Industry insiders across a range of businesses, including hotels, all seem to have the same rosy view of the future. "Working together, the (your category here) industry will come back stronger than ever." If it were only so. The corporate world has discovered that working from home and conducting meetings on Zoom, while not ideal, work just fine. Moreover, the trade-off of keeping people healthy (now) and saving significant sums on travel (now and in the future), will almost certainly offset any perceived advantages of in-person meetings. This article lays out the grim prognosis while offering recommendations for a new vision of the industry. READ MORE

While the extent of global financial distress is still uncertain on account of its enormity and the virus being nowhere near control, what is certain is that the world will soon be grappling with several changes of a permanent nature that will become the "new normal." These will be in the form of products, services, and the several life choices we make in our everyday life as we gradually, over time, put the memory of this pandemic behind us and move on. Here are some trends and changes that will likely be seen in hotels across the world. READ MORE

Creating a hotel brand that resonates means far more than designing an eye-catching logo and putting together a style guide. A brand should evoke a feeling, according to David Ashen, president & CEO of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design. In this article, he explores how hotels can imagine a dynamic environment and a service culture that, alongside sharp design, creates magic that few brands have yet to fully tap. Most of all, Ashen implores hoteliers to define if they are a head, heart or gut brand and to bravely lead from that revelation. READ MORE

As the exponential growth of the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked worldwide havoc and forever altered life as we know it, the food and beverage industry has nearly been decimated over the past three months. Ongoing efforts by the entire food and beverage industry, as well as local, state, and national governmental agencies have been successful at mitigating the devastating effects of this virus. While the overall impact has still yet to be determined, it is abundantly clear that we all have a role in defeating this common enemy and that valid and reliable data needs to be made available for future research and analysis. READ MORE

PART I. Do you personally accept the "New Normal" for the hospitality industry and society as a whole - which is based on the premise that Covid-19 is a singularly dangerous threat that requires a complete change in our lives, when (as it turns out) it is actually on a par with the common flu and (as it turns out) every other incorrectly declared pandemic? Or do you want to understand what has happened and do whatever is in your power, big or small, to return to the old, fun and life-filled normal that has been snatched from us? READ MORE