In today's ever-changing, fast-paced world, our exposure to what's new, what's better and what people are experiencing locally as well as globally has changed exponentially. As such, a more sophisticated traveler has become the norm which has reshaped the landscape of hotel design. No longer is it acceptable to simply satisfy guests, rather, hoteliers, developers, architects and designers are in constant pursuit of how to create spaces that "transport" guests to another place and provide them with memories that are timeless, unexpected, unforgettable and experiential. With this in mind, and with more than 30 years of experience positioning lifestyle and hospitality brands in the global marketplace, Lisa Simeone shares her insights and perspectives for delivering high-end luxury and forward-thinking authenticity through experiential design. READ MORE

Learn why integrated marketing communications is essential to your hotel's success. The essence of integrated marketing is to meld consistent brand messages across all channels to provide a seamless experience for consumers to interact with your brand. As new marketing strategies and digital platforms have evolved and launched over the past decade from Google, Facebook and Twitter to Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest, it has never been more important to have effective integration of brand messages and channels. This article will review what integrated marketing means and share how to create a multi-platform and cross-channel marketing program… READ MORE

The number of customer touchpoints between a hotel and its guests only continue to increase. In reviewing some of those touchpoints, one better understands the expertise needed to manage those moments and how hotel brands use varying methods to bring together skills sets for optimal (digital) customer experiences. How brands determine to manage the increasing touchpoints for optimal connection, will help distinguish them from the competition as they strive for continued excellence in customer contact. READ MORE

Form and function are two critical components of building design. That statement might be a no-brainer for some, but we often fail to connect how this relates to our experience of a space. It's safe to say we have all reaped the benefits of experiential design, but it was most likely unknowingly. Scott Acton, CEO and founder of Forte Specialty Contractors, shares his thoughts on experiential design and how its changing the hospitality and entertainment sector. READ MORE

In the first two articles in this series, we looked at how independent Quality Assurance programs have fallen into a conventional wisdom and modus operandi that is out of touch with their clients' and their guests' needs and then examined the challenges and relevance of QA in helping their client's assess their performance in a world increasingly guided by the megaphone of social-media reviews. In this third and last article, we look at what an ideal QA program would look like, in the hope that third-party QA companies, and/or internal QA programs are listening and decide to upgrade their assessments and programs. READ MORE