Lodging Daily News

President Obama’s Jan. 19, Executive Order significantly increased the profile of travel and tourism in the United States, with the President proclaiming travel a national priority. The Administration followed with the May 10 announcement of the highly anticipated National Travel and Tourism Strategy, setting a goal of increasing U.S. jobs by attracting and welcoming 100 million international visitors annually. By the end of 2021, it is estimated these visitors will spend $250 billion in the

For Jennifer Robbins, success is all about engagement. As general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton in Naples, Fla., Robbins doesn’t think her management style is unique, but she does bring a somewhat unique outlook to engaging her staff. “I don’t know if it’s unique, but I think what’s definitely characteristic of my management style is engagement, trying to get everyone involved,” she says from her hotel. “That’s across the board. I want them to

As the U.S. hotel industry continues to post good results, STR is optimistic about the outlook for the summer of 2012. A look at what has transpired already this year provides a solid background for the optimism. During the first quarter of this year hoteliers across the nation sold a record 245 million room nights. This is the result of continued strength in the transient and group segment. We hear anecdotally that leisure travelers, especially

In 2010, it was the ability of U.S. hotel managers to control labor costs that was the driving force behind the subdued 3.4 percent increase in total operating expenses posted by the properties in our Trends® in the Hotel Industry survey sample. Despite a 6.2 percent gain in occupied rooms in 2010, operators were able to service the increased volume of business with just a 1.5 percent rise in the total hours worked by hotel

A positive outlook promotes positive output, and we’ve seen this reflected visually in the trends of the hospitality industry for 2012. There is a dynamic feeling of hope and growth in the lodging business, giving the industry the confidence it needs to ramp up design and style. This optimism is an important driver and has many looking to outside influencers for a fresh perspective. Today’s trends have many different branches of diversity, and yet all