Of all areas affected by changes in the way people live, work and play, public spaces are chief among them. David Ashen, president & CEO of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design, explores what's behind the shift, including generational preferences, an increase in remote and co-working environments and a need to surprise and delight guest like never before. Ashen explores how hotel brands can stay relevant to leisure and business guests by reimagining meeting spaces and ballrooms to make way for fresh possibilities and a world of flexibility. READ MORE

Tourism in Canada is on the rise, leading to a bevy of opportunities for hotel brands, developers and owners. For the All Suites brands by Hilton, comprised of Embassy Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Home2 Suites by Hilton, the state of the market combined with the use of multi-brand builds and flexible prototypes has led to great success, with the category recently opening its milestone 30th Canadian property. With a robust pipeline and recognitions such as Great Place to Work®'s 2019 Best Workplaces™ in Canada, it's no wonder the brands are seeing continued growth in Canada. READ MORE

The obscure maze of alcohol licensing becomes even more confusing as the hotelier encounters different state laws. Because states are vested with the authority to create their own alcohol laws, there is often no uniformity in laws from state to state. As hoteliers build their portfolio in new territories, it can be difficult to remember what law applies. This article does not teach the laws of any state, rather it identifies the legal issues that hoteliers face when making application for an alcohol license in the various states. It is these questions that create the foundation of understanding of the specific state alcohol regimes for the hotelier. READ MORE

One of the world's largest hotel chains experienced a massive cyberattack in which a hacker exploited their lack of adequate IT security controls, exposing the private data and travel details of nearly 500 million people. Security threats can come from a number of touch points, such as hotel Wi-Fi, credit card reservations/sales, loyalty programs, guest services and interconnections with vendors. Adding to such vulnerabilities is a labor shortage. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the hotel industry will experience a 600,000-worker shortfall. Couple this with the dearth of qualified cyber security professionals, and you see an industry at a peak point of stress. READ MORE

With the constant flow of hotel acquisitions and investments, global conglomerates, private equity funds, and venture capitalists regularly find themselves navigating alcohol beverage laws and regulations enacted from a bygone era and drafted in response to societal abuses and evils at that time. Alcohol beverage tied-house laws serve to prevent manufacturers and distributors from holding interests in or exercising control over retailers and prevent cross-ownership or investment in different tiers in the alcohol beverage industry. While some may question their relevancy today, "tied-house laws" separating the three tiers of the industry remain a legal hurdle to acquisitions of, or investments in, hotel businesses to be reckoned with. READ MORE