Layer or Top-Up - why European Hotel Investors should include Revenue Management in their Investment Decisions
The author considers that a strengthened understanding by hotel investors of revenue management principles will permit investors to make better investment decisions. ...more

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Indicators of Financial Stress in U.S. Food and Restaurant Sectors
Fitch Ratings has published a report that identifies leading financial stress indicators in the U.S. food and restaurants sectors. The report reviews several companies that have struggled financially and have, at some point, either filed for bankruptcy protection or become 'fallen angels' due to their ratings being downgraded to high yield. The firms discussed include Chiquita Brands International, Inc., Interstate Bakeries Corporation, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc., Buffets Holdings, Inc. and VICORP Restaurants, Inc. ...more

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Food & Beverage - Managing The Check Average - By Joe Dunbar
Is this a great time to push your average check higher? ...more

Anxious Customers & Environmental Demands: Trends from the Chicago Restaurant Show - By Ken Burgin
The 2008 Trends Tour to Chicago & Las Vegas is just completed. Now it's time to digest the latest themes and information gathered from hundreds of exhibitors and the excellent seminar series. ...more

Restaurant Trends - Growing And Emerging Concepts - Data reflects change and activity from January 19, 2008 to May 19, 2008
Update from Restaurantchains.net on growing and emerging restaurant concepts ...more

Dining Out Declines
Looming recession drives Americans out of the restaurant, back into the kitchen ...more

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Google's Travel Plans
The US travel industry is facing a terrible year, thanks to credit crunched consumers and a weak US dollar. But Google sees an online opportunity in the struggling industry. ...more

What Is the Future of E-Mail?
An old digital format still has plenty of life left ...more

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Lessons from the Field - How do you make the decision if you need a person dedicated to selling the services of your hotel? - By John Hogan
Most hotels with more than 100 rooms are likely to have one or more people focused on property sales. Depending on the meeting space or food & beverage options, there may be staff assigned to catering sales as well. Many hotels, especially rooms' only properties, have come to rely on their location or brand affiliation. ...more

Does Your Guest Satisfaction and Mystery Shop Data Harmonize...or Just Make Noise? - By Rob Kaplan-Sherman
Align Your Data Streams to Optimize the Guest Experience and Bottom Line ...more

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Monthly U.S. Lodging Performance April 2008
Monthly summary of Occupancy, ADR and REVPar for the United States. ...more

Canadian Occupancy, ADR, RevPAR - Week Ending May 18, 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

April 2008 Global Hotel Review
This report includes occupancy (Occ), average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) for selected markets and countries for February 2007. ...more

Abu Dhabi Market Snapshot
An overview of the Abu Dhabi market ...more

The Need for More Branded Hotels in Panama City Beach, Florida - By Kaoru Chikushi
Apart from the legions of Spring Breakers for which it is famed, Panama City Beach is receiving a diversity of travelers from other sectors. As the city prepares for record visitation, how can the lodging landscape transform to capture the demand? ...more

Weekly U.S. Lodging Performance for the week of May 18, 2008 - May 24, 2008
Weekly summary of Occupancy, ADR and REVPar for the United States. ...more

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Parking: A Neglected Profit Center - By Joshua Miller
Hotel owners and managers spend tremendous time and energy looking for strategic ways to make the most of their hotel asset. What they often fail to look at is that the hotel itself usually sits in the middle of or adjacent to a large parking facility. ...more

ASTA Releases Its First Labor and Compensation Report
As the travel industry grows increasingly concerned with its ability to attract new talent, ASTA undertook its first ever Labor and Compensation Report with the goal of assisting travel agencies in benchmarking their compensation, benefits and hiring practices. ...more

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The Checks in the Mail - By Kevin F. Reilly
The first year of Democratic control of Congress did not look much different than the prior years. The Democrats in the House of Representatives had a program for the first 100 days and were relatively successful getting legislation passed, but much of it went no further. While the House can pass legislation with a simple majority, the arcane rules of the Senate require sixty votes to close debate and bring an issue to the floor for an up and down vote. The sixty votes seldom were there. ...more

How to Pursue Property Tax Fairness - By Jim Popp, Esq.
As everyone knows, property taxes are a major expense in the operation of a hotel. In addition to a desire to reduce and control property taxes, hotel owners frequently make two comments, 'just treat me fairly and give me predictability in the process.' ...more

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Air Travelers Avoided 41 Million Trips in Past Year - U.S. Economy Takes $26.5 Billion Hit
First-of-Its-Kind Study Demonstrates Travelers Changing Behavior Due to Immense Frustration with Air Travel Process ...more

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