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How soon will Airbnb become another Expedia or Priceline?

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Airbnb promotes the idea of letting travelers rent a lodging facility or extra space from a local resident rather than a traditional hotel. While peer-to-peer (P2P) room-sharing services still remain Airbnb's core business at this point, the company is aiming for something bigger — Airbnb wants to be a travel enterprise.

The social cost of doing business

Delany Martinez Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The debate over corporate personhood continues to rage on, but it brings up a larger societal question in the process: Should businesses wade into charged sociopolitical issues? The natural inclination is to avoid liability wherever possible, and that definitely stretches into expressions and "taking sides" for most businesses, whose leaders prefer to stay as neutral as possible in the public eye.

Hike: Fed raises interest rates for businesses and consumers

Seth Sandronsky Retail

As the economy grows and a low jobless rate of 4.1 percent continued for a fifth straight month, the Federal Reserve Bank under Chairman Jerome Powell took action March 21. In a statement, the U.S. central bank announced that it will "raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 percent. The stance of monetary policy remains accommodative, thereby supporting strong labor market conditions and a sustained return to 2 percent inflation (increased prices and decreased buying power of money)."

How will the hospitality industry address its gender pay gap?

Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

We have a long way to go before we can claim that the gender gap in the hospitality industry is no longer a yawning one. Gecko Hospitality recently released its 2017 Hospitality Management and Restaurant Salary Survey, and it shows that both the starting salary and bonuses are considerably higher for men than women. The gap has existed for decades, but what's surprising is that even it continues to be a huge one today.

Report: Family budget calculator measures US cost of living

Seth Sandronsky Recreation & Leisure

All U.S. residents have skin in this game. Just ask Elise Gould, Zane Mokhiber and Kathleen Bryant at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a think tank based in Washington, D.C. The EPI just updated its Family Budget Calculator to reveal what families require to meet their living costs in all 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas across the nation.

Hotel restaurants step out of the shadows

Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

If you are following hospitality news, then might have noticed a growing trend of high-quality hotel restaurants across the board. While they are not exactly a new concept, the nature and importance of hotel restaurants have evolved. Often, a news story about a new or renovated hotel now focuses on restaurants rather than other features. This has been a trend in many regions of the country.

‘Attractive’ enough to stay? Looking at similarity-attraction…

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Airbnb is the dominant provider for room-sharing services. The company is now turning itself into a full-service travel enterprise. With the debut of two new brands, Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb, its room-sharing services are expected to appeal to even more travelers. For many, it is a "cool thing" to stay in an Airbnb. Well…only if you don't get turned down or kicked out by a host. That doesn't sound cool at all, does it?

US economy grows 313,000 jobs in February

Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The U.S. hiring boom continues. The national economy added 313,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in February versus 200,000 new hires in January, while the jobless rate remained at 4.1 percent for the fifth straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Job growth occurred in construction, finance, manufacturing, mining, professional and business services and retail trade.

Bed bug dust increases histamine levels in infested homes

Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied Healthcare

There are plenty of reasons to hate bed bugs. These parasitic insects pop up unexpectedly in even the cleanest locations, are tough to get rid of and have a voracious appetite for human blood.

How to effectively plan and prepare for trade shows

Mike Nellessen Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Trade shows provide a unique opportunity for businesses to market to potentially thousands of prospective clients. How does a business take full advantage of that opportunity? It takes a thorough planning process that covers all aspects of preparing for a trade show to maximize the potential benefits.

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