As the U.S. economy and travel and tourism industries continue to grow, builders across the nation are witnessing an uptick in hotel construction, renovation and development. From new sports venues and arena districts to an increased focus on secondary and tertiary markets and the growing demand for live-work-play destinations, hotel construction is on the rise and anticipated to reach the nation's highest count of development by 2021. Here's a look at how these trends are shaping the construction of hotel properties today and key strategies builders are applying to imagine vibrant destinations that foster economic growth for years to come. READ MORE

Hotel executives today are under a tremendous amount of pressure in today's global economy. This article is set in place to inspire hotel executives to authentically lead their hotels to meet and exceed the challenges of not only today but also what we see as an onset of new technological advances in the future. This article shows that the seven elements of authentic leadership can represent how hotel executives working in today's knowledge-based economy develop and manage intellectual capital in hotels throughout North American and the rest of the developed countries. READ MORE

Hospitality has become a major industry and one of the most important social phenomena in the United States. The greatest perceived socio-economic impacts of the hospitality sector are increased employment, greater tax revenues to state and local governments, and growth in local retail sales. In this article, Hicham Jaddoud of North Star Mohican Casino uses a critical approach to demonstrate the positive contributions of the hospitality industry on local and regional communities. The article discusses the fiscal and induced contributions of the hospitality industry to local and regional communities, giving concrete examples of initiatives taken by hospitality firms to contribute to the local communities where they do business. READ MORE

In today's noisy world, brands are on a constant quest for more attention. To accomplish this, we often hear people discuss trends and how to best utilize them. One reason to follow a trend may be because you're trying to fit in. However, do you have to necessarily follow suit? In this piece, Amber Natale of the integrated brand development agency Smarthinking Inc. takes a closer look at four questions you should ask yourself to build brands that will stand the test of time and minimize the inherent risk that following trends brings with them. READ MORE

Technology affects every component of our daily lives, even as the executive of a hotel. From the front of house to the depths of the basement, there are opportunities to use technology to make improvements to your business, including one of the most overlooked areas: your hotel's laundry room and operations. There are three main ways the laundry game has changed: the invention of spray rinsing technology, optimum dryness level monitoring and cloud-based machine oversight. These features are changing the way hoteliers spend their time, manage their staff and generate increased revenue, both directly and indirectly. READ MORE