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Big, rolling housekeeping carts are disappearing from many hotel hallways, just like the floral polyester linens they used to carry. Hotels say they're replacing cumbersome carts with smaller ones sometimes akin to golf caddie bags out of necessity, in addition to convenience and even appearance. Among those saying goodbye to the hall-blocking carts: The Staybridge Suites Times Square in New York, The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte and the Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel.

JMBM wrapped up its 23rd annual hotel conference this week amidst the strongest optimism for the hotel industry that hotel experts have seen for six years. The consensus was there is a lot of blue sky ahead. Some think the good times will only last for a couple of years, but many see a good run for at least 5 years!

For many travellers dependent on smartphones and laptop computers, wi-fi has become as essential as TV or even running water in their hotel rooms. Yet many hotels still charge for wi-fi or only offer it in their lobby. Keith Wallace reports on the drive for free wi-fi in all hotels, where Australia is now hoping to lead the way.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal will hold onto his most high-profile investments, which range from stakes in Citigroup and News Corp to microblogging site Twitter, while seeking out new targets to diversify his global portfolio. Kingdom Holding 4280.SE, Alwaleed's investment vehicle, has asked investment banks to identify possible acquisition targets around the world and plans to sell its stake in 20-30 hotels in the next two years, he told Reuters on Monday.

The Fogo Island Inn, located on Fogo Island, off the remote northeast coast of Newfoundland, is perched on the very edge of the North Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by whales, seabirds and icebergs. The 29-room-and-suite property stands on crooked pilotis on the dramatic and rocky coastline, providing panoramic views through its wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows.

STAMFORD, Conn. - Powered by an in-demand platform of comfort, style, and value, that's "best for business," Four Points by Sheraton today unveiled a thriving global pipeline of hotels that sets the stage for a milestone 200th opening in 2014. The popular brand reached its 175th hotel in 2013 with the openings of Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan (Manhattan, Kansas, United States), Four Points by Sheraton Riyadh (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), Four Points by Sheraton Ahmedabad (Ahmedabad, India) and Four Points by Sheraton Kecskemet (Kecskemet, Hungary).

An unprecedented, comprehensive planning and collaboration application for the event industry, RoundTableHQ's getplanning was the main topic of discussion during Cendyn's 2013 Technology Roundtable, May 2–4 at Boca Raton Resort & Club. Bringing together six -highly respected event planners, Cendyn and RoundTableHQ presented getplanning and other Cendyn solutions facilitating lively feedback and recommendations on how these tools could best impact the planner's needs.

The Radisson Edmonton South has become the first hotel in Canada to install Quadriga's LobbyFriend™, a new temporary, social network platform that enables hotel guests to connect immediately with each other and hotel staff.

Softscribe Inc., an Atlanta-based technology public relations firm, announced that it earned a Communicator Award of Distinction for the second consecutive year. This year's award is in the Integrated Campaign category. The International Academy of Visual Arts (IAVA) bestowed Communicator Awards on "work that made a lasting impact" with marketing and communications excellence. It selected winners from more than 6,000 worldwide entries. IAVA recognized Softscribe Inc. for a body of marketing communications work created for Kaba Lodging, a division of a publicly traded security corporation. Kaba provides access control solutions to the lodging market. Softscribe Inc. leveraged Buyer Persona messaging for Kaba Lodging in an integrated public relations campaign consisting of print ads, trade show booth messaging, video and press materials. Click here for an overview. " micro and visual. You have 3 seconds, using 6-to-8 words, to capture your prospects' attention. How do you choose the right words?" asks Julie Keyser-Squires, CEO of Softscribe Inc. "Buyer persona-based messaging is the result of a disciplined process that lets us grab hold of the true voice of the customer. We hand-build the personas into persuasive messaging that breaks through the noise level, and triggers sales." "Softscribe took a chance with Buyer Personas," said Adele Revella, founder of the Buyer Persona Institute. "They invested in the workshops and the time to do the interviews without any guarantees that they would be rewarded for the effort. They are rock stars, a shining example of the reason I founded the Buyer Persona Institute. Revella awarded Softscribe Inc. the respected Buyer Persona Institute Certified Practitioner badge, which is based on a rigorous proficiency evaluation. Squires credits Adele Revella with training the entire Softscribe Inc. team in her proprietary Buyer Persona methodology. "Adele is a gifted mentor. Her Buyer Persona-creation process is thorough, streamlined and effective." Squires said it took 2 to 3 months to schedule and complete the required buyer persona interviews. "We work with interviewees' busy schedules. So far, we've completed Buyer Personas for two of our most innovative clients. The sales impact, and clarity of the messaging, is phenomenal." Softscribe helps clients shorten the sales cycle and find customers faster through strategic public relations and digital marketing campaigns. The company's technology clients target the hospitality and travel, casino gaming, multifamily, government, and related markets. About The Buyer Persona Institute Buyer Persona Institute is a training, coaching and speaking consultancy helping B2B marketers understand and harness the power of what really matters to buyers. Founded in 2010 by Adele Revella, Buyer Persona Institute offers workshops, coaching, speaking and consulting services for Fortune 500 and mid-market companies around the world who seek the confidence to say," This is what really matters to our buyers. So here's the plan." Revella is the author of the eBook The Buyer Persona Manifesto and co-author of For Compelling Content, Let Buyers Be Your Guide. More information at www.buyerpersona.com, on Twitter at @buyerpersona or on Facebook. About Softscribe Inc. Softscribe Inc. is a sales messaging corporation. We help technology companies targeting the hospitality and travel, government, multifamily, and related markets shorten the sales cycle and find customers faster. To do this, we leverage over 14 years of proven experience and innovation, domain expertise, and long-term relationships. Our effective, client-tailored public relations and digital marketing programs apply SEO and social media to achieve clients' business goals. We are proud of our best-in-class clients and would like to help you, too. For more information please visit www.softscribeinc.com, on twitter @SoftscribeInc, and on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Situated along the breathtaking North Ka'anapali Beach on Maui is The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas. In this tropical island paradise, General Manager Angela Nolan encourages each member of her staff to embrace all guests as their own ohana, which means family in Hawaiian.

The outlook for the Kurdistan region continues to gain strength, with an influx of political and economic events fuelling the MICE business. The Kurdish region's hospitality sector, most notably Erbil, continue to show signs of expansion and growth, with Occupancy ADR increasing in tandem with an increased supply of hotels in the market. As Erbil is slowly becoming a fully developed destination, research has shown that there is a clear market gap for internationally branded mid market hotels and branded serviced apartments, especially close to the city centre. Colliers International is forecasting that the Erbil branded hotels will reach an ADR of USD$ 301 and RevPar of USD$ 223 by year end December 2013.

Social media is set to have a big influence on hoteliers with one in three (34.8%) pledging the biggest increase in their marketing spend in the area. One in five (21%) plan the biggest increase in their marketing budget in GDS advertising and mobile with almost a fifth (18.8%) opting to put the largest increase of budget into search engine optimisation.

nyone who has ever walked into a "non-smoking" hotel room and caught the distinct odor of cigarette smoke will not be surprised by the findings of a new study: When a hotel allows smoking in any of its rooms, the smoke gets into all of its rooms, the study suggests. Nicotine residues and other chemical traces "don't stay in the smoking rooms," says Georg Matt, a psychologist from San Diego State University who led the study, published Monday in the journal Tobacco Control. "They end up in the hallways and in other rooms, including non-smoking rooms."

Early hoteliers participating in Expedia’s “hotel collect” platform—where guests reserve a room on Expedia but don’t pay until they check into the hotel—are reporting positive experiences. The program, introduced in July of last year, is officially called Expedia Traveler Preference because guests can choose whether to pay up front on Expedia or when they get to the hotel. The program was criticized early on by hotel owners and asset managers because of the potential to increase costs for hotel owners by way of additional training and credit-card processing fees.

During a joyous occasion for Rixos Hotels, the leading hospitality chain from Turkey, celebrated the collaboration with a number of key investors from Egypt across multiple hotel projects, in order for the hotel group to continue its dynamic expansion within one of the world's most recognized travel destinations.

The Resonance Report is a biennial study of the travel and leisure habits of affluent American households by Resonance Consultancy, a leading global travel and tourism consulting firm that monitors travel and leisure trends. The study, conducted in conjunction with the Luxury Institute in New York, surveys more than 1,200 individuals from households with incomes of $150,000 and higher every two years to measure their travel and leisure preferences and aspirations. These affluent households account for almost a third of all domestic spending on lodging and air travel, according to recent estimates in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditures Survey.

Internet access is the hotel amenity prized above all by affluent U.S. travelers – more than the beach, cuisine, privacy, proximity to shopping and unique activities, according to the Resonance Report on Affluent Travel and Leisure. The report surveyed more than 1,200 U.S. households with incomes of $150k+ in partnership with The Luxury Institute to evaluate their plans for travel, recreation and the purchase of vacation homes in the next 12-24 months. A copy of the full report can be downloaded at here.

Generator has this week officially opened the doors of its first venture in Spain. The new Barcelona property brings the brand's range of urban design hostels to eight across Europe, with significant further growth planned. The latest opening signals a period of expansive growth for the industry's largest freehold hostel group, which is backed by Patron Capital. As the only design-led hostel company with multiple locations, Generator also plans to extend its portfolio beyond its current European reach.

Revel AC Inc. announced today that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey (Camden) has confirmed Revel's prepackaged plan of reorganization (the "Plan") under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The Plan was unanimously accepted by creditors voting on the plan in connection with the Company's voluntary pre-packaged solicitation of votes. Revel expects to emerge from Chapter 11 before the end of May after the conditions to effectiveness of the plan are satisfied.

Given the dynamics of the current business environment and the battle for market share, it's never been more important for hospitality executives to fully understand the overall sales & marketing process. David Brudney will be teaching a 3-day course at Ecole Hospitality Lausanne, Switzerland, July 1-3, 2013.