New hospitality management research suggests that rebranding and moves in market scale result in positive financial effects after two years or more. A hotel revenue management study of 95 properties, "Rebranding and Rescaling: Effects on Hotel Performance," by Bjorn Hanson, Anna Mattila, John O'Neill, and Yong Hee Kim, is the featured article in the August 2009 edition of the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Through a special arrangement with Sage Publishing, the article is available at no charge at . Sage manages the journal for the Quarterly's publisher, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration's Center for Hospitality Research.

Sixty-four of the 95 hotels in the hotel revenue management study moved downward in their market scale, and more than half of those downwardly mobile hotels switched from midscale to economy properties. Ten hotels changed brands but not market scale. The hospitality management research analysis found that the hotels' financial performance generally improved in the second year after they rescaled. During the first year after the changeover, net operating income diminished, probably due to temporary occupancy declines and the expenses of making alterations.

Rebranding and Rescaling: Effects on Hotel Performance

The Hanson group found that hotels which moved upward in scale saw higher ADRs, while those that moved downscale generally saw no change in ADR, meaning that they were able to hold their rates even as they moved downmarket. The study found no significant change in financial ratios for the few hotels that rebranded without rescaling. Hanson is an associate professor at New York University, while Mattila and O'Neill are faculty members at Pennsylvania State University, where Kim is a doctoral candidate.

The Cornell Hospitality Quarterly is available by electronic or paper subscription through Sage Publishing, which also makes individual articles available for download or page view at http://cqx.sagepub.com/.

About the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly | The Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (CQ) editorial content is broad and publishes research in all business disciplines that contribute to management practice in the hospitality and tourism industries. The objective of the CQ is to help all those involved or interested in the hospitality industry to keep up-to-date on the latest research findings and theory development in order to improve business practices and stay informed of successful strategies.

About the Center for Hospitality Research

The purpose of the Center for Hospitality Research is to enable and conduct research of significance to the global hospitality and related service industries. CHR also works to improve the connections between academe and industry, continuing the School of Hotel Administration's long-standing tradition of service to the hospitality industry. Founded in 1992, CHR remains the industry's foremost creator and distributor of timely research, all of which is posted at no charge for all to use. In addition to its industry advisory board, CHR convenes several industry roundtables each year for the purpose of identifying new issues affecting the hospitality industry.

Center Members: Accenture • Access Point Financial, Inc. • Barclaycard US • Cvent • Davis & Gilbert LLP • Deloitte & Touche USA LLP • DerbySoft • Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts • Fox Rothschild LLP • Hilton Worldwide • Host Hotels & Resorts • Hyatt Hotels Corporation • IDeaS Revenue Solutions • InterContinental Hotels Group • Jumeirah Group • Marriott International • NTT DATA • Preferred Hotels & Resorts • priceline.com • PwC • The Rainmaker Group • RateGain • ReviewPro • Revinate • Sabre Hospitality Solutions • STR • Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces • Tata Consultancy Services • Wipro EcoEnergy • Wyndham Hotel Group