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The Four Seasons Vancouver has conquered the highest rating for Eco-friendly hotels. This title and rating is only given to 30 hotels nationwide and is extremely competitive in nature. Any hotel has the ability to qualify and is evaluated in several aspects consisting of the following: operational areas, sustainable practices and community outreach efforts. The Four Seasons Vancouver has switched over to a unique heating system that is reducing gas emissions, installed newly efficient LED lighting that will last for up to 40 years, participates in an Eco-friendly laundry system for par linen, offers sustainable dining options and donates to local organizations. Along with public recognition, going green has perks that not only benefit the environment but the hotel as well. The Four Seasons Vancouver has taken many drastic initiatives that will be in place for years to come. This says a lot about this individual property and Four Seasons as a hotel brand. It's exciting to see the opportunity for more hotels to go Green and be the change that we all would like to see.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts brand has been recognized by L2 Think Tan's Digital IQ Index: Hotels for the use of plenty digital platforms. By analyzing the needs and wants of guest and potential customers Four Seasons decided to invest in technology obtaining great results. "We are thrilled to be recognized by L2 for our commitment to transforming our guest experience through digital and social media platforms," said Susan Helstab, executive vice president, marketing, Four Seasons. Four Seasons saw the great influence technology has in the way we conduct business and communicate therefore the brand applied the newest technology to create a competitive advantage among its competitive set. "The L2 study reflects just how meaningful this is to the guest experience, and solidifies the importance of Four Seasons continual advancement in the digital realm." Some of the recent innovations Four Season applied to the properties are the new website FourSeasons.com that includes real-time search and videos. It also includes maps, Facebook, and blogs among others. Creating a powerful and global social presence in YouTube, Facebook and Twitter that gives them more publicity, Innovating with Emerging Platforms and Mobile Access "The brand has seen 110% growth year over year of business booked through iPhones and 200% increase via iPads." Four Seasons is attracting more groups, leisure and commercial demand thanks to its technology.

This article introduced the new website of the Four Seasons Hotel, what the new functions are added to the new website, and how the new website help the hotel attract new customers. There are some differences between the old hotel website and the new one. Six key features of the new website can respect the strengths of the new website which are Ease of booking, On the go, Access to review, Every property has a story, Location and Personalization. Four Seasons Hotel also unveils its Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report. Some of the insights from the report include: Luxury is back, Branding moves to the social sphere, E-commerce is king, The rise of the iPad. Nowadays, most customers choose to use website to get to know a hotel, so the website has a great meaning for the hotel. The website not only needs to have enough information, images, but some unique functions to attract customers and provide better service through the internet. Like the Four Seasons Hotel's new website, it allows for multi-destination, multi-hotel, and multi-person reservations, it will paint an authentic picture of the local culture, and it will collect guests' personal interests, related content and recommendations, this information will become available on a guest's next visit and over time, delivering a completely personalized experience. Four Seasons Hotel notices that E-commerce is the king, as Seventy-eight percent of the affluent participate in social networking sites, with more than half using social media to connect with a brand. The luxury consumer is increasingly going online to research and make purchases. It is important for the hotel the keep up with the latest technology such as the iPad. According to the Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report, One-third of wealthy consumers own a tablet or e-Reader. Four Seasons revenue generated from the iPad and other tablets has grown 200 percent from 2010 to 2011. The new technology has a close relationship with the hotel and the e-business.

The new Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is using the InvoTech Systems Inc. UHF-RFID Uniform System to provide real -time tracking of the 7,000 plus uniforms required for their staff. the system is able to track all uniforms by utilizing a waterproof RFID tag that is attached to each custom made piece for "automated tracking and record keeping." RFID tags are installed as the employee is issued their uniform. The uniform is then passed over the counter to the employee and the tracking system automatically records the pieces as they are being issued. The system is able to count hundreds of articles in a matter of seconds and insures that all uniforms are properly accounted for. The software system also monitors use and laundry cycles to facilitate replacement when required. By investing in the InvoTech System the Four Seasons Orlando is ensuring employee accountability and also reducing labor expenses associated with manual handling of uniforms.

In Amazon's last quarter, net income dropped by 57 percent from a year ago. Sales for the three months before December 31 came out to $17.4 billion, lower than Wall Street expected over the traditionally busy holidy season. It is predicted that for the next quarter outlook, there could be anywhere from a gain of $100 million to a loss of $200 million. While Amazon continues to profit in sales of its best selling Kindle devices, there were a variety of factors that contirbuted to its losses. The flooding in Thailand slowed down production for many tech companies. Third-party sellers (which give a 13% commission to Amazon as oppsoed to 100% commission when Amazon sells themselves) were used more than usual. Promotions such as the Amazon Prime program which allows the customer to pay a fixed rate and get umlimited two-day shipping hurt the retailer hard over the busy holiday season with shipping costs. Other reasons were lower demand for skimwords

This article tells us about 10 new innovations in the hospitality world. Mostly it is talking about some innovations in the hotel industry such as face recognition at the registrations, voice-controlled rooms, and smart amenities.

The current trend of human resources software is towards global. Every major human resources software vendor is trying to appeal to multinational companies looking to handle their global workforce through a single, cloud-based human resource system that can manage everything from payroll and administration talent and learning management. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts at Toronto had trouble transferring managers from one location to another and researching HR when they open new hotel. This is because they did not have certain standardization of compensations and they too much relay on paper-driven systems. Today, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are enabled to check compensation information on anyone at specific property as well as locations employees want to work in the future by using Workday's a global human capital management system. Moreover, Four Seasons' managers and employees working at the properties around the world will be allowed to use the system in various languages.

Marketing and E-business for tourism industry A good marketing plan is important to the success of businesses. There are several guidelines and ways to use electronic medium to stay competitive. A business has to always take care of the existing customers and their needs without forgetting to attract new customers. Tourists are using internet to shop for new destinations so an online presence is very important for consumers so they will be able to find out information about the business. There are several guidelines to consider: * Promptness people expect to get a response within a reasonable time. * Quality means that your website should be able to compete with other websites on the internet and this means that it should have good quality photographs and professional tone to the websites. * Consistency means a good consumer service and a professional image. There are many ways to promote services online: email newsletters and promotion, building traffic by working with other websites, offer deals, get involved in discussion sites about the industry you are in. During an off season bookings, simplicity of booking should be a priority. Tourism operators should join travel and tourism "mall" to offer their products and host their site and use these low cost services. Companies can also promote their products online by offering auction style sales that helps consumers have some kind of control over the prices of the different services in tourism. One of the perks of online shopping for travel services is the price transparency and the fact that costumers have choices of different prices in front of them. Company should Increase a web marketing pull by offering different services and also advertising with other companies. Promote and minimize the costs of the services by adding "do-it-yourself" features. A list such as: A FAQ, maps of location of other area attractions and local guides for rental outlets. To improve the way you market your products and

this article summarizing the importance of the revenue management. it explains that to maximize the revenue, hotel have to see the rooms at the "right price to the right people at the right time". it also explains the difference in price based on the seasons, or business cycle. it encourages managers to recognize when the demand will go up and adjust the price accordingly. 

Yield management is a process by selling limited quantity of goods to create maximum profits. Successful yield management requires a manager to sell, such as hotel room, at the right time, right price, to right customer. To achieve this goal, manager should understand what the purpose of hotel, what the category of hotel, and why customer choose their hotel rather than others. And also should know the market principal about price fluctuate during off season and busy season. So it is necessary to know well about yield management in order to survive in the fierce competitive environment.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina , Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Guests staying at Four Season Hotel Buenos Aires have a new, complimentary digital amenity to keep them connected during their stay. The hotel now offers a digital, all-you-can-read newspaper and magazine service from PressReader, treating guests to more than 3,000 local, regional and international publications by using their laptops, tablets or smartphones.

Four Seasons Miami also just took another step in "going green" and now offers the press reader application to our guests. We don't buy hard copies of newspapers anymore to reduce the amount of paper being used to save the trees and rain forest. Guests don't have to pay any extra cost for this technology and have thousands of newspapers to choose from.

Summary: The variety of gifting options has grown from a simple plastic gift card to virtual cards delivered by email, text, debit/credit cards and more. The prediction for 2013 will exceed a billion dollars of digital gifting for the holiday season and continue to grow. Digital gift cards have made giving easy due to the convenience of redemption. Paper coupons have proven to be successful to draw in consumer activity, but the digital revolution in virtual gifting is expected to explode as people are so connected to their mobile devices. Even with the convenience and growing popularity of digital gifting comes barriers and security issues. Such issues include personal banking security and privacy. Some small to midsize businesses may not be able to participate in digital gifting due to cost barriers or lack of technology. Due to electronic process, paper receipts will be obsolete. Computers aren't perfect so how does one resolve dollar discrepancies. One benefit of virtual giving is the bar codes/QR codes. Companies are able to collect and retain additional information of givers and receivers by scanning the bar code/QR Code. Often people are reluctant to provide contact information, but in this case they aren't being asked, they have no choice. This is a benefit to the companies because they can make other promotional offers to engage and possibly retain both parties, thereby increasing sales. There are a variety of methods of virtual gifting and redemption. One example is Giftly. Giftly adds the value of the gift to the recipient's credit or debit card which can be used anywhere. This is super convenient for many people and they are able to choose whatever they wish rather than receive a gift chosen for them. This is certainly the digital age version of sending a check via mail to a loved one. Other corporate examples that have impacted the transition from plastic gift cards to virtual gifting are Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Applebee's and Starbu

As we prepare for the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus, there are some precautions hotel managers and staff can take to improve guest and employee health and safety. Early evidence suggests that the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread more easily than the virus that causes seasonal influenza, and it appears that the COVID-19 disease is more deadly than seasonal influenza.

This is a three year old survey on Green Intiatives by American Hotel & Lodging Association. It talks about : (a) Challenges or barriers faced by hoteliers. (b) The biggest motivation for implementing green lodging practices. (C) The top ten things hotels are doing well relating to green initiative. (d) Top ten green things hotels can improve on.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association's Green Assessment Survey results reveal the top 10 green initiatives hotels are enacting, the top 10 motivations for implementing green lodging practices, the top 10 green things hotels are doing well and top 10 green things hotels can improve on. In the challenges and barriers part, the biggest one facing in implementing green lodging practices is having enough capital to invest; in addition the whole world is in financial crisis now. Money is a big problem. As we know, before implement green practices, hotels need large amount money to buy equipment and need a lot of time to train employees to use it. In high season, they are busy to serve guests, to earn money. In low season, they may have time but no money. In the motivation part, environmental benefits and building guest loyalty rates to first place. But I think most hotels deciding to implement green practices are because financial savings. In addition, implement green practices can preempt government regulations and improve hotel reputation. It is also a good way to advertise. To do and not to do lists, hotels should keep and improve their recycling and reuse program and pay more attention to the power save program.

This is a great article that collected all top 10 related to GREEN. It makes me realize what we are doing well and what we need to improve in the future. And also it lists the top 10 challenge that we are facing. I agree with you that implement green practices can preempt government regulations and improve hotel reputation.

This article describes accounting software functions within the Hotel industry. The article states that "Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry". It is said that when selecting accounting software, you must identify what results you are looking for from the software; and also the functions that you are able to receive. You must also understand the needs of your property, and industry. The article also discusses various decision criteria, which is a part of the selection process. Some of these criteria's that you must look out for are: annual revenue, budget, location, multiple sites, national or international locations, in-house verses outsource operations. I love the fact that this article also discusses the functions of hotel accounting software. Some of those functions that were stated are: account payable, account receivable, and payroll. The article also brought up some trends about hotel and lodging accounting software. One of the trends that stand out to me was the fact that some companies hand over their entire accounting responsibilities to major accounting companies or, accounting firms; this is referred to as outsource. Having a accounting software is a very beneficial asset for a company.

The hospitality industry has had steady growth, with increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability. Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. So it's important for hotel manager to choose the suitable accounting software. This article tells how to select hotel accounting system properly. Including the decision criteria used in selection process, areas of functionality in hotel accounting software and standards used for accounting and auditing in hotel industry, etc.

Hotel managers are often faced a lot of problem to deal with the accounting system. Now hotel manager can manage all of the accounting responsibilities by use hotel accounting technology. Using Web-based hotel accounting software can save your business money . The functions covered in all of the accounting systems.

this article is talking about the sustainability development in hotel industry. every year the waste of water and energy in washing machine is huge. this behavior violates the mind that builds a green industry. in the help of the Green Hotels Association the hotel companies make some measures to save the water and energy like putting a card which ask guests to consider not having sheets changed every day. it is simple word but really playing an important role in developing sustainable vision.

We all know that a lot of hotels leave little cards in the room claiming that they are environmental-friendly and initiate protection of the environment or reducing waste. They encourage customers reuse towels and linens, and so on. This article use Marriot and Four Seasons as examples to describe that this kind of behavior is indeed helpful. Water, waste and cost reduction is resulted. So hotels should keeping doing this and lead to green life-style and reduce waste.

The article gives a relative brief intorduction of how BlackLine's accounting software worke well in many brands hotels and casinoes.The Account Reconciliations and Transaction enables lots  of hotels such as Four Seasons, Royal Carriebean, Venetian Casino Resort and so forth can streamline the financial close and process the immense bolume of transactions they receive on a daily basis in a timely manner-especially credit cards, which will reduce more risk of credit cards frauds and maintian security  of cusotmers' consideration. One of good applications is SaaS delivery model. BlackLine enhances the application with a more unify  and complete structure and segregation, which prevents others from seeing its data. Another good example is Kempinski has greatly reduce their excess paper and simplified their account reconciliation process via BlackLine's tehcnology. The web-based application enhable hoteliers access to all stakeholders anywhere at any time, which makes hoteliers gain more valuable effiencies reducing time with audits.

Various things to consider when going through a RFP process are: * Make sure you set a timeline and deadline. * Do not rely only on your company's procurement offices alone to do the work for you. * Look for regional vendors also that might offer better and competitive. * Do research on what the competition is doing and using. * Respond to all RFP's and follow through the whole process.

It is interesting to see how digital this process has become in the time I have been in the hotel business. It is a great movement though as it allows hotels to get faster communication with groups than they had previously.

The L2 ranking measures the digital competency of 52 hotel brands via 350 data points across four dimensions: Site, Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Mobile. (As new technology changes the face of travel, Four Seasons is committed to being at the forefront of digital innovation, engaging guests in the ways that are most meaningful to them. It also reflects the brand's long term strategic investment in digital. Examples that led to Four Seasons #1 ranking from L2 include: innovating with Emerging Platforms, creating a powerful and global social presence, mobile access, and the new FourSeasons.com.

This article shares with us the experience of food composting in Four Seasons Hotel.  It shows readers many facts to prove that  food composting in a hotel can be successful and beneficial. It also gives readers many tips about how to compost food scraps effectively in a hotel.

I enjoyed the article very much. I do believe that having a sustainable business is the wave of the future. Its about time that we start giving back to the earth what we take. Having a sustainable business, a LEED hotel, is beneficial to being a leader in the hotel industry.