Reference no: EM13873480 , Length:

1. Site name: The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA)

Background Information: Serving the hospitality industry for nearly a century.AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, and faculty members, and industry suppliers. AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other services to provide bottom-line saving and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry

2. Exercises:

a Navigate to the Information center' link and review the statistics from 2001 through the most recent year listed. comparing the industry performance statistics (occupancy percentage, sales, number of properties etc ) Has there been an increase or decrease in occupancy over the years? What are some possible reasons why this increase or decrease occurred?

b. From the AH&LA Web site. describe the typical lodging customer for the most recent year that data are available.

c. what are the top five hotel companies worldwide? What hotel brands do they have in their portfolio?

Site name: Forbes Travel Guide

Background Information: Since inventing the Five-Star rating system in 1958, Forbes Travel Guide (formerly Mobil Travel Guide) has provided travelers with an objective rating for hotels, restaurants, and spas in the United States and Canada and more recently in China. Its goal is to provide ratings and recommendations that you can trust to make the best possible travel decisions.

Exercises:

What criteria does Forties Travel Guide use to rate hotels?

• Do you feel that the criteria used are valid, or are they rigid and arbitrary? Why?

• How difficult do you think it would be for a hotel manager to acquire each of the stars?