Property Exchange Rules Offer Tax Opportunities for Hotel Owners

One strategy often overlooked by hospitality owners in developing cost-saving strategies is the use of like-kind exchanges to acquire property. The author reviews some alternative methods of like-kind exchanges, which may not only provide new business opportunities for the hospitality owner, but lucrative tax benefits as well.

Effect of Agency Problems on RTC Hotel Appraisals

Agency problems that helped cause the banking crisis in the United States in the 1980s impacted hotel appraisals competed for the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC). Lower appraised values would help make more bids acceptable, helping to sell more assets quickly. The results indicate appraised hotel values were much lower than sales prices in states with a high number of bank failures.

Implementing Employee Drug and Alcohol Testing: Implications for Hotel Managers

Abuse of drugs and alcohol in the workplace has reached epidemic proportions in the hotel industry. The authors review considerations for drug testing and discuss drug and alcohol testing methods and the manner in which an effective policy should be developed.

Differential Impacts of Information Technology Services in the Korean Hotel Industry: A Study of Management Perceptions

Successful introduction of information technology applications in various operations of hotel management is vital to most service firms. In recent decades, technologies of information, automation, and communication are increasingly recognized as essential components of a hotel company’s strategic plan. In this study, 62 super-deluxe hotels (5 star), deluxe hotels (4 star), and tourist hotels (3 star) in Korea are examined for differences in the impact of information technology services on guest’ satisfaction, guest convenience, and operational efficiency. The findings generally suggest that the impacts of information technology-enhanced services vary according to the category of hotels in Korea. The results of the study are expected to assist managers in the selections and implementation of information technology systems in their hotel.

An Examination of Quality Service Perceptions in a Hotel

Perceptions of managers and employees on topics related to quality and quality service in a hotel were studied to define the term “quality” and the activity of "quality service" delivery, looking at differing definitions of the terms and the activity and the identification of problem issues relating to training, communication, recognition, and department coordination. Recommendations for action included changes in the training program, a reemphasizing of the incentive programs, the development of Quality Improvement Teams, improved communication, and increased service delivery leadership.

Exploring the Relationship Between Hotel Characteristics and Crime

Knowledge of crimes that have occurred in hotels has been scares. The authors explore the nature and causes of hotel crimes in a U.S. metropolitan area. Levels of crimes were directly related to size of the hotel, target market of business travelers, access to public transportation, and an unsafe image of the environment surrounding the hotel. Crime prevention programs based on the findings can be developed to protect the safety of guests and property.

Hotel Franchising: Perspectives and Prospects

The outlook for lodging franchising in the new marketplace made possible by the growth of technology is the best it has been. The CEO of the Hotel Division of Cendant, the world's largest franchisor, offers opera- tors opportunities to gain larger shares of a growing market.

The International Hotel Industry in the New Millennium

The top priorities of 170 hotel managers from 25 countries were identified as human capital, understanding customers, use of capital, alignment of stakeholder interests, use of information technology, and valuing brands in a Cornell University study.' The authors discuss how managers in a hotel's functional departments are ultimately responsible for addressing each of these concerns and issues.

Market-Driven Hotel Brands: Linking Market Orientation, Innovation, and Performance

"Market orientation" is a term popularized by marketing practitioners to indicate the extent to which a firm is market driven. This presumed linkage between market orientation and profitability has caught the attention of scholars, but, surprisingly, only two prior studies have reported a positive association between the two. Given the special relevance to the hotel industry of being market driven, we believe this industry provides the ideal setting for demonstrating the link between market orientation and performance. This research examines this linkage in the hotel industry. The results of our study suggest that market orientation is positively and significantly related to innovation, subjective performance, and objective performance. This result yields a number of useful ideas about how to harness the power of the marketing concept.

Male and Female Hotel Controllers in the '90s

Female hotel controllers generally are expected to display the same managerial characteristics and are evaluated on the same criteria as male controllers, yet there is a significant difference in their base salaries. The authors explore some of the differences between male and female hotel controllers and make overall comparisons with previously-collected data.

Making Alan Greenspan Your Hotel Investment Partner

The author presents a capitalization model applied in hotel valuation which is then used to illustrate how an increase in interest rates result in a lower valuation for hotels. It is demonstrated that changes in hotel valuations of up to 20 percent can be directly attributed to changes in interest rates.

Electronic Channels of Distribution: Challenges and Solutions for Hotel Operators

This paper addresses the issues of hotel operators identifying effective means of allocating rooms through various electronic channels of distribution. Relying upon the theory of coercive isomorphism, a think tank was constructed to identify and define electronic channels of distribution currently being utilized in the hotel industry. Through two full-day focus groups consisting of key hotel executives and industry practitioners, distribution channels were identified as were challenges and solutions associated with each.

Hotel Managers' Responses to Ethical Dilemmas

Ethics is a hot topic today in many professions. The author creates a number of scenarios testing ethical situations and surveyed lodging managers as to their reactions.

Is Your Hotel MISsing Technology?

In order to become more effective and efficient in providing guest services, hotels must avail themselves of information technology. A firm's competitive edge and quality can be the result of the successful implementation of an information sys- tem. The authors present in this article the why, who, what, when, where, and how of implementing information systems.

Hotel Guest e-questionnaires: Implications for Feedback and Relationships

This paper examines the reliability and efficacy of hotel guest e-mail questionnaire compared to the paper questionnaire in the Asian Pacific context. Conducted inPerth,SingaporeandPenang, cities with mature hospitality and tourism industries and a representation of chain and independent deluxe hotels, this exploratory qualitative study examines hotelier views of e-mail guest communication derived from content analysis of guest questionnaires format and content and in-depth interviews with senior hoteliers. The findings indicated that e-questionnaires manifested as e-mails, as a direct replacement of the paper questionnaire, appear to be premature given divergent hotelier views and shortcomings in e-mail response administration. If properly executed, e-mail can play an increasingly important adjunct role to the paper guest questionnaire as a part of a multi-channel approach. The balance/relationship between ‘high tech’ and ‘high touch’ needs to be maintained: the latter can enhance the latter but should not undermine it.