By Doug Kennedy: Sales staff of all departments need to be trained to understand that when it comes to information, the balance of power has shifted. They must appeal to callers' emotional desires – not just their intellect.

The expanding hotel program provides travel agents with a selection of properties worldwide that have agreed to offer preferred rates, with guaranteed commission and last room availability, through CCRA hotel booking channels.

TripAdvisor collects more than 90 user contributions a minute and has been able to hit a 50 percent increase in posted reviews year-over-year.

VOI Hotels, which stands for Vera Ospitalità Italiana ("Real Italian Hospitality" in English,) plans to grow by offering Italian hospitality at its best in Italy and throughout Europe.

By Kevin Boudreaux: Don't count on the "rising tides raise all ships" theory to lead you to success in 2014. Take a few hours out to revisit your 2014 plan to make sure you are set up to achieve your fair share of the business and more.

By Sam Weston: Here's a way to monitor what your guests are saying across the web, in one convenient location.

By Pamela Whitby: The growing trend to be social, local and mobile, (SoLoMo) has rapidly changed – and continues to change – how hospitality organisations do business.

Hotel Indigo's new Neighborhood Guides help guests explore off the beaten path via an interactive touchscreen in every lobby.

The company expects to invest $5 million in new brand during first year, with a further $10 million expected to be invested over the subsequent four years.

By Rochelle Castillejos: Most hotels tend to focus on creating promos and packages to sell the rooms, but overlook the importance of letting the guests know what specifically is in the rooms.