By Damon Tabor: Want to go out on a limb for your next vacation – literally? Once the sole province of young boys and Ewoks, tree houses offer adventurous travelers (read: unafraid of heights) a unique travel experience in an age of roadside motel chains and globe-stretching hotel corporations. This new breed is more than just planks of wood nailed to an old oak. The Costa Rica Tree House Lodge, in Limón, for example, has a full kitchen and luxurious bathroom built around a gnarled 100-year-old Sangrillo tree. Head to South Africa's Tsala Treetop Lodge, in Plettenberg Bay, and you'll find infinity pools and fireplaces.
Overpaid CEOs Out, Motivated Employees In Part 1
By Dr. Jonathan Barsky, Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer of Market Metrix: Companies are struggling to improve profitability by cutting expenses, copying competitors, replacing CEOs, and hiring expensive consultants. Unfortunately, most of these efforts have failed to pay off. But a number of hospitality leaders have found a source of competitive advantage. They are leveraging their own employees to find new opportunities for growth.
Four Ways to Help Develop Your Bench Strength in Your Restaurant
By Noelle E. Ifshin: All companies, large and small, must develop the next generation of leaders in order to thrive, let alone survive. Using a sports analogy, the best teams have incredible talent, but they also have depth of talent, so they can readily adapt to change and adversity; this is called "bench strength." The teams with the deepest bench strength often win championships because they can overcome injury, fatigue and unknowns where other teams fold under these types of challenges.
How an Unaffiliated Hotel Achieves Top Ranking
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng: This is an example of a hotel off the beaten track of mainstay tourists which nonetheless thrives in such conditions. After all, Abigail's Hotel is not affiliated with either a major chain or a representation firm such as Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotels & Resorts or Relais & Chateaux. Yet, with Abigail's ranking as the top property in Victoria, British Columbia, on TripAdvisor, I needed to learn more about their secrets to success.
The Life of a Hotel Doctor: Adventures in Parking
By Mike Oppenheim, M.D: Approaching the entrance of an upscale Santa Monica hotel, I noticed half a dozen parking valets gathered around their supervisor. As I passed, he paused and pointed: "Look at him. That's our hotel doctor. You let him park wherever he wants." This happened in 2003, but I still remember the surge of pleasure. A sure sign that you are an important person is when parking valets accommodate you.
Tablet Usage Growing in the Hotel Industry
By Michael Kozlowski: Gideons International distributed more than 84 million printed copies of the Bible around the world to students, hospitals, members of the military and, of course, hotels, where they are a ubiquitous sight in bedside tables. In order to reduce the carbon footprint InterContinental Hotels Group has outfitted each of the 148 rooms at the chain's Hotel Indigo in Newcastle, England, with a copy of the bible on an Amazon Kindle e-Reader. For the first two weeks of the program, the hotel is allowing guests to download any other religious texts they like, up to $8 in value, for free.
Jokers Give Five-Star Rating to Hostel for Homeless
By Steve Robson: A Glasgow hostel rose to be one of TripAdvisor's leading 100 UK hotels after pranksters posted glowing reviews, reports The Daily Mail.
Is Mediocre Customer Service the New Standard?
By Barry Moltz: Statistics show that 79 percent to 96 percent of today's customers have become so used to mediocre service that they now have lowered their expectations. With service so low, more customers will stay silent about an experience that was "satisfactory," but totally unmemorable. A "satisfied" customer is less likely to return especially if a competitor tries to steal them away.
Guest Experience Management: Driven by Genetics, Environment or Both?
By Roberta Nedry, President, Hospitality Excellence, Inc: What is it that triggers that sixth sense and instinct in any hospitality employee or leader that propels them to action and knowing how to positively impact or enhance any guest experience moment? Is it in their genes automatically or can a proactive hospitality environment spark that inspiration? Can that sense and instinct be trained and if so, how?
Biggest Myths About WordPress Perpetrated By Hotel Marketing Agencies
By Vikram Singh: The hotel industry has always been a target for misinformation about new, emerging, and especially open-source technology. It feels like the industry is stuck in a time warp, which I blame on negative propaganda unleashed by ubiquitous "marketing experts." But remember what the best philosophers say? Always question the source. Agencies want to make money. They want to make it efficiently, without having to revamp their processes, and without being asked any questions. This simple truth forms the basis of every outdated piece of technology being used today by hotels.
