Cover Story
The Long Game
Winning strategies for making the most of mega sporting events By Cathleen Draper By the time the final whistle blew on Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, CA, one thing was certain: Mega sporting events don’t just arrive for a weekend – they reshape entire markets long before the first fan checks in. From the NBA All-Star Weekend and the MLB World Series, major sporting events are a standard part of business for hotels in large markets across the U.S. But the frequency of these…
Featured
Beyond the Banquet
How hotels are reimagining event dining By Elsbeth W. Russell For decades, hotel event dining followed a predictable playbook: Abundance-driven buffets, plated entrées designed for speed, and service that prioritized logistics over experience. That model no longer holds. Today’s event guests – whether corporate attendees, association members, or wedding guests – arrive with higher expectations, broader culinary…
By the Masses
Securing group bookings takes planning, flexibility, and technology By Tom Gresham Group business is the hallmark of many successful hotels, a provider of predictable revenue that fills rooms and helps operations on a variety of other fronts. However, securing that group business requires savvy sales and marketing strategies, powerful tech tools, and flexible, appealing spaces that attract…
Stop Babysitting One Asset
How real-time data is freeing the next generation of hotel owners By Heather Carnes The second-generation hotelier often faces a conflict their parents never had to navigate. For years, success in hospitality was tied to physical presence. Long days. Long nights. Every decision, every repair, every guest issue came through one person. Being on-site was how you…
Columns
When the Spark Fades
Solving for employee burnout in hospitality customer service By Jennifer Lee For hospitality industry employees whose job is to deliver customer service, the pressure is always on. Holidays and other peak travel times get a lot of attention, but the workload for customer-facing agents is constant all year. Burnout among these employees is a real…
The ROI of AI
Hotel owners, developers gaining competitive edge with AI tools By Rachna Bafna It’s become evident that the promise of artificial intelligence optimization is no longer a “nice to have” but increasingly a competitive advantage that certain operators are using to automate client relations, optimize their operations, and save money on maintenance, CapEx, and construction. Over…
Optimizing Events
Independent hotel strategies for the events economy By Aaryan Patel and Jin Laxmidas Major events – concerts, festivals, sporting tournaments, conventions, and city-wide activations – can transform a market’s demand curve overnight. For independents, the events economy represents both risk and outsized opportunity. While national brands benefit from centralized sales teams and pre-negotiated group contracts,…
Missing Out on Metasearch
7 mistakes independent hotels should avoid in 2026 By Lindley Cotton Hotel metasearch advertising is no longer optional. It’s one of the most direct ways for hotels to compete with OTAs, reclaim demand, and protect margins – when it’s done right. But in 2026, metasearch is more competitive, more automated, and less forgiving of sloppy…
10 Overlooked Ways to Cut Heating Costs in a Hotel
By Simon Soloff In the midst of winter, heating costs may have already skyrocketed for hotel owners. Hotels face the constant challenge of balancing guest comfort with operational efficiency, and heating is one of the largest energy expenses in hospitality. This is especially true in colder climates or during extended winter seasons. While many hotels…
Continue Reading 10 Overlooked Ways to Cut Heating Costs in a Hotel