The growth of China’s economy is equal parts fascinating and staggering. Living in North America where capitalism, consumerism and urbanization have long been ingrained into our societal framework, it’s almost unfathomable to comprehend the inner logistics required to apply these systems to a country of 1.4 billion at the breakneck speed that China is curre...
When I first starting researching – and by researching I mean watching – the 1970s British TV series Fawlty Towers for a ‘Lessons Learned’ style article, I wasn’t too optimistic. After all, we’re talking about extrapolating the screwball sitcom antics of a small English countryside inn into something meaningful for hoteliers who are undoubtedly the complete...
I’ve emphasized it in the past and I’ll emphasize it again now: your restaurant’s menu cannot simply be satisfactory. Not anymore. It has to be outstanding to the point where guests will remember what they ate two, three or seven days later. You have to “wow” guests with bold choices, unique combinations and fresh ingredients in order for your restaurant to...
Now that I’ve touched upon my favorite wine regions in France (Burgundy), it’s time to move on to Italy — and specifically Tuscany — probably the country’s foremost producer. Located north of Rome proper along the Tyrrhenian Sea, this region of Italy (which I’ve visited on a couple occasions) is marked by its idyllic rolling hills of verdant greens abutt...
Most of us enjoy the theater — sitting in the audience, in hushed darkness, waiting for the curtain to go up. As the play unfolds, actors and actresses follow their scripts and deliver remarkable performances. We come away a few hours later, happy or sad — depending upon the script, of course — with fond memories. Several days later we may recall the perfor...
If you are going to embark on a journey of wine discovery and education, knowing the basics about French wines is a must. There’s no way around it. And one of the foremost appellation regions in France is Burgundy. Lying roughly in the middle latitudes of the eastern half of the nation and catching the tail end of the Rhone River in the northwestern Alps, B...
What has transpired in Boston is a tragedy of epic proportions. My immediate sympathies and condolences go out to all those affected by this unspeakable act of evil. Many nearby hotels were severely impacted by the Boston Marathon bombing. In the wake of this disaster, it is vital that you contemplate whether such a calamitous event could occur in your ar...
Sometimes in order to understand what sets the bar for good service in the hotel industry, you have to gaze upon the dark underbelly of what is truly and horrifically bad. It's all about contrast; the yin and the yang. To know what would qualify your establishment as a lemon, you need only taking one passing look at Fawlty Towers, the 1970s 12-episode Briti...
Do you know the real story behind April Fools’ Day? Let me summarize it, as there’s a valuable lesson underneath. Many centuries ago, the European New Year officially rang in after the Easter festivities and in line with the more-or-less start of spring. In other words, celebrating the upcoming year on April 1 symbolically coincided with the idea of rebir...
For those unfamiliar, Downton Abbey is a spectacularly produced period drama set on the titular aristocratic estate just outside of London in the period in and around World War One. The story follows the Earl of Grantham family, the activities of the era and, importantly, the ample cadre of servants with their own explicit hierarchy. As a hotelier, I feel a...
