Airbnb, thought by some to pose an existential threat to hotels and resorts, continues to compete with them for market share. That being said, the off-the-charts growth that the short-term rental company experienced in years past seems to have leveled off, and it looks as though mainstream lodging has weathered the Airbnb storm. But how? With an eye toward an ever-expanding network of regulations, both here and abroad, that not only limit Airbnb’s inventory, but also hold its hosts accountable to hotel-like standards, hoteliers have staved off their (exaggerated) demise. In doing so, hotels and resorts have emerged stronger and more innovative than ever. READ MORE

Your guests have gone mobile; now you need to serve them in their mobile world if you want to be part of their life. Hotels have been much slower than others in the hospitality sector to leverage the capabilities of mobile, but at a time when mobile phones are becoming a standard it is foolish to ignore mobile’s potential to help your hotel. In fact, 40% of hotel guests already have a hotel mobile app, and another 30% are interested in having such apps. Read on to find out about the best ways to use mobile and messaging apps to improve guest satisfaction and hotel profitability. READ MORE

Marketers have a sometimes-overwhelming number of tools in their toolbox to generate leads and bookings. That often means falling back on the tried and true practices that have worked for years. This feature explores a few marketing strategies and tactics that teams might have missed, including the benefits of strategically deploying user-generated content, crafting effective linkbait, using influencer marketing at any budget level, and why chat and messenger bots might just be the future of marketing. We also take a look at how brands can use humor to be better, more relatable marketing and why that doesn’t have to be a scary proposition. READ MORE

Much has been written about the changes that Millennials have brought us, like newspapers, shopping malls, taxis and even hotels. Traditional room service may also be on that list. If our guests are younger, busier and more food savvy than ever, why were we serving them the same old room service? At Hyatt Regency Atlanta, we threw out the old model of room service, from menu to delivery, to better reflect how guests are using technology to order food when they're at home. The result has been a faster, fresher, more convenient room service that's reduced cost and waste and been a hit with guests. READ MORE

Think about professional tour guides and their role in making an entire experience come alive for everyone on their tour. They know their scripts but also all the in-between moments, stories and connections that will make the tour more memorable. They understand that reacting to their tour participants' emotions, questions and interests along the way will make the tour more meaningful. Now, apply this concept to everyone in your business, your organization, your hospitality environment. Inspire them to become hospitality tour guides! Make each moment, each transaction, each interaction part of YOUR tour and in turn your strategy to make your hospitality experiences more meaningful and positively memorable. READ MORE