Didn?t we all grow up with the same idea of what the future would look like for us, and didn?t it closely resemble the Hanna Barbera cartoon, the Jetsons? Legless robot maids gliding behind us and endless tools devised to remove every bit of effort from our day. I think that we all know ?

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Economists continue to deliver discouraging news, challenging everyone in our industry, but especially hotel developers. As such, I thought that this week, hearing from my associate, Jerry Zeitner would be helpful. Jerry has been with Gettys since 1995 and in the past few years has spearheaded?

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This week, I am turning the reins over to my associate, Dan Welborn. Dan heads up our offices in Irvine as a vice president and principal, and was in attendance at last week?s Lodging Conference 2008. He has some interesting insights that I wanted him to share. Dan: At last week?s ?

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Will your sustainable project be profitable on your timeline? Attractive, compelling and on-brand design is significant, but diminished if it doesn?t produce P&Ls that are in the black. Then came the sustainability movement – beginning its ascent from trend to tipping point two?

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With Katrina?s three year anniversary looming and Gustav gearing up for a Labor Day battering of the Gulf of Mexico next week, (the biggest since Wilma in 2005, they fear,) I thought that it might be appropriate to blog a little bit about hurricane and other natural disaster preparedness. ?

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After an amazing week in China, checking out the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China as well as plenty of Olympic events, I have returned home. I have a camera full of photos capturing the amazing sights that I witnessed, but ultimately, it will be the people who I met and the places w?

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Having opened offices in Hong Kong in 2007, learning about the nuances of Chinese culture and customs has been a constant opportunity for growth. I learned this week that the number eight is considered lucky in China. In fact, a day is considered lucky if it sounds like a word that is positive. F?

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I am usually a pretty positive guy. But I can?t mince words here. Last week I experienced what turned out to be one of the worst airline travel experiences of life. I was traveling to New York City for a conference sponsored by Google and planned to return to Chicago in time for a late dinn?

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Having just returned from the Midwest Lodging Investors Summit in Chicago last week, the tone of the two days was clear. We heard again and again, “Good times will come again, we promise,” and “no one is quite sure when.” Whether recovery comes in 2009 or in 2010, every gr?

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As my three founding partners -- Andrew J. Fay, Ariane Steinbeck, Julius van Heek -- and I first hung out our shingle in 1988, we built Gettys, a hospitality design firm that possessed some key differentiators from our competitive set. Paramount among these differences was the importance of our clie?

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This week, I have turned the blogging responsibilities over to Gettys? Vice President/Principal Karrie Drinkhahn. Karrie has worked with me at Gettys for a little more than a decade, and most recently, opened our regional offices in Miami. Given Karrie?s location, the vacation owner?

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With occupancy rates and financial projections declining, it is no wonder that hotel operating budgets are being cut?even for security! Last week?s terrorist attacks in Mumbai have spurred increased concern about hotel security and the well-being of its guests. On average, Indian hote?

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When designing for any application, whether it is automobiles, apparel or interiors, there is a certain pride taken into the execution of every detail. So as you probably already know, there is nothing worse than turning over a beautifully designed project and then having a procurement firm devalue ?

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The current state of the economy has had a profound effect on resorts in cold-weather destinations. Travelers have reduced their travel plans and are waiting longer to book their trips. Resorts are seeing fewer foreign visitors due to the spread of a global recession and a stronger U.S. d?

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In our business, we are constantly balancing the pragmatic with the frivolous, the enduring with the ephemeral, the ROI and the ROG (Return On Investment and the Return Of the Guest). Guests look forward to fresh, indulgent and thoughtful design and hotel operators and owners expect functional,?

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Last week I began writing about how Gettys views and deploys the basics of project management. I?ve broken down the subject into three areas: project kick-off, project status meetings and project management tools. Last week I covered project kick-off and this week I?ll wrap up with the l?

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