Top-28 Suggestions for Improving Your Property

Make sure your guests' experience is truly worry-free from check-in to check-out.

Make sure your guests' experience is truly worry-free from check-in to check-out.

Sometimes, the most obvious aspects of your property are the ones you most easily overlook. You take for granted, for example, that when guest-room doors shut, that the electronic locks automatically work. Or, because you don't stay in the rooms yourself, you fail to realize that those beautiful glass-topped desks cause guests innumerable hassles because their computer mouse requires a nonreflective surface. So they are forced to create make-do mouse pads from newspapers or in-room menus.

With that in mind...

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Social Media Influences the Female Traveler

Memorial Day weekend kicks off on May 24, and that means your customers are starting to plan their summer vacations and how to get away. But, who’s making the plans and where are they finding the getaways that will keep the entire family happy? According to a new survey by SheSpeaks and Lippe Taylor (New York), an integrated marketing communications agency that specializes in motivating women to buy, this summer women have the final say when it comes to planning a family getaway. However, it’s not just the last word that ladies are.. (READ MORE)

New Products Enhance Playground Experience

Playworld Systems (Lewisburg, Pa.), a leading manufacturer of imaginative playground and fitness equipment, has introduced three new playground products: LiveWire Zip Line, Triumph Climber and PlayWeb Lite. “These new products demonstrate the great variety of play experiences Playworld Systems offers... (READ MORE)

eforea: spa at Hilton Enters Canada At Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa

Innovative global spa concept eforea: spa at Hilton expands into Canada at Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa. As the first location for eforea in the country and the fourth eforea spa in North America, the converted 5,000-square-foot spa features an exclusive treatment menu, innovative design features and carefully selected product partners appealing to today's global travelers. "As the global expansion of eforea: spa at Hilton continues, we are... (READ MORE)

California’s Wild Ride

Here’s a riddle: When is a judicial opinion about an injury on a bumper car ride not really a judicial opinion about an injury on a bumper car ride? The answer: When it is the California Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Nalwa v. Cedar Fair. This court case was a decision that extended well beyond the confines of a bumper car ride—indeed, well beyond the gates of an amusement park. It stands out... (READ MORE)

Set a Record, Save a Life

Join Team WLSL as an official host location for the World's Largest Swimming Lesson on Tuesday, June 18, and help end childhood drowning. Tens of thousands of kids and adults at aquatic facilities around the world will unite that day for the fourth year in a row to set a new Guinness World Record. The global record attempt for The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson (WLSL) will take place at 3 p.m. GMT (11 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. PT)... (READ MORE)

Wedding Industry Profits Expected to Increase Over Next Five Years

With wedding expenses having increased even in the face of an economic downturn, Wedding.com says it comes as no surprise that the wedding industry is expected to experience further growth within the next five years.

According to an article on Huffington Post, it is believed that the wedding industry will see a 2.3-percent increase by... (READ MORE)

San Francisco Properties, Marketers Work Together to Increase Bookings

The San Francisco Travel Association reported recently that San Francisco welcomed 16.51 million visitors in 2012, an increase of 1 percent from 2011. These visitors spent $8.93 billion in 2012, up 5.5 percent from the previous year. The data was presented during the eighth annual Northern California Visitor Industry Outlook & Marketing Conference, March 28, at... (READ MORE)

 

Aquatic Design Group Makes ‘Splash’ on New Reality TV Show

When fans of the new reality TV show “Splash” tune in over the next few weeks, they’ll be seeing the work of Aquatic Design Group (Carlsbad, Calif.). The show, on ABC, allows celebrities to test their diving skills in a competition where one is eliminated each week. The celebrities—from basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to comedian Louie Anderson—are being coached by Olympic medalist Greg Louganis.

ADG is responsible for the design and construction of the diving venue that was created at the... (READ MORE)

How to Recover From Disasters and Maintain the Health of Your Landscape

In the event of severe rainfall or excessive melting snow, flooding can wreak havoc on a property. It is imperative that a property be assessed professionally for its ability to drain water.With the rising number of occurrences of extreme weather across the country, having a recovery plan to follow in case of natural disaster or emergency is an increasingly important initiative for property owners and managers. Disaster preparedness is essential for the safety of guests in addition to the properties... (READ MORE)

Insights From Women Inspire Launch of New Amenities, Services at Hyatt

Guest-request communication cards, a service providing frequently forgotten items and healthy, balanced menu offerings are a sampling of the new features available at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa as a result of its effort to listen more to guests’ needs and to provide an experience tailored to their... (READ MORE)

 

 

Going Green Is Biggest Trend for 2013 Weddings

Charleston Town Center Tackles West Virginia’s Childhood Obesity Rate with Custom-Themed Indoor Play Area

Hoping to help the Charleston, W.V., community “embrace a healthier lifestyle for our children,” Forest City’s Charleston Town Center and Charleston Area Medical Center recently partnered to create a custom-themed indoor playground. (READ MORE)

Travel Agents Report Healthy Growth for Spa Travel

A new survey shows that, in 2012, bookings to hotel, resort and destination spas turned a meaningful corner; more than two-thirds of travel agents said they saw positive booking growth, and the average price-per-night-booked rose significantly. Findings are based on an in-depth survey of 160+ travel agents around the world, completed in the fourth quarter of 2012. “While the upswing in spa travel is being driven by the wider economic rebound, the survey clearly indicates that other factors are at play,” said Susie Ellis, president, SpaFinder Wellness Inc. “With more than two-thirds of agents... (READ MORE)

Ambient Fragrance Can Help Brand Your Property

Luxury brands make ample use of sights and sounds to create sumptuous environments and alluring ads. But by harnessing the primal power of scent, many could polish their already impeccable brands even further. “We see how top luxury brands use symbolism, rarity and aesthetics to skillfully bring to life various brand attributes and create products... (READ MORE)

Fido-Friendly Properties Can Do More to Attract Owners

Finding dog-friendly accommodations remains the biggest reason more dog owners don’t travel with their pets, though this issue has improved (by 9.5 percent) since the last survey on the topic, according to Dogtrekker.com. Other reasons being cited less frequently by dog owners as reasons they don’t travel with their pets:

Private-Label Programs Can Set Your Property Apart

To raise the bar on excellence, top-tier enterprises seek to differentiate themselves through distinctive programs and initiatives that reflect the uniqueness of their brand. The value of a brand is based on many variables but includes:

• Ready recognition of product quality and consistency as the result of... (READ MORE)

Promotional Effort Focuses on Guests' Interests, Concerns

Hampton Hotels recently undertook an unusual technique in an effort to connect with its guests: It asked them about their New Year's resolutions. Then, the chain partnered with an author who specializes in the topic of happiness to share the survey's results and sent out a press release... (READ MORE)

Communicating Compliments Can Be Key to Luring New Guests

Any good marketer recognizes the power of a positive testimonial. The words of an objective, outside person can often be the key to convincing a customer to consider the purchase of a product or service that they might not otherwise have trusted. Such influence is just as strong in the hospitality industry, where guests have come to rely on sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and MyResortLIFE.com to help them determine where they will stay. (READ MORE)

Booking Through a Hotel Still Most Popular Way to Book Rooms

Room nights booked through hotel websites (Brand.com) grew consistently throughout 2012, rising to 26.3 percent of market share.In the fourth quarter 2012, online channels that include online travel agents (OTAs) and hotel websites (Brand.com) continued to experience the most growth according to data from... (READ MORE)

Travel Trends Highlight Opportunities for Growth

If you haven't yet taken the time to consider ways to improve your facility's offerings based on current trends, we're not so far into the year yet that you should be discouraged from giving up. In that regard then, take a look at this forecast of some key trends that will drive or significantly impact consumer mindset and behavior in the year to come. Developed by JWT (J. Walter Thompson, an international marketing communications firm with clients that include... (READ MORE)

4 Common Mistakes in Resort Planning

We often hear resorts and hotels talking about the “visitor experience” being enhanced through their high-quality customer service. This is true, and high-quality customer service should top the list of any operator’s philosophy. However, there does appear to be considerably less thought given to another obvious factor, which seems to escape the attention of many operators: the physical experience of the resort. This physical experience includes both the macro (bigger picture) and micro (finer detail) of... (READ MORE)

Take Advantage of Advice From Hilton Worldwide’s Head of Fitness

Whether you’re away from your property for business or pleasure, don’t let traveling be an excuse to break healthy resolutions you may have set for the New Year. Check out some tips to keep you on a healthy track from someone who knows what it's like to be a travelling exec on the go—Jodi Sullivan, Hilton Worldwide’s senior director of global fitness. Who better than a fellow travel expert to help you maintain your health wherever your travels may take you? (READ MORE)

No Matter What Your Perspective, Things Are Looking UP

Twenty-seven percent of lodging executives indicated current business conditions were good, an improvement from 15 percent last period. Photo credit: IRS EIN.U.S. lodging executives were more optimistic about general business conditions in January than the prior month, according to the University of New Hampshire Lodging Executives Sentiment Index (LESI) for the current month ending January 2013. The index increased from (READ MORE)

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