Businesses, including the hospitality sector, often argue that there's no customer demand for sustainability, so they do not focus on grabbing opportunities to work strategically towards becoming part of the solution. Very few innovations have come from customer demand - on the contrary, innovation and the success that follows, is often thanks to daring leaders, those who can foresee the development of society and really take the lead; in short leaders who show leadership! READ MORE

California's unprecedented drought led to government mandates in 2015 requiring water agencies to cut residential and business water usage by 25 percent. For hotels, the mandates also include specific rules about irrigation, serving water only upon request, and encouraging reuse of guests' towels and linens. While the mandates represent a starting point for water conservation, many California hotels are already ahead of the game: finding ways to reduce water consumption without compromising the guests' experience. They have produced a steady stream of water-saving ideas for hotel bathrooms, laundry, landscaping, and kitchens--all of which are transferable to hotels almost anywhere. READ MORE

Glenwood Hot Springs has been an environmental trailblazer since long before terms like “carbon footprint,” “eco-friendly” and “sustainability” became commonplace. It actively harnesses the geothermal energy of the mineral hot springs for snowmelt and to heat domestic water supplies. The Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge was recognized with a TripAdvisor “Green Leaders” award in 2013 for its environmental practices. In addition to harnessing geothermal heat sources on-site, Glenwood Hot Springs has also adopted practices that include the use of state-of-the-art materials and energy-efficient technology that add up to not only dollars saved, but to a cleaner, healthier environment for visitors and the community. READ MORE

It is obvious from the proliferation of new brands and the desperation to find new technology to improve the guest experience that there is a growing feeling that the SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) approach to custom satisfaction has become unsatisfactory, and that now the big hotel groups are searching for a solution. Unfortunately the hotel industry as a whole seems to be unaware of how quantum science, religious traditions, ancient cultures, and heart energy research are all showing that their shareholder-oriented, guest experience concept is based on erroneous principles and thinking, and on an obsolete worldview. Ironically, the solution is closer than their life's vein and implementing it is so simple and almost cost-free. READ MORE

So much of what we do as hotel managers boils down to how we treat our team members. Not only must we be good role models, but we must also be observant and correct bad behavior before it turns into a habit. Three scenarios are presented to illustrate how overlooking certain actions may have negative consequences. From there, steps are outlined to help managers effectively coach their associates and ensure that all parties perform optimally from then on. READ MORE