News
[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... More
New Study Analyzes COVID-19’s Impact on Lodging REIT Performance
In a recent publication in Tourism Analysis, Apostolos Ampountolas, Ph.D., examines the financial vulnerability of lodging real estate investment trusts (REITs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the article “Stock Market Volatility and Lodging Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Performance: An Event Study Analysis.” Analyzing abnormal returns for 18 publicly traded... More
New Research Explores Airbnb’s IPO Impact on Hospitality Stocks
Apostolos Ampountolas, Ph.D., has published a new article in the International Journal of Hospitality Management titled “Disruption in hospitality: Spillover effects of Airbnb’s IPO on hotel and casino stocks.” The study investigates how Airbnb’s initial public offering influenced the stock performance of traditional hospitality firms. Using a Structural Vector Auto-Regression... More
SHA Professor Makarand Mody Receives 2026 Shipley Academic Innovation Award
Boston University has announced the recipients of the 2026 Shipley Academic Innovation Awards, which recognize faculty-led initiatives that leverage artificial intelligence to reimagine teaching and learning. Among this year’s honorees is SHA Professor Makarand Mody, recognized for Hospitality as Experience Innovation in the Age of AI: Integrating Generative AI into... More
BU School of Hospitality Administration presents $50k Hospitality Innovation and $20k Student Wellbeing Competitions
Boston University School of Hospitality Administration (BU SHA) is proud to announce the $50k Hospitality Innovation and $20k Student Wellbeing competitions. The competitions offer Boston University undergraduate and graduate students, as well as 2025 BU alumni, the chance to tackle real-world challenges and create solutions for them. Competing teams can apply, starting with an idea, and will then work with advisors and... More
INNOVATING THE FUTURE OF FOOD: A Conversation with Dr. Injoon Huh, Dr. Wonil Koo, and Mr. Dongyeob Lim
Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration is spotlighting innovations that transform how food and hospitality intersect with technology, sustainability, and global markets. Through its focus on Experience Innovation, SHA connects academic expertise with real-world industry challenges to improve customer experiences, operational efficiency, and long-term value. In this context, Sean Jung... More
Latest Research Reveals How Task–AI Fit Influences Job Crafting and Performance in Hotels
A newly published study in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management by Lan Lu, Ed.D., and Richard Currie, Ph.D., sheds light on how artificial intelligence (AI) influences hotel employees’ behavior and performance. Drawing on data from an experience-sampling field study of employees in 13 luxury hotels in Orlando, Florida, More
[MA Lawyers Weekly] Judge: hotel chain must face TVPRA suit over sex trafficking claims
BU SHA Hospitality Law instructor Joshua M. Bowman was recently featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for his expert commentary on a federal ruling that expands hotel liability in sex trafficking cases. Bowman noted that the decision represents a broad interpretation of a hotel chain’s responsibility for franchise operations, even when corporate control... More
Top-Tier IJHM Publishes Dr. Bai Yunmei’s Add-on Pricing Research
Bai Yunmei, Ph.D, has published a new article in the International Journal of Hospitality Management titled “Understanding Transaction Value in Add-on Pricing – How Base Room Rate, Attribute Type, and Price Framing Shape Consumer Booking Intention.” The study explains how base room rates, add-on attributes, and price framing shape consumer... More
Boston University School of Hospitality Administration Announces the 2026 Global Hospitality Real Estate Competition
Boston University School of Hospitality Administration (BU SHA) proudly announces the 2026 Global Hospitality Real Estate Competition, an international challenge inviting student teams from hospitality and real estate programs worldwide to act as real estate developers. Participants are tasked with designing an innovative, realistic, financially viable master plan for a... More
[WCVB]Boston restaurants celebrating inclusion in Michelin Guide for first time
Seth Gerber, a Boston University culinary instructor, is interviewed by WCVB saying that the Michelin honors validate years of hard work by Boston’s chefs and help position the city as a rising culinary destination. Link to the news
[The Boston Globe] 43 cancellations reported at Logan Airport on Friday
Makarand Mody, Associate Professor of Hospitality Marketing at the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, notes that widespread flight cancellations at Logan Airport have ripple effects across the hospitality sector, impacting hotel stays, car rentals, and restaurant business throughout the region. Link to the news
[WSJ Business] Is Last-Minute Travel the New Normal?
Makarand Mody, Associate Professor of Hospitality Marketing at the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, explains that airlines are adapting to the rise in last-minute travel by maintaining flexible booking policies introduced during the pandemic. He adds that this trend is reshaping how airlines manage pricing and distribution to better... More
[NBC Boston] Joshua Bowman Analyzes Factors Behind Boston’s Rising Hotel Prices
Joshua Bowman, SHA adjunct professor, Partner at Sherin & Lodgen LLP, and Chair of its Hospitality Practice Group, frames Boston’s hotel-price surge as a mix of seasonal pressures (events + fall tourism) and broader market dynamics (luxury-hotel growth) and he advises that if you’re seeking better value, the off‐peak winter months... More
Professor Leora Halpern Lanz Elevates Hospitality Dialogue Through Book Launch and Media Spotlights
Across leading hospitality and business platforms, Professor Leora Halpern Lanz continues to inspire industry professionals and students alike with her new book, Developing Your Marketing Mindset: Real-World Lessons from Hospitality. From podcasts to press features, Lanz’s work is sparking a conversation on how purpose, authenticity, and human connection redefine marketing... More