Doug Kennedy’s Next Staff Training Webcast: Hospitality IS…
Kennedy Training Network launches 2026 webcast series with three sessions focusing on hospitality culture, luxury service delivery, and group sales techniques.
News
Fairmas Welcomes Tahil Mascarenhas as Sales Manager, North America
Mascarenhas brings 16 years of hospitality experience spanning operations, revenue management, and hotel technology sales to drive Fairmas expansion across the US and Canada.
Hospitality as a force for good: lessons from a refugee
Syrian-Armenian refugee Armen Melkonian shares how hospitality principles guided his journey from war-torn Syria to hotel industry success in the Netherlands.
Thought Leadership Development: Creating a Culture and Community
The article outlines a framework for hospitality professionals to establish expertise, create quality content, and build authentic online presence to become recognized industry thought leaders.
By Robert O’Halloran, Professor Director, School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina University
It’s Christmas Holiday, and Hospitality Never Really Stops
GCSTIMES creates capybara-shaped wooden key cards as tribute to hospitality workers who maintain service excellence during Christmas holidays.
AI hiring is here. It’s making companies — and job seekers — miserable
Research on tens of thousands of job applications shows AI-generated cover letters led to lower hiring rates and reduced starting wages as companies lost confidence in application materials.
Labor and Employment Roundup: What to Expect in 2026
JMBM law firm outlines 15+ new California employment laws taking effect in 2026, including expanded paid family leave, AI regulations, and strengthened whistleblower protections.
Excellence Endowment Bolsters Senior Living Programing in Hospitality Management
Penn State's School of Hospitality Management receives $50,000 total from Liberty Lutheran and Waverly Heights to expand senior living career programming.
Beyond the Business Case: What Hotels Get Wrong About Neurodiversity Employment
Despite 40% of UK hotels having neuroinclusion policies, fewer than 15% of neurodivergent employees find accommodations effective, revealing a gap between corporate commitments and operational reality.
By Jayanti Jayanti, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality Management, University of West London
Delivering The “Vibe” Of Hospitality Requires E.P.I.C. Qualities
The author introduces KTN's new training program using the E.P.I.C. framework (Enthusiasm, Proactivity, Intuition, Connection) to develop what he calls "heart skills" in hospitality workers.
By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)
AI in Hospitality Is Not About Replacing People — It’s About Stabilising the Ones You Have
Pertlink's AI playbook provides hotels with practical tools to reduce turnover and stabilize operations using AI as decision support, not staff replacement.
Hozpitality Group Celebrates the 11th Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards & GM Powerlist 2025 at Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Dubai
The 11th annual awards recognized 40+ general managers and hospitality leaders across Dubai and the Middle East, with winners including Mark Kirby from One&Only Resorts and Fredrik Reinisch from Marriott Marquis Dubai Creek.
UN Tourism and International Baccalaureate Organization partner to grow tourism education at high school level
The partnership will focus on joint initiatives to enhance skills development and professional training for high school students entering the tourism sector.
Dusit Thani College begins new wave of global expansion, introduces fast-track hospitality training in Saudi Arabia
The six-month program launches in Riyadh in January 2026, targeting Saudi Arabia's projected 2.7 million hospitality jobs by 2025.
Sustainability Is Reshaping Hotel Roles and Workforce Expectations
Hotels with dedicated sustainability teams jumped from 2% to 59% between 2022-2024, while 71% of workers now consider environmental records in job decisions.
Can Career Mobility Be a New Solution to Lodging Workforce Development?
Research identifies 21 key factors for career mobility in lodging, revealing significant gaps between employee importance ratings and actual industry performance.
By Miyoung Jeong and Haemoon Oh
Black Representation in Hospitality Leadership Remains Low at Just 9.5%
Analysis of BLS data reveals Black professionals declined from 11.3% to 9.5% of hospitality leadership roles between 2022-2024, with only 2.1% holding director-to-CEO positions.
New 2025 Hotel Labor Costs & Trends Report Finds Operators Improve Labor Efficiency Amid Rising Wages and Softer Revenue
Report reveals U.S. hotels cut labor hours by 7-15% across departments while maintaining profitability despite wage increases up to 5.9%.
HotelData.com and Actabl
On-Site Training: Always a Smart Option
Maestro promotes onsite training as superior to remote learning for hotel staff development, citing better engagement and real-world practice.
By Wendy Paul-Leonard, Senior Training Services Manager, Maestro
New 2025 Hotel Labor Costs & Trends Report Finds Operators Improve Labor Efficiency Amid Rising Wages and Softer Revenue
The study analyzed thousands of U.S. hotels and found operators cut hours per occupied room 7-15% while increasing headcount 4-9%, improving productivity without service cuts.