Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall shows how a branded hotel can embed local identity through design, history and community ties without sacrificing brand consistency.
An intern at GRACE La Margna, St. Moritz examines whether commission-based upselling incentives motivate genuine service or just sales, and how to design systems that reward both.
Champneys Eastwell Manor GM James McComas shares how he manages a 500-year-old Grade II listed hotel, balancing sinkholes, specialist maintenance, mixed guest audiences, and commercial growth.
A roundtable discussion prompted by the Travelodge assault case examines how hotels must balance frictionless guest journeys with security, arguing that staff empowerment and ID verification are essential safeguards.
A hospitality educator argues that traditional hotel org charts fragment guest value across siloed departments, and proposes practical steps including RevPAG tracking, cross-functional teams, and realigned incentives.
Three European hoteliers share how they eliminated or reinvented the front desk, with approaches ranging from full automation at Limehome's 13,000 rooms to a human-first model at a 14-room property outside Amsterdam.
Using Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo as a case study, the piece argues that heritage hotels compete not on amenities alone but on their ability to turn history, location, and culture into a distinctive, irreplicable guest identity.
Arctic SnowHotel in Rovaniemi operates just 3.5 months annually but maintains year-round profitability through strategic planning and technology that works in sub-zero temperatures.
Byron Fiddler of Luxury Family Hotels shares operational strategies including pre-arrival guest contact, integrated childcare, family-inclusive spa access, and specialized dining arrangements.
Dr. Meng-Mei Maggie Chen (Assistant Professor of Marketing) and Amélie Keller (Flagship Resilient Tourism Coordinator), offer insights into their collaborative work with Nyon Région Tourisme and Blent Hospitality Business Intelligence.
Contrary to the pessimists who dwell on seeing the glass as half-empty, while it steadily filled up over the weeks, the final result is very positive. It is generally satisfying both in terms of numbers and the overall sentiment of having successfully hosted a major global event without major hitches.
A few weeks ago, I had the unique opportunity to visit Switzerland to attend the Young Hospitality Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland. I spent my first two days wandering Zürich, the largest city in the country, and I encountered a completely different model of hospitality. The straightforward service was complemented by unique, heartfelt experiences, and all workers were attentive and professional. I found myself efficiently and kindly served, and I began to think that the Swiss-German model of service has something to teach other countries. I believe that the simplicity of the hospitality in Zürich could refresh the sometimes-overwhelming hospitality we experience here in the United States.
During my career inside hotels, I had the pleasure of opening and transitioning several hotels to our brand, processes and systems. This was always a lot of work but well worth it because you got to meet a lot of new cool people and on top of that traveling to some pretty nice locations.
Wars, recessions, and outbreaks—No matter the hardship that arrives at hospitality’s door, its foundations remain stable and sturdy. Despite enduring significant challenges in recent years, the sector has shown impressive resilience and continues to grow at a rate of 5.9%, almost double that of the UK economy.1
We have written several articles regarding hotels that are part of what we call ‘The Mille Club’. Mille, translating to thousand, identifies those properties that have seen their typical ADR move above the thousand (dollar, Euro, pound, CHF) rate.
Competition amongst hotels in the UK is higher than anywhere else in Europe, with nearly half of all hotel construction occurring in the UK1. With the sector more competitive than ever, hotel owners need to be mindful of how they can stand out from the crowd and develop their hotels to meet the rapidly evolving demands of their guests.
In this installment of the Mille Club column, we are going to address some of the little things that differentiate your property. To recap, membership qualification for the Mille Club is simple: offer rates of more than a thousand (hence ‘mille’) dollars, pounds, Euros or equivalent. If you’re already there (or very close), or aspire to this lofty room rate level, you’re in!
For those who haven’t read the first few editions of this Mille Club series, membership qualification is simple: offer rates of more than a thousand (hence ‘mille’) dollars, pounds, Euros or equivalent. If you’re already there (or very close), or aspire to this lofty room rate level, please read on.
Sometimes when explaining a concept, it’s best to look at the numbers. Before going straight into using hotel rates, we’re going to start small with a bottle of run-of-the-mill wine, a product that’s also dear to our hearts and many other hoteliers.
For those who haven’t read the first two editions of this Mille Club series, membership qualification is simple: just offer rates of more than a thousand (hence ‘mille’) dollars, pounds, Euros or equivalent. Whereas American Express since 1987 espoused the selling line, “Membership has its Privileges™,” the opposite applies to your property if it wants to uphold four-figure nightly rates. Aptly expressed, as a member of the Mille Club, “Membership has its Responsibilities.”