While several execs on the opening general session at The Lodging Conference last Wednesday were talking about how hot the upper midscale and upscale segments were, I couldn’t help but think about the economy segment. Maybe it’s because I’m a...
The better the lodging industry does, it seems, the more we hear about the bad news: the fiscal cliff, the election, political gridlock, concerns over the economies in Europe and Asia and more unrest in the Middle East. All those questions linger...
As the 18th edition of The Lodging Conference starts today under 100-degree-plus weather in Phoenix, the hotel business is facing a familiar conundrum: Why do we have a lot more questions than answers about the near-term future of the industry? ...
I read an interesting story today from Tnooz on last-minute mobile bookings and the challenges and opportunities hoteliers and revenue managers face from these new applications. ...
Like the rest of the hospitality industry, the timeshare business was, as ARDA chief Howard Nusbaum says, “humbled” by the economic crash of 2008. Now, as vacation ownership nurses its wounds and climbs back to prosperity, the industry faces...
We’ve spent a lot of time discussing and debating exactly what constitutes a lifestyle or boutique hotel at the Lifestyle/Boutique Hotel Development Conference the past three years. It’s a topic that has come up on just about every panel...
If you’re in the boutique hotel business, you owe a debt of gratitude to someone you may never heard of. He’s Tony Goldman, a visionary developer with a passion for historic preservation. He’s the man who nearly singlehandedly changed the fortunes...
We’re now headed into the final three months of the year and forecasted transaction volume still seems a long ways off. Despite strong industry fundamentals, concerns over macroeconomic issues continue to limit the confidence of investors and the...
If you're like me, and particularly if you live in a so-called swing state, as I do, you're probably sick of the presidential election race. I'll be glad when Nov. 6 is here and passes, and we can all go back to our normal lives. That shared...
Moments after calling demand growth the past 18 months “absolutely amazing” and “way beyond our expectations,” STR founder Randy Smith cautioned that demand growth would drift downward to more normal levels in the next six to 12 months. And with...
