From digital room keys to wireless internet, the hospitality industry continues to embrace new tools and technologies that promise to enrich the guest experience. Advances in technology also open up possibilities behind the scenes for hospitality sales and marketing professionals-online booking services, social media channels, and hotel review sites are reshaping the sales and marketing landscape in important ways. But are all of those changes necessarily a good thing? Are there limitations to the power of technology, and inherent trade-offs and compromises that need to be taken into account? READ MORE

While the workplace continues its rapid move towards a "gig economy," recent National Labor Relations Board rulings have made it tougher for employers to classify workers as independent contractors vs. employees. That could change, however, under the new administration, which has signaled it could scale back federal protections of workers in favor of more employer-friendly policies. Add to that the uncertain future of healthcare requirements and the big questions are: Will independent contractors find a steady place in the hospitality industry? And what will be the advantages and disadvantages of working as a contractor versus a full-time employee? READ MORE

There are approximately 6.5 million lead service pipes still in use in the United States. However, it's lead leaching does not only occur solely as a result of lead pipes - often lead contributors are present, which may go unnoticed, although they can release dangerously high levels of lead. Learn more about lead contributors and critical steps you need to take to ensure your hotel isn't liable for harmful lead leaching. READ MORE

As a frequent business traveler, I get clear value from my hotel loyalty program membership. My room is ready, I have check in and out flexibility, and usually free breakfast and wifi. I get points on the room spend (paid by someone else) that allows me to accumulate points for free nights, which I usually use for leisure. When traveling for a family vacation, however, the impact of my membership is less tangible. When I travel for business, the hotel loyalty program captures my interactions well and rewards me for my loyalty. When I travel for leisure, however, the program often does a poor job of capturing my total spend and delivering a differentiated experience. That's because hotel loyalty programs are designed to build relationships with road warriors rather than vacationers. READ MORE

The relationship between business travel buyers (the customer), the travel management company (TMC), and hotels has evolved since the beginning of travel management into one of interdependency. The hotelier must understand the TMC/customer relationship in order for hotels to work more effectively with TMCs to establish, build, and maintain their relationships with the customer. READ MORE