The future(s) of hotel accommodation management

This chapter is concerned with the future of hotel accommodation management – essentially with the future of hotels, as in most establishments it is the sale of accommodation that provides the most significant revenue stream. Studies of hotel futures are of two principal kinds – &s;academic&s; (notwithstanding the remarks made in the Introduction above), and &s;populist&s;, the latter consisting primarily of journalistic and consultancy reports. The fundamental core products and services of the hospitality industry are satisfaction of human needs for shelter and nourishment. Despite the continuing growth of the hotel industry, the sector faces challenges from variants and alternatives as well as creating its own alternatives. This chapter considers three examples of what Sardar might term &s;before or beneath the horizon&s; trends that have informed and continue to inform developments in the hotel industry and which, more importantly, one could argue have a reasonable probability of continuing to inform developments into the future.