By Ingrid Lin “You wouldn’t build anything in most parts of Asia without having feng shui consultants come in and help you.” – Neil Jacobs, the president of global hotel operations for Starwood Capital. Feng Shui: real, phony, or magic? The western world might consider feng shui to be a mystical and mysterious art, […]
By Tarik Dogru, PhD, Makarand Mody, PhD, Courtney Suess, PhD Airbnb is the largest firm in the sharing economy marketplace, with about 3 million listings, including entire homes, shared rooms, and private rooms—more than the world’s largest three hotel chains combined (IHG, Marriott, Hilton, 2.58 M listings). It has hosted about 50 million guests in […]
By Peter Szende and Pooja Reddy Front-of-House & Front Desk Have you ever really noticed the front desks of the hotels that you visit? Chances are, you don’t think twice about it—because more and more, the front-of-house area is designed to be subtle and unobtrusive. If you are aware of the front desk area, it’s […]
By Tarik Dogru, Makarand Mody, and Courtney Suess If you are in the hotel industry, chances are that Airbnb has come up in conversation at some point or another. The sharing economy phenomenon and the economic, social, and technological changes fueling its growth have challenged the hotel industry to rethink its experiential value proposition to […]
By Nick Cohen The year is 2001, and the world is still recovering from the tragedy of September 11th. The travel industry is in a downward spiral as fears of flying and terrorism ripple across the United States and beyond, and hotels have lost significant occupancy due to a decrease in demand. Simultaneously, a fledgling […]
By Courtney Suess, Makarand Mody, & Gabrielle Guarracino What words come to mind when you think of a hospital room? Chances are, your results might sound something like this: Stark. Sterile. Bare. Clinical. These don’t paint a very attractive picture, nor do they engender any comfort for those who find themselves needing to stay at […]
By Tarik Dogru and Osman Pekin The sharing economy has become a major phenomenon; Airbnb, Uber, ZipCar, Kickstarter and many more comprise the rapidly expanding list of pioneers in the world of the sharing economy. This new concept has introduced an alternative platform for consumers, widely known as peer-to-peer marketplace, in which participants are motivated […]
By John Murtha I was on temporary assignment recently at another hotel in our company that was between general managers. This historic property had joined us less than a year before I arrived and one thing that immediately impressed me was how quickly the associates had bought into our way of doing business. They operated […]
By Alex Friedman Since my time at Boston University—back when Facebook was still in its infancy—the world has spun uncontrollably into the vortex of our portable devices. They are, after all, the gateways to our thoughts, our exchanges, our friendships, and our digital libraries. We are seemingly unable to function without the familiar feel of […]
By Manisha Singal and Yinyoung Rhou There is general consensus today that business plays an ever increasing role in society and a corporation’s responsibility goes beyond just making profits. The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) however has evolved from the understanding that a company should look after not only its investors and customers but […]