The Giving Season Is Year-Round at The Alfond Inn at Rollins
The Alfond Inn at Rollins | December 4, 2019
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 223: Hotel History: The Wales Hotel (1902)
Stanley Turkel | December 3, 2019
Education
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 217, Hotel History: Catskill Mountain Resort Hotels
Stanley Turkel | July 30, 2019
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Catskill Mountain Resort Hotels This is the story of an area of 250 square miles, approximately an hour and a half drive northwest of New York City, which over the course of last century became a resort phenomenon unlike any other. The area had attracted tourists since the post-Civil War years because of its visual appeal and accessibility via two railroad lines, the Ontario & Western and the Ulster & Delaware. The new arrivals came up to the Catskill Mountains to settle, to farm, and to escape the unhealthy environment of urban tenement life. The message came back to New York’s lower Ea...
Hotel Industry Releases Public Service Announcement, Unites Around Nationwide Day of Action to Fight Human Trafficking
AHLA | July 30, 2019
Washington (July 30, 2019) – As part of the hotel industry’s ongoing commitment to combat human trafficking, today the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) launched a public service announcement (PSA) raising awareness about the No Room for Trafficking Campaign, which unites the industry around a single, comprehensive approach to fight human trafficking. The launch of the PSA also marks the No Room for Trafficking Day of Action, where hoteliers across the country are uniting and taking action by hosting training sessions for employees, raising awareness on their properties and pledging their commitment to the No Room for T...
When Beauty Signifies Quality
POLYU’S SCHOOL OF HOTEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT | July 30, 2019
July 30, 2019 -- When making hotel bookings online, potential guests’ expectations of service quality are influenced by the aesthetics of the hotel’s website, according to Dr. Ksenia Kirillova and Ms. Janelle Chan of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In a recent experimental study the researchers manipulated the level of attractiveness portrayed by a hotel website’s photos to examine how aesthetics influenced perceptions of quality and intention to book. Their results provide important insights into how hotel managers can use visually attractive images to stimulate positive percep...
Hospitality Upgrade Announces Recipient of the John Cahill Student Seat for the 2019 CIO Summit
The CIO Summit | July 23, 2019
Boston University Student in Hospitality Administration Selected ATLANTA, July 23, 2019 – Hospitality Upgrade Publisher and President Rich Siegel today announced the next recipient of the John Cahill student seat will be Smit Patel, a graduate student of the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration program. The upcoming CIO Summit will be held Sept. 4-6, 2019, in Boston. “Smit possesses a keen interest in learning all aspects of the hotel ownership and asset management disciplines. He has strong aptitudes in project management and sales modeling, and he has used his technical, operational and interpersonal skills in se...
Penn State School of Hospitality Management Receives $4 Million From Marriott Foundation
Penn State School of Hospitality Management | July 23, 2019
University Park, PA—In recognition of a $4 million gift by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, University leaders have approved renaming the Oak Building in the Foundation’s honor. The Marriott Foundation’s commitment, part of a broader, ongoing fundraising effort to renovate the building and support future programing, is creating a dedicated space to encourage innovation and inclusion within Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management. The Penn State Board of Trustees approved naming The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Building at its meeting on Friday, July 19. Renovations to The J. Willard and Alice S....
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 216: Hotel History: Ellsworth M. Statler
Stanley Turkel | July 9, 2019
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Ellsworth M. Statler In 1950, the hotel industry named Ellsworth Milton Statler “Hotel Man of the Half Century”, even though he had been dead for 22 years. Statler’s impact on inn-keeping was so great, no one else even came close. While many considered Statler the premier hotel figure, he was not a typical executive. A plain, rugged man who started to work at the age of nine, he continued to wear twenty dollar suits and four dollar shoes even after he became successful, and resembled Will Rogers more than Rudolph Valentino. When Statler began in the hotel business, the following practic...
Hotel Industry Unites on New Campaign to Fight Human Trafficking
AHLA | June 26, 2019
AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers is Joined by Dozens of Key Stakeholders and Industry Partners to Launch the No Room for Trafficking Campaign ‘No Room for Trafficking’ Aims to Train Every Employee in the Industry WASHINGTON (June 26, 2019) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today launched a new national campaign to unite the industry around a single, comprehensive approach to fight human trafficking. The No Room for Trafficking campaign builds on the hotel industry’s long-standing legacy and commitment to combat human trafficking. Already each year, thousands of hotel employees are trained. With this campaign...
Jolly Named Inaugural Recipient of King Early Career Professorship
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management | June 11, 2019
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Phillip M. Jolly, assistant professor of hospitality management, has been named inaugural recipient of the Elizabeth M. King Early Career Professorship. Jolly focuses his teaching and research on better understanding why people do what they do at work and how to leverage that knowledge to improve organizational performance and employee well-being within multifarious hospitality and related service environments. "It is a tremendous honor to be named the inaugural recipient of the Elizabeth M. King Early Career Professorship," said Jolly. "I'm excited by the opportunities that this endowment will provide me to enh...
Raise a Glass to Wine Tourist Diversity
April 29, 2019
Not all Chinese wine tourists are the same. Although wine tourism is becoming more popular in China according to a study published recently by a group of researchers including SHTM professors Hanqin Qiu Zhang and Brian King, there is wide variation in tourists' level of involvement in wine-based activities. Drawing on the findings of a survey measuring levels of involvement in and perceptions of wine tourism, the researchers provide useful information for marketers aiming to develop targeted trips and marketing strategies. Interest in wine tourism has increased worldwide as tourists seek "authentic and individualistic experiences" while on...
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Establishes Fund at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration in Honor of Former CEO J. Allen Smith
March 20, 2019
Ithaca, NY– Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has established an empowerment fund at the School of Hotel Administration in honor of their former chief executive officer, J. Allen Smith '80, MPS '86. The J. Allen and Katherine Smith / Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Empowerment Fund will provide a holistic program supporting underrepresented minority and first generation students to help ensure their current and future success. This includes mentoring, professional development, and career guidance. "I'm extremely grateful to Four Seasons for honoring Allen's many contributions to the hospitality industry with the creation of this fun...
Learn How To Approach & Engage in Difficult Conversations at the STRONG Leader Institute
Bryan K. Williams | March 11, 2019
30-Second Video By Dr. Bryan K. Williams One of the most frequently asked questions I get is "How do I handle difficult conversations with my staff?" I've found that leaders want to address subpar (and even mediocre) performance with their teams, but lack the skillset for how to do so effectively. One of our multiple sessions at the upcoming STRONG Leader Institute will be led by Alicia Santamaria, who is a subject matter expert on all areas of Workplace Conflict Management. Her session is called: Leadership Best Practices for Approaching and Engaging in Difficult Conversations In this session, she will explore four practi...
Building Better Customer Satisfaction in a World of Technology
Chris K. Anderson | February 28, 2019
by Elizabeth Martyn and Christopher Anderson As the hospitality and service industry makes greater use of computer applications and virtual technology, personal contact with employees becomes increasingly important for customer satisfaction. In a recent report from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), we explore how those customer contact employees can be trained in the "how" of service, especially when employees are involved in service recovery. We are specifically looking at training in the key skills of employee engagement, communication, and attitude, because they have a strong effect on customers' evaluation of servic...
Dr. Bryan K. Williams Selected as Keynote Speaker for Les Clefs d’Or Canada Congress in Banff
Bryan K. Williams | February 20, 2019
Washington DC (February 20, 2019): Les Clefs d'Or Canada recently held its 12th National Congress in stunning Banff, Alberta. The Congress welcomed elite concierges and travel professionals from throughout Canada for a 4-day event to Engage, Educate and Elevate. The golden keys worn by Concierge signify their membership in our organization and are granted exclusively to those who have not only consistently demonstrated an unsurpassed knowledge of their respective communities, but by those who demand excellence of themselves when meeting the needs of their guests. Dr. Bryan K. Williams was the keynote speaker and challenged all attendees...
Free Service Excellence Training at the Baltimore Convention Center, Led by Dr. Bryan Williams
BWTV | February 18, 2019
Washington DC (February 18, 2019): Delivering world class service is what separates a good experience from a world-class, memorable experience. Visit Baltimore and its partners the Baltimore Convention Center and Centerplate invite the Baltimore business community to join us for a Day of Customer Service Training. Dr. Bryan K. Williams, a service excellence and leadership effectiveness expert will lead these sessions (Watch Bryan's Video). The goal is to assist organizations in various industries to elevate their service experience to world-class levels for both internal (team) and external customers. Bryan noted, "I'm looking forwa...
PolyU Study Advises Hotels to Look Ahead Accurately Basing on Publicly Available Data
February 12, 2019
Given that tourism is a global industry consuming a diversity of goods and services, the prediction of future trends needs to take account of the wider economic context, according to Professor Brian King and Dr Stephen Pratt of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a co-author. In a recently published study, the researchers use publicly available data to improve predictions about hotel occupancy rates in different classes of Hong Kong hotels. Their method can be adopted by individual hotels that have insufficient resources to collect expensive data, or for employing consultants, to...
5 Easy Ways to Reduce Turnover at the Front Desk
Cathy Cook | February 11, 2019
By Cathy Cook With one of my main roles at KTN being to conduct front desk hospitality training worldwide, one issue that always seems to surface is turnover at the front desk. Turnover everywhere in the hotel staff is a major challenge in tight labor markets most hotels operate within, however it seems to especially be an issue at the front desk. Certainly, working at the front desk can be a stressful job as we are dealing with guests who are arriving after a long day of travel disruptions and frustrations and therefore prone to over-reaction to even the smallest challenges. Also, regardless of where any gap in service occurs during a ...
Dr. Bryan K. Williams to Receive the ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award
Bryan K. Williams | February 11, 2019
Monday, 11 February 2019 - The International SPA Association (ISPA) is pleased to announce Dr. Bryan Williams as the recipient of the 2019 ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. As an international speaker and author, Williams first spoke to ISPA members in 2006 and continues to inspire with his focus on service excellence and leadership effectiveness. "Bryan's passion to inspire leaders and elevate the importance of providing unparalleled customer service has left a lasting impression on the International SPA Association," said ISPA President Lynne McNees. "We are grateful for his continued support and dedication to the ISPA community." Wil...
PolyU Study Reveals Motivation for Family Vacations With Young Children
January 2, 2019
Families with young children have rather different motivations for going on holiday than families with older children, according to the findings of a study by Dr Mimi Li, Dr Dan Wang and Ms Wenqing Xu of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a co-researcher. Having analysed online travel reviews and blogs, the researchers found that parents believe "travelling as a family contributes positively to family bonding and interaction" and that providing young children with new experiences and lasting memories is the most important part of a successful trip. Tourism promoters should thus ...
PolyU Launches SHTM+ICON Consultancy to Drive Innovation and Knowledge Transfer in Global Hospitality Sector
November 5, 2018
(5 November 2018) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced the launch of the SHTM+ICON Consultancy to offer professional hospitality-related consultancy services to the industry worldwide. The brand-new Consultancy demonstrates a successful combination of the research prowess of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of PolyU with the practical experience and endeavor of Hotel ICON. The Consultancy is the SHTM's another novel endeavor to achieve its mission in engineering knowledge transfer to the hospitality industry and other education institutes. Knowledge transfer includes management know-how, creative solut...
HFTP Purchases Rights to the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI)
HFTP | October 26, 2018
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has purchased the copyright to the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), a resource the association has been connected to since its origins. Widely used internationally, the primary purpose of the USALI is to offer operating statements formatted to provide hotel owners, managers and other interested parties with operational information pertinent to the lodging industry. The USALI was first published in 1926 and is currently in its 11th edition. The copyright was previously owned by the Hotel Association of New York City. The resource is published by th...
PolyU Study Finds Photos Tell More Than a Thousand Words
October 26, 2018
A new data mining technique developed by Professor Rob Law of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and his co-researchers is able to capture extensive information on travellers' behaviour and travel patterns from huge photo datasets. In a recently published paper, the researchers apply the method to almost a million photos uploaded by Australian travellers to the photo-sharing site Flickr to discover their sequential travel destinations and itineraries, thus producing a wealth of information that could "support destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in promoting appropriate destin...
At the Front Desk, Voice Inflection Can Change the Entire Meaning of What We Say
Cathy Cook | October 15, 2018
By Cathy Cook It has often been said that as much as 80% of communication takes place non-verbally. It is certainly true that facial expressions such as what we show with our eyebrows, our smiles (or lack thereof), and body language, which is what we show with our posture and gestures, all are essential for communicating. While communication is an important topic for all guest services departments, it is especially essential at the front desk because more often than not, they are the main point of contact for all guest requests. Although non-verbal communication is certainly essential, it is also important to focus on the subtleties of ...
Cornell Hospitality Research Shares Index and Analysis on Hotel Brand Reputation in U.S. and Canada
Chris K. Anderson, Ph.D. | September 26, 2018
Chris K. Anderson, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Saram Han, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Abstract Using monthly online reputation data from 2016 through to the first quarter of 2018, we index major hotel brands in the United States. This analysis of online reputation for branded properties yields three major conclusions: (1) the variation in reputation across brands is four times larger than the variation across chain scales; (2) online reputation is mainly a function of brand and sub brand rather than segment or hotel location; and (3) variability in reputation across hotels within a brand is gr...
In Control With Mobile Booking Apps?
September 24, 2018
Whether or not consumers believe they have control over events in their lives determines their likelihood of reusing hotel booking apps, find Professor Rob Law of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co-authors in a recently published study. This belief is known as "locus of control" (LoC), the researchers explain, and consumers with an internal LoC are more likely to use hotel booking apps because they feel more positive about their ability to use technology and overcome any difficulties they may encounter. In contrast, consumers with an external LoC are likely to only use travel...
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