The biggest challenge that hotel companies must overcome when launching training programs is tying the benefits of learning to business results and the bottom line. As a training manager or learning coach, you should base your training programs upon your company's business strategy with clear-cut expectations for what you and your trainees should expect to get out of the programs. Your learning initiatives should support your organization's goals from the top and be supported by top-level management within your organization before you execute them. READ MORE

To achieve true Total Revenue Management, you need to follow and valuate your guests footsteps throughout their stay.  A couple of very powerful data mining techniques can be used to map out the seemingly random decision processes that your guests use.  When used creatively, Market Basket Analysis and Decision Trees can illuminate the common behavior that your most profitable guests exhibit.  With this insight, you can take your Revenue Management to the ultimate level. READ MORE

The hotel industry is seeing the winds of change. The economy is slowly improving. Demand is higher than supply. How long will that last though? Take advantage of this forward motion by reevaluating your strategy. Conquer the commoditization beast and differentiate your hotel! Considering C.K. Prahalad's concepts of Core Competency and Competitive Advantage will give you the tools to deliver a unique and unconquerable value mix to enhance your hotel's position. READ MORE

Professional development, training and education are constant in today's competitive marketplace for businesses and their employees remain current. Many professions require ongoing development for its members and in some cases resulting in professional certification. For example, professions such as education, music, law, technology, and accounting have required professional certifications in their field for many years. Notably, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) has been a hallmark certification for anyone working at a public accounting firm and given the state of our tax system, the CPA will continue to be an important designation. READ MORE

The traditional approach to launching a renovation is to put up a big wall that divides the construction area from the rest of the world, add a small announcement blurb to your webpage and post a sign with two hammers that reads "pardon our dust for the next six months." I call this dated strategy the "out-of-sight out-of-mind" method. A better approach is to think of a renovation as a client engagement initiative that begins six months before the construction and extends for six to 12 months after the ribbon cutting. This may seem daunting at first, but if managed properly, this mindset will take the renovation experience to the next level for everyone involved. READ MORE