By feature writer Brett Patten: When it comes to creating a memorable guest experience, what has the ability to achieve a high level of customer loyalty conversion?

By feature writer Alan Campbell: When the travelling public decides to take a vacation, or a short trip, where do they look first? The internet no less, and your property should be there in all of its glory. Well, is it?

By feature writers Sue Wiker & Asher Fusco: In September of this year Google introduced a new, dramatically different search algorithm – dubbed “Hummingbird,” meant to gather better, more intuitive results for users via conversational search. In short, the search engine’s results will better answer questions like the following: “What is the best hotel rooftop bar nearby?” What does this mean for hoteliers?

The 25 press correspondents and journalists from a selection of the world's most important media that make up the jury of the Villegiature Awards have announced the winners of the trophies for the Best hotels in Europe, Africa and Asia.

By feature writer Renee Radia: By now, you have likely heard about three specific types of media, all of which are integral to the success of your hotel's online marketing strategy. Paid, owned, and earned media, all while falling under the same general umbrella, vary in many ways. The following should give you a quick refresher of each type of media.

By Craig Offman: Fresh-cut flowers. Bathrooms as large as Roman temples. Curtains that make a room darker than an Ottoman prison. These are some of the ways first-rate hotels pamper their plutocrats. But woe to the five-star property that ignores social media: The public pillorying is too great a risk. If a customer on TripAdvisor says her room is too cold, a hotel manager had better jump on that complaint with Jeeves-like dispatch.

Forty-seven percent of business travels prioritize ‘green' hotels when on the road, according to the 2013 Global Business Traveler Survey published by Timetric. Environmentally conscious, well-informed travellers expect hotels to do more than just provide a comfortable place to stay. They want to know and SEE that the hotel they have chosen implements energy-efficient practices and is eco-friendly in many ways.

Whether it is hours of exhilarating water sports or a romantic moonlit dinner by the sea, everyone has their own idea of what the perfect beach vacation should comprise. No matter your preference, InterContinental Hotels and Resorts can make that dream resort getaway a reality. With world-class resorts across the globe, guests will be spoilt for choice as they decide between Polynesian sunsets, amazing Balinese seascapes or the golden sand of the Middle East.

TripAdvisor® today launches its innovative TripConnectTMservice. The self-service platform, a first for the hospitality sector, allows TripAdvisor Business Listings subscribers to participate in Hotel Price Comparison and to drive direct bookings from TripAdvisor to their own property's website.

By feature writer Alan Fairweather: Don't you just hate it when things go wrong? You have an angry guest to deal with who's been let down by some aspect of your facilities or service. It may even be an internal customer, a colleague or even one of your team who's unhappy with your service to them. Don't panic! This is a fantastic opportunity to show just how good your customer service really is.