Hotel restaurants compete against performance standards that exist in their customers' minds. Dishes that have excited and inspired them, intriguing and challenging wine lists, on-trend cocktail selections and artfully designed dining interiors that they've experience in the past - these create benchmarks against which every new restaurant experience will invariably be measured. Performance standards in these first two dimensions of a restaurant business, the products on offer and the ambience of the setting, get all the buzz and so receive a great deal of attention from management and critics. A restaurant which consistently underperforms in these aspects of the business is unlikely to survive. READ MORE

The vast majority of franchise systems, including hotel systems, depend on operating standards, procedures and policies. These requirements are typically contained in a franchise operating manual that is separate from a franchise agreement. Particularly in established hotel franchise systems, operating manuals tend to be comprehensive and often complex documents. They may contain extensive requirements with respect to virtually every aspect of the operation of the hotel, from the brand and quality assurance, to the use of technology. READ MORE

Coco Chanel said that “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Social media and the Internet have put global fashion at consumers' fingertips. Fashion is no longer an industry of just brands, but also one of lifestyle choices and luxury experiences. Fashion can be food and dining experiences. One can now enjoy a Ralph Lauren hamburger in Paris at Ralph's, drink a Cavalli vodka martini at the Cavalli Club in Dubai, or feast on Scottish oysters on Alfred Dunhill's “Oyster Night at Alfie's” in Shanghai. Chanel, Dsquared 2, Ralph Lauren, Bulgari, Armani, and Cavalli all have luxury restaurants at hot spots around the world. READ MORE

Last night over 50,000 people rented an accommodation from a service that offers 250,000 rooms in 30,000 cities in 192 countries, and yesterday alone people used a driving service for more than 1 million trips. They chose their rooms, arranged for their rides, and paid for everything online. But, perhaps surprisingly, their overnight accommodations and rides were provided by private individuals rather than a hotel chain or a traditional taxi service; hosts and guests, drivers and riders, were matched up by Airbnb and Uber which have both emerged as viable mainstream alternatives to traditional hotels and taxi service providers, and their entry into the market has and will continue to have a measurable and quantifiable impact on the traditional hotel industry and the transit business. What's at work here? The underpinning is literally the fight to control logistics for the world! While Apple, Google and Amazon battle in the news for who will be the first driverless car, a quieter war wages where hotels and taxicab companies may well be the victims. READ MORE

With the 2016 presidential election in full swing, one of the main talking points for the majority of candidates is immigration reform and how to address our broken immigration system. Although politicians often focus on the arguments concerning the 11 million undocumented individuals in this country, there is little discourse on employment-based visas and the need for a massive overhaul pertaining to skilled and non-skilled workers who are the driving force of the United States economy. Recent action taken by President Obama has been helpful in addressing some of these issues, but, simply put, the only way to address this issue is for Congress to take action on our broken immigration system. READ MORE

Making that road show a permanent fixture within a hotel should be as important as creating the exhibit in the first place because the hotel writ mobile and interactive - with its menagerie of decorative and mechanized birds and giraffes, and the choreographed locomotion of a wintertime scene of holiday revelry centered around a incandescent spruce - is a statement of purpose and a reminder, to visitors and staff alike, that a hotel - your hotel - has a story to tell. READ MORE

This article lists the top mistakes that we've seen people make when attempting to implement and use automated text analytics of consumer reviews. More importantly, this article gives advice as to how to proceed methodically thus avoiding most of the minefield, and getting the most value for dollar out of your automated review analysis. From “starting from the question” to “don't think too small,” we'll cover the top nine mistakes and corresponding fixes. READ MORE

Mobile payment technologies have captured the spotlight of the retail, banking and restaurant industries, and the hospitality industry is no exception. One solution in particular can help mobilize the guest experience and put hotels back in control of it. Host card emulation (HCE) is a cloud-based technology that leverages the Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities right within an Android phone to virtually store a guest's credentials - room keys, credit cards, reward cards and more. READ MORE

If you were to ask consumer-facing companies where the greatest future opportunity lies in terms of engaging customers, a relatively high portion would point to the social space. In fact, more and more companies are investing greater amounts of their marketing dollars into social media. And, with good reason. Trend reports are continuing to show people are watching less and less television, and reading fewer print publications. If you want to influence today's consumer — aka your potential guest — you need to reach them where they are spending their downtime. And that, my friends, is with their mobile device. READ MORE

The basics of the hotel business have traditionally been simple: good location, fair prices, appropriate amenities and good service were the keys to success. While those factors are important today, hotels are no longer simply a “heads in beds” business; hotels are increasingly brand-oriented. Brands focus not only on the services and products they sell, but on developing the perception and recognition of the brand associated with those goods and services. That means that hotels, like all brands, need to focus more and more on understanding their customers and how to reach them, whether through loyalty programs, advertising, social media or otherwise. READ MORE

A couple of notable recent legal developments have paved the way for a resurgence in developer interest in condo hotel projects. This is especially true in major luxury markets across the U.S., such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and New York, where numerous condo hotel projects are in the development and pre-sale phases. By way of background, a condo hotel is a condominium project located immediately adjacent to or within a hotel. In a condo hotel project, the condominium unit owners are entitled to certain hotel amenities by virtue of their unit ownership. Many unit owners elect or are restricted from living in their condo hotel unit year round; when the unit is not occupied, it is rented. READ MORE

There have been a significant number of cases reported in the press recently in relation to hotels that are being prosecuted for health and safety breaches. The increased visibility of such cases highlights a need for stronger emphasis on compliance within the industry. This article aims to increase awareness of health and safety issues amongst hoteliers by examining key health and safety obligations in relations to hotels; considering the legal, reputational and financial impact of failures to comply with health and safety duties; and providing some practical examples of how to ensure compliance with legal obligations. READ MORE

With new players constantly opening their doors, the hotel industry has become an extremely competitive game. One day, a hotel is the only one of its kind in its ZIP code, and the next, one opens around the corner and another right across the street. Hotel companies and operations constantly innovate novel and differentiated concepts to draw new customers in, and as a result the hospitality industry bears a surplus of very comparable brands. Whatever the concept and whatever the location, hotel executives need to differentiate their properties from the mass of competition. Using both the law and business of brands is the best tool at the hotel executive's disposal. READ MORE

Encompassing over 3.5 million square feet with a price tag of $4.4 billion, Resorts World Sentosa is one of the world's largest multi-recreational luxury parks. A city-within-a-city, the resort features six hotels, offering a total of 1,840 rooms; a large casino; a convention center, including a 7,000-square-meter ballroom, conference and meeting facilities; a multitude of theaters and entertainment facilities; a maritime museum, a large marine animal park and water park; a world-class spa and extensive retail stores and restaurants. Anchored by Universal Studios Singapore, the project required a design approach that would celebrate the unique site in a very special way. READ MORE

Does a brand have certain attributes? Do legacy brands include their new “soft” brands? Are so-called collection companies brands? With so many extensions and iterations, it's only natural to pose such questions. Is a brand a legacy brand or does it include the newly created soft brands? What about the collection companies, are those brands? READ MORE