It's a given that there can be vast cultural differences between East and West, North and South, or between any other national divide. These range from the grand-scale like architectural patterns to the miniscule nuances of daily interactions. When people travel to a foreign location, they are indeed yearning for that localized, authentic experience, but it...
Larry's article discussing the pros and cons of flash sales was featured in the January 2012 print edition of Canadian Lodging News. See the attached picture to read the article. We'll post a full copy of the electronic version when it becomes available.
Debbie Misajon is the founder and managing director of Epic Hideaways - a villa rental company specializing in destination luxury properties. She brings over 25 years of experience and a passion for traveling the world to every location offered and personal recommendation. I had the opportunity to interview Debbie over the holiday break and ask a few ques...
One aspect of a hotel room that definitely merits more discussion from a profitability and customer satisfaction standpoint is the minibar. Truth be told, I seldom use the minibar when I travel. I like to eat out and experience the city that I'm in, plus there's the stigma of having to pay exorbitant fees for staple goods. All said, the minibar is one asp...
Reggie Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Cvent, speaks in a slow deliberate fashion. When asked to describe his approach to business, he replied, "Running scared always, and the paranoid survive." Perhaps those hotel managers who do not embrace his computerized group RFP system are the ones who should be scared. In 2008, Cvent solicited about $60 million worth...
There are probably as many predictions for 2012 as there are pundits in the media. All doomsday forecasts aside, let me throw my hat in the ring with my own hotel predictions for the New Year. The rise of the OTAs will accelerate. If you think that the statistic of 10% of total rooms booked in 2010 was significant, wait for the final numbers for 2012....
Gloria Ah Sam is the Spa Director at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a 5-Diamond resort nestled within the pastoral mountains of Southern California. As a destination spa, Spa Ojai has received numerous accolades for its unique treatments that blend new age aesthetics with locally sourced, organic produce as well as traditions from the Chumash, Ojai Valley's indige...
Do you believe in New Year's resolutions? Have you ever made any? Moreover, have you ever stuck to them? Here is a list for hoteliers I've complied that I hope you'll consider adding to your own for the upcoming year. I will try to use less online ‘flash' sale programs. Everyone knows they work at delivering occupancy, but at what cost to your core cu...
I shudder at the thought of seeing many of the GMs I know sitting on Santa's knee. Yet, secretly, I know that each one of them has a wish list they would gladly share with Kris Kringle. If I was a GM, here is what this list would probably look like. No shiny new bicycles here. Read on. 1. Smooth Over the Economy All GMs like stability and predictability...
On Thursday, December 15th, 2011, LMA’s own Lindsay Tessis joined Grenada’s Consul General, Jenny Gumbs to help send off Caribbean Airlines’ inaugural direct flight to Grenada, West Indies. Upon check-in for the flight at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, passengers were met by a representative of Caribbean Airlines (www.caribbean-airlines.com) and...
