Cyber fraud has been making headlines around the world for its destructive impact on businesses and consumers through data breaches, email phishing scams and ransomware attacks. Once a business has been compromised, the potential loss to business owners from cyber fraud is significant in terms of the actual loss sustained, potential lost or damaged business relationships, legal proceedings and adverse publicity. As hotel directors, managers and property owners examine effective strategies to combat cyber fraud, it is imperative they consult with their risk managers for a solution before a threat arises. READ MORE

For the last decade, home-sharing services have disrupted segments of the hotel industry, threatening to flip the script on market-supply. Airbnb and other online platforms are poised for further growth, particularly within the super-luxury segment. Their emergence has pitted global hotel chains against homeowners, as well as major metropolitan cities against multi-billion-dollar tech interests. An analysis of market and legal issues surrounding short-term home-sharing reveals its sound legal footing. The need for market-players to adapt to the continued presence of these services, as well as the important role of attorneys well-versed in this debate, is brought into focus. READ MORE

Why should we consider hostels a hot new market? With the rise of the sharing economy and the power of millennial spending, there is a lot to unpack as to why hostels are thriving in this economy. Beyond being a growing trend, hostels are quickly driving more market share as they become a "go-to" for today's generation of savvy travelers who will spend less so that they can travel more without sacrificing value-based amenities they rely on. Jackson Thilenius, Principal at Retail Design Collaborative, elaborates. READ MORE

Après ski in ski resorts used to consist of a few pints of ale and plate of nachos, but increasingly the bubbly allure of champagne, beer and spirits is being packaged by resorts into beer and distillery tours, private in-room liquor tastings, champagne toasts on the slopes, and beverage and food pairings. This article takes a look at some of the ski industry's more innovative beverage-focused offerings, from North America's highest-elevation fine-dining in Telluride offering a choice of 400 wines 12,000 feet above sea level, to Pow Day, the Waldorf Astoria Park City's own custom craft beer. READ MORE

Hospitality organizations increasingly rely on data-driven technologies and systems to inform and guide most any level of operations, management or strategy. One of the key challenges in this trend is to make data in all of its forms as accessible and useful as possible for the frontline staff that works with guests directly on a daily basis. Pursued carefully, we can improve efficiencies and profitability, motivate employees and, overall, also make technology adoption easier instead of more difficult. READ MORE

Hoteliers seeking alternative sources of funding can put their alcohol licenses at risk if they don't perform the proper due diligence on potential investors before those investors become owners. Every state has its own complex, and very different, statutory scheme that hoteliers need to navigate to ensure that the investor is eligible to be on the alcohol license. This article identifies some of the overarching issues that most states consider when there is a partial transfer of ownership - although the treatment of those issues may be addressed very differently be each state. READ MORE

Generation Z is actually known by several names. But whatever it is called, this generation is the one that follows the infamous Millennials.. Typically, demographers and researchers classify iGens as those born between 1995 to 2005, putting them still in school with leading edge finishing up their college years. Although this cohort is still relatively young, they influence about $600 Billion of what and where their family spends its time and money – i.e. that's about 70% of their parents' spending. Already they are swaying their family's travel decisions. By 2020 – that's less than two short years from now - they will represent 40% of the world's consumers. In this article, you learn more about this up and coming generation and how your hotel can attract their business. READ MORE

Food waste wastes money. In the US alone, we waste more than $160 billion worth of food each year. Reducing waste is a perfect example of how more sustainable business practices can sustain people, planet, and prosperity all at the same time. The food waste debate often focuses on how to keep waste out of landfills by diverting it to people, animals or compost (in that order). That's a worthwhile goal, but it's not the best way to save money-or the planet. Rather, preventing food waste is the most effective way to save money and the environment. READ MORE

With hoteliers' attention split between the boomer generations' affinity for luxury and the younger guest's preference for high technology and social interaction, David Ashen, principal and founder of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design, explores how hoteliers are catering to each group, separately-including trendy rooftop bars and combination bar/lobby areas for the younger set and refined restaurants and luxurious amenities for boomer guests-and the importance of flexible design elements to balance guest wants and needs across generations. READ MORE

In the hotel industry, a key amenity at many properties is the service of alcohol beverages in the restaurant or bar. This necessitates some type of license issued by a state local alcohol beverage licensing authority. Many hotels in smaller cities, rural areas, or suburbs, however, share a common predicament of not getting a license for a bar or restaurant at their premises. This article explores options available to a hotel that elects not to serve alcohol beverages in a bar or restaurant. These options include the "mini bar," a self-service dispensing system, or a complimentary service. READ MORE

President Trump made immigration reform a central issue of his presidential campaign, promising to remove all undocumented immigrants from the United States and to build a physical wall along our southern border. While these large-scale plans have yet to be fully realized, the Trump Administration has begun to construct an "invisible wall" through several smaller immigration policy changes that have already had the effect of restricting and slowing legal immigration in our country. These changes have created new challenges for hospitality companies that rely on foreign workers to meet their staffing needs. READ MORE

The hospitality industry has always been responsible for the safety of its guests. The industry is now grappling with its obligation to maintain a safe data environment. Hotel owners, brands and operators face significant challenges as bad actors become more sophisticated and as hotel systems become more complex. Recent legal developments in Europe and in America have created a new set of issues, requiring hotel companies to reevaluate how they collect process and protect information. The hospitality industry must, therefore, reconsider its approach to data security and privacy. READ MORE

High profile events and trends in the last year have made customers planning future events at hotels nervous. Things like the "#MeToo" movement, the Las Vegas shootings, and political and economic volatility have led meeting planners to request new terms in their event contracts. Many of these new clauses, some of which are being recommended by meeting industry groups, are poorly drafted, don't solve the problem that they seek to address, and put the hotel at risk for claims or lost business. READ MORE

In a marketplace that increasingly places a premium on authenticity and extraordinary, historic hotels offer a spectrum of event venues, from elegant to quirky, but typically unique. There is always a temptation to concentrate on operational efficiency and standardization in designing new space, and certainly, flawless service is a key to a successful event. But whether a grand dame hotel or an adapted vintage building, there is value in embracing the special places and unusual character of older buildings, capitalizing on historic architecture to create memorable venues – which in turn feed the bottom line. READ MORE

Despite confusing rhetoric from Capitol Hill, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its employer mandate is alive and well. Not only that, the IRS is serious about enforcing the mandate and is collecting penalties from employers for noncompliance. Many companies fall short of ACA compliance because they fail to accurately track full-time employees throughout the year. Constant turnover, variable-hour shifts, and seasonality make it increasingly difficult for hospitality businesses to track employees' hours. This article will cover the nuances of ACA reporting and how to stay on top of all the day-to-day change with shift workers. READ MORE