General Management Opinion Articles

January 10, 2024

Hotel Dispute Lawyer – Should New York law govern your hospitality contract? How about Texas, California or Florida law?

Mark S. Adams is an experienced trial lawyer, partner, and senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group®. In his more than 14 years with the Firm, Mark has created an international reputation as a Hotel Dispute Lawyer, handling litigation, arbitration and alternate dispute resolution in hundreds of matters affecting hotels, resorts, restaurants and other hospitality properties.

By Mark Adams, Partner at Blank Rome LLP, Blank Rome

Opinion Article

December 20, 2023

The Final Check-Out: Bidding Farewell to Undisclosed Mandatory Resort Fees

In October this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law (effective July 1, 2024) a sweeping ban on pricing goods and services without including all mandatory fees or charges.

By Mark Adams, Partner at Blank Rome LLP, Blank Rome

United States

Opinion Article

December 15, 2023

Hotel Legal Environment: Preparation Prevention, Service

In any hotel setting, there is an incredible amount of activity. Hotels are large business machines with lots of moving parts, so keeping an eye on every aspect is nearly impossible, including physical crimes that can take place onsite. The operations of hotels can differ based on levels of service, brand, size and more.

By Robert O’Halloran, Professor Director, School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina University

Opinion Article

October 31, 2023

New California Website Accessibility Bill Would Expose Your Business to ADA and Unruh Act Liability

Recently, the California Assembly quietly instituted a bill that would dramatically change the landscape of ADA website litigation. If you think the recent wave of ADA website lawsuits has been alarming, buckle up – because you haven’t seen anything yet.

By Martin Orlick, Stuart Tubis, and Christopher Whang

California, United States

Opinion Article

October 19, 2023

Tourism Tidbits: Dealing With Legal Issues

The Tourism/Visitor industry is one of the world’s great industries. Large industries also mean that great deals of money can be involved. The tourism industry spends a great deal of money on promotions and marketing campaigns. Because many people assume that large tourism businesses also have deep pockets, in litigious societies such as the United States, there are also multiple lawsuits and/or other legal problems. Often local convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) or tourism offices are unaware of their own nation’s laws and obligations. This ignorance of the law can be very costly. It is for this reason that Tourism Tidbits raises the following issues.

By Peter Tarlow, President, Tourism and More

Opinion Article

October 17, 2023

The Economic Rollercoaster

It seems like we’re on an economic rollercoaster right now and the big question is when we get off. When does inflation cool? We dig into the latest data to help determine if a soft landing really is where we’re heading.

By Aaron Szyf, Economist, U.S. Travel Association

United States

Opinion Article

October 5, 2023

Welcoming Our 41st Visa Waiver Program Member: Israel

The addition of any new country into our Visa Waiver Program (VWP) has always been a big deal.

By Aaron Szyf, Economist, U.S. Travel Association

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Amadeus Hospitality

Opinion Article

October 4, 2023

A Better Choice: Why Big Hotel Chains Need to Play Fair With Small Business Owners

When the Patel family opened a hotel in Dickinson, North Dakota in 2007, they agreed that brand recognition offered by a large franchise chain would be a valuable trade-off to operating independently. After careful analysis, they chose to operate their family hotel as a Quality Inn and Suites with Choice Hotel International Inc. (Choice Hotels). This is similar to the decisions being made by thousands of entrepreneurs each year to become franchisees of large brands instead of working as independent small business owners.

By Laura Lee Blake, President and CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, AAHOA

United States

Opinion Article

September 5, 2023

Hotel management agreements offer flexibility for hotel investment in France

Under the influence of international operators, hotel management methods in France and Europe have evolved, with management agreements increasingly being favoured over leases. The profile of hospitality investors has also changed, with highly professional funds able to adopt this type of management solution.

By Christopher Boinet and Anne Epinat

France

Opinion Article

August 1, 2023

Hotel Data Security Update: Time is Short – Reporting your Data Breach

Over the past years, hotel companies – including brands, managers and owners – have increasingly sought the benefit of access to public markets and, in doing so, have become subject to the registration and disclosure requirements of the United States Securities Act and Securities Exchange Act. In doing so, these companies need to comply with a broad variety of detailed regulations addressing their disclosure and reporting obligations. The Securities Exchange Commission recently adopted regulations which will have an impact on publicly traded hotel companies that suffer a data breach.

By Robert Braun, Partner, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell, LLP, JMM

United States

Opinion Article

June 12, 2023

How management companies generate ROI from technology: It’s a sum of its parts.

For hotel management companies looking to secure new management contracts from hotel owners, the technology on offer can make or break a deal. Investors own hotels explicitly to make the business value increase, often with a profitable sale as a targeted outcome. But we all know that post-pandemic labor tightening has put a strain on hotel operations. When operations are stressed, there is a downstream impact on property maintenance, guest experience, reviews, and eventually revenue.

By Jos Schaap, CEO, ROOMDEX, Inc.

Opinion Article

June 1, 2023

Remington Hospitality President Chris Green Comments on Rebrand

Remington Hotels, a prominent hotel management company, has unveiled a new brand identity as Remington Hospitality, reflecting its broader range of offerings and future strategic directions which include traditional hotel accommodations, independent hotels and resorts, upscale dining, wellness and spa services, as well as glamping and unconventional projects. Having launched its Brand Performance team in 2021 and with over five decades in the hospitality sector, Remington is now exploring international expansion and further ventures into the wellness resort market. The rebrand aligns with their core values of hospitality, integrity, and excellence. The new brand strategy also promises to provide more stability for its employees and will attract a wider range of ownership groups. Looking forward, the company aims to become a powerhouse in the areas of food, beverages, wellness, luxury independent accommodations, and non-traditional lodging.

By Chris Green, President, Remington

United States

Opinion Article

May 16, 2023

ADA Update: Accessibility Legislation and the Importance of Website Compliance

The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is an important piece of legislation guaranteeing equal access to public facilities to the nearly 60 million people with disabilities in the US today. Stuart Tubis, a partner in JMBM’s ADA Compliance and Defense practice, recently presented on why accessibility legislation is something all business owners should be aware of, and how many lawsuits have shifted focus to online spaces instead of brick-and-mortar locations.

By Stuart Tubis, Lawyer, JMM

United States

Opinion Article

April 3, 2023

Inbound Travel in an Increasingly Competitive Global Landscape

Many countries have laid new visions and concrete plans to facilitate international travel and gain larger shares of the global travel market. With demand for global travel high, and international inbound travel to the U.S. being years away from a full recovery, we must address the current challenges and deterrents to remain competitive as a destination.

By Aaron Szyf, Economist, U.S. Travel Association

United States

Opinion Article

March 14, 2023

National Travel and Tourism Office Projects Inbound Travel Will Fully Recover by 2025

The National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released an international visitation forecast, its first since the onset of the pandemic. The forecast, which extends until 2027, projects that inbound travel will fully recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2025. This is consistent with U.S. Travel’s fall 2022 forecast. By 2027, NTTO projects that there will be 91 million international visitations, which is in line with the government’s recently-announced National Travel and Tourism Strategy.

By Aaron Szyf, Economist, U.S. Travel Association

United States

Ad Investment Guide

Which Hotel Tech Should Come First?

A practical framework to identify priorities, align stakeholders, and invest smarter.

Amadeus Hospitality

Opinion Article

March 2, 2023

New Quarterly Insights Identify Travel Pain Points and Opportunities to Improve Experiences

In an effort to dig deeper into the traveler experience and identify barriers and points of friction that keep travelers at home or traveling less frequently, we launched a new quarterly consumer survey with Ipsos at the start of the year.

By Jamie Mageau, Director of Research Products, U.S. Travel Association

United States

Opinion Article

February 17, 2023

Restoring Travel’s Role in Reducing America’s Trade Deficit

Did you know: Travel spending is considered an export or an import—depending on who is spending.

By Aaron Szyf, Economist, U.S. Travel Association

United States

Opinion Article

January 20, 2023

The Rise of Third-Party Operators of Hotels in Europe

Introduction - In broad terms, there are two types of hotel management companies: branded operators and third-party operators.

By Nikola Miljković and Jon Critchley

Opinion Article

December 16, 2022

How to choose a hotel management company in 2023

The Chief Investment Officer of a major hotel brand recently told me hotel management companies have had a bit of a “hall pass” over the past few years but that moving forward, they will be held accountable for performance.

By Josiah Mackenzie, Host and Producer, Hospitality Daily

Opinion Article

December 14, 2022

Measure ULA Approved: New Transfer Tax on All Real Property Sales Over $5 Million in the City of Los Angeles

Last month Los Angeles voters approved Measure ULA, imposing a new tax on all real property sales or transfers over $5 million. This will affect all parties involved in a real property transaction, and it is important to understand the implications of the measure before negotiating on a new project. My colleague David Tabibian, partner in JMBM’s Real Estate Department and Global Hospitality Group®, explains the initiative and its potential impact below.

By David Tabibian, Partner in JMBM’s Real Estate Department and Global Hospitality Group®, JMM

California, United States