Competitive intelligence is a powerful tool used to maintain an advantage over competitors. A wealth of competitive intelligence can be obtained through public documents like public filings, earnings reports, and legal documents. Compiling, reviewing, and extrapolating the competitive intelligence from those documents takes time and money. Succumbing to the temptation to shortcut the necessary effort can have costly legal consequences. Hospitality industry companies must thus be wary of engaging in methods that cross legal and ethical boundaries. Companies must also be watchful of any efforts by their competitors to gather intelligence from them. READ MORE

Architecture is the built environment that defines space and affects the way people live, whether you are a modernist or a traditionalist. Wellness is a state of health and mindfulness that not only brings each of us in tune with nature, both our bodies and minds but also gives us a spiritual attitude towards one another on a global basis. Is it possible to combine the two, Wellness and Architecture? There are many examples of how this attitude of wellness in building has started to take form. Let's take a look at how this movement is evolving and the opportunities it brings to the hotel industry. READ MORE

There are many possibilities for adding interactive and conventional digital signage around hotel properties, and lots of examples in the marketplace of high impact, meaningful deployments. But there are also countless examples of hotels that have invested in display technology without having objectives defined, a strategy for execution, and an understanding of how success is measured and validated. I see hotels with screens and wonder why the operators bothered. But more often these days, I see smart operators using that technology to enhance the properties, and the experiences of their guests. In this article we'll take a look at some exciting new technologies available to hotels today. READ MORE

It might not always be easy to adapt a brand's standards to a downtown property, but no matter where one is designing, the main priority should always be helping clients identify their target audience and how to make their return on investments by creating the proper offerings for their location. Research is your friend here, which can come in the form of multiple charrettes with partner offices and the client or neighborhood residents. It will always lead to a deeper knowledge of the community you are entering and the ability to link the history of the site with the new property you present to it. READ MORE

With new trends dominating upcoming hotel renovations and redefining brands, it is interesting to compare the point of view of designers and hoteliers. The importance of combining operational knowledge as soon as design work starts seems to be obvious, yet very few projects combine both backgrounds. Designers, for the most part, have ample experience in hotel design but none in operations, while hoteliers do not always embrace the full possibilities of good hotel design. We explore the importance of operations and design collaborating in the early stages of a renovation and examine some new trends from both a design and operations perspective. READ MORE