A great (funny) look at the roles in the hotel industry - a new video from YoungHotelier.com titled "So you want to be a hotelier?"

Researchers say that the internet is the very encapsulation of ‘one-to-one’ marketing and, as such, gives a hotel the ability to establish enduring relationships with individual customers. But others think that internet will encourage disloyalty with the comparability with the competitions’ offering is ‘just a click away’.

Would really be ‘virtual contacts’ build a good business relationship between hotels and customers?

Are you a hotel eMarketer looking for ways to better communicate, educate and develop the role at your property/ies? This article explores some of the issues surrounding these efforts, complemented by a dose of perspective and a generous helping of best practices, all garnished, hopefully, by your own ideas and experiences. By Jitendra Jain

Finding Meaning: Wikipedia attributes the word ‘evolution’ to the Latin term ‘evolutio’ meaning "unfolding". While the tech and Internet revolution have anything but “unfolded” upon us (“exploded” would be more appropriate, given the short span of time over which most Internet-related developments have occurred), there is something to be learnt from the nature of these changes.

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS LAUNCHES SPGTV.NET, a portal dedicated to the Starwood Europe Africa & Middle East TV channel Starwood Hotels & Resorts launches SPGTV.NET a website based on the TV productions of SPGTV the first lifestyle TV channel designed by a hotel industry and presently broadcasting in Europe Africa and Middle East in more than 280 hotels and resorts, with individually tailored versions for each of the company brands.

The two week holiday is dying out, according to a new survey revealed today by Holiday Inn. Families across Britain are struggling to find the time or money to go away with their loved ones, and a whopping 52 per cent of families definitely WON'T be going on a two week summer holiday this year, citing cost as the main problem. But shorter breaks of three or four days are becoming more popular for couples who juggle work and family life.



The average family now takes approximately four short breaks a year - feeling that a long weekend every three months stops them from getting too stressed with everyday life. And with the average spend being just £349.11 for a weekend away, that's only £1,396.44 to keep the whole family entertained for a year.

W Hotels Offers the Next Level of the Luxe Life with the Highly Anticipated Debut Of 'W The Card' The Ultimate Whatever/Whenever Experience(R). W brand's Exclusive, Invitation-Only "W"-IP Program Offers. Unparalleled Experiences, Insider Access and Indulgent Partner Perks. Unprecedented 24/7 W The Card Concierge Service Provides Round The Clock Access to the W Lifestyle Anywhere in the World



W Hotels is redefining what it means to be a VIP with the debut of "W The Card" - the W brand's all-access pass to a world of privilege. Marking the launch of one of the most exclusive hotel VIP services of its kind, W The Card offers a year full of fabulous experiences, irresistible partner perks, VIP treatments, and up-to-the-second updates on anything and everything happening in W hotel destinations around the globe. The ultimate Whatever/Whenever(R) experience, W The Card is the epitome of what it means to be an insider, including the opportunity to access the W brand's exclusive W The Card Concierge Service, 24 hours a day, seven days a week anywhere in world. This highly coveted card also holds the key to insider privileges with an enviable offering of shop-chic treats (perks offered by select high-end retailers, including 30% off purchases at W Hotels The Store); impossible reservations (at the W brand's most desirable dining experiences, including Todd English's Olives, Tom Collichio's Craft and Gerber Group bars); irresistible indulgences (benefits through Starwood's Preferred Guest Program), and so much more.

The latest series of Hotels.com commercials posted on YouTube, leveraging the power of the consumer review today...quite funny and effective. Enjoy!

Hotels.com Commercial - Guest gets a fur coat:

Alumni of SSTH Passugg / Chur and HTF (Switzerland) now have an online communication base on the YoungHotelier.com TEA Lounge. The forum is a free tool that alumni can register on and start or reply to new topics and discussions. The current serving UAE Alumni Chapter President is Jitendra Jain and the next get-together may be organized in Dubai in early April. Access the SSTH UAE Alumni Forum Here

tags: ssth, swiss-hotel-school, ssth-dubai, alumni

Hard Hats and High Heels (a.k.a - don't try this at home!): An entertaining video from the soon-to-open Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina (Jumeirah Beach Dubai) of a visit by 120 members of the American Women's Association of Dubai. The resort, which is set to open it's doors in May 2008, promises superlative dining, entertainment, rooms and sporting action, and in combination with the existing Le Meridien Mina Seyahi promises a strong competitive edge for the Mina Seyahi Complex (first conceived with the Dubai International Marine Club).



tags: hotels-in-dubai, videos, funny, humor, american, awa-dubai, westin, dubai, mina-seyahi, uae, united-arab-emirates, hotel, resort, jumeirah, beach, starwood