Do you hate having to pay up to 25% commissions to online travel agency and hotel bookings sites? You are not alone. With only 65% of bookings now made directly on a hotel or chain's website, you can't afford to ignore them, but with a great website you can get more people to book directly with you. Don't make these common mistakes on your website if you want to avoid those nasty commissions and have more guests come straight to you. READ MORE

Virtually everyone has access to computer technology. This presents significant challenges for establishments seeking to protect their proprietary information. A tiny thumb drive can enable the download of thousands of documents of critical information. Images and data can be captured in an instant with cell phones and transmitted to multiple entities. Add to this the reality that businesses need employee talent to thrive, but a competitive economy also poses the possibility that current employees could be future competitors. What can an establishment do to protect their proprietary information? In this article we will discuss measures to reduce the risk. READ MORE

Deep within the filing cabinets of every hotel's Human Resources department hides a ticking time bomb: the Form I-9. Each of these federally-mandated, deceptively short forms holds the potential of inflicting thousands of dollars of damage on an unsuspecting employer. When the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division comes calling, as its audit numbers show it increasingly is, simple paperwork errors can be costly and criminal prosecution can follow. Learn about recent enforcement actions against the Hotel industry and advice on how to ensure your company is in full compliance. READ MORE

In the hotel industry, the myriad of complex business relationships also creates legal land-mines for the unwary. In that regard, hotel asset managers, hotel operators and franchisors should be extremely mindful of their legal obligations to their client, the owner of the hotel. Even if the hotel is a single asset, there are potentially four groups that, for a better term, have their fingers in the pie - the owner, hotel asset manager, hotel operator and franchisor. But at the end of the day, each of these relationships confer legal rights for the benefit of the owner and potentially, to the detriment of the asset manager, hotel operator and franchisor. READ MORE

The hospitality industry has become an ever increasing target for cybercrimes and accordingly, for related litigation. Although the prevailing legal standard requires hotels and other businesses to take reasonable steps to protect customers' personal information, juries tend to hold the hospitality industry to higher standards. Jurors relate to guests on vacation and believe they should not have to bring with them the same level of vigilance they apply to their everyday lives. With expectations heightened, how should businesses approach protecting customers' personal information from cybersecurity threats in this ambiguous regulatory environment, and what steps can be taken to mitigate exposure to cybersecurity lawsuits? This article explores these issues in the context of agency guidance and recent federal court opinions issued in the FTC's pending enforcement action against Wyndham Worldwide Corporation and related entities. READ MORE