The hotel business can be mired in the way things have always been done. Hotel managers input data into spreadsheets without analysis, information from different business areas isn't centralized, and hotel owners only address problems once they become chronic. Decisions are made without rigorous data to back them up, and a stagnant mentality can prevail. It doesn't have to be that way—and in our company it isn't. When we founded NVN Hotels 10 years ago, our intent was to challenge the status quo. By coupling a data-driven approach with guiding principles that empower employees to have ownership and enact change, we've created a culture that expects and rewards excellence, which ultimately increases revenues and propels growth. READ MORE

The good news is that globalization, cable news, the internet, and social media come together to give us instant and constant worldwide connectivity. However, the bad news is that these same technologies make all of us interdependent like never before on economic, political, and social events around the world. For hotel owners, the result is an industry that is more competitive, challenging, complex, and volatile -- and less predictable -- than ever. To demonstrate this, let's look at how current global economic developments are having an impact on four aspects of the lodging business in America. READ MORE

Many of today's largest and most successful companies started as nothing more than an idea, backed by a person brave enough to take the leap and follow a dream. Often companies have no further to look than their own workforces to find innovators who will push them forward. They are called "intrapreneurs," and despite their impact on business and culture, managers often struggle to identify and grow these passionate individuals who are hard-working and filled with ideas that could drive positive change. READ MORE

Technology is often blamed for raising the biggest barrier to embracing a "total revenue management" approach. But chances are that you have systems in place that are already up to the task, if only you would set them up to succeed. You may need to make PMS configuration changes and refine certain business practices, but it will be more than worth it. It seems like every time RevPAR growth slows down, as it is now in the US, hoteliers instinctively turn first to investigate their revenue management systems, which surely must have blown a fuse or broken a fan belt or something. READ MORE

Every hotel manager has a fear that wakes him or her up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. It isn't a standard fear that most people have; hotel leaders aren't in the throes of the dream where they showed up to a presentation naked. This particular fear has to do with the ink that's being spilled on the internet. It's the fear of a negative review on a major review site or social network. To put context around the world we live in today, there are more than 3 million hotel reviews written each week. That's 18,000 reviews per hour. Needless to say, not all of them will be from guests who loved every moment of their stay. READ MORE