As the public's interest in local foods and social equity continue to rise in response to experiencing the Great Recession, many hospitality service providers are now facing the decision ( and in some cases confusion) as to where they can start addressing these issues through the they services provide at their facilities. In this article, I highlight some of the opportunities that hospitality service providers have to provide health and community oriented services to their guests. I also touch upon how these issues of healthy living and recreation are being experienced differently amongst older and younger segments of the population. READ MORE

From their five-star rating system to certain worldwide brands being synonymous with towering standards, hotels have always been about creating positive customer experiences. But how can you ensure that your recent multinational marketing campaign truly hit home for locals? Which aspects of your localization strategy actually increased customer retention, and which pieces may have subverted that intention? Guest feedback in the form of user acceptance testing can provide key insight into the quality and effectiveness of your translated content while boosting customer satisfaction-which ultimately increases your revenue potential. READ MORE

Companies are struggling to improve profitability by cutting expenses, copying competitors, replacing CEOs, and hiring expensive consultants. unfortunately, most of these efforts have failed to pay off. But a number of hospitality leaders have found a source of competitive advantage. They are leveraging their own employees to find new opportunities for growth. The notion is simple. 'Regular' employees are an important source of innovative ideas due to their knowledge of operations and their own creativity. Employees are psychologically and physically close to customers and research has shown they can be very helpful in identifying customer needs and opportunities for innovation. READ MORE

With strong competition across the hospitality industry, first impressions are key when it comes to hotels contending for guests' business. While quality customer service and generous amenities will encourage guests to return to a location a second and third time, how do you ensure that they choose your hotel in the first place? The answer to this question could be as simple as the property's grounds. In the article "Showcase Your Property with Seasonal Color," U.S. Lawns President Ken Hutcheson discusses how to develop a healthy-looking, eye-catching landscape that sets your property apart from the competition without crippling your bottom line. READ MORE

The freestanding spa continues to pose challenges to the hotel spa, whose business is further tarnished by a troubled economy. The article outlines these challenges, providing three core strategies for remaining competitive: adding evermore value to transactions and experiences, outlining the spa's special distinctive qualities to the guest and marketing products & services more divergently. The hotel spa is well-placed to provide strong staffs support, pursue worldwide spa trends and innovations, move into dimensions of measurable preventive & holistic spa services and reposition the spa to appeal to new market segments in order to remain competitive against the freestanding spa. READ MORE