By feature writer Bryan K. Williams: My work is my brand. How I make others feel is my brand. The manner in which I do my work is my brand. Each morning when I awake, I will be grateful for yet another day to make a positive contribution to the world. Each night, when I’m in bed, I will assess my day to see if anyone’s day was any better because of some contribution I made.

By James Durston and Chuck Thompson: Few things are worse for the traveller than nasty surprises. Yet we keep traveling. Not simply because we like to travel or because we must travel, but because we accept that the world is an imperfect place and the travel industry an imperfect business that likes, when possible, to get by on the bare minimum. Nevertheless, there are some fixes that could be implemented quickly and cheaply that would make travel much more pleasant for everyone.

By feature writer Yoland Perras: Have you ever needed to delay an opening date? This week I grapple with the good, the bad and the ugly of postponement.

Through the years, Shangri-La has welcomed guests into the sanctuary of its hotels and resorts with warmth and graciousness.  The unique sense of arrival is created by attentive and caring colleagues who keep hospitality at the forefront and genuine from the heart.  The same level of dedication persists in all hotel areas so that whether it is a floral display, tea service or dining experience, a Shangri-La moment awaits every guest.  More than 40,000 colleagues worldwide bring Shangri-La’s signature hallmarks to life and here is a glimpse of some of the best.

By Samantha Whitehorne: A new survey sheds light on how hotels and restaurants are engaging their guests through technology tools. What can associations learn from the trends, and how can they keep up?

Always find a way to do what the customer wants. That was among the advice offered by hospitality industry icon Mike Leven yesterday to hotel owners who gathered at the America’s Best Franchising annual owners meeting at Emory Conference Center.

By feature writer Patrick Landman: We get asked one question very often in particular. 'How do I start a career in revenue management?'. It is posed not only by students nearing the end of their educational program, but also by mid-level managers who have worked in the hospitality industry for a couple of years already. Becoming a hotel revenue manager is their dream job!

By feature writer Hugo R Mechelse: The key question every hotel has is ‘do my service efforts work’? To get an answer, do you once in a while sit back and observe; do you talk to the guest?