By Michael Oshins The role of front desks has not changed significantly since the Parker House, the longest continually operating hotel in the United States, opened in 1855. The activities of welcoming guests upon arrival, assisting guests during their stay, and settling accounts upon departure are still the mainstay of the front desk. Although the […]
By Bradford Hudson The advertisement for American Airlines that is reproduced on the following pages appeared in national magazines in late 1957. It is a two-page centerfold color spread depicting a couple arriving at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Boston, after a flight on American Airlines. The discussion below provides a deconstruction and analysis of its […]
By Christina Luke South of the Charles River winds the Emerald Necklace, a series of parks that connects several neighborhoods in the Boston area. The genius behind the system was journalist turned landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, who was propelled to the national stage in 1858, after partnering with Calvert Vaux for the design of […]
By Rachel Roginsky and Matthew Arrants Each quarter, Pinnacle Advisory Group prepares an analysis of the New England lodging industry, which provides a regional summary and then focuses in depth on a particular market. These reviews look at recent and proposed supply changes, factors affecting demand and growth rates, and the effects of interactions between […]
By Barry A.N. Bloom Academic journals often contain statistical information, and this is certainly true in the hospitality discipline. So it may be interesting for some readers to examine the nature of business statistics in general, review the contributions of a pioneer in the development of business statistics, and explain how some of these methods […]
By Zoe Ho The hospitality industry has no shortage of women entering the business, but senior management positions seem to be dominated by men, especially general managers at major hotel properties. Although the proportions have probably improved over time, two academic studies by Robert Woods and his colleagues a decade ago indicated that fewer than […]
By John Murtha When evaluating ways to maximize revenues, hotel executives should consider supporting the efforts of local destination marketing organizations (DMOs). Helping to build and sustain travel to a city or region can benefit individual hotels, by combining resources and energy on marketing tactics that would otherwise be too ambitious or costly for a […]
The impact of politics upon the hospitality and tourism sector is dramatic. Almost unlimited are the ways in which governments influence the delivery of hospitality and tourism products, whether through regulation of commerce, business and real estate development initiatives, cultural and historic preservation strategies, and taxation policies. Governments may also be involved in spending public […]
By Christopher Muller Restaurants are considerably more sophisticated as manufacturing and service delivery systems than most uninitiated observers and users may recognize. Dining in a restaurant, whether one is served at the venerable Union Oyster House in Boston or at the window of a new food truck in Portland, requires a contextualized understanding of procedures. […]
By Rachel Black Finding a neutral definition of the term terroir is not an easy task. For some, it can mean the soil and microclimate that imparts a distinct taste to a wine. For others, the concept of terroir includes the human expertise and craftsmanship that goes into growing grapes and making wine. In the […]