Hospitality Administration and Management Commons^™

Hotel Laguna: Marketing The Restoration Of A Historic Hotel In Southern California, Hannie Darrwazeh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The renovation of a historic, boutique hotel should be marketed in such a manner to ensure profitability and maintain the history and nostalgic feelings associated with the property. Situated in the heart of downtown Laguna Beach, California, Hotel Laguna has provided over 80 years of continuous service while maintaining the true essence of the community: a beachside, artistically-driven, relaxing city. Since the original structure was built in 1888 it has been demolished, rebuilt, and remodeled (Farnham, 1981). Today, the property has one restaurant, OceanView Bar and Grill, banquet facilities, an exclusive Beach Club, and boasts 65-quaint guestrooms. Upon purchase of …

Search Engine Optimization: Best Practices For Google, Tucker Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The internet is a major delivery system of hotel reservations. Approximately 25% of all reservations made at a hotel come directly through the hotel’s website (Douglas, 2012). Another 11% of total reservations are booked online through online travel agent websites, or OTAs, such as Priceline.com or Expedia.com (Douglas, 2012). These additional reservations booked through the OTAs come at a cost to the hotel, however. Typical commissions for OTAs are approximately 25 % of a total booking (Sanders, 2012). In 2010, it was estimated that the commissions associated with these OTA bookings cost hoteliers 2.5 billion dollars (Douglas, 2012). Because of …

American Generation Y And The Hotel Of 2030, Brian Kelley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Baby Boomer generation, once the largest, most important consumer base and leader in purchasing power, is entering retirement (Sherman, 2008). Now an aging generation, the Boomers, are slowly losing their hold on the attention of the hospitality industry. The Boomers are quickly being eclipsed by their children and grandchildren as the largest market population and the biggest spenders within America with over 73 million or 26% of the total US population belonging to this demographic (Nusair, Parsa, & Cobanoglu, 2011). Much like the Baby Boomers, this demographic, known as primarily as Generation Y (Gen Y) or “Echo-Boomers” due to …

Business Plan For A U.S. Based Healthy And Organic Ethnic Korean Quick-Service Restaurant, Daniel W. Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The increased globalization of ethnic cuisine has become a reality in the past decade due to the rise in food and beverage popular culture. The celebrity chefs on such television networks such as the Food Network and the Travel Channel has led to many persons becoming more interested in a variety of ethnic, fusion, healthy and organic dining options. For the past few decades, the most popular ethnic cuisines in the U.S. have been and still are Italian, Chinese, and Mexican foods (Leahy, 2007). However, with the increased interest in food and beverage culture and desire for variety, there are …

The Shifting Of The Las Vegas Tourism Industry: A Historical Perspective On Management And Resort Revenues, Eden Mccallister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas has been internationally recognized as the entertainment capital of the world. Whether it is top dollar luxury, world class fine dining, or vibrant night life that one seeks, Las Vegas certainly has something for everyone. The latter half of the 20th century has shown the city unprecedented arenas of success, but with intense global competition on the rise, it is clear that Las Vegas is no longer the only major player in the game. The turn of the 21st century has brought a new wave of economic challenges, and though Las Vegas has adapted over the years with …

Training And Development Guide For A Culinary Department In A Private University, Kimberly Rosenbaum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In an online study of the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART), 53% of respondents reported their budgets for training were being carefully looked at. From this scrutiny, training budgets in the past 18 months have significantly decreased (Bertra, 2009, p. 1). Slashed training budgets have become another sign of the recessionary times, forcing operators to direct their funds to customer service, hoping to set them apart in the competitive environment known as hospitality (Bertra, 2009, p. 1).

An Introduction To Meeting And Event Management Course, Diana Spina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper focuses on the development of an undergraduate introductory course in meeting and event management and the rational for inclusion of this particular course in the curriculum at a university that offers a degree in Hospitality Management. The literature review explores the anticipated demand related to the field of meeting and event management, course offerings of some of the top ranked universities with Hospitality Management programs, and different teaching methodologies. The last part of the paper encompasses the actual course material for a meeting and event management course; including the syllabus and teaching methodology.

Capturing The Chinese Outbound Tourism Market: Lessons For Las Vegas Casino Operators, Wilson Wan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

China has become a fast rising economic power and its GDP is expected to overtake America's in about 6 years (How to get a date, 2011). As a result of the increase in wealth, the Chinese middle class has been expanding rapidly and now has access to more resources than ever before. With a higher disposable income, the Chinese now have an increased desire, and capability, to travel the world. In preparation for the increase in outbound Chinese travelers, it would be wise for tourist destinations to be prepared to attract this market and thus capture a part of this …

Sustainability Program For Rio Secco Golf Club And Cascata, Jay Chiders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, operational excellence, and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward to the environment. Sustainability at Caesars Entertainment integrates strategic direction with the energy, innovation, and passion of its 70,000 employees. These employees are what drive Caesars Entertainment’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, CodeGreen (CodeGreen factsheet, 2012).

Caesars Entertainment Corporation owns two golf courses in Nevada. Rio Secco Golf Club opened in 1997 in Henderson and Cascata opened in …

The Family And Medical Leave Act’S Impact On The Hospitality Industry: Implementing Policies To Ensure Continued Productivity, Katie O'Brien Coon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Family and Medical Leave Act, (FMLA), allows women and men to take up to 12 weeks leave to care for a newborn child (maternity leave) and/or care for sick family members. The Department of Labor states that:

FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave (Family and Medical Leave Act - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor, 2012).

When an employee decides to take …

Casino Hosting: Back To The Basics, Jessica L. Hobbs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The heart and soul of Las Vegas has always been the casino industry. People from all over the world have traveled many miles to put their money on the line in the hopes of hitting the jackpot or just to see the “adult playground” so many have spoken of and viewed in multiple movies. In the 21st century the Las Vegas casino industry has competition popping up across the country and all over the world. These new casinos put intense pressure on Las Vegas to attract the “whales” and high rollers to the casinos on the Las Vegas strip. Many …

Exploration Of Hotel Distribution Channels In China — Focus On Hotel Call Centers, Tao Yu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In a world of increasing global competition, choosing an effective distribution channel is crucial for hoteliers to deliver value for their products and services. As hotel rooms are perishable, if they are not sold each night no revenue will be generated. So, we always see the distribution channel as one of the most important parts in the selling process. With the explosion of Internet commerce and computer usage, online distribution is fast growing up to become one of the popular and effective distribution channels in use. However, will functions of traditional distribution channels die from the boom of the new …

Perfecting The Table Games Dealer: Improving Initial Table Games Dealer Training Curriculum To Create More Versatile Gaming Employees, Bama Varsanyi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Casinos are hospitality operations in which a gaming experience is offered to guests in addition to general hospitality services. To create stable, high-quality guest services while generating satisfactory guest experiences, casinos rely significantly on the skills of their front-line employees. The initial training before employees begin to work in a live-gaming casino environment is crucial. It gives them the basic knowledge to be able to perform their tasks proficiently and deliver the required guest-service standards to all patrons during live gaming sessions. Table games dealers are the primary front-line employees in a table game operation, they receive majority of their …

Recommendations For Online Training In Hospitality Organizations, Geoffrey L. Wellen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Delivering consistent customer experiences is often a key driver of customer satisfaction in the leisure and hospitality industry. However, consistency can be compromised if new and existing employees are not adequately prepared for their roles and duties. The leisure and hospitality industry hires many new staff each year due to general industry growth and employee turnover. Training and development is therefore important for the industry to meet staffing requirements and to deliver consistent customer experiences. The rapid and significant developments in online training and education since mid 1990 have increased the size and knowledge of the candidate pool available to …

The Internet Gaming Industry For Newbies, Cory Nebel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States internet gaming industry is one which, while many people are aware of its existence, very few fully understand. There remains a tremendous amount of confusion amongst the American public regarding whether or not gambling online in the U.S. is a legal activity. While most would claim to have heard reports that U.S. internet gambling is against the law, just as many people are able to quickly reference both friends and family who regularly gamble online. Through the use of secondary research, this paper will explore a wide range of pre-existing literature on both the internet gaming industry …

The Effect Of Casino Tax Policy On Short-Run Gaming Development, Kahlil Philander

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the effect of casino tax rate structure on investment by casino operators. Using a panel data set consisting of all states with legal commercial casino gambling from 1998 to 2009, a fixed-effect model with two-stage least squares is estimated to examine the effect of gambling taxes on firms' short-run behavior. The study finds that maximum casino tax rates decrease casino employment, with an estimated average elasticity of -0.5. This result is noted to be robust to several different model specifications and data subsets. No robust relationship is found between maximum tax rates and casino wages. No significant …

The Marketing Effectiveness Of Hotel Facebook Pages: From Perspectives Of Customers And Messages, Xi Yu Leung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the hotel industry, social media marketing has become a new trend hoteliers are chasing and an increasing number of hotels are using social media to promote their business. However, the marketing effectiveness of social media is still a big challenge in both academic and business world. Since social media marketing is totally different from traditional marketing approaches, traditional marketing theories and practices may not be applicable to social media. Besides, very few studies have examined the effectiveness of social media marketing in the academic world.

Therefore, this study intended to provide an in-depth examination on the marketing effectiveness of …

Implementing A State Lottery In Nevada, Benjamin K. Boulton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of implementing a state lottery in Nevada and to present the benefits of a state lottery for both the Nevada hospitality industry and the Nevada economy. It will compare and contrast the arguments for and the arguments against a lottery by executing a content analysis of existing research literature as well as other relevant publications. It will also examine the history of lotteries, the states that border Nevada and have lotteries and the legislative history of lottery proposals in Nevada.

Non-Monetary Strategies To Retain Key Employees, Becky Rader

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to provide a handbook that management can use to retain employees, especially top performers.

Companies within the hospitality industry are attempting to strengthen their bottom line during these tough economic times. Employees contribute significantly to the bottom line but are often overlooked as assets by the company. As a result, many employees become disengaged and unsatisfied. As this happens, employees begin to look for opportunities outside the company where they feel they will be more valued for their abilities. Unfortunately, for the company losing employees, the most likely losses are the most accomplished employees. …

Logistics And Supply Chain Management In The Hotel Industry: Impact On Hotel Performance In Service Delivery, Clement K. Odoom

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this professional paper is to identify and describe the way logistics and supply chain management practices can be used for costs savings. As hotel companies manage and operate their properties, they should focus on several aspects such as logistics management, inventory management, information technology, procurement and distribution, lean and green supply chain practices. Finally, this paper explores the competitive benefits that come from applying these concepts. Part three will contain a set of recommendations how they can be utilized in the hotel industry

An Introductory Wine Course For Hospitality Students, Jeffrey Conklin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of an associate level hospitality management degree program is to prepare graduates for careers in the multi-faceted hospitality industry. In order to be successful these graduates must have the knowledge, skills and ability to be successful in the industry. The curriculum for these programs must be comprehensive, current and relevant to the industry. The research presented in this paper is intended to address introductory wine education, and outline an introductory course in wine. This area, which is not currently offered in some programs, is an important part of the food service side of the industry.

This research paper …

Maintaining The Profitability Of Gaming’S Premium Players, Maxwell J.H. Olson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: This paper does not seek to condemn the use of incentives for high-end casino players. Rather, it is intended to illuminate common policies and practices that might require more measurement and consideration prior to being distributed. This paper also explores and examines existing literature and findings regarding the profitability of high-end casino players and offers guidelines for evaluating profitability.

Statement of Objective: This paper targets existing policies and practices in the contemporary Las Vegas casino gaming business, separately examining the profitability of each incentive program or common practice. As a consolidated examination of such practices, this paper can serve …

Pyramids To Players Clubs: The Battle For Competitive Advantage In Las Vegas, Oliver Lovat

Occasional Papers

The evolution of the Las Vegas casinos from owner operator to the institutionally financed and corporately managed casino-resort has been the predominant feature of the evolution of the US Gaming market in the past 30 years. This paper examines the strategic frameworks used by Las Vegas casino resorts and identifies the drivers for competitive advantage moving forward.

A Business Plan For Grass Fed Restaurant, Joshua Schonfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper will present a business plan for a grass fed steakhouse concept in Chicago. After having spent the past year researching the grass fed meat market, meeting with grass fed farmers and looking for restaurant locations in three different markets (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago) it has become apparent that Chicago is going to be the best market for this type of concept. In the restaurant industry, contacts and word of mouth are two huge players in success in the restaurant business and this is definitely a connection that the partners have in Chicago.

Why grass fed? As …

From The Last Frontier To The New Cosmopolitan A History Of Casino Public Relations In Las Vegas, Jessalynn Strauss

Occasional Papers

This research chronicles the history of public relations by the gaming industry in Las Vegas. Reflecting larger trends in the field, public relations efforts by the casinos and hotels in this popular tourist destination have used a variety of communication tactics over time to promote themselves to potential Las Vegas tourists. Based on archival materials from over 30 casinos and gaming corporations, this paper identifies four ways in which public relations is practiced in the gaming industry and four macro-level trends in the evolution of casino public relations in Las Vegas.

Restaurant Service Employees Organizational Commitment: Shared Gratuity Versus Independent Gratuity Environments, Susan J. Roe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the organizational commitment levels between 207 restaurant service employees from 11 restaurants working in different types of gratuity distribution environments, those sharing (or pooling) gratuities and those retaining their own gratuities. Identifying differences in organizational commitment levels between employees can assist managers in selecting which gratuity distribution environment, shared or individual, to utilize in their restaurant operations. No statistically significant differences were found in organizational commitment or organizational justice levels between restaurant employees in the differing gratuity environments. Differences in organizational commitment were found among employee types. Restaurant service staff preference for type of gratuity distribution system …

The Fiscal Forensics Of The Las Vegas Strip Lessons From The Financial Crisis, Dean M. Macomber

Occasional Papers

Hitting with the force of a 100-year storm, the first two years of the financial crisis caused a $5.2 billion swing from profitability to loss for the top 22 performing Las Vegas Strip properties between peak fiscal year 2007 and 2009. By fiscal year 2011 visitor count had almost climbed back to peak levels but the aggregate loss is still stubbornly high at $ -1.6 billion. Other signs of recovery trickle in but are sporadic and volatile. This article is an attempt to disaggregate the variance and look at where Las Vegas has been, where it is now and how …

Training Program For New Chinese Casino Players, Yanlei Xu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas offers unique experience to visitors through nonstop entertainment. New data collected primarily from office of travel and tourism industries (OTTI), international tourism administration under U.S.Department of Commerce (OTTI, 2011) suggested the international visitors now contributes more to Las Vegas’s bottom than ever before. Based on a report from Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority (LVCVA, 2011), visitation from China increased by 38% in 2010, and OTTI data projected Chinese visitors to the US would increase by 219 % by 2015. With the new loosen policy on foreign tourist Visas, more foreign tourists would boost the whole tourism industry …

The Adaptation Of Cloud Computing By The Hotel Industry, Anthony Schneider

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The concept of cloud computing has many benefits for the hotel industry. The migration to cloud computing is expected to have a major impact on the way that information and computer resources are handled by the hotel industry. Investment in technology must bring value to a business whether it’s a large international hotel chain or a small, independent resort. Since business strategy will vary, a detailed study must be performed to identify the major issues that must be analyzed before migrating to the cloud.

The cloud is a highly adaptive IT infrastructure that can be shared by many different end …

Identify Possible Critical Provider Gap(S) In The Package Tours Sold By Travel Agencies In Singapore, Chih Wee Siow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Package tours are beginning to wane in its popularity and relevancy in today’s sophisticated travel market. This is beginning to show in Singapore as well. The needs and wants of customers are not as well met as compared to the past. If a travel agent wishes to stay profitable in this market segment, it is necessary for the operator to take a good thorough look at its tour packaging value chain. From the nature of the product itself to the end execution of the product, the travel agent needs to review its relevancy and ability to meet customers’ needs. The …