How a hotel in Yucca Valley California uses design to increase occupancy

Branding isn't just your logo. Building the right brand for your accommodation business is the single most important thing you can do to stand out, attract the right guests and increase your bookings potential.

Art and hotels, it’s a match made in heaven right? At Perth’s brand new Aloft Hotel, the art collection has taken centre stage with the help of Lisa Reeves of local design firm, Design Theory. We spoke to Lisa recently to get her insider’s opinion on why art plays a critical role in a satisfying hotel stay.

Tasmania is a curious place. One of those "if these walls could talk" destinations, with a history so rich and diverse, sometimes bordering on absurd. I travel there a lot, and when I do, I find myself drinking the Koolaid a bit - to me, Tasmania is one of the best places in Australia, if not the world, and Hobart is a city that knows who it is...

In the past, business hotels were kind of bland. Muted colours, a small desk for writing very important memos (that could be sent via fax in the business centre), and a room service menu with the requisite club sandwich and burger. How times have changed.

In my spare time I love to cook. In fact I try to make time for it whenever I can. The other night I was whipping up a Saturday night curry and as I was grounding up my masala spices I got thinking about how cooking is a lot like creative idea generation....