Hospitality, traditionally slow to adopt new technology, is today everywhere threatened by it. There is physical competition in the form of a glut of new rooms provided, for example, by homestay networks like AirBnb. There is virtual competition in the form of difficult-to-manage online profile and review aggregators such as TripAdvisor—which can represent low-cost affronts to an expensively acquired and laboriously nurtured brand. At the same time, there is a new generation of customers that technology has trained to be fickle with their brand loyalty, impatient with waiting for services, impatient with wanting for access, impatient in general. READ MORE

Mobile technology by its nature limits face-to-face interaction between a hotel's service staff and their guests, thereby depersonalizing the guest experience. Yet service, especially in higher end brands, is a key differentiator in driving bookings and loyalty. So how will guest-facing automation impact service levels and pricing? And will any cost savings realized through technology benefit the guest or just the hotel? READ MORE

As TV chefs have morphed into global celebrities in the era of TV reality shows, a new restaurant trend in Open Kitchen Dining has emerged. Although the concept is not totally novel - after all, sushi bars have been doing it for years - it is the polished level of performance, highbrow cuisine and the proliferation of the trend that is more recent. All around the world, restaurants are putting their executive chefs on display, cooking part, or even all, of a meal right in front of diners who often sit at counters, watching every move. Cooking has become a reality show, adding an extra cachet to the restaurant experience. This ascendance of culinary scrutiny has gone hand in hand with a heightened interest in farm fresh ingredients and a general food fetishism which encompasses new fads in organic, gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan and vegetarian eating. READ MORE

No consumer characteristic exists in isolation. They exist in various profiles which the marketing industry calls lifestyle segments. In other words, knowing your DINKS, SINKS, and HENRYS will help you keep heads on your beds. In this article, we are concentrating on HENRYS - those High Earners, Not Rich Yet folks. Specifically, smart hoteliers will hit bullseyes in 4-Ss - Status, Service, Story, Smarts - with this market. The takeaway for every hotel brand will be this: HENRYs are important and have the potential to drive your revenues. The key to capturing and keeping this market is finding the sweet-spot between class and mass. And as you see, I'm a firm believer in hotels not looking to other hotels for ideas. Rather, look outside the industry for ideas that can be adapted and incorporated into your story and experience. READ MORE

At some point, we have all experienced that sinking feeling when a valued employee walks in to let us know that they are leaving. We ask ourselves the question, what went wrong? (if you didn't, you should have) After navigating through the initial onslaught of emotions when discovering you have lost yet another good employee, you might ask yourself, “What is missing? How do I retain top talent in this new generation of employees that constantly job hop in hopes of quick advancement?” READ MORE

On September 29, 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Continuing Resolution, passed by Congress to avoid shutting down the Federal government by continuing to fund government operations and most of its agencies. The Continuing Resolution is a temporary solution, and continues funding at 2016 levels only through December 9, 2016. A number of programs are included in the Continuing Resolution, among them, the EB-5 Regional Center program. In this Article, I will discuss some of the major issues and impacts on the EB-5 Immigrant Visa Program anticipated for 2017, and review the benefits to financing hotels through the EB-5 Program. READ MORE

The FTC's has stepped up enforcement of social media advertising in the entertainment and fashion industries and this effort is likely to continue and expand to other industries. Advertisers and retailers in the travel tourism and hospitality industry need to be mindful to make sure that if any content is sponsored or any influencer or spokesperson is paid to promote a product or services online, a clear and conspicuous disclosure is required. It is possible that FTC enforcement also may soon target individual influencers and require clear and conspicuous disclosures by them regarding the endorsement of products or services for compensation. READ MORE

They're Coming to the U.S.A. Foreign investors are making headlines as they take ever bigger positions in the U.S. hospitality market. Notably, the structure of the hotel management agreement (HMA) - a complex and often misunderstood instrument - has major legal implications for foreign owners and managers. In this article, we explore the friction between owners and operators whose interests are not always aligned - particularly during periods of economic downturn. Therefore, negotiating a proper HMA is critical to governing the relationship. READ MORE

CDA § 230 is shorthand for Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 230 (2016). It is the law cited by short term rental companies ("STRC"), such as Airbnb, when they argue with city and state governments and in the courts that their businesses are not subject to state and local regulation. It is fair to say that the STRCs are of the opinion that city and state governments are nearly powerless to regulate them in any way whatsoever, absent their consent. CDA § 230 provides, in pertinent part, that: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." READ MORE

The hospitality industry experiences change every single day. Each day sees changes in guests, rates, menus, events and staff. At a higher level, hotels across the globe experience changes in management, brands, job responsibilities, revenue strategy and guest expectations. Sweeping changes in distribution, technology, analytics and merging industry conglomerates also affect nearly every hotel in every region. READ MORE

Corporate culture is critical to ensuring that the experience guests actually receive is representative of the experience that hotel leadership hopes to portray. Culture can be affected in any number of ways, from management implementing employee appreciation programs to maintain top talent, through far less formal interactions like a couple of workers putting together a plan to ensure there's coffee to start a shift together. It can be augmented, strengthened, improved, measured, and yes; culture can be ruined. READ MORE

After a seven-year stagnation, the federal minimum wage is poised to follow the lead of cities and states across the U.S. that have passed measures to raise wages for their lowest-paid workers. Service industry employers who fail to prepare for the higher labor costs that will come with the minimum-wage increase and its subsequent ripple effect on their pay ladder will likely experience a dollar-for-dollar negative impact on their bottom line. To offset the higher labor costs will require organizations to take a hard look at their business model for opportunities to improve productivity. READ MORE

Start discussing a technical topic and watch as people's eyes glaze over, even if those people are fully aware that it's something they should be paying attention to. Embarking on a path toward a more sustainable and energy efficient hotel operation qualifies as one of these 'glazed' subjects, so to eliminate any possibility of eyelid fatigue, let's talk about this extremely important issue in terms of something just a bit more fun - golf. READ MORE

There is an old adage that says, “The only constant is change.” Although attributed to Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher who lived around 500 B.C., apparently that statement is as true now as it has ever been - perhaps even more so. 2016 has proven to be a year of tumultuous change in the hospitality industry, from the dizzying pace of technological advancements and fluctuating global economies to the introduction and adoption of entire new segments of the business. With rapidly advancing technologies in just about every sector of the industry, hospitality has experienced an exponential transformation over the past several years, dramatically changing the face of one of the world's oldest occupations. READ MORE

Hurricanes can be frightening experiences, particularly for those on the coast. For hotels, which occupy much of the country's coastal landscape, they can bring revenue to a halt. Business interruption coverage is key to help hotels get through these catastrophes without having to board up their businesses for good. In this article, we explore the ins and outs of business interruption coverage to help hotel owners question their coverage and ensure they have the protection they need to come out on top after a major loss. READ MORE