From: "Tips for the First-Time Hotel Owner," www.Forbes.com, 12/5/19 Written by: Doug Gollan That’s not a typo. This article is not about first-time homebuyers. It’s for those of you who are considering buying or building a hotel, for the first time. In case you never think about who owns the hotels that operate flying the flag of your favorite brand, or those independent gems, often times it is an UHNW. Like trophy collections of cars, watches, partners, a superyacht, or p

File this in the "WHY do these things exist?!" category. A hotel in Japan will give you an amazing rate for a nights stay. Believe it or not, you can stay at a interesting 10-room Boutique Hotel in Japan for $1! Yep, you read that right, for less than most items on a McDonald's menu, you can have a nice night away. But, there's a catch.....and a big "NO THANKS" from us. I do give the hotelier props for trying a new way to increase revenues. See below for more. From USA

There's a new leader in job growth in the state of Minnesota. For the first time, the Hospitality industry has surpassed the Construction Industry in monthly job growth. For October 2019, the Hospitality Industry gained 13,825 jobs, or 5.1% growth, while Construction netted 4,276 jobs, or 3.2% growth. The percentages may not be drastically different, but this should grab our attention as it could become more of a new normal throughout the country. Yes, while we may have m

It seems like there's a website and/or app for anything these days, especially when it comes to travel. Here's one we actually are intrigued by and eager to see how it catches on. "ResortPass," a new program and booking platform created by Amanda Szabo, lets the user book "daycations" at over 200 hotels throughout 70 different cities. So, if you're bored at home or don't want to splurge on an expensive hotel room, you can book times at participating hotels to use their amen

Rethinking Luxury Hotel Design to Connect Guests With Nature Written by: Laura Powell, Shared on the Skift - October 15, 2019 It seems like every hospitality brand these days is eager to jump on the wellness bandwagon. Most do so by adding a gym or throwing a yoga mat in the room. But some luxury hotels are taking a more esoteric approach, namely through biophilic design.— Laura Powell As luxury hotels strive to incorporate wellness into their offerings, they would be wise to

Depending on the occupancy of the hotel, it's usually safe to say that renovations are needed every 6-8 years. Some high volume properties may need it sooner, while other lower occupied properties may stretch it to 10. But, it's imperative that hotel owners/managers plan accordingly and have sufficient capital reserves to renovate when the time comes. Renovations can range from less intense routes such as new carpets/wall coverings, fresh paint and replacement of casegoods,

"Here are the Hotel Trends That We'll See in 2020." From TravelMarketReport.com. Written by Jessica Montevago. As 2019 draws to a close, it’s time to take a look at what 2020 has in store for the travel industry. In the hotel sector, in particular, here are some trends that you can expect to see in the New Year. 1. Saying goodbye to carpets According to Bjorn Hanson, hospitality consultant and adjunct professor at the NYU Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality, guests will

Hotel rooms on old Wild West trains? Modulars from Poland being brought to NYC for a high-rise hotel? Collapsable pods that can be used as "Pop-up" hotels? Are these the future of the hospitality industry? Actually, these are the three concepts that made the finals in the Radical Innovation Competition held annually by The Hardy Group. But, it's safe to say we'll probably be seeing a lot more from these groups and others like them. Finalist #1, Infinite Explorer, by SB Ar

Up until a couple of years ago I always thought AAA was for flat tires and a 5% discount at Denny's. Little did I know that they offer a variety of travel resources, such as hotel/restaurant ratings, booking services and discounts to all sorts of travel related places, such as hotels, restaurants, theme parks and experiences. This is in addition to their vehicle and insurance services that we won't discuss here. With all that, a membership will cost you less than a $100 a

I'm sure we've all read some sort of scathing online review about a restaurant, hotel or other business. Some of these are definitely warranted, while others could be isolated incidents within the business they reference. One would have a hard time distinguishing which is which, especially in this day and age where it's easy to hide behind a computer keyboard and hurl insults at those you do not like. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, found here, studies have found t

To create a more home-like feel, and to increase revenues, hotel companies are now offering guests the opportunity to purchase all sorts of items from their rooms and common areas. It's now easier than ever to purchase that pillow or robe you use to stuff into your suitcase and hope you didn't get an unexpected credit card charge for it. A few companies have been selling their linens and toiletries for a while now, and others are starting to capitalize on this opportunity i

It’s a method of developing hotels that had never been tried before. It’s already a proven success. The development company lays the foundation for a successful project by determining with the owner how much should be spent and where. The development company then selects a hotel-experienced architectural firm. It takes bids only from contractors with experience in developer-driven hotels.  The development company compares the bids with its own up-to-date, proprietary database

As reported by Lodging Magazine, for the last five years, Independent Hotels have led in RevPAR growth over their branded competition. Just over the last 12 months, independent hotel RevPAR exceeded 3%, while branded properties grew by just 1.1%. Here's a link to the full article by Lodging Magazine.

As technology has improved and competition has stiffened within the hotel industry, hoteliers are finding ways to increase their competitive advantage by implementing new technologies and studying data analytics. Check out this quick video: More than ever, the focus of the industry is now turning to the Customer Experience. We've seen different brands start to pop up that offer smaller rooms but more welcoming lobbies, as well as traditional boutique hotels become part of la