Today we will be discussing that uncomfortable conversation that arises when an employee’s performance has fallen short of the desired level. It’s a difficult position for a manager, especially if they share a close working relationship with the employee in question. This discussion can be tough and emotionally draining, and for this reason, it gets avoided all too often.

By Katie McFadden: Valentine's Day 2013 is just a little more than a week away, so if you're looking to plan a last minute romantic getaway, you might want to consider one of TripAdvisor's Top 10 Romantic Hotels in the US or the world.

By Julie Weed: Rolls-Royce, Segway or tuk tuk three-wheeled taxi? Hotels around the world are offering business travelers more ways to get to their meetings. While most business travellers still use car, limousine and shuttle van services provided by their hotel, there are a growing number of options.

By Dr. Gabor Forgacs: Hoteliers make tactical room-rate adjustments on a daily basis. They're driven by the need for higher occupancy, increased cash-flow, and, in some cases, they want to prove to their owners that they're working hard to be profitable. But, they also need to be sure strategic decisions are in line with their hotel's objectives. And, at the end of the day, they need to ask themselves whether they truly want to compete on room rates at all.

By Steve Cokkinias: A veteran of the hospitality industry, Steve has many entertaining stories up his sleeve. Each Wednesday he will share a story on ehotelier.

By Dr. Peter Tarlow: The tourism industry professional must often deal with angry customers, who sometimes have valid complaints and at other times are simply angry. No matter what the reason for this anger, the visitor's problem becomes our problem and how we handle these people can make all the difference between a very dissatisfied customer and one who becomes a loyal supporter.

By Stephanie Rosenbloom: From new hotel Web sites to shorter cruises to smaller tours, the travel industry is redoubling its efforts this year to win the hearts and wallets of people between the ages of 49 and 67.

Check out ten men and women who are serious players on the hotel scene right now – and just how fat their wallets are.

Empty rooms are an hotelier's worst nightmare: paying staff at a half-empty hotel can quickly drain finances. In Spain occupancy rates for the eight months to August 2012 were only 56%; by one estimate each of the country's hotels loses €1.5m ($2m) annually due to empty rooms. Spread across the Spanish hospitality industry, unoccupied rooms take away €14.6bn ($19.5bn) of revenue. Any opportunity to reduce that loss is warmly welcomed by hoteliers.