Following two years of declines, hotel guest satisfaction has increased significantly, reaching its highest levels in the past seven years, according to the J.D. Power 2013 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM released today.

By Dharmesh Shah: First things first: Where employees are concerned, loyalty has nothing to do with blind obedience, or unthinking devotion, or length of tenure. Truly loyal employees are not just committed to helping their companies succeed; their loyalty is also displayed in other ways, some of them surprising.

By feature writer Alan Fairweather: I was booking into a hotel recently. Well my client was doing the booking I was standing back just watching what was going on behind the reception desk. There were five young ladies and one young man behind the desk, and I was watching them going about their business. Efficient — yes. Warm and friendly — no way!

By feature writer Debbie Allen: Attractive photos and the allure of the descriptions provided can often be enough to entice dreamers to make the decision to take a vacation. The trick is to let the customer see the product, and then make buying it quick and easy.

By Nadja Brandt: Marriott International Inc. (MAR), Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (HOT) and Hilton Worldwide Inc. are turning to Africa, where a growing middle class and rising travel are fueling the fastest pace of hotel development in the world.

Often we have problems communicating with our team effectively. Sometimes it is because we don't know exactly what we want them to do; sometimes we talk in a different language and sometimes their receiver is switched off. However, effective communication is the most important skill for a manager. Over the years I have witnessed a few funny communication mishaps where the main point got lost in translation. Some of these stories may teach us more than any text book.

By Alan Campbell: On the one hand, we have the people that measure success from a materialistic point of view—they made and have lots of money and they live the lifestyle of the “rich and famous”; their success is visible to outsiders. On the other hand, we have the people who measure success on a more personal material and emotional level. What is your measure of success?

By Abby Heft: MapQuest recently announced a new partnership with Priceline, which will give users the ability to book hotels directly from MapQuest search results. If you never thought MapQuest was a channel to pay attention to for your hotel, now is the time to change your tune.

By Louise Oakley: Marriott Hotels & Resorts has created a new restaurant concept that enables its hotels to change the cuisine offered as regularly as every month. This changeable pop-up restaurant incorporates the latest design and digital technology to enable variations to its walls and ceilings, entirely altering the look of the outlet.

By Nadia Carriere: Booking hotels can get overwhelming due to the vast selection available, but what if you were provided a list of the world’s top hotels? The Insider’s Select list has hotels from all over the world, however the top 10 list mentions 5 different hotels in one particular country. Holding five places, this vacation destination certainly seems to be the most popular among travellers, more so than others. At least according to Expedia’s guest reviews. Can you guess which country it is?