Cornell Quarterly Article Focuses on Preventing Workplace Sexual Harassment
Employers seeking to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace may unexpectedly find themselves on the losing end of a lawsuit, even when they have tried to do the right thing. ...more

Are Franchises Bad Employers? A Closer Look at Burger Flippers and Other Low-paid Jobs
The idea of McJobs - low-paying positions with little chance of advancement - bothered the CEO of McDonald's so much that, when Merriam-Webster included the term in its dictionary in 2003, he wrote a public letter of protest. His plea went unheeded. ...more

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Hotel Lawyer with GREEN GEMS from the Los Angeles Hotel Investment Conference - By Jim Butler, author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
Hotels are going green (really)! And sustainability is the hot issue in the hotel industry. ...more

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R&I's 2008 New American Diner Study illuminates consumer dining patterns
The bond between consumers and foodservice remains vital, strong and complex, but it cannot be taken for granted. ...more

Why New Restaurants Fail - By Richard Williams
The high failure rate of new restaurants can be attributed in part to a lack of understanding of the restaurant's market. This article addresses the need for a market study prior to the commitment of a major investment in a new restaurant. ...more

Restaurant Trends - Growing And Emerging Concepts - Data reflects change and activity from September 29, 2007 to February 1, 2008
Update from Restaurantchains.net on growing and emerging restaurant concepts ...more

Food & Beverage - How to Boost Your Lunch Trade - By Ken Burgin
What happened to the customers? They'rere stilll around, but their needs have changed. Listed below are the core strategies from smart operators we've talked to in the last 12 months. ...more

The (Pizza) Giants Fall Short on Super Sunday: Decision Analyst Study Reveals Local Pizzerias Score Big on Super Sunday
Findings Include Tips On When And How To Order And Viewer Preferences ...more

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Brisas Hotels & Resorts Selects ICE Portal to Produce and Deliver
ICE Portal continues to add big names to its already-impressive clientele list, with Brisas Hotels and Resorts becoming the latest company to opt for ICE's exceptional production services. Impressed with ICE Portal's convenient and user-friendly Content Management System (CMS), Brisas Hotels and Resorts has hired ICE to produce and distribute 360°, virtual tours for all of the company's luxury resort properties in Mexico. ...more

Travel 2.0 - So Many Sites, So Little Time
Monitoring the 'Reviewsphere' is overwhelming: focus on key sites is the solution. ...more

Should Your UGC Strategy be About Customer Acquisition or Retention?
In a recent interview with EyeforTravel John Lee, VP Brand Marketing and Communications, Embassy Suites, explained the fundamental differences between a UGC retention and acquisition strategy. ...more

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When will hotel operators 'get it'? - By Jim Butler, author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
Ritz-Carlton breached contractual and fiduciary duties under hotel management agreement giving rise to free termination, $10.3 million in damages plus attorneys fees. ...more

How to terminate a hotel management agreement when an operator really deserves it! - By Jim Butler, author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
The love-hate relationship between hotel owners and operators is as old as the institution of hotel management arrangements (going back to the 1970s). A good hotel operator can add up to 25% to the value of a hotel. A bad one can subtract the same amount or even more. ...more

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Training to Keep Your Hotel Sales Effort Strong - By Leora Lanz
With today's economic climate and the surge of new hotels in the last 10 years, basic selling skills - for being an effective sales manager - are more important than ever. We need to revisit them and train to keep our selling ahead of the curve. ...more

Hospitality Teaser: Customer Service Basics
In today's highly competitive business world companies are constantly striving to improve the odds that potential customers will choose their business over their competitors. Successful merchants have strived to outdo others in their field by finding ways to make their business stand out from the others. It brings to mind the current Cadillac commercial that so eloquently highlights the fact that 'in today's luxury pursuit it's not a question of' all the latest bells and whistles that you offer 'the real question is' do your customers have the emotional connection with your property that will keep them coming back? ...more

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Top 10 Group Events January 2008 - National Market, Pittsburg PA, MiamiFL
Square Footage Meeting Space Occupied, Square Footage Catered, Estimated Number of Attendees ...more

Canadian Occupancy, ADR, RevPAR - Week Ending January 26, 2008
Published in conjunction with STR (Smith Travel Research) and endorsed by the Hotel Association of Canada. This publication summarizes weekly occupancy and average room rates from major cities in Canada. ...more

Mumbai enjoys highest absolute revPAR in Asia Pacific for 2007
Growth across Asia was fuelled predominantly by markets in the South - in particular India - according to year-end 2007 results from the HotelBenchmark(TM) Survey by Deloitte. Overall, revenue per available room (revPAR) increased 12.4% across Asia Pacific to reach US$95. ...more

Cornell Hotel Industry Research Finds Discounting Costs Asian Hotels Money
Newly released hotel research study finds Asian hotel demand defies expectations - failing to show market-share increase from competitors' rate cuts ...more

Weekly U.S. Lodging Performance for the week of Jan 27, 2008 - Feb 02, 2008
Weekly summary of Occupancy, ADR and REVPar for the United States. ...more

2007 Hotel Transactions and November Year-To-Date Canadian Lodging Outlook
Published in conjunction with STR (Smith Travel Research) and endorsed by the Hotel Association of Canada. This publication summarizes occupancy and average room rates from major cities in Canada. ...more

Canadian Occupancy, ADR, RevPAR - Week Ending February 2, 2008
Published in conjunction with STR (Smith Travel Research) and endorsed by the Hotel Association of Canada. This publication summarizes weekly occupancy and average room rates from major cities in Canada. ...more

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2007 Was Kind To Hotel Guests, Harsh On Airline Passengers
Market Metrix Announces 2007 Annual Hospitality Index Results ...more

Ratings Advice - Design For The Future - By Harry Nobles
We get calls regularly from owners, developers, architects, and designers asking for AAA/MOBIL ratings advice and assistance on projects scheduled to open in 2-4 years. ...more

Change v. Experience: Dilemma Facing Presidential Candidates and Hoteliers - By David M. Brudney
With the mortgage meltdown, a troubled economy and the presidential candidate primaries dominating the news this month, it was a profound comment made by good-natured and well-liked New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson that caught my attention. ...more

The Corporate Suite Chicago-Hospitality Concept - By Jerome Cedicci & Robin Trehan
The corporate suite concept has been extremely successful in the Chicago land area and it is not hard to understand why. Along with New York, London and Tokyo, Chicago is one of the busiest cities in the world. ...more

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Reduce Property Taxes by Recognizing Hotel Profit Centers - By David C. Lennhoff, MAI, SREA, CRE
Assessors all too often base their hotel property tax assessments on the revenues derived from a hotel's total assets, wildly exceeding the appropriate amount for just the 'taxable' real property. This occurs because the assessor fails to separate the real property from the total assets of the business. ...more

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Mobile Travel: The Time is Now - By Cathy Schetzina, Technology Analyst
Industry pundits have been touting the future promise of mobile travel for years. In 2008, that future will become a reality. Mobile technology represents the next major wave for travel applications, and its influence will be enormous. For travel suppliers, intermediaries and technology providers, mobile technologies will impact the way travel is sold, marketed and experienced across every segment in travel. ...more

New Study Finds GDS Hotel Promotions Have a Growing Influence on Bookings
Now over 50 Percent of travel agents with ad recall, book the advertised hotel ...more

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Phocuswright Releases 2008 Travel Industry Trends
Mobile, Metasearch Top PhoCusWright Analyst Predictions ...more

World Travel Trends Report: Strong growth for US inbound, but outbound travel still sluggish
Preliminary results from IPK International's World Travel Monitor for 2007, which will be presented at the ITB Future Day at ITB Berlin 2008, and published in the World Travel Trends Report 2008 the same month, confirm that US inbound tourism is well on the way to making a full recovery. ...more

Group Travel Stays 'All in the Family'
Orbitz Traveler Update Report(TM) finds that trips with extended families are driving group travel trend ...more

Cost of Business Travel Climbs Despite Economic Slowdown, Survey Results Reveal Factors Driving Spending Decisions
Industry Leaders from Best Western, JetBlue, National Business Travel Association and Advito/BCD Travel Offer Tips to Stem Financial Strain ...more

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