Blogs on HOTELSMag.com
Design Matters
By: Tom Ito
Hospitality design guru Tom Ito looks at hospitality trends with an eye toward creating the travel experience of the future. How is the travel experience changing? What’s on the horizon? From development to design, operations to amenities, design can have a huge effect on both guest experience and the bottom line, and Ito shares his unique perspective on how you can leverage design to make the biggest impact.
The Modernist Manifesto
By: Adam Shindler
Less a declaration than a mechanism, The Modernist Manifesto looks to promote change and stimulate thought in an industry often driven by hearsay and habit. This is a fresh and sometimes controversial take on the hotel development, operational and transactional arenas.
Confessions of a Food Warrior
By: Guy Rigby
As part of his job Guy Rigby travels a great deal, not only all over the Americas but also internationally. Wherever he is, he sees the latest and greatest restaurants — cool trends and really amazing ideas as well as some things that are pretty bad, where an opportunity to do something great was missed. This blog details Rigby’s experiences with the good and the bad in restaurants and provides insights regarding what hoteliers might learn from these examples.
Brandwise
By: Jim Cox
Jim Cox owns Cox Concepts, a hospitality branding and marketing agency. In this blog, he addresses smart branding and marketing precepts for hoteliers, including tips, ideas and success stories.
The World Is My Oyster
By: Tom Roelens
With more than 25 years of experience in the luxury hospitality field, Tom Roelens has traveled to over 40 countries and has worked in some of the world’s most luxurious and exotic destinations. Whether living in a metropolis or an island paradise, Roelens has a unique perspective on the opportunities, challenges and best practices of the ever-evolving hospitality industry.
GM's Viewpoint
By: Cherie Davis
This blog brings together Cherie Davis’ 30 years of hospitality experience in the United States and abroad, providing challenging insight and relevant information for today’s hospitality executive. Examining all aspects of operations, sales, strategic planning, execution, property opening and renovations, Davis brings relevant information and observations designed to enhance, educate and explore the needs of general managers and their teams.
At Your Service in Karachi
By: Gordon Gorman
Gordon Gorman shares his unique perspective as a 40-something-year veteran of the hospitality industry and from his current position as one of only two foreign hotel general managers in Karachi, Pakistan. In addition to the sometimes-serious challenges of working in such a unique market, this blog also aims to highlight a lighter side of Pakistan and Pakistanis.
Beyond RevPAR
By: Thorsten Kirschke
Beyond RevPAR takes a global look at hospitality from the view point of Thorsten Kirschke, president, Americas, of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. With insight gleaned from over a quarter century of experience throughout the world, Kirschke oversees the growth and development of the ninth-largest global hotel company in the world. Here, Kirschke looks beyond the numbers to offer his take on what success in hospitality looks like today and across the world.
Ask the Profit Prophet
By: The Profit Prophet
“Ask The Profit Prophet” is a new advice column that’s the “Dear Abby” for business. People have real questions — and the Profit Prophet has real answers. The Profit Prophet will address areas including organizational culture, personal and professional growth and development, sales, marketing, operations, customer and guest relations, going beyond service and mere satisfaction, and performance development based on the seven principles that make up Return On What Matters (ROWM).
The Candid Curmudgeon
By: David Berins
The Candid Curmudgeon will provide commentary on many aspects of the hotel industry, mostly from the perspective of an owner and asset manager of upper-upscale and luxury hotels and resorts. Posts will often ask questions about why things are the way they are, in the hope of inciting a lively debate. Age and experience don't always lead to wisdom, but hopefully they lead to good conversations! A curmudgeon will always be grumpy, but a good one seasons his stewing with humor.
All in a Day’s Work
By: Debrah Dhugga
As general manager of Dukes London, Debrah Dhugga takes pride in her attention to detail and excellence in service delivery. Drawing upon more than 30 years of experience running top 5-star hotels, restaurants and spas, her blog covers hotels and their people and her experiences from all angles.
Confessions of a General Manager
By: Kevin Buchanan
This blog offers an inside look at the hotel industry from the general manager’s perspective — from engaging with team members and guests, to sales, F&B, operations and everything in between. It brings Kevin Buchanan’s years of hospitality experience, combined with a little humor and humility, to help general managers of all types.
The Independent Mind
By: Mark Grenoble
As president of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Enchantment Group, Mark Grenoble has perspective on what makes independent luxury resorts and spas click for contemporary travelers. The 21st century, he fervently believes, is the “Age of the Independent.” This blog shares his tips and "no cookie cutters here" thinking.
From Across the Pond
By: Tony and Jason Potter
This father-and-son partnership provides a view from Europe of the global hospitality industry and with a special focus on the consumer, world-class service and modern communication strategies. With combined experience of over 50 years, Tony and Jason Potter provide a view of both traditional and cutting-edge management techniques that make things happen through their partnership and global network.
Something to Chew On
By: Bob Puccini
Bob Puccini knows what makes social spaces and restaurants successful. His unsurpassed ability to survey a market, appreciate a client’s goals and translate his perceptions into a winning concept has earned Bob a stellar reputation and many longtime clients.
Sales Intensity
By: Bart Berkey
This blog focuses on the power and finesse that is associated with the selling of services. Postings share best practices for sales that come from personal, real life experiences. When we look, there are many successful organizations selling well. Best practices for our industry don't always need to come from within.
eMarketing Muse
By: Scott van Hartesvelt
Presenting hoteliers with no-nonsense, actionable information that can help improve profitability from online channels. The blog discusses topics including website design, social media marketing, online advertising and search engine marketing.
Design Zeitgeists
By: Peter Joehnk
Many of JOI-Design’s projects are in Central and Eastern Europe — from Russia to Croatia to Luxembourg — as well as its native Germany. Peter Joehnk shares his perspective about the inspirations, observations and challenges of designing and working in these parts of the world, and hopes to generate conversations.
Editor’s View
By: Jeff Weinstein
From my vantage point, I get to see all developments in the hotel world—both good and bad. Here, I offer my perspective about trends, ideas, design, investment, marketing, F&B and more. I comment on the players making news and offer links to interesting items. I will try to entertain you as well as provoke thought.
Kitchen Chronicles
By: Brad Nelson
This blog is about food and chefs in our global community, and the topics that impact us the most. Trends, issues, culinary discussions, and food focused toward today’s global traveler are the subjects, but anything food related is fair game. I share local stories and sometimes talk about a farmer, a product, and even a recipe or two.
Conversations With …
By: Andrew Labetti
In his role as general manager of a luxury hotel in New York City, Andrew Labetti can spend as much as five hours on any given day walking the hotel talking to staff and guests. Each conversation is a connection —made on an associate’s first day, with a first-time guest or a new corporate client — and yields fresh insights that often relate to any number of issues, problems or opportunities in running the hotel.
The Young Hotelier
By: Joseph Hayes
The experiences and views of the front office manager of the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay in San Diego. From making the transition into the "real world" to dealing with the property's day-to-day operations, this blog will offer the unique perspective that can only be seen through the eyes of hotel management.
It's Human Nature
By: Keith Kefgen
Keith has spent over 20 years in the world of hospitality, assisting industry leaders with executive selection, pay-for-performance, corporate governance and executive leadership. In this blog he will share the human side of the business: people trends, commentary on leadership changes and the not so scientific side of decision-making in the hotel industry.
Boutique Speak
By: John Logan
John Logan, chief executive officer of Mirbeau Hospitality Services, explores issues pertinent to owners and operators of properties under 50 rooms. His posts include insights and ideas relating to operations, finance, personnel, food & beverage, spa and other topics of interest within the boutique hotel community.
The Social Hotel
By: Burns Patterson
The Social Hotel highlights the intersection between hotels and social media, examining what's working (and what isn't) for small independent hotels and large international brands seeking to engage guests, travel agents, media and industry professionals across a range of social networking platforms.
The Good, The Bad and The Funky
By: Yvette Jong
This blog covers hospitality from all angles and leaves no stone unturned in the search of what works and what doesn't — from trend-spotting and paradigm shifts to cultural adaptation, design observations and environmental know-how.
Trend Whisperer
By: Sherri Scheck-Merrill
Innovation ranks higher on hotels' agendas than ever before. The backbone of this blog is to provide inspiration, which is where all great products and ideas begin. Trends will be spotlighted to help readers identify what could very well be the next big thing.
Si's Matters
By: Si Sloman
Si Sloman, principal of MJS Hotels, shares lessons learned and offers expert advice that helps owners develop strategies for their assets and gives managers tips to make improvements that impact the bottom line. Si’s blog focuses on best practices for technology, operations and marketing and, in some cases, all three.
The Hotel Mogel
By: Larry Mogelonsky
The Hotel Mogel's goal is to get hoteliers to start thinking, get out of the rut of the "tried and true," embrace technology and champion the guest through a commitment to customer service. With 30 years of hospitality experience, Mogelonsky's expertise in marketing is extended through a personal network of senior hoteliers worldwide.
Just a Bite
By: Ann Bagel Storck
F&B is one of the most fun parts of the hotel industry, not to mention an area evolving at a breakneck pace. This blog examines some of the most interesting menu offerings, promotions and overarching F&B trends with an eye toward highlighting the fact that at its core, eating is a form of entertainment.
