Hotels and the hospitality world have always intrigued people for centuries. It is the apparent glamour and uniqueness of the hotel world which creates curiosity in the mind of an onlooker regarding the various roles and job descriptions of people working in hotels. Have the principles and practices in managing a hotel changed with time? What is expected of a hotel manager in these continually evolving times? The writer firmly believes that a General Manager shapes the hotel experience for all his guests through his personality traits and approach towards his team and guests. The short essay brings forth the beauty of the golden art called hospitality. READ MORE

When it comes to success in the hospitality industry we tend - quite rightly -- to focus on staff and guests. But there are five other categories of people who can influence whether your hotel succeeds or fails. It is easy to forget about them, or even to see them as a threat to your profitability. But if you treat them right, there are many ways they can help you. Building strong relationships with them - even surprising ones like competitors - can end up helping both your organization and theirs. In this article we'll explore who these oft-overlooked allies are, why they are important to your business, and how you can win their support. READ MORE

Travel industry marketers are setting their sites on the customer, following in the steps of other industries such as retail and using digital platforms to strategically target and message across the customer journey. The advances in customer experience we see today are the result of platform and technology availability. Knowing customers like to be treated as individuals is not a new concept in customer service. Not long ago personalized treatment was reserved for face-to-face conversations and luxury experiences. Digital has evolved, but the concept remains the same. To both the traveler and the marketer, customer experience is differentiation, timing, relevancy. READ MORE

To establish a good relationship you must first understand the foundation on which the relationship is built. For example, one of the greatest personal debates we face in the franchisor-franchisee relationship centers on character. Do you believe that it's possible for a person to possess both a public and a private character, even if very different? What you do in private is your own business, as long as it doesn't affect your public performance, right? Not necessarily - especially when your individual personal performance impacts your business performance. Those who build a business relationship on character will be those who swim upstream. READ MORE

It's easier to keep a guest smiling if you know a little something about them. Would you buy a gift for somebody without knowing anything about them? Of course not. So why try to service a guest that way if you don't have to. Collecting guest data is on the minds of many marketing and revenue manager these days. Not a day goes by that the term "Big Data" isn't mentioned in one of the many hospitality blogs or press releases. But what does it all really mean? But you don't have to have a data analyst on staff to make these simple things a reality. READ MORE