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The article mentions the importance of not relying on solar power to solve all of our climate issues. Even though solar power can definitely be a great tool to alleviate climate change, other measures need to be taken to have an actual impact.

I totally agree with your comment "@cvera019" . There have been a great trend into sustainable practices in the lodging industry however is important to also keep a balance between covering the necesseties of the lodging business and achieving a more environmental friendly practice.

Integration of core hotel systems is key to streamlining operations property-wide. In the past, integrating legacy hotel systems was a complicated, lengthy and expensive process, but these days, through open APIs, common Web standards and rapid innovation, cloud based technology is paving the way to easier, faster and more effective system integration, empowering hotels to improve efficiency and share data across departments for a deeper understanding of guests and the market. For lodging operators, on-property points of sale like a restaurant, gift shop or spa add another layer of complexity to daily operations, but a simple interface between the property management system (PMS) and point-of-sale (POS) system can save hoteliers significant time and increase billing accuracy for more satisfied guests and improved revenue.

This particular article on hospitality and tourism accounting states that the global travel industry is expanding at an accelerated rate. Although there are high demands in corporate travel and high level of satisfaction in the economy, the ever growing industry is vulnerable to many risks given by its consumers. Just as much as the guests utilizing these hospitality services are becoming more pressing towards great prices and expressing concern in the quality of service they receive, hotel businesses are adamant about increasing awareness in cost and profit. To balance all these exclusive challenges, hotels are insisting on being educated and equipped with the most up-to-date technological advances to keep up with the ever demanding industry. With this in mind, the article states three methods to conquer the challenges faced today. The first method is to utilize a cloud based system to keep track of all the innumerous activities present to keep the business running. Due to the fact that a hotel is run by an overflowing amount of employees, all with different jobs and tasks, all using different systems respective to their departments, and require several types of pay (part-time, full-time, tipped employees) methods, it is a challenge to keep things efficient without a proper system. This is the reason why the article recommends using a cloud based system to keep track of the daily labor costs, overtime management, daily payroll transactions, and incorporate easy accessibility to reporting functions. The cloud based system will be beneficial in keeping everything in record beginning from the moment an employees clocks in to the end where they receive their paycheck, as well as, the ability to manage transactions. The second method is to centralize all the various sources of data. Hotels have a countless amount of data being stored. That can range from guest satisfaction satisfaction survey and comment reports, PMS data, to financial reports. With all these busy ac

The article discusses how hotels can overcome accounting obstacles. Firstly managing payroll is cumbersome, so a cloud-based reporting system can provide an easy way to monitor labour and manage overtime, and daily payroll transactions. Secondly, hotels have a difficult time to read data as data can come from a huge variety of sources: STR reports, PMS data, satisfaction surveys, comments. Hotels need a centralized dashboard which combines all critical accounting and performance data to assist hotels in making better decisions. Lastly, the article talks about hotels needing a back-up accounting team in case of disasters. In-house accounting teams may not be able to tackle on one-time event disasters and there must be a back-up team in place in times of urgency. The author, Scott Watson, executive vice president of sales and marketing at a cloud-based financial platform, sees that hotels are becoming more "cost and profit conscious" and I agree with him. Technology solutions are what hotels are craving right now to increase revenue, minimize costs, and maximize profits without sacrificing service quality.

This article helps guides hotels in how to overcome challenges when it comes to the accounting department in any situation that deals with staff tracking, how to decipher intricate data, and what to do in emergencies. The article details the usefulness of the Cloud and keeping track of staff members that are FOH and BOH that are both hourly and salary. That the accounting department could simply look them up in the cloud rather than searching through paperwork to understand exactly what their role is in the hotel and pay them accordingly. The article also goes over how having multiple centralized data sources can help accountants understand information from reports, guest satisfaction questionnaires, and other forms of reporting to pinpoint exactly what needs to be changed to become more efficient in the company. Lastly, the article covers how having back up accounting teams could be a definite positive just in case of emergencies (i.e. weather) so accounting can still be in progress no matter what situation occurs and the hotel can run smoothly.

This article talks about the increasing cyber threats in hotels and its consequences for the guests. The hotel guests are paying more attention to how their data is being stored, pushing hotels to make some much needed changes in their data security plan. Despite these pressures, many hotels do not have any proper protection measures. "The Hospitality Technology's 2017 Lodging technology Study showed that a surprising 74% of hotels do not have proper protection measures in place". Steps to prevent such breaches and avoid millions of dollars in loss and reputation damages are mentioned in this article. Some practical ways highlighted in this article are: Provide on-going staff training, implement mobile security plan etc.

This article caught my attention because it was not just the Waste Management service offering a new sustainable option for hotels, but an actual electronics provider as well, LG. It appears that since 2009, LG has been partnering with Waste Management, and helping hotels dispose of their old electronics, such as older LG tv models, in a much safer and environment friendly way. This gives hotels no excuse to not dispose, or recycle, electronics in a safer manner. I believe a partnership like this is a perfect demonstration of a social responsible company, who is aware and active of the damages their products can make toward the world. I hope more electronic companies start partnering up like this; as it brings awareness, and convenience to not just hotels, but many industries that use, and frequently update, electronic devices. 

This article reviews a survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association which reveals that 23% of consumers say they have been misled by third-party traveler re-sellers. The article further explains the Federal Trade Commission's investigation of one of these companies, Reservation Counter, LLC which resulted in legal action. The article concludes that to protect consumers AHLA will support legislation known as the Stop Online Booking Scams Acts and strongly encourages travelers to book directly through the hotel or trusted travel agent. I think we are seeing the AHLA's opposition to OTA's in defense of hotel properties that want direct booking. The protection of customers is important, but it seems like an implied warning of ligitimate OTA's like www.booking.com.

This is a smart move, both from a environmental and a cost cutting perspective as refillable containers will likely reduce costs over the long run. Marriott has been looking at replacing this process for years (Marriott Banning Little Shampoo Bottles By 2020 Associated Press - https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/marriott-banning-little-shampoo-bottles-2020-n1047116) However, even Marriott admits that it doesn't have the process right yet. There will be a significant impact to smaller operators whom 1) Will be challenged with an additional increase in cost for new dispensary options 2) Have less access to big brand economy of scale purchasing which specialized dispensary products will require. Though this is as a policy almost a foregone conclusion, there seems little doubt that extensive thought has to be put into the impact on operators as a whole, and the customer made cognizant of the fact that costs will rise due to this change.

This article is a perfect example of a cloud based PMS company also offering an onsite solution for locations that might not have a reliable internet connection. This article does have testimonials from clients that use both solutions. Maestro the PMS company has a image data base so it lets them recognize returning guest to the proprieties there systems are in. to personalize the service the guest receives. One client says the cloud PMS make it easier for managing multiple properties from one central office. Maestro is a unique company by offering solutions that can meet any proprieties needs with cloud or on-premise solutions.

This article defines hotel maintenance management and why it is important to it in place to maintain the physical hotel facility in order to achieve desired outcomes. Hotel maintenance management certifications and training that can help you put together an effective team for your properties preventive maintenance.

Maestro, a known on-premise and cloud PMS system has been selected by 15 lodging properties with more than 1400 rooms. Throughout the article, hoteliers who currently use Maestro, or have in the past, gave brief reviews regarding the efficiency and overall impact of the PMS.

The lodging industry is one of the most popular in the hospitality industry. Bed and Breakfasts provide an alternative to hotels and motels by providing a literal home away from home experience. Unfortunately, the advertising and marketing of a bed a breakfast, according to this article, needs to upgrade. Email marketing would be a great addition to this sector of the industry to promote deals, updated breakfast menus, and etc. Giving customers an email blast every now and then can help. This can also increase customer loyalty. According to the article, it is a great way to keep customers engaged and up to date. The article promotes StreamSend, which is an email marketing software that helps with marketing by including vibrant imagery, videos, surveys, and other interactive elements (StreamSend). This is also said to be affordable and dependable, making it ideal for any industry including a bed and breakfast. I think this is a great start, specifically for those in the bed and breakfast sector of hospitality. The bed and breakfast brings airbnb and a hotel together with different amenities and not just another place to stay for the night. So it makes sense for the innkeepers to jump into email marketing to promote their business in different ways and to have more access to guests in regards to promotions.

I found this to be a very interesting article. For those of you who don't know TravelBank, this is an app which launched 2016 targeting business travelers. The app helps the user keep track of their travel expenses and file an expense report. Further, it also helps the user predict travel expenses, which amongst other would include transportation, lodging, dinning, and airfare. The article quoted the Global Business Travel Association, stating that last year, companies spend $1.3 trillion globally for business travel. TravelBank announced that they will add a new feature to their app, the so called 'AutoRewards' feature. Here users are able to book flights through a unique interface which they call 'rewards points value'. With this new feature, one is able to collect reward points, but TravelBank has a different twist to it. In their case, the more financially responsible the user travels, the more reward points one will receive. With this approach, they want/hope to help employees make more (financially) responsible bookings.

The article describes the main cyber threats that the hospitality companies face. Over past few years, nearly every major hotel group has been attacked. The same is true for the F&B industry. One of the reasons for that is that the hospitality companies are the ones that process credit card information more than in any other industries. Moreover, hotels and restaurants have many access points for the malware: from wifi networks to POS's. The attackers may also use the third party suppliers (for example, OTA's) to access the hotels' systems. Verizon 2017 Security Payment Report states that less than a half of all hospitality businesses have full credit card payment security compliance. The main type of the attack is POS intrusion. Denial-of-Service Attacks constitute about 20% of the total number. Although they are not so dangerous in terms of sensitive information, they can disturb the company's operations causing significant losses as well. Thus, the hotels and restaurants need to invest in early detection protection provided by the effective firewalls and antiviruses. However, it is also very important to understand that no technology may ever fully substitute the security culture of the company's employees. Many attacks are conducted due to the personal weaknesses of the associates answering the calls, for example. So, in my opinion, in addition to the cyber security systems, there should be appropriate personnel training as well as well elaborated procedure protocols.

Travel Agents are using GDS more and more as the technology progresses. They are using GDS more often than they did two years ago.

"One key issue for the e-business application in service operations is about the possibility of online delivery of the services customers ordered - as not all types of services (or products) can be delivered online, (...)" Regarding this article is really interesting how e-business applies to the lodging industry even though is the type of industry that is base in delivering services a good part of it is being accomplished online. From online booking, to checking out, to hotel feedback a good percentage is perform thanks to the internet now-days. It is so accessible that you do not need to seat on the computer even since is also available to the tip of your fingers through the phone apps. Also it makes easy to manage incentive programs and rewards therefore customers see a piece of the benefit no only by the commodity of booking online but also by getting rewarded for it. I think it really makes sense for the lodging industry to benefit from the e-business since it did really changed the game for the entire industry in terms of accessibility and compettiviness by putting the hotel name out there. The more advance and up to date are the ebusiness tools a hotel offer , the more chances has of revenue.

A quick look at the ways Airbnb and Uber are disrupting the structure of lodging and traveling. From the oversight perspective, these services are being scrutinized to determine whether they violate various safety, insurance, tax, pricing, and liability laws. The peer-to-peer (P2P) is already making major disruption in the industry by sharing of resources like sharing a car and/or a rented house.

This article overviews the three major technological trends of 2019. Those trends are as follows: Mircro-Intergration of Software Solutions which enable a seamless cohesion of third-party vendor's into the hotel's existing PMS sofware through programming. Frictionless Guest stay, the idea is to make guest stays more efficient by creating apps that are personal mobile concierge. Thus allowing guests to make the most of their time vacationing or "workationing" Employee Focused Technology, for the full service hotels, this idea will help with locating employees by installing panic buttons. Beacon Geolocators will provide the exact location of an employee once they press that panic button.

This is a great read discussing the technological advancements in the hospitality industry over the past few years. The article points out that the use of such technologies is inevitable in the future because "the hotel technology space is growing rapidly and software services are becoming increasingly targeted." The three top hospitality technology trends that the author provides for 2019 include micro-integration of software solutions, employee-focused technology, and the frictionless guest stay. Together with other existing and new inventions, these technologies will continue to shape the hospitality in the next few years.