Running a profitable hotel has never been easy, but since the turn of the century hotel providers have had to deal with an increasing number of challenges in order to achieve a continued level of success. Of the many operational and environmental issues they face the list below outlines five of the most important ones they need to overcome. Do this and the chances are their business will do well.1. Occupancy RatesThe global financial crisis has been particularly unkind to the hotel industry. With economic confidence at a very low level many hotels have suffered a dramatic decline in occupancy rates as families and the business community congruently tighten their financial belts. Inevitably there will be casualities as some operators struggle to preserve unsustainable businesses, however the most successful accommodation providers recognise the power of market forces and as such maintain a high level of occupancy by incentivise guests to book a hotel with them by either lowering their prices or offering free nights accoomodation or upgrades.2. InternetThe internet has revolutionised the way consumers make hotel reservations to the point that it is now easier than ever to make a hotel booking, anywhere in the world, at any time of the day. With the growth of the world wide web has come the establishment of a number of hotel booking websites, which in turn has led to increased competition. No longer now are potential guests limited to a handful of recommendations that feature in a holiday brochure or are made from a travel agent. Instead in just a few clicks of a mouse they can access information (in one easy to navigate page/section) about every single hotel in any given city. For instance, if you are looking to book a hotel in New York City you can scout through well over 1000 different options. The challenge for any hotel on this list is how to stand out from the rest of the competition.3. Services, Amenities & FacilitiesThis increase in competition has forced the hotel industry as a whole to reevaluate their offerings. Long gone are the days when the mini bar was the highlight of your room. No, in this age of advanced technology customers expect more bang for their buck than they ever previously enjoyed. Flat Screen televisions, air conditioning, DVD player, complimentary Wi-Fi, iPod docking stations are all being expected by patrons as a standard feature, even for mid ranged establishments. Similarly the most successful hotels have lifted their game in terms of the standard of food their restaurants serve or the state of the equipment on offer in their gyms. Failure to do so in the current climate will render any business dead in the water.4. Guest ReviewsIt used to be that guest reviews were met with a lot of suspicion by the people who read them. But not any more. Nowadays Hotel review sites like Trip Advisor have made it possible to gain a far deeper understanding of what a hotel is likely to be like from the feedback of actual guests who have paid to stay there. Genuine, honest and independent, they are an important factor in the decision making process for booking a hotel. It is not rocket science but those hotels which exceed their guests expectations by offering the best levels of service and amenities get the best reviews.5. Social MediaLike it or not social media is here to stay and like it or not it can also make or break a hotel’s reputation. If a hotel is good, or particularly bad, a quick tweet or status update can let literally thousands of people know. So every hotel operator not only needs to look after their guests but also manage and monitor their social media presence pretty much 24/7.