With Human Trafficking Awareness month recently taking place in January, the hotel industry continues making progress on highlighting and combatting a global issue that ruins lives and jeopardizes business reputations. Organizations such as the AHLA have made it a priority to spread awareness on the issue and provide aid to human trafficking survivors, with major brands such as IHG Hotels & Resorts making substantial donations towards the effort. Others such as Marriott International have launched human trafficking awareness programs for their employees in order to effectively combat the ..read more

In today’s digitalized and hyper-connected business environments, having the appropriate security measures in place has become a basic requirement. Yet whether operating a large-scale resort or a small boutique property, having the most advanced security technology in place ultimately means little if human employees can unwittingly serve as a backdoor loophole ..read more

After facing two years of uncertainty thanks in large part to COVID-19, hoteliers in 2022 were finally able to return to some sense of normalcy and begin to see market conditions improve. Yet far from being a matter of simple luck, the pandemic if anything demonstrated the industry’s ability to come together and innovate in order to overcome challenges brought on by the pandemic ..read more

Enjoy this months blog, which is a guest entry written by Bruce Redman Becker from Becker + Becker No industry has been left untouched by the global environmental crises and hospitality is no exception. Each year seemingly brings more instances of mass heatwaves, droughts and out-of-control wildfires that are leading growing numbers of consumers to question the ecological impact of their purchase decisions. Just recently published is yet another survey indicating that 65 percent of business travel leaders prioritize staying at a green hotel for any corporate travel. Even when it comes to leis ..read more

Today’s hospitality industry is changing more rapidly than ever to address both external market influences and new guest needs. As we enter this “New World of Hospitality,” we must each understand not only what evolving industry conditions mean for operating a safe hospitality business, but also how we can continue to live up to our promise of knowing what guests want from a hotel experience and making sure that services cater to those expectations exactly ..read more

In today’s hospitality industry, sustainability efforts focused on protecting the environment have become a top priority for virtually any type of hotel business. And for good reason, too. An overwhelming 85.6 percent of travelers now say they would prefer to pay more if it meant staying at a hotel with eco-friendly practices. For today’s increasingly eco-conscious guests, a hotel’s commitment to environmentalism therefore can play a central role in booking decisions that no hospitality professional should risk to overlook ..read more

As the hotel industry continues to deal with reduced rates, sub-optimal occupancies, and a reduction in amenities and services, adopting an integrated systems approach is becoming more of a necessity in order to maintain operations that meet guest satisfaction expectations. Following the spread of Covid-19, hoteliers have greatly increased investments in technology in order to reduce expenses and increase efficiencies. With fewer employees helming a property and less room for errors, hotels are taking the next steps for improving performance beyond the current instability ..read more

Sustainability is a word that has been used extensively in hospitality circles over the past decade and is often regarded as no more than an industry buzzword that defines the environmentally friendly practices of a lodging operation. However, the term has evolved exponentially in recent years to include a range of operational areas that bring social and economic policies together with the environmental impact an organization has on its community, as well as the planet. Together, these areas form a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and can be divided into two categories—operatio ..read more

Since their initial emergence within the hospitality sector, IoT-based devices and services have been hailed as a game-changing opportunity to enhance efficiency and guest experiences. Articles, case studies and white papers are widely available and routinely published that detail how such solutions can instantly personalize offerings, ensure speedier service and slash business costs ..read more

For hospitality-based businesses, the industry has seemingly been hit by one crisis or challenge after another in recent years vying for the increasingly stretched attentions of hoteliers. From attempting to navigate the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing rising guest expectations over what counts as a satisfying stay experience, hoteliers have more than enough issues requiring a need to revise business strategies and operational procedures.   That being said, some industry challenges and trends merit greater priority in being addressed first in order to protect reputations ..read more