In spa branding, the retail company you keep is especially critical to preserving the integrity of your own brand. A five-star operation aligns with product brands that are akin in quality and image. Should any of those product brands show up at the local corner drug store or online discount retailer, the ripple effect can be damaging. This article provides a template for spa-retail brand alignment and offers tips for avoiding pitfalls in matching product brands to the spa. READ MORE

The new economy, partnered with the explosive and dynamic growth of “always on” technology, has created multiple channels for hotel spas to engage a highly demanding, knowledgeable and connected clientele. Traditional marketing efforts must be accompanied by a shrewd Internet strategy to effectively engage and deepen the relationship with customers. This article explores practical techniques that can be applied with minimal investment to increase your market share as well as customer loyalty. READ MORE

Revenue management is not a new concept, yet some are still struggling with its uptake, while others are revelling in the ongoing success it has brought to their organizations. Two recent conversations with global clients have stood out in highlighting very contrasting approaches to adopting revenue management principles. These two organizations have a very similar business model, operating in the same space, with similar stakeholders and yet they have taken two very different approaches to adopting revenue management principles. The first organization has clearly demonstrated the value of revenue management in a way that it is no longer questioned. It is now part of the intrinsic fabric of the company's operations. While the second is yet to articulate what value revenue management can bring. What has made the difference between the two? These three key strategic viewpoints can help companies successfully demonstrate the value of revenue management on a daily basis. READ MORE

Many hotels are using workflows designed as long as 50 years ago during the age of centralized computing when mainframes were state-of-the-art technology and paper was the accepted form of communication. This started to change with distributed computing - namely, the advent of PC's and databases - which minimized the use of paper, but didn't eliminate it. Now mobile applications are harnessing the power of mobile computing. We are seeing “workflow automation” - and with it, almost no need for paper. The impact is significant on how hotels operate, how staff members perform daily tasks, and how human resources are managed productively. My column examines “how” and “why.” READ MORE

Most managers appreciate that understanding customer value, and more importantly customer lifetime value (CLV), can help them plan strategies to encourage loyalty behavior, increase revenues, and ultimately drive profits. In fact, companies invest heavily in loyalty and rewards programs primarily to collect customer data that they can ultimately use to calculate customer lifetime value. Casino companies are well known for collecting information on their patrons' spend on the casino floor and across the enterprise, and using this information in marketing, rewards, and pricing. Because of this success, hotel managers are also interested in exploring the opportunities associated with CLV. READ MORE