Is silence the new luxury?
When developers are trying to outdo each other by spending more on design, services and amenities, I wonder 'Is silence the new luxury?'
When (not) to develop signature cocktails
A great signature cocktail is only great if you make great cocktails. Please don't attempt a signature cocktail menu if you need to work on mastering your classic cocktails first.
Dress codes do NOT equal well-dressed
If you're going to enforce a dress code to keep people well dressed, then arm your door with a fashionista, not a bouncer with spare Crocs.
Pop-ups, food trucks & tacos
Popups: With ridiculously high rents, barriers of entry, loads of commercial spaces sitting half empty, and a market of expats who rarely eat in the same place twice in a month, it's the perfect environment to test the market, feed the frenzy and make some quick cash.
Authentic versus ‘authentic’ experiences
Should old colonial buildings be restored into new hotels with butler service reminiscent of the English occupation? Should hotel employees start dressing in traditional gear and bowing to guests? I suppose that's what travelers want. Perhaps it's even what I wanted. But is it right?
China is the new Texas, but who cares?
China loves its superlatives. Everything now has to be the biggest, fastest or tallest. But really, who cares?
The good, the bad and the ugly of green certification
With the growing number of certifications is the growing list of uncertainties.
The nuances of carbon footprinting for hotels
Being proactive and measuring your hotel’s carbon footprint in one form or another is commendable. But regardless of how you measure it, who you do it for or why you do it at all, be transparent about your methodology and overall CSR strategy. Written clearly and concisely, a CSR report can speak volumes.
Work, holidays and our green office space
When people ask us what we love about working in the hotel industry we tell them that work is always our holiday, and holidays are always our work. So when we started our own company last year, we realized we should do what we could to avoid the traditional work environment. After all, there's nothing "holiday" about a cubicle or office desk with fluorescent lighting.
Hotels banning shark fin set the bar
If Asian hotel brands can do without shark fin, can't the Hyatts and Sheratons out there do the same?
My 2012 outlook on ‘glocalization’ in Asia
With a new hotel opening every day, how can international brands utilize "glocalization" to beat and differentiate themselves from their competition in foreign markets?