By Todor Tzolov: At Market Metrix we have made ground-breaking work in researching emotions and the emotions that matter most. We measure emotions of employees that lead to prolonged tenure and productivity and emotions of guests which impact loyalty. Contagion theory states that our feelings are influenced by those around us.  As it applies to the employee customer experience, it stipulates that guests can tell the authenticity of employee emotions.  When employees exhibit authentic positive emotions, guests are also emotionally satisfied with their experience and become likely to recommend the brand.

By Alan Campbell: I am assuming that most, if not all of you have already hashed and rehashed to death the great plan(s) you had in place to get you through the year and that you now know what worked and what did not—all successful businesses do exactly the same thing. But here it is a new year with new plans either in place or being formulated and, I bet, many of you are already wondering if you are going to meet that first milestone.

By Gordon James Gorman: My kids always try really hard to buy me cool birthday gifts that I will actually like and use as opposed to gifts that I might say I like, but actually later bury in some dusty attic drawer to be discovered by future generations of the Gorman clan. This year however they came up trumps as they purchased two excellent business development books, with the help of my wife, which I enjoyed reading so much, ordered 20 copies of each, which I then brought back to Karachi as essential reading for my team leaders.

By Christine Crandell: According to a CEI Survey, 86% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience.  But only 1% of customers feel that vendors consistently meet their expectations.  These statistics highlight the magnitude of the growth opportunity before us. What if you just increased the percentage of consistently happy customers by 5%?  For any company, large or small, that would be a game-changer in terms of revenue and profit.

By Barbara De Lollis: Travellers may hate paying for Wi-Fi in their guest rooms, but more hotels are getting ready to offer it for free in lobbies.

By Jay Jones: Resorts World Las Vegas, the city's first new mega-resort in six years and scheduled to open in 2016, will have such Asian influences as a replica of the great Wall of China and a panda preserve.

It's not surprising to hear that global prices for hotels have risen 5 percent in 2012, from the year before.  But there are cities where average prices actually went down.  Now when you visit a world-class city, you can stay in a 5 star hotel for less then $200 – sometimes considerably less.  Here are the the most luxurious properties to stay at without breaking the bank.

By John Hendrie: You just cannot make these stories up.  What a case study for all hoteliers. Here is the gist of the story.  Guests at the Cecil Hotel in downtown Las Angeles had been complaining about the strength of the water flow in their rooms.  A member of the Maintenance Department at some point went up to the roof to look at their four water cisterns and resolve the water flow problem.  The body of a Canadian woman was discovered in one of the cisterns.

By Vickie Elmer: Butlers today work at private homes, resorts, and in consulting roles that look only a little like those portrayed in television shows like Downton Abbey.