable – in desirable locations all over the world. Each experience helped grow my knowledge of the industry and most importantly, fueled my passion. As many in this industry can relate, with this passion comes great respect for what individualizes a hotel and its experience. As General Manager of the beautiful Pelican Grand Beach Resort – one of the only true beachfront, boutique resorts on Fort Lauderdale beach – there is so much about this property that drives me as a hospitality leader and inspires our guests daily. READ MORE

Just as the days of endless, tasteless buffets are gone from the all-inclusive resort experience, so are the endless, thoughtless playlists that come from the on-property sound systems. The à la carte restaurant approach that has become common place at all-inclusive hotels needs to be applied to music in the hotel industry. We'll take a look at how much music has evolved in the hospitality world and what needs to happen for it to come full circle as part of the branding and upfront story. Music is an important driver when it comes to the guest experience and the bottom line. READ MORE

Resilience can mean a lot of things to different people. In the real estate world, resilience is becoming a much talked-about topic relating to the ability of a building to withstand environmental threats. Understanding what those threats are, their magnitude, and their likelihood of occurrence are all part of the assessment of building resilience. While the topic itself can be depressing, resilience should be viewed as something to be embraced. Knowing the worst threats your building faces and its chances for surviving those threats will have a big impact on your long-term planning. READ MORE

What makes a hotel eco-friendly? While there are numerous green certifications a hotel can earn, a hotel that works to minimize its impact on the natural environment through any number of green efforts can proclaim itself eco-friendly. Everything from installing water efficient toilets to starting composting programs falls under the eco-friendly category. So, if a hotel is considering exploring some environmentally friendly actions, who should they call? An insurance broker might not seem like the first person a hotel should contact when considering green efforts, but having the right insurance coverage in place ahead of time will not only help the hotel with its plans to go green, but might even help save some green in the process. READ MORE

The unintentional outcomes of meeting and exceeding guest expectations can come in different shapes and forms. However, there are not many that involve economic, environmental and social impacts all nicely bundled together as the issue of food waste. Many tried to find a solution, but there is no silver bullet for now. However, that should not take away from the number of initiatives, technologies and projects that have been successfully carried out in many hotels and restaurants. Exploring the clever ways people and organizations looked to tackle this challenge only underscores the complex nature of food waste in hospitality. READ MORE