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 […]
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 Nicholas Thomas PhD. and Eric Brown PhD. As the United States approaches mid-2016, seats throughout the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches of the federal government are in play. As Republicans and Democrats fight for control, the docket of debatable topics continues to grow. One issue in particular, employee compensation, continues to be one of […]
By Christopher Muller On the first day of my HF 100 Introduction to Hospitality Management class I present a lecture that raises the question, “How Do You Teach Hospitality?” It’s my first Power Point slide and is then repeated as my last slide for the day. I suspect (maybe hope) that this question is […]
By Daniel Lesser,Jonathan Jaeger, & Jeremy Gilston of LW Hospitality Advisors® Should the deal ultimately close, the recently announced acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (HOT) by Marriott International (MI) will be a lodging industry game changer. MI is a trailblazer of the dual-branded hotel trend and will be well poised to accelerate this […]
by Makaela Reinke Opening the door to the highly acclaimed fine-dining restaurant Eastern Standard is akin to drawing back the curtain of a Broadway musical: the lights are dimmed, the music starts, and your attention is captivated by the beautiful set before you. Your spirit is soothed by the muted ruby reds and royal purples […]
By Morgan Brown Shortly before Thanksgiving of 2015, it was announced that Airbnb had raised $100 million at a valuation of $25.5 billion. That $100 million was a drop in the bucket compared to the war chest of $1.5 billion the company raised earlier in the summer, raised on the back of increasingly strong growth. […]
By Michael Oshins The complexity and challenges of owning and operating a hotel have changed over the years. Traditionally most hotels were owned and managed by the same person (or company). In today’s marketplace, several entities can be involved, including owners, developers, management companies, brands, affiliations/consortiums and asset managers, resulting in a far more complex […]
By Joshua Bowman In July 2014, Zack “Danger” Brown famously launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter website. To his surprise, he raised ten times the desired amount in the first day. Within a few months, Mr. Brown raised over $55,000 from 6,911 different complete strangers. Mr. Brown’s idea? Potato salad. Mr. Brown’s crowdfunding campaign […]
By Leora Halpern Lanz and Megan Carmichael The hotel marketing budget, typically amounting to approximately 4-5% of an asset’s total revenue, must remain fluid, so that the marketing director can constantly adapt the marketing tools to meet consumer communications methods and demands. Though only a small amount of a hotel’s revenue is traditionally allocated […]