By Tarik Dogru and Osman Pekin The sharing economy has become a major phenomenon; Airbnb, Uber, ZipCar, Kickstarter and many more comprise the rapidly expanding list of pioneers in the world of the sharing economy. This new concept has introduced an alternative platform for consumers, widely known as peer-to-peer marketplace, in which participants are motivated […]
By John Murtha I was on temporary assignment recently at another hotel in our company that was between general managers. This historic property had joined us less than a year before I arrived and one thing that immediately impressed me was how quickly the associates had bought into our way of doing business. They operated […]
By Peter Szende and Justin Cipriano The restaurant industry is a dynamic ever changing business. The concepts change every day, the trends come and go but at the industries core it is about giving the guest an experience within each of the restaurants respected segmentation. Specifically, in how is an experience delivered to the […]
By Alex Friedman Since my time at Boston University—back when Facebook was still in its infancy—the world has spun uncontrollably into the vortex of our portable devices. They are, after all, the gateways to our thoughts, our exchanges, our friendships, and our digital libraries. We are seemingly unable to function without the familiar feel of […]
By Manisha Singal and Yinyoung Rhou There is general consensus today that business plays an ever increasing role in society and a corporation’s responsibility goes beyond just making profits. The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) however has evolved from the understanding that a company should look after not only its investors and customers but […]
By Steve Kent “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.”—Muriel Ruckeyser Just a few years ago, consumers proudly showcased material purchases of the latest fashion accessory or technological gadget. Now they are more likely to post online about experiences, rather than the consumption of products. This ‘experiential economy’ and the consumers that characterize […]
Tarik Dogru What are the main differences between C-corporation hotels, such as Marriott, Hilton, and Choice, and Hotel-REITs like Diamond Rock, Felcor, and Host? What are the potential growth opportunities in these hotel structures? This article attempts to answer these questions from a theoretical and practical perspective by comparing two corporate structures, their business models, […]
By Jan Whitaker In the summer of 1920 a woman named Mary Love opened The Maramor, a tea room-style restaurant in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The location was in a house once owned by the city’s richest man. After being vacated by his widow in 1895, the handsome 3-story building had housed a variety of tenants […]
By Allen Adamson and Chekitan S. Dev The Exponential Growth in Both Hospitality Brands and the Millennial Audience Requires an Exponential Shift in Brand Portfolio Strategy The past decade has seen exponential growth in hospitality brands making for an often confounding proliferation of options for travelers. According to Smith Travel Research, from hard to soft, […]
By Peter Szende and Annie Holcombe The evolution of society and technology has created new trends and innovations. The hospitality industry tries to stay level with new technological advances in order to keep up and engage with their guests. This modernization has eliminated various practices and inventions that were once predominant in the industry. Throughout […]