Faculty In The Press
[CBS News] Making a restaurant reservation? That’ll be $100 — without food or drinks.
It's become increasingly common for restaurants to charge customers' credit cards even before they step foot into an establishment, let alone order food or drinks. Referred to as a "reservation fee" and applied at the time of booking, the charge ranges in amount but inevitably peeves diners who don't want to be... More
[AFAR] Airbnb Just Banned Security Cameras Inside Rentals
The new indoor-camera ban takes effect April 30, but it’s unclear how much will change under the updated privacy policy. For Meg St-Esprit, seeing cameras inside Airbnb vacation homes she has stayed at with her husband and their four kids “creeped me out.” The Pittsburgh-based writer says a newly implemented camera... More
[Boston.com] Should the tipped minimum wage be abolished? Lawmakers hear from advocates, servers on proposed ballot question.
State lawmakers heard arguments for and against a proposed ballot question to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers Tuesday — a measure some say would mean less money for workers and others say would protect workers’ rights. One Fair Wage, a national coalition, is sponsoring a proposed ballot question to raise... More
[New York Times] $1,780 to Spend the Night in a ‘Cocoon’? Hotels Are Betting on Sleep Tourism.
To sleep, perchance to dream. Or if not dream, at least to feel vaguely rested the next day, especially on vacation. Is that too much to ask? For many people, yes. The United States is tired, according to the National Sleep Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, More
[Morning Brew] Why Do the Biggest Hotel Chains Create So Many Different Brands?
When you're planning a trip, it may seem like you're wading through a sea of endless hotel options, but many of those hotel brands are hiding a secret – they're owned by the same company. Why do hotel mega-chains spend so much time and money creating these different brands? We've... More
[Luxury Daily] Luxury hospitality heating up in South Pacific
Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are demonstrating a thirst for far-flung getaways. To appease their adventurous spirits, top-end travel brands are increasingly taking to the sparkling waters and lush islands of Oceania. Heating up operations in remote spots around the South Pacific, the expansion efforts and exclusive programming of international luxury names reveal... More
[NPR Marketplace] 2023 was a big year for the hotel industry. Has its recovery peaked?
InterContinental Hotels Group — which owns Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and others — reported on Tuesday that it had good earnings in 2023. The company made more money per room last year and increased its profits to over $1 billion for the first time. 2023 was a big recovery year for a... More
[Boston.com] Guardian columnist thinks Boston eats too many bowls. Do we?
If you’re visiting Boston for its food, you’re most likely eating the city’s delicious seafood, staying warm with clam chowder, grabbing a cannoli for dessert in the North End. But are you buried in bowls? The city was visited by a European guest recently who then shared her experience in an opinion... More
[BU Today] Is Today’s Minimum Wage an Honest Living Wage?
School of Hospitality Administration speaker series on Wednesday to address minimum wages, tipping, hospitality industry challenges At $15 an hour, the minimum wage in Massachusetts is one of the highest in the nation, trailing only New York, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., the state of Washington, and California. The minimum wage still languishes... More
[The Daily Free Press] SHA professor Carol Bliss breaks boundaries in club management, shares joys of hospitality
Not many people can say they call a place with over a thousand rooms “home.” But working in the hotel industry gave Carol Bliss, adjunct professor at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, the unique opportunity. “You got to exude your actual personality, like welcoming somebody into your house and your... More