Hotel Online Special Report


Hotel Common Sense

Remembering Tony Marshall, The
Messenger of �Reasonable Care�

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by  Dr. John Hogan, CHA MHS CHE, March 2, 2007

If the definition of �hospitality� is taken to include lodging, attractions, food & beverage, entertainment and transportation, then it can be demonstrated that the very essence of much of the world�s intermediate to long-term growth is derived from the hospitality industry.  

The hospitality industry lost a remarkable resource in December of 2006, and I had the opportunity to share and celebrate some of the accomplishments of this person at one of the memorial services held last month in his honor.

�Tony� Marshall became known in his career as one who mastered many areas of expertise, including columnist, educator, lecturer, lawyer, and sometimes self-proclaimed hospitality guru.   He accomplished goals he set for himself and they all dealt with giving SERVICE.   

Those areas of service included: 

  • As a columnist, Marshall wrote 20 �At Your Risk� columns per year from 1984 -2006 for Hotel & Motel Management Magazine with an estimated 80,000+ global subscribers, generally focusing on accident prevention, security and other hospitality management issues.  Editor Jeff Higley shared that Tony�s column consistently generated #1 or # 2 in highest reader emails and letters to the editor responses following each column.   Higley also shared that Marshall missed only one deadline in those 441 columns � two weeks before he passed.
  • As an educator, he served from 1972 � 1998 as a full professor and then Dean at Florida International University School of Hospitality Management in Miami, Florida and was the first Publisher of the FIU Hospitality Review.   He co-authored several editions of Hotel, Restaurant & Travel Law with Karen Morris and Norm Cournoyer and authored Don�t Lose Your Hotel by Accident in 1995.   Stephen Barth of the University of Houston and founder of www.hospitalitylawyer.com commented in January 2007 that �Tony is credited by many as the single most influential person in positioning hotel law as a core curriculum at hotel schools. �   In the summer of 2005, Marshall returned  after seven years away from academia and accepted the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Professorship in Lodging Management at the Rosen School of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. 
  • As a business professional, Marshall served the industry in a number of ways. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from the University of New Hampshire and a Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University, College of Law.  His education followed four years of service in the United States Air Force, where he managed officers� clubs in the United States and Europe.   Prior to his tenure as Dean of the School of Hospitality Management, Marshall was a hospitality management consultant with Horowith & Horowith in New York City. In 1998, Marshall accepted the CEO position as President of the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association as �an opportunity to serve an industry that has served me so well over the years,�1.  During his seven year tenure at EI, Marshall spearheaded the efforts to revitalize the publishing company that was created a generation ago to provide training solutions that address specific needs of the hospitality industry including academic text books, educational training videos and DVDs, more than three dozen professional certifications, and an on-line learning center that services 120 licensed affiliates in 45 countries.  By mid 2005, at the end of his tenure, Marshall and his team had erased a multi-million dollar deficit and consistently returned a strong net financial contribution to EI�s parent, the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
  • As a change artist, Marshall recognized some seemingly illogical practices in the hospitality industry and used his skills as a speaker and entertainer to bring them into focus.  With the voice-mannerism of the late comedian Paul Lynde and the charm of Don Rickels, Tony  seemed to be everywhere in the 1980s as he brought CEOs of Sheraton, Hyatt, Holiday Inns, Hilton, the largest management companies and more on stage to recognize that the industry practitioners did not know everything about the law. Change and improvement was needed and the industry responded. 
Marshall addressed literally all the brands at their annual or regional meetings and was a frequent speaker or moderator at many events including the American Hotel & Lodging Association, International Hotel/Motel Restaurant Show, Las Vegas International Hotel & Restaurant Show, AAHOA National Convention, Americas Lodging Investment Summit, the National Restaurant Association and other various state associations, conferences and expositions .  While he took an informal sabbatical in his EI years to avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest, Marshall conveyed the need to understand �reasonable care� to the industry in ways not previously openly addressed.  His humorous approach that sometimes embarrassed but always counseled industry leaders, Marshall brought many �gray� areas of legal uncertainty to light.   

While specific legislation cannot be unequivocally linked to Marshall�s influence of change, it is generally acknowledged by many industry leaders that he personally influenced improved standards , including room viewers, sliding patio door locks, connecting room dead bolts, furniture maintenance, buffet service and more.

The industry recognized Marshall�s efforts and contributions with a series of awards over the years:

  • Raymond C. Ellis, Jr. Award for Outstanding lifetime service to the Lodging Safety &  Security Profession - 2003                                                                                                              
  • �Outstanding Service� Award - American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute -  1999
  • Paul Brown �Distinguished Service to Hospitality Education Award� � Florida Hotel & Motel Association - 1999
  • Meritorious �Innkey� Award - Greater Miami and Beaches Hotel Association        1998
  • Lamp of Knowledge � Educational Institute, American Hotel & Motel Association - 1998
  • Diplomate Award National Restaurant Association - 1997
  • Commendation medal - United States Air Force - 1997
  • 2005 Honorary Alumnus by The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University during the National Restaurant Show
  • First annual Anthony G. Marshall award presented at the Hospitality Law Conference in 2005, honoring lifelong contributions to hospitality law. This  Award is now presented annually by HospitalityLawyer.com to individuals who exemplify the commitment to hospitality law demonstrated by Marshall
On a personal note, I had the good fortune to interact with Tony for more than 30 years, as a hotelier, association member and professional colleague. He impacted many academics as a mentor and many hoteliers as an inspiration.

To motivate people, Tony had a favorite phrase. Using their first name, he would add� you are a good man (or good woman).�

Tony, we thank you for your inspiration and counsel and say back to you, �Tony, you were a good man!�

Feel free to share an idea and contact me at  [email protected] anytime and remember � we all need a regular dose of common sense.

1 Educational Institute Press release, 1998


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication or of Best Western International.

All rights reserved by John Hogan
 
This column may be included in an upcoming book on hotel management.
 
John Hogan, Ph.D. CHE CHA MHS is the Director of Education & Cultural Diversity for Best Western International, the world�s largest hotel chain.  Best Western International has more than 4,200 hotels in 80 countries and is one of the worlds most established and recognized hotel brands, founded in 1946 in California.

He serves on several industry boards that deal with education and/or cultural diversity including the Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute, the AH&LA Multicultural Advisory Council, the AAHOA Education and eCommerce Committee and is the Best Western liaison to the NAACP and the Asian American Hotel Owners� Association with his ongoing involvement in the Certified Hotel Owner program.

His professional experience includes over 35 years in hotel operations, food & beverage, sales & marketing, training, management development and asset management on both a single and multi-property basis.  He is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) , a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), a Master Hotel Supplier (MHS), and a past recipient of the American Hotel & Lodging Association�s Pearson Award for Excellence in Lodging Journalism. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts and his Ph.D. in International Business and an MBA via Distance Learning from UNW.    He has served as President of both city and state hotel associations.

John�s background includes teaching college level courses as an adjunct professor for 20 years, while managing with Sheraton, Hilton, Omni and independents hotels.  Prior to joining Best Western International in spring of 2000, he was the principal in an independent training & consulting group for more than 12 years serving associations, management groups, convention & visitors� bureaus, academic institutions and as an expert witness.  He has conducted an estimated 3,000 workshops and seminars in his career to date.

He has published more than 300 articles & columns on the hotel industry and is co-author (with Howard Feiertag, CHA CMP) of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD � A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES, which is available from HSMAI www.hsmai.org , www.SmartBizzOnline.com,   www.roomschronicle.com and other industry sources. 
 
He resides in Phoenix, Arizona and is working on his 2nd book � The Top 100 People of All Time Who Most Dramatically Affected the Hotel Industry.

Contact:

Dr. John J. Hogan, CHA MHS CHE 
Director, Education & Cultural Diversity 
Best Western International -
THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN ® 
6201 N. 24th Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85016-2023 
Phone 602-957-5810; 
fax 602-957-5815
[email protected]


"...we all need a regular dose of common sense "
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Also See: A Bakers Dozen of Strategies for Hoteliers: Safety and Security (part 2 of 2) / John Hogan / Hotel Common Sense / November 2006
A Bakers Dozen of Strategies for Hoteliers: Safety and Security / John Hogan / Hotel Common Sense / September 2006
A Bakers Dozen of Strategies for Hotel Front Office Managers / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / August 2006
�A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hotel Front Office Managers / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / July 2006
�A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hotel Sales & Marketing Professionals / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / June 2006
"A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hotel General Managers / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / May 2006
�A Bakers Dozen� of Ideas for Hotel Management Company Executives / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / April 2006

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