By feature writer Yoland Perras: My “Critical Handover date” and “Critical Opening date” have now been set in writing. More than 6 weeks to get there. I can now confirm entry dates for my Key Executives which was, I admit, concerning me. Time for a bit of reflection on some of the smaller things that had slipped my attention.

By Lynda Moultry Belcher: If there's any place where customers are likely to be paying attention to the type of service they receive, it's within the hospitality industry. From restaurants to hotels and everything in between, your job as a hospitality service provider is to maintain customer happiness and satisfaction. Keep your customers at the forefront of your operational plans to hold your hospitality business afloat.

By Laura Manske: It's delicious fun to return to your hotel room after dinner and discover a little wrapped chocolate perched on your pillow. Now lodgings that want to dazzle guests even more are putting extra effort into their evening treats by incorporating the spirit of the destination. Here are some favorite getaways around the world and their pre-snooze in-room gifts – all complimentary with turn-down service.

A trusted worker has been jailed for more than three years after ripping off her employers, Southampton-based cruise ship giant Carnival, of up to £200,000.

By feature writer Jennifer Nagy, President of jlnpr: Google+ is a social media platform created by Google, which has many benefits for hoteliers—both in communicating with potential customers and increasing a property’s online visibility. While many people choose not to use Google+ when it initially launched in June 2011, 27% of worldwide Internet users are now active on the site – a number that continues to increase every month . Today, Google+ is the second largest social networking site, so hotels who are not using Google+ could find that they are losing many bookings to the competition.

By feature writer Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®: How can it be a great time to buy and sell hotels? Why does the same environment indicate such different courses of investment strategy?

In a bold move to engage the company’s associates to explore innovative ideas around the future of hospitality and travel, Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) launched its Innovation Days series this week.

By Chris Jones: As many hoteliers have learned through past negative experiences working with the wrong online marketing companies, hotels need to exercise caution in selecting an online marketing partner. Every online marketing vendor operates differently, but being able to spot the warning signs of a bad partnership before you sign on the dotted line can save you a lot of headaches in the end.