With energy costs are on the rise, hoteliers are searching for innovative ways to cut their utility bills and improve energy efficiency. Minibars and in-room refrigerators present an opportunity to reduce electricity cost through careful management and installation practices.

On the Road: HITEC 2007 Jun 27, 2007 By: Lynne Brakeman

Between educational sessions and a super-charged trade show floor, attendees had a lot to digest at this year's Hospitality Industry Technology Expo and Conference. This visual essay skims the surface of this year's signature hospitality technology event. Check out our snaps from GuestRoom 2010, the trade show floor and just a few of the concurrent educational sessions. [Left: attendees admire the full-wall morphing artwork in GuestRoom 2010.]

On the Road: Researcher challenges revenue managers to change their assumptions Jun 26, 2007 By: Lynne Brakeman

At HSMAI's Revenue Management Strategy Conference in Orlando this week, Garrett van Ryzin, a professor and researcher at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, presented cutting-edge research into the use of customer behavior to model demand and set prices. Van Ryzin (left) suggested revenue managers consider changing their perspective from the focus on the product, to a focus on customer behavior.

Frank Wolfe, c.e.o. of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals, the producer of the 2007 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference, urged attendees to plan enough time to walk the entire exhibit floor.

Industry experts explain why they see the hospitality industry turning attention toward the commercial green building movement in a big way in the next few years.

National Report–Experts agree the industry is well into a massive upgrade to in-room technologies that will consume most of the available attention and funding for the next 12 to 18 months.

You can provide the latest technologies in guestrooms, but do your guests want it?

Since the advent of iPods, music is again becoming a way of life. That's according to Frank Zumbo, g.m., The Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel in New Orleans, which uses the tagline: "Dreaming with the legends of jazz."

National Report—On Feb. 17, 2009, the analog broadcast system for television in the U.S. will be turned off, and it will be a brave new digital world for just about everyone.

The impending digital television transition gets an expanded treatment on our Web site. Find out how digital rights management technologies will affect hotels as they upgrade to high-definition TV and why television vendors now find themselves marketing to hotel designers and technology consultants instead of engineers.

How important is free, high-speed Internet access in the selection of a hotel, motel or resort when traveling for business? Bottom line—23 percent of business travelers would switch brands if high-speed Internet access were not free. Moreover, 37 percent would not pay for high-speed Internet access, but still would stay with a brand that required them to pay.

Consumer Insight: Internet access preferences Apr 2, 2007

Exclusive results of a January 2007 survey of 305 overnight business travelers conducted by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell's AmeriLink Internet Surveying Service. This eight-page article contains six pages of charts and tables not available in the print magazine. Powered by YPB&R | H&MM | IHG. (PDF, 80k)

It's no secret that when electronic door locks were introduced to the lodging industry, they revolutionized hotel security. Now, radio frequency identification technology is poised to redefine electronic lock technology once again.

Hotel chains including Accor, Golden Tulip, Sol Melia and others have agreed to implement the Amadeus Worldwide Commission Manager offering travel agents a single point of information on hotel bookings and the status of commission payments.

Five to seven years is the traditional interval between major property-management system upgrades. But vendors warned that hotels would save money in the long run by keeping up with minor upgrades on a yearly basis.

To win the hearts of your leisure travelers, make guestroom wireless or wired high-speed Internet access free. That's the conclusion of a study of 304 leisure travelers conducted by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell's AmeriLink Internet Surveying Service. Find out more about travelers' wireless preferences. This "Online Extra" version includes seven pages of charts not included in the print magazine. (PDF, 144k)

Whither wireless? Feb 6, 2007 By: Lynne Brakeman

Wireless network vendors agree that the hospitality industry has rapidly adopted wireless technology both in guestrooms and public spaces in just a few years. But the industry still faces significant challenges to monetizing these investments as new wireless network standards come online and a bevy of new wireless-enabled hand-held devices start walking in the door with guests. Find out what the experts from Arris, iBahn, StayOnline, Telkonet and Wayport think you should be watching for as this fast-moving segment continues to evolve.

Technology forms a strong foundation Feb 5, 2007 By: Stephanie Ricca

Building and strengthening a property's technology backbone will have widespread benefits in 2007 and beyond. Consultants advise hoteliers to shore up their tech infrastructures, such as revenue and property management systems, in order to tackle trends like customer customization and kiosks efficiently.

Locks: A guide to sources for your hotel.

Balance risk-taking to reap online marketing rewards Dec 12, 2006 By: Lynne Brakeman

At the recent HSMAI Travel and Internet Marketing Strategy Conference, Geoff Ramsey, c.e.o. of eMarketer, shared research and insights about the tools, tactics and techniques marketers must master to thrive in the rapidly evolving world of consumer-generated media.