Hospitality research school releases new case studies

Cayunga Latitude 10 Resort, in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.

Tips for improving hotel revenue include sustainable operations, employee engagement, and internet technology

 
Improved, profitable operations keynote ten case studies presented by Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR).

The cases included in the third set of the CHR series include concepts for improving hotel revenue from sustainable operations, employee engagement, and internet technology.

The authors are Cathy Enz, Rohit Verma, Kate Walsh, Sheryl Kimes, and Judy Siguaw. Enz, Verma, Walsh, and Kimes are members of the faculty at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. Siguaw is dean of the College of Human Ecology at East Carolina University.

The Cornell Hospitality Report, "Cases in Innovative Practices in Hospitality and Related Services: Set 3," features Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, Chic Basic, JetBlue Airlines, Jumeirah Essex House, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Runtriz, The Seaport Hotel, Thayer Lodging, TripTelevision, and Xsense Experiential Design Consulting.

The hospitality report is available at no charge, at www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2010.html.
 

The cases include:

• Cauyunga  has applied a sustainable management approach to remote lodges in Costa Rica, both to improve revenues and to ensure environmental protection;
• Chic Basic has opened upscale hostels in Spain, with low-cost design and amenities unlike most of the typical dormitory-style facilities, including private rooms with baths, free internet, and plasma TVs;
• As part of its property renovation, the Jumeirah Essex House hired a curator who created an artist-in-residence program that has resulted in installations in several media, all designed to reinforce the hotel’s connection with New York City and Central Park;
• Boston’s Seaport Hotel, a harborside convention property, has made a wide-ranging sustainability initiative into its chief competitive differentiation, both increasing revenue and cutting costs;
• TripTelevision takes web video to its next logical level by connecting video clips of hotels and destination amenities with marketing analysis to improve travelers’ knowledge and boost sales; and
• XSense Experiential Design Consulting uses intense research to help developers connect their resort properties to their location, so that guests gain a more favorable experience by immersing themselves in the history and culture of a destination.

Each case study in the hospitality report describes the innovation, gives details on its execution, reviews the outcomes, and offers insights, with a goal of helping all hospitality innovators.

Valere Tjolle

Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite, special offer at: www.travelmole.com/stories/1142003.php