By Grace Bello: A growing handful of unusual accommodations await guests who seek alternatives to plain vanilla hotel chains, from igloos to treehouses, to tepees, and even former jails.
Accor Hotels Executive Caught Blasting Other Hotels and Praising His Own on TripAdvisor
By Jennifer Faull: A communications manager with Accor Hotels in Asia and the Pacific, has been caught posting a series of boastful reviews on TripAdvisor for his own hotel group, while leaving critical reviews for a number of the company’s competitors, following the introduction of the TripAdvisor Facebook app.
Grey Is the New Green in Hospitality: Rethinking the Baby Boomer
By feature writer Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: On the marketing front, the wages of baby boomers will still be a dominant force for the next decade. Some of us are retiring and looking to spend, others are still working (and possibly travelling for business) but nonetheless in need of some vacation time. Mobile, tablets, OTAs, social media – all trends that apply elsewhere also apply to us, albeit with less immediacy. So, in order to win our dollars, you must tactfully deliver the balance of both old-fashioned appeal with an experience aimed at those still young at heart.
InterContinental Hotels Plan to Open Resort in Tibet Draws Boycott Promise
By Tania Branigan: Tibetan campaign groups are launching a boycott of the InterContinental Hotels Group – the owner of Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and others – because of plans to open a vast 2000-room resort in Lhasa.
Never Hire a Dud Again
By Nathaniel Koloc: Don't get fooled by fast-talkers–take these four steps to make sure your new hires are top notch.
Profits Rise for US Hotel Industry
By Francys Vallecillo: The U.S. hotel industry recorded a profit of $58 billion in 2012, just short of a peak level in 2007, according to new data from STR Analytics' 2013 Host Almanac. Based on almost 6,000 hotels, the industry's total revenue increased 13.4 percent in 2012 to an estimated $162 billion with net operating income just under $40 billion.
Irelands Hotels Have Debts of 6.7bn
By Ciaran Hancock: Ireland’s 850 hotels have aggregate debts of €6.7 billion and about 300 of them are in financial difficulty. These are the key points of a report on the health of the sector jointly commissioned by AIB and the Irish Hotels Federation.
Europes Bathing Waters Continue to Improve
By Vicky Karantzavelou: Ninety-four per cent of bathing sites in the European Union meet minimum standards for water quality, according to the European Environment Agency's annual report on bathing water quality in Europe. Water quality is excellent at 78% of sites and almost 2% more sites meet the minimum requirements compared to last year's report.
For this Road Warrior, Discipline Feeds Good Health
By Nancy Trejos: Drell-Szyfer logs more than 70,000 miles a year as CEO of Ahava North America, which produces skin care products from the Dead Sea. As a veteran business traveller, she's developed plenty of strategies for staying physically and mentally healthy amid the potential hazards of airline cuisine, long hours at work and on planes, no gyms at some hotels — and the temptations of the hotel minibar.
Social Media Marketing: The Big Pro and the Big No-No
By Mike Michalowicz: Social media is a powerhouse of information and is rapidly becoming the most effective tool for reaching people because they're spending an increasing amount of time on social networks. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. When you understand social media and use it correctly, it's that easy.
