In the past several years, the pace of mergers and acquisitions in the hospitality industry has accelerated greatly. The scale of these transactions has ranged from the merger of multinational corporations to the purchase and sale of numerous businesses of varying sizes. At the same time, the risk that an acquiring company may find itself liable for its predecessor's employment and labor problems has increased steadily. As a result, any company contemplating the purchase of another hotel or restaurant business should review the current law in this area and in certain circumstances, conduct an audit or thorough review of the seller or target company's employment practices. READ MORE

The early days of the travel and leisure industry are more recent but nonetheless important. In days gone by the idea of traveling cross-country or across a continent was a life-and-death proposition. Through innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit, the travel and leisure industry has become the ambassadors of business across the globe. Yet, when your customers can be literally anyone in the world, how can anyone be expected to effectively understand what they are they are saying? We will take a more detailed look at how social engagement should differ for the various brands within a hotel chain. Specifically, we're going to examine how sentiment is not a universal measure, and that it's not only correct, but appropriate that sentiment for high end hotel chains will have a much larger variance (more really positive and really negative comments). READ MORE

There is a growing shortage of qualified and skilled hospitality employees. This shortage may lead hospitality brands to hire from competitors. While the idea of hiring a skilled employee with access to a competitor's information may be tempting, hiring from a competitor may have negative repercussions for the employee, the employer, and for the hospitality brand that is hiring them. To mitigate the risk of such a repercussion, a hospitality brand may wish to consider the below when hiring from a competitor. READ MORE

Technology and automation are making exponential headway touching nearly all sectors of hospitality, including spa and wellness. This article reviews the impact and importance of integrating these systematisations to help stimulate and streamline the functionality and profitability of hotel and resort spa operations. Retooling the focus from manually centered services and embracing advancements in new technologies to support sustainable profitability and continued growth. READ MORE

Over the past decade, hotels have consistently been cited as one of the most likely sources of data breaches - a dubious honor for an industry that relies on confidence. This is a particular challenge because hotels and hotel brands rely on loyalty and trust, and consistent publicity about the insecurity of hotel systems creates the opposite perception in the public. Much of the vulnerability of hotels can be traced to the structure and business needs of hospitality properties, as well as the implementation of new technologies and consumer demands. What can hotel owners and operators do to counteract the trend? READ MORE