It will be a long road back from the recession for hotels, but IHG has prepared itself for the recovery by making tough decisions during the downturn. The brand's president of the Americas Jim Abrahamson discusses those decisions and IHG outlook for the recovery. Also in this issue, we examine the debate over 3D televisions for hotels and ways to make housekeeping operations more efficient. In addition, we take a look at how hotels are representing themselves of the Internet via photography and descriptions. Experts in online marketing offer advice on how to properly represent a hotel online. Finally, Forbes Travel Guide is launching a new website designed to help hotels direct online traffic to their own booking engines. The new site is an expert-driven referral site which will be launching this year.

What's it take to start a hotel brand from scratch. Veteran hotel designer Dodd Mitchell and The Sonesta Collection are teaming up to launch KEPT Hotels & Resorts. In this issue, Mitchell discusses his vision for the new brand and talks about why and how he came up with the concept. Rooftop bars and restaurants are also becoming a hot trend in the hotel industry. In addition, we examine renovating through soft goods, such as bedding and linens. As hotels try to distinguish themselves during the economic recovery, many are replacing their soft goods with upgrade. Also, new avenues for marketing combined with technological advancements such as QR codes have changed the way hotels market themselves. We tell how the landscape of marketing is changing.

If you’ve see the hit TV series Top Chef, you probably know our cover subject—Jennifer Carroll, chef de cuisine of 10 Arts by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia. Carroll and Chef Jose Andres discuss how chefs and hotels make a perfect pairing.  The F&B issue also feature articles on the latest coffee trend—pour-over coffee, a fast guide to flash sale website, and a look at Hilton Worldwide’s F&B matchmaking service.

As a specialty market, vacation exchange and rentals have held up well throughout the recession. As companies such as Wyndham Exchange & Rentals continue to grow, they’re also adopting more practices from the hotel industry. This issue also looks at how hotels are using waterparks to help theme their properties and attract business. Meanwhile, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, long successful in the Middle East, is building its brand in North America. Our profile of Kathleen Shea, the marketing guru charged with branding the company in the U.S. examines the company’s plans. In addition, sustainability has made its way to food and beverage service. We look at how hotels are sourcing more locally grown products.

How important are sustainable initiatives to the hotel industry? Our annual “green Issue” examines how the green movement has taken hold in the industry and become standard practice for many hotel companies, such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The USGBC’s Sara Schoen discusses how the agency is working to make LEED certification more accessible to hotels. We also look at how HVAC technology is designed to give hotels more control over their energy usage, and how green meetings are picking up steam.

A year in the making, Best Western International debuted it Premier and Plus descriptors. Our cover story takes a look at how the descriptors have helped change the playing field for Best Western properties. Other articles include a look a how hotels designers are using new lighting technologies to illuminate properties, the future of hotel telephones, and guest safety. In addition, we present our annual list of the top 50 lodging companies.