Looking for a Job? Give Twitter a Try.

September 30, 2009

twitter-job-searchNetworking is one of the most effective tools for job seekers. So it makes sense to use one of the most popular social networking tools out there as part of the process. With Twitter, you can supplement your traditional job search strategy with a constantly updated resource of job openings.

To start with, try the Ultimate List of Employers Recruiting on Twitter. Several hospitality-related companies are on the list, including Expedia, Hyatt, and more.

Twitter also provides the Twitter Job Search, a search engine of job listings from all over the world.

Good luck job tweeters!


2009 HOST Study Now Available

September 29, 2009
Source: STR HOST Study

Source: STR HOST Study

The 2009 Hotel Operating Statistics (HOST) Study from Smith Travel Research (STR) is now available in the Nestlé Library. The HOST Study is an annual publication that provides an overview of U.S. lodging performance along with detailed information on industry revenues and expenses.

Detailed data from more than 5,800 hotel properties presents information by department, including rooms, food & beverage, marketing, utility costs, property and maintenance, and administration.

The HOST Study can be found in the Nestlé Library reference collection, in the Hotels & Resorts section.


Hotel Expanision Taking Off in China

September 28, 2009

china_hotelAccording to a recent article in the China Daily, the hotel industry is eager to expand in China. Forecasted growth in China’s travel and tourism has spurred development by many global hotel brands.

InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) has announced plans for the construction of 60 Holiday Inn hotels and Holiday Inn Express hotels, adding to the 48 Holiday Inn hotels and 22 Holiday Inn Express hotels already in China.

Hilton also plans to add another 33 hotels in China and Ramada’s expanison plans include the world’s largest Ramada, with 1,000 rooms, to be located in Hainan province.

The China Daily article includes a quote from Robert Kwortnik, Associate Professor of Services Marketing at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.


Subway Gaining on McDonald’s

September 24, 2009

Subway is on pace to become the world’s largest fast-food chain in terms of locations over the next few months. The restaurant chain, benefitting from its hughly successful $5 foot-long campaign, is expected to pass 31,800 locations by the end of this week, closing in on McDonald’s 32,158 total.

In terms of sales numbers, however, McDonald’s is still way out in front. The average U.S. McDonald’s had about $2.3 million in sales last year; the average Subway made about $445,000.

For comprehensive chain restaurant data, Cornell students have access to Technomic Digital Resource Library. Technomic has been tracking the foodservice industry for over 40 years, providing industry intelligence, forecasts, and sales & volume data for every major restaurant chain.

For more details on Subway’s chase of McDonald’s view the article from Advertising Age.


Have Extra Money? Invest in Hotel Stocks.

September 23, 2009

Hotel stocks are becoming more attractive amid signs of increased demand. Analysts say now might be a good time to invest in hotel stocks, as businesses again begin to send their workers out to visit clients and an upswing in business travel translates to improved rates. Supply growth appears to also finally be waning, and demand is expected to continue to bounce back.

Goldman Sachs analyst Steven Kent names Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. as his top lodging pick, citing foreign currency exchange benefits, less timeshare earnings and decreased volatility on its fee business.

For more information, read the Forbes article.


Researching Ithaca and Tompkins County

September 22, 2009

The Nestlé Library has created a research guide for Ithaca and Tompkins County. Containing both library subscription sources and free Internet sites, the guide serves as a practical starting point for local research.

Categories include local demographics, government resources, Cornell University and Ithaca College facts, news, and local commercial property data.

Additional industry guides for hospitality fields are also available on the Nestlé Library web site.


Coca-Cola Tops List of Global Brands for 2009

September 21, 2009

According to Interbrand’s 2009 Best Global Brand rankings, Coca-Cola retained its postion at the top. But while the top two (Coca-Cola and IBM) actually posted gains in their brand value, overall value for all 100 on the list fell 4.6 percent, marking the first such loss in the rankings’ 10-year history.

Significant growth in brand value for Google (moved from 10th to 7th position) and Amazon (from 58 to 43) relates to one of the main themes that Interbrand has identified as crucial for the top brands: the use of technology to help consumers and improve the relevancy of the brand.

On the other end of the scale, banks and financial firms saw the biggest losses this year, with American Express dropping from 15th to 22nd, Citi sinking from 19th down to 36th (a 49 percent drop in value) and UBS losing 50 percent of its value as it went from 41 to 72. Several brands were hard hit by the sub-prime mortgage crisis and fell off the list entirely, including Merrill Lynch, AIG and ING.

View the full list of Top 100 Global Brands.


Restaurants Stir in Healthful Ingredients to Drinks

September 18, 2009

In response to consumer demand, many restaurants are adding nutritional beverages to their menu. The Lemonicity (pictured at right), created by Red Mango, contains green tea, black tea, hibiscus tea, pure cane sugar, natural flavors and probiotic strains. Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse serves a drink with fennel bulb, agave nectar, acai spirits, elderflower spirits and lime juice.

A recent article by Chain Leader provides addtional examples of healthy drink options being offered at restaurants. Members of the Cornell community have access to current and past articles of Chain Leader, both in print in the Nestlé Library and electronically.


Hotels Get App Happy

September 16, 2009

Choice Hotels International in March unveiled the first iPhone app from a major hotel company, called Choice Hotels Locator. The free app, which has been downloaded more than 225,000 times and in 73 countries, lets users book rooms from the road by employing the iPhone’s built-in global positioning system technology to automatically generate a list of Choice properties in a user’s vicinity. Users also can search manually by inputting addresses or cities.

Other hotel companies are jumping on the app bandwagon. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort recently revealed an app that provides users with specific information on property amenities and a detailed property map with interactive video tour. Omni  Hotels and Starwood are also developing apps.

For more information, view the recent article from Hotels Magazine.


Travelers Reluctant to Pay More for Green Travel

September 14, 2009

U.S. travelers seem concerned about green practices, but just aren’t willing to pay extra for it. A new consumer survey by the U.S. Travel Association and Ypartnership reveals that, despite increased awareness of green issues, only 9 percent of consumers say they are willing to pay more to use travel service suppliers that offer eco-friendly options for travelers, and only 3 percent have purchased a carbon offset when booking travel.

“Consumers are looking for ‘green travel’ choices at the right price. The travel community has developed thousands of options and we are adding more daily,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association.

The survey revealed addtional key findings about the green habits of U.S. travelers. For a review of the survey, visit the Travel Agent Central web site.


Best Places to Launch a Career

September 10, 2009

In its annual listing of best places to launch a career, BusinessWeek magazine places three hotel companies in the top 34.

The top hotel company is Disney, which ranks 14th overall, up from 27th last year. Hyatt, which did not appear at all on the list last year, comes in at number 27 this year. Coming in at number 34 is Marriott, which dropped from number 6 last year. Dropping off the list is Wynn Las Vegas, which was ranked number 119 last year.

In creating the list, BusinessWeek looks for certain characteristics that all great employers share: great pay and benefits, top-notch training programs, and opportunities for rapid advancement. A combination of three methods was used to determine the companies on the list: a survey of career services directors at selected U.S. colleges; a survey of more than 60,000 undergraduates; a survey of employers.

View the full list of best places to launch a career.


Chipotle’s Refines Career Path for Entry-Level Staff

September 9, 2009

Chipotles Mexican Grill has changed its career path to make it easier for entry-level employees to be promoted into the management ranks.

In a typical climb up Chipotle’s ladder, talented food servers advance to become kitchen managers, where they learn about food and then progress to service manager, where they handle customer-service issues and gripes. While functioning as service manager they train their replacement, which helps Chipotle discover who has the skills to be a manager and run a full-service restaurant.

Read the full story from the online site of Investor’s Business Daily. Cornell students have electronic access to current and past issues of Investor’s Business Daily.


2009 U.S. Hotel Franchise Fee Guide

September 7, 2009

HVS Global Hospitality Services has just released its annual survey of the fees charged by major hotel franchisors in the economy, mid-rate, and first-class market segments. This guide enables hotel owners to easily compare the total cost of one hotel franchise with that of another.

A total of 96 franchise groups, including 25 economy, 29 mid-rate, and 42 first-class franchisors, participated in the 2009 analysis.

Hotel franchise fees are compensation paid by the franchise to the franchisor for the use of the brand’s name, logo, goodwill, marketing, and referral and reservation systems. Franchise fees normally include an initial fee with the franchise application, plus continuing fees paid periodically throughout the term of the agreement.

Find a PDF copy of the 2009 U.S. Hotel Franchise Fee Guide on the Hospitality Net web site.


Top Brands Trusted by College Students

September 4, 2009

Brand credibility is important to college students, and Johnson & Johnson, Sony and Apple top the list of brands that college students say they “trust,” according to the 2009 edition of Alloy Media + Marketing’s College Explorer survey.

In addition to Johnson & Johnson, Sony, and Apple, the following companies made the list of trusted brands: Colgate, Microsoft and Coca-Cola (tied), Toyota, Nike and Bank of America (tied), and Target and Dell (tied).

Cornell students have access to a wide selection of marketing publications, including:

• Advertising Age
• Adweek
• International Journal of Marketing
• Mediaweek
• Journal of Brand Marketing

If you are looking for electronic access to a specific publication (such as those listed above), search for the publication by title in Find eJournals.


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