After a long Request for Proposal process, Amazon finally revealed its two locations for HQ2 in 2018-Long Island City, New York, and Crystal City, Virginia. Despite recent trials and tribulations regarding the Long Island City location, which ultimately ended in Amazon pulling its plans to establish a presence there, the Amazon HQ2 plans for Northern Virginia remain strong. Among the anticipated near- and long-term benefits of HQ2 is an influx of new hotel demand. The Washington, D.C. and New York City HVS Consulting & Valuation teams examine the potential impact on northern Virginia's lodging market in the following article. Read on...

Hotel Managers are on the frontlines of preventing harassment, discrimination, and retaliation from occurring in the workplace. They are in the best position to spot warning signs that harassment may be occurring and they are most likely to be the first person an employee confides in with a complaint. As such, it is important that managers are equipped to stop harassment and any future harassment lawsuits in their tracks. This article details a "5 Step Plan for Managers" in the midst of the growing #MeToo movement to help them foster harassment free workplaces. Read on...

The term 'Future of Work' (FoW) has quickly become part of our everyday lexicon and has arrived with very real-world implications for companies and firms across the globe. Hospitality organizations are certainly not going to be an exception. From dizzying advances in FoW technology and consequential job design, to sweeping workforce demographic changes, to the reality of having to leverage greater numbers of agile/on-demand talent, hospitality companies will need to rely even more on their HR functions to navigate these inevitabilities. All this, on top of an industry already with a bit of an image problem. This article discusses some of the implications of FoW for the hospitality industry and presents three questions for organizations to ponder as they begin to adopt the necessary strategies, tactics, and practices to support FoW. Read on...

Hotels are increasingly being hit with lawsuits claiming discrimination against disabled individuals in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The lawsuits are being filed by what are called ADA testers-individuals who visit businesses intentionally looking for non-compliance with the requirements of the ADA. Common complaints involve architectural barriers in the parking lot (e.g., inadequate or no handicap parking spaces) and lack of handicap accessible restrooms). This article evaluates access claims under the ADA in the hospitality industry, how to defend these claims and the significance and impact of a recent decision on future hotel-related ADA discrimination cases. Read on...