The private club scene has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, shifting its traditional exclusivity to embrace a younger, more diverse membership base.

Read our blog: www.HOTELSMag.com, 5/25/16, by Yvette Jong, Craft House Consulting "Greenwashing” continues, and the latest culprit is the unverifiable and overuse of “farm to table” concepts. That’s right - wooden counter tops, rustic furniture, baskets of irregular veg, craft paper placemats, and use of the term in your concept brief don’t define the philosophy, and aren’t serving it any justice.

Great design and programming aren't limited to the luxury 5-star 5-diamond gems found around the world, or the boutique hotels in city centers. Just because hostels are affordable doesn't mean they can't be cool. And these hostels prove it. 

If it's branded, and branded well, there's a good chance your collateral will become a keepsake for some of your customers. And that might not be a bad thing.

For those of you who read the HOTELsMag blog by Craft House Founder and Director, Yvette Jong, you may have read her piece titled, "I heart Airbnb." After both backlash and support from industry colleagues criticizing or supporting her point of view, Craft House distributed a survey to understand what the industry really thinks about Airbnb. The results are here!

Social media engagement and competitions are attracting a new generation of travelers and building brand loyalty. 

Here are just a few things I've read recently that made me smile and will likely stick to my mind for years to come.

Gone are the days when private clubs were adorned with dusty old portraits of a huntsman and his hound. Gone are the days where sherry is being served at all hours of the day in the library, and steak and kidney pie is the top seller on the menu.

Founded by John and Cynthia Hardy, the sustainability philosophy of Bambu Indah developed from its origin. Only two trees were relocated to accommodate eleven antique century-old Javanese houses, while new structures including the lobby, restaurant and new houses showcase their passion for bamboo as an alternative to rainforest timber. Bamboo takes three years to grow to full maturity and has the strength to scaffold even Hong Kong’s skyscrapers.

Service issues are sometimes unavoidable, but when you put the safety of a customer at risk, the least you can do is show empathy and make some service recovery efforts. Amtrak's negligence during a recent trip shocked me, but their response to my complaint left me speechless.

The most valuable asset a luxury hotel has is its brand and brand reputation. Investment in this asset is a long-term investment with a return over several years, not just one. So is an investment like this a wasted expense or a strategic capital investment?

As markets get saturated with all the brands under the sun, hotel management companies are developing new brands to cater to developers’ demands. Take an already cluttered brand architecture with existing brands that might have confused identities and positioning, and throw a few new ones in the pot. You get the idea.

After a blog about common mistakes made by aspiring hotel owners on HOTELSmag.com, I decided to collate some of the recommendations made by international hoteliers and professionals alike.

When developers are trying to outdo each other by spending more on design, services and amenities, I wonder 'Is silence the new luxury?'

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? 

The use of social media by hotels is becoming commonplace, but while large hotel chains take their time thinking about strategies and best practices, independent hotel operators are taking great strides to creatively and effectively communicate with their guests.

Matchbooks will soon be a thing of the past so you can imagine how excited I was to find vintage matchbooks at a junk shop in Hong Kong on Cat Street! With original logos predating me from the 50s and 60s, even I had trouble identifying some of the hotel brands.

Hotels, like any other real estate, are built to make money.  And when you're talking about dollars per square foot or heads in beds, budget hotels are the way to go.