[The Brink] How Should Workers Respond to Rude Customers? Dr. Sunny Kim Weighs In
Sunny Kim, Assistant Professor at the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, recently shared expert insights in The Brink article examining how service workers can effectively respond to rude customers. The article is grounded in her research, which served as the foundation for the study titled “Sleepless after sabotage: the hidden costs of coping with […]
Boston University School of Hospitality names Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, as 2026 Hospitality ICON Award honoree and spotlights Hospitality AI at the Hospitality Leadership Summit on April 10, 2026
Boston University School of Hospitality Administration (BU SHA) is pleased to announce that the 2026 Hospitality ICON Award will be presented to Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, at the School’s annual Hospitality Leadership Summit, Friday, April 10, 2026. The full-day Summit will take place at Boston University’s Wightman Mansion, 43 Hawes Street, Boston. Registration, sponsorship […]
[New Publication] Understanding Lodging REIT Vulnerability Through Event Study Analysis
Apostolos Ampountolas, Ph.D., has published “Market Volatility and Lodging REIT Performance: An Event Study Analysis” in Tourism Analysis. The study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected 18 publicly traded lodging REITs using an event study approach and the Fama–French five-factor model. Results show significant negative cumulative abnormal returns following the World Health Organization’s pandemic declaration, […]
[Boston Globe] Boston Real Estate Trend: Office Buildings Poised for Hotel Conversions
Kaushik Vardharajan, associate professor and director of real estate programs at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, was recently quoted in The Boston Globe discussing the growing trend of converting underutilized downtown office buildings into hotels. As Boston’s office market continues to face elevated vacancy rates, developers are exploring hospitality conversions as a viable alternative. […]