Anyone who works in hospitality will likely tell you the industry can teach you a lot. A lot about people and service quality. They’ll likely also tell you it’s a great place to learn how to become a manager. I knew I wanted to work in hospitality at age 10 when I stayed at my first hotel. I was living overseas at the time, traveling throughout Europe with my family. Hotels, I quickly learned, offered atmosphere, terrific people-watching opportunities, restaurants and the best part—my own ...

Corporate travel is making a comeback as the U.S. economy has shown signs of a slow, but modest rebound. While that provides the tourism and hospitality industry with something to smile about (along with welcome relief) hospitality business leaders need to realize they’re now likely dealing with a new breed of business traveler and adjust their strategies accordingly.    Business travelers are expected to take as many trips as they did this past year—if not slightly more—...

Health care reform is likely having a major impact on many hoteliers. The rolling requirements mean that the clock started to tick when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010—and it won’t stop ticking until 2018. As employers of a largely part-time, temporary or seasonal workforce, the hospitality industry will likely be significantly affected by the legal obligations of providing health care coverage to employees—a change th...

It's official—the recession is over, apparently as of June 2009. And yes, I do believe the hospitality industry is no exception and is headed towards recovery, despite all the talk of a double-dip recession. Though we’ve witnessed somewhat of a slowdown, consumer confidence seems to be on the rise, the overall stock market may be improving from where it was at the beginning of last year, and business travel is experiencing a modest uptick. We need to take a more positive outlook as the in...