Mobile is transforming the travel and hospitality industry as we know it, both from an external perspective (guest-facing) and an internal perspective (end-to-end operations). Mobile, cloud-based technology plays an integral role for today's hoteliers, empowering them to meet the guest demand for convenience and personalization while delivering enhanced data capture, increased automation, seamless connectivity, and growth opportunities. READ MORE

Hospitality's demand for contactless experiences ensuring guest safety has led to a skyrocketing increase in adoption for digital key services. Yet as with any technology, enhancements continue to be made to digital key platforms to accommodate new guest behaviors and preferences. Using the latest technologies, hoteliers can now simultaneously address health safety concerns while still ensuring maximum guest convenience. READ MORE

The hospitality industry has always been one of people serving people. But in this rapidly shifting world, defining technology's role in hospitality is a perplexing question. Is it a Virtuoso that harmonizes service delivery with guests' expectations, or is it a Vampire that sucks the spirit out of hospitality and diminished a hotel's revenues and/or capital? In this article, we begin to answer this question. READ MORE

Mobile has become a primary way to keep a hotel's frontline staff informed. As the face of a hotel brand, where service is often paramount, their knowledge of the company and its services will have a direct impact on the customer experience. Mobile-first training, communications and task management is an invaluable tool to ensure the ultimate in customer service. READ MORE

Hotel mobile technology use has increased in lodging operations for some time. Hotel operators need to integrate mobile technology to enhance the value of their products and therefore enhance guest experiences. Selecting the optimal channels for mobile technology will enhance guest experiences and the value and reputation of the hotel. This article will highlight various mobile technology options and their IVEES attributes. READ MORE

With the ongoing worker shortage in the wake of the pandemic, many employers are opening up their application process to under-aged workers. This article lays out some key considerations to keep in mind in order to avoid legal violations associated with hiring minors in the workplace. READ MORE

While COVID-19 has adversely affected hospitality industry revenues due to a decrease in travel by potential customers, it has also affected hotels' ability to maintain an adequate work force. The H-2B program allowing U.S. employers to petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to hire foreign nationals for temporary non-agricultural jobs may enable hotels to address temporary staff shortages. READ MORE

The lodging and hospitality industry and its owners and operators have a service orientation that demands constant interaction with guests, employees, vendors and those in the host communities where they operate. Lodging operators need to be aware and vigilant of the changing landscape of their legal environment due to COVID-19. READ MORE

Many hotel employers were forced to lay off staff when shelter-in-place orders grounded travel and tourism. Now hoteliers face a host of new legal obligations. In an effort to put laid off workers in the same position they were pre-pandemic, a number of municipalities and states have enacted "right to recall" laws that require that employers offer re-opened positions to previously laid off staff before hiring new employees. READ MORE

The Biden administration's rescission of a series of presidential proclamations that restricted international travel into the United States from multiple countries following the outbreak of COVID-19 will likely offer immediate benefits to hotels, restaurants, and the travel industry in general. After almost 18 months of closure, is America really open for business? READ MORE

The hospitality industry has been plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues to impact occupancy rates and conference bookings, hotels have a number of restructuring options available to avoid foreclosure. This article highlights the best practices for engaging with lenders to explore available restructuring options in the event of prolonged financial distress. READ MORE

The hotel and hospitality industries were hard hit by the pandemic and one of the outcomes has been a reluctance for employees to return to work, exacerbated by a nationwide labor shortage. Workers desire higher wages and more benefits that meet their major life concerns including health and caregiver coverage. To remain competitive employers, hotels must meet these needs. READ MORE

Holiday travel and dining is coming back in a big way creating an opportunity to capitalize on the rush. This rush comes with myriad challenges from enforcing vaccine mandates, labor and ingredient shortages and increased costs across the business. This article describes six technology-focused suggestions to keep your business booming through the holidays and well into 2022. READ MORE

Even the smallest problem can snowball into a major disaster if no one speaks up about it. Rather than fostering a workplace where employees are afraid to mention issues they notice, savvy leaders are encouraging a speak-up culture that ensures the company can get ahead of problems. READ MORE

Should hospitality employers mandate COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of their employees' return to work? Rising above the political and social debates raging today in America, the authors of this article make a compelling case for hotel owners and operators to demonstrate leadership by requiring their employees to be vaccinated for the good of the hospitality industry and the Nation. We also provide a roadmap for the possible legal pitfalls. READ MORE