The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) interviews Ralph Miller, CPA, CA, CBV, CHA, CHAE, vice chairman of the Financial Management Committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, about the Eleventh Revised Edition of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, available this month from the Educational Institute. How is the […]

One of the most important and high impact responsibilities of a hotel’s engineering team is the administration of maintenance contracts and service agreements. Successful management of this critical function can streamline engineering operations, reduce operating expenses, and minimize downtime. However, when executed poorly, maintenance contracts can act as the proverbial tail wagging the dog, shortening […]

The hotel industry has become a complex, fragmented, global, competitive brand business. There is an urgent need to fill “gaps” in our knowledge of brand management to help the industry improve brand performance.

In a hotel’s perpetual quest to find creative ways to reduce expenses while not compromising quality, senior management tends to outsource a lot of services.  From bedding and restaurant linens to IT, security and transportation, for many of these properties, relying on external contracts has become the norm rather than the exception – so why […]

I once met with a hotel owner, not long after taking over management of his group of hotels, to tell him how I planned to reenergize the lackluster and ineffective sales effort I found in place. I told him that I planned to create a new position of Divisional Sales Manager and promote a “sparkplug” […]

Breaking down Barriers Between a Hotel and Its F&B Franchise When it comes to thinking broadly about food and beverage, hoteliers can either opt to supervise and operate their hotel F&B programs internally or they can work with a partner who will manage the culinary branding. This decision can determine the type of consumer dining […]