Hotel Operations

🏨 Written by Vanshikha Dhar on June 20, 2025, this guide provides tips for small hotels to attract high-value guests. 📅 Hotels are advised to use group hotel deals, dedicated booking pages, and digital lead management tools. 📈 The focus is on enhancing guest experience and increasing bookings through strategic digital tools and offers. 🌐

📈 Priceline's Express Deals help hotels fill unsold rooms effectively without offering public discounts, maintaining rate parity. This approach is particularly beneficial for boosting occupancy rates. Written by Vanshikha Dhar, the article published on June 18, 2025, on Hotelogix Blog, highlights how Priceline can strategically enhance hotel occupancy.

💻 Discover 12 essential hotel front desk software features designed to enhance guest satisfaction. Key elements include real-time room status updates, mobile check-in, and guest messaging. These features optimize operations, improve efficiency, and elevate the guest experience. Authored by Vanshikha Dhar and published on June 18, 2025, this article highlights significant advancements in hospitality technology.

🛁 Direct bookings are crucial as they save on commissions and build guest trust, offering a seamless experience, best-rate guarantees, and flexible cancellations. Essential tools include mobile-friendly booking engines, analytics, and secure payment gateways. STAAH SwiftBook excels with features like real-time syncing and smart pricing. SEO, paid ads, and social media enhance reach, while reviews and strategic offers convert lookers into bookers. Effective email marketing nurtures relationships, leveraging automations like cart abandonment reminders and pre-arrival upsells.

🍴 Bret Thorn, a senior food & beverage editor since 1999 at Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, focuses on food trends and operations. Previously, he wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and spent five years in Thailand writing for Manager magazine and Asia Times. Thorn, a Tufts University graduate, studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China. He won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, residing now in Brooklyn, NY.

📓 Vanshikha Dhar wrote on June 17, 2025, about creating effective hotel brochures that serve as a 24/7 front desk. The brochure should guide guests to book directly, digitally, or on-site. Hotelogix Blog, known for its hospitality tips, featured this post to help hotels improve guest engagement.

📄 Bashar Wali discusses hospitality's core value—creating a sense of belonging—with a focus on emotional intelligence. He emphasizes that hospitality isn't about design or branding but human connection. Notable points include Marriott's 38 brands illustrating market saturation and the role of emotional intelligence tests in hiring. He highlights the potential of independent hotel brands to be acquired by major players, and the entry of luxury brands like LVMH into hospitality.

🏨 Hotels should prioritize understanding their destination to truly connect with guests. Instead of focusing solely on amenities, hotels should embrace their location's unique appeal. For example, offer curated walking tours in historic cities like Athens or provide business services in hubs like London. Develop guest personas using tourism statistics to tailor experiences. Align hotel operations with local events, enhance convenience, and gather destination feedback. Transform from mere accommodation providers to being an integral part of the guest's journey.

🌄 Travelers are booking shorter, weekend trips due to rising costs and global events. The U.S. outdoor recreational economy is valued at $887 billion, with outdoor adventure tourism growing 15.3% annually through 2033. Motto by Hilton Bentonville in Arkansas provides hyper-local experiences to enhance guest satisfaction, partnering with 37 North Expeditions for customized outdoor adventures. Personalized, eco-conscious travel is gaining popularity, with hotels advised to invest in local partnerships and sustainable practices to meet evolving guest expectations.

🌎 Emily Goldfischer interviews Josh O'Brien, Hotel Manager at InterContinental Sydney, during her trip to Australia. Josh shares his career transition from marine biology in Tasmania to managing the iconic hotel, focusing on employee engagement and innovative solutions. The hotel is known for its blend of historical charm and modern luxury, handling large-scale operations like cruise ship arrivals with warmth and excellence.