This blog was launched with the modest realization that the entire hospitality industry was entering a “new normal.” As we move into the next decade, both established players and newcomers will need to address doing business in the aftermath of the Great Recession and the arrival of the era of tight budgets and re-examination of the proper role of regulation (e.g., Dodd-Frank). Lending practices are still fragmented and the potential for expanding tax levies are on the horizon. Hotels and airlines are re-evaluating their dependence on third-party online travel companies such as Expedia and Travelocity, while simultaneously grappling with emerging social media players like TripAdvisor. Despite the quality of their products and the stated demand for luxury products, fractional developers continue to seek ways to significantly improve sales. Timeshare developers and management companies, used to 10 years of double-digit annualized growth, must find solutions to address concerns of an aging ownership base and to find new purchasers using cost-conscious but effective channels. Non-equity destination clubs have come and, for the most part, are gone.

With a 30 year track record and a current group of over 14 lawyers from multiple disciplines, Baker Hostetler’s Hospitality Team is in a unique position to make sense of this “new normal.” Our goal for this blog is to identify the business dynamics and legal issues that have the potential for shaping the hospitality industry going forward and to provide useful commentary and insight into matters of importance to the industry. Hopefully, we will do so in a way that will allow you to best exploit the opportunities and plan for the challenges.

Notwithstanding our expertise and experience, we recognize that we can always get better. If you have a constructive suggestion as to how to make this website more relevant to your needs, please let your regular Baker Hostetler contact know about your thoughts and ideas.

If you want to know more about our hospitality team, click here 

If you want to know more about our bloggers, click here 

To read more about our terms and conditions of use and privacy policy, click here, or to read our legal disclaimer, click here