OMG! I OH @ the bar that my BFF is now on FB! LOL—I’m JK! BTW, I just sent you a DM that you can RT. L8R!

Translation: Oh my gosh! I overheard at the bar that my best friend forever is now on Facebook! Laughing out loud—I’m just kidding! By the way, I just sent you a direct message that you can re-Tweet. Later! ... Read More

While standing in line at a wedding reception bar this past weekend, I heard a fellow guest behind me mutter a rather discouraging word while thumbing through his iPhone.

“The line’s not that long,” I interjected jovially, trying to make small talk. ... Read More

Back in my proverbial college days of yore, I encountered a rather surly looking fellow who strutted around our dormitory like a fighter about to enter the ring. Head down, brows furrowed, shoulders broad and menacing, his natural disposition was about as inviting as that of a charging rhino.

And then I got to know him.  ... Read More

For once, in Bogota, it appeared the shoe was on the other foot.

Colombia during the past several years has focused on reducing its violent crime rate and improving security through an increased military presence in the country. That approach seems to have benefitted Bogota, as the city’s murder rate declined, according to the country’s marketing arm, Proexport Colombia. During 2009, Bogota’s murder rate per 100,000 people was 18.2, nearly half that of Washington, D.C. (34 homicides per 100,000 people.) ... Read More

By now you’ve probably been inundated by a flurry of press releases spewing self-adulation for notching top spots on J.D. Power and Associates’ recently released 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

I don’t knock hotel companies for issuing these. On the contrary, if you win guests in an economy where budgets have been cut to the bone, you’ve earned some bragging rights. ... Read More

As I’m sure most readers of HotelNewsNow.com know, last week STR held its second annual Hotel Data Conference. As part of the opening session, Jan Freitag and I shared the opening session and highlighted the United States lodging industry’s current performance. Jan highlighted the potential obstacles and pitfalls that may yet get in the way of a sustained hotel industry recovery.

To help highlight these factors, Jan used a Star Wars/Darth Vader analogy, which was not only fun, but illustrated the precarious and unsure nature of the hotel industry’s recovery. The things that could yet derail a rapid recovery range from a sluggish recovery in group business, new additions to room supply in New York, historically low levels of occupancy in many markets and the question of how aggressive the hotel companies are going to get from a room-rate perspective. ... Read More

For two men who usually speak publicly in 15-minute increments, it was a rare treat to hear Randy Smith and Mark Lomanno expound on their business and the state of the hotel industry for an hour and a half.

Among the topics: supply and demand; online travel agencies; franchisors; and the ever-present rate struggle. ... Read More

Being deluged with data for nearly 29 hours has its advantages. Sure, the 275 attendees of the second Hotel Data Conference felt a little punch drunk by the end of the even late yesterday afternoon.

But for as drained as one can feel after being exposed to so many numbers in such a compact time period, there’s a certain sense of adrenalin, too. The event, presented by Gaylord Hotels and hosted by STR and HotelNewsNow.com, provided a true picture of the state of lodging industry. ... Read More