Lodging Daily News

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is not a new technology. It’s been around in the manufacturing and electronics industries for quite some time. Recently, however, the technology has been making in-roads into the hospitality industry. The technology uses active tags that are wirelessly read to track where the tag has been. It is also used in the shipping industry. RFID is a tracking technology that allows companies to more cost-efficiently track goods, and sometimes even services.

Based on hotel industry bookings as of July 3, 2011, revenue per available room (RevPAR) for the future 12 months is 6.1 percent higher than the same time last year. Performance trends showed moderate year-over-year RevPAR improvement during the two months before the holiday calendar shift skewed demand in September (9.8 percent) and October (3.3 percent). RevPAR grew for 18 consecutive months, including a 6.1 percent year-over-year increase in June.   For the second month

Despite inconsistent economic news, increases in lodging demand and property-level net operating income (NOI) have most industry participants feeling optimistic that hotel property values are heading upward. An analysis of the 2011 edition of PKF Consulting USA’s Hospitality Investment Survey (conducted in the spring of 2011) sheds some light on the market and transaction factors that are influencing this line of thinking. Investment Criteria Overall capitalization rates for all hotels decreased 110 basis points when

As the implementation deadline of March 15, 2012, for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) newly updated Accessibility Guidelines draws near, many hoteliers are in the process of reviewing their properties to determine what changes need to be made. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made numerous changes to the ADA—many of which may have significant and/or costly implications for lodging operators. Since the DOJ announced the regulatory changes late last year, AH&LA has been

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF), the not-for-profit affiliate of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), is awarding 265 scholarships totaling almost $400,000 this year—of which approximately 42 percent will go to minority hospitality management students. Of its 10 scholarship programs, two are dedicated specifically for minority students. The Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students awarded $22,000 in scholarships to 11 minority hospitality management students. Since its inception in 1988,