By Gareth Rees: In Istanbul, you're never stuck for something to do, see, eat or drink — no matter what time of the night or day it is. But even the most energetic travelers need somewhere to take a breather. In a city packed with more hotels than you could visit in a lifetime, finding the best isn't easy. But these eight — ranging from five-star palaces to quirky boutique retreats – are arguably the best the city has to offer.

The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), a newly formed association dedicated to uniting the world's boutique and lifestyle properties and the suppliers that sustain them, announced plans for developing a universal standard and criteria for defining boutique and lifestyle lodgings.

By Tim Millett: Regardless of a hotel's star rating, minimum standards for all properties involves showing respect for one's guests, providing for their needs, and treating them with dignity and professionalism.

By Dr. Peter E. Tarlow: Travel and tourism professionals can never forget that their profession is not only one that evokes high levels of emotions, but is often open to all sorts of liability cases that range from the frivolous to the extremely serious.  To add to the confusion, what may be legal in one place may be illegal or liable in another location and often visitors may not only sue in the location in which an incident occurred but also once they have returned home.

Following the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the results of a new travel study finds that more newlywed couples have chosen Cyprus as their honeymoon destination this year, which could lead to more bookings to the 'island of love', say ulookubook.com.

By Yoland Perras: Sampling from a guest perspective prior to buying is a critical step for all items on your Hotel Operating Equipment (HOE) list.

Meeting and conferences are key revenue drivers for so much of the hotel industry. Here's a look at the current state of the meetings market and what it now takes to drive bookings success in this segment.

By Stacy Collett: One of Hyatt's most successful ideas emerged from the business side and was put to the test in a lab hotel. Hyatt International's president announced that the company needed to change the way guests check in. The lab trial was so successful that the company decided to expand the mobile solution even further.

Remember your eagerness at the start of your hospitality career to "make your mark"? Your enthusiasm for working in your chosen field was high along with your confidence in all the possibilities of the future. Your drive to succeed was strong. That enthusiasm, confidence and drive were and still are your internal motivators. By Kathleen Hogan

By Nancy Trejos: Major hotel chains are now building two hotels on one property, some in the same building, that target two very different clienteles. The so-called dual-branded hotels are the latest way hotel developers are saving money during tenuous economic times.