Nothing gets the juices flowing more than a discussion about salaries, with hotel executives often sharing their earnings’ secrets in the washroom. What we earn gives us bragging rights: the watches we wear, the designers’ clothes we choose, the cars we drive, our addresses, and where our kids go to school all send signals about how much we make. Over the next decade, hundreds of hotels will be constructed throughout Asia, and many will be managed by companies operating in the region or particular destinations for the first time. Knowing what to pay people to keep them happy and committed is a key management function.