We seem to be exposed to technology at every waking moment; whether at work, home, while traveling or in transitory periods in between. The question looms: what is essential for our need to communicate, learn, expand our trajectory and remain current? With webinars, trainings at work, newsletters beckoning us to open and schedule time, how important is it for us to attend conferences that require time, travel and expense. Do these events still have an impact? Are they worthy of our time? How does the design, format and conference offering impede or influence our decision to attend such events? READ MORE

Native advertising is not a fresh idea in the marketing space today. Native search however, may be. Native search is the search functionality inside different platforms or websites. It is used for top-of-the-funnel initiatives, often with the goal of increasing brand awareness. In this piece, I will explore what native advertising and native search is, as well as why every hotel brand should invest in it today. From enhancing the user experience, to generating a new revenue stream, to bidding on other hotel brand’s sites as a new traffic source, brands that invest in native search will see unparalleled results. READ MORE

The hospitality industry is experiencing a sea change, thanks to several brand disruptors at work. Think about the sharing economy, leading fashion designers entering the hospitality arena to extend their brands, including Karl Lagerfeld, the emergence of "boutique hostels," Airbnb and its upstart emulators, mega mergers, and the rise of hyper-local, micro-boutique hotels. And that's not all. Communal ironing rooms, triple-tall bunk rooms and 24-hour text service to stay in touch with the reception staff in place of a phone in the room, are among the features stirring the pot in the hospitality world as well. Read more... READ MORE

Personalizing the guest experience is all the rage right now, and hotels are eager to capitalize on opportunities to monetize. Loyalty programs are no longer just marketing initiatives but also revenue management strategies to control top- and bottom-line performance. As travelers demand more tailored accommodation experiences—blame the millennials, of course—a “customer-choice pricing” model may be the best way to deliver the ideal product to the ideal guest at the ideal price. READ MORE

Planning on expanding your hotel's rooms division? There are many questions which you must answer first. Will the expansion prove profitable? Will construction costs be manageable? Will the market respond positively to the expansion? Hotel operators must weigh the benefits and costs associated with such a daring move in expanding their rooms division. The decision to expand is a very expensive, and time-consuming venture. Considering the factors presented here may help hotel owners and operators to make their room expansion plans go as smoothly as possible. This article will discuss those benefits and costs so as to assist with this physically and financially oriented decision. READ MORE