Three people sitting down at a long table

William F. Harrah College of Hospitality News

The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality is among the highest ranked hospitality management programs in the world. By blending classroom and real-world experience, our students receive a well-rounded and affordable pathway towards a successful career.

Current Hospitality News

Portrait of Marco Benvenuti
People |

Gift from Las Vegas business icon and 2002 graduate Marco Benvenuti provides opportunities for students beyond the classroom.

collage of four photos featuring scenes from morocco
People |

Hospitality student Bridget Podlesni explores the wonders of Morocco during the Lee Business School's Global Entrepreneurship Experience.

collage of four photos with scenes from Morocco
Campus News |

Christen Joy Smith shares Instagrammable moments and the business practices of Moroccan locals as part of Lee Business School's Global Entrepreneurship Experience.

Josh Hawkins, UNLV
Campus News |

News highlights featuring UNLV students and staff who made (refreshing) waves in the headlines.

collage of photos with scenes from Morocco
People |

UNLV students explore local culture and sights as part of Lee Business School's Global Entrepreneurship Experience.

Slot machine at Black Fire Innovation Center.
Research |

UNLV casino management researcher Anthony Lucas looks at the apparent diminishing returns between free-play offers and patron behavior.

Hospitality In The News

Las Vegas Review Journal

Southwest Airlines will begin assigning seats on its flights next year and launch late-night “red-eyes” from Las Vegas to Orlando, Florida, and Baltimore in February, the company announced Thursday.

BuzzFeed

Have you ever found yourself in a mild panic when it’s time to pay your dinner bill on a vacation because you forgot to look up tipping etiquette in that country? You’re definitely not alone. Tipping expectations vary greatly throughout the world, and it can be hard to keep it all straight. Even if you know tipping isn’t standard in a particular region, it can still feel really weird not to leave a tip. Beyond that, in some places, tipping can even be seen as offensive.

Washington Post

Many hotel guests get comfortable lounging around in the plush, cozy robe hanging in their closet. So comfortable, in fact, that they find the garment too irresistible to leave behind, leading managers to add price tags and anti-theft warnings to rooms.

Bonus.com

Despite the gambling industry’s near-religious reliance on free-play bonus offers, new evidence affirms that other factors like amenities and ambiance might be more important to customer retention in a retail casino environment. One recent study found that reducing or even eliminating free-play offers had little impact on retail gamblers’ behavior. A similar discussion is underway in the iGaming space, as online operators and their investors are increasingly concerned about whether they’re getting a return on their promotional investments. In both channels, experimentation and selective targeting of free play spending seem to be key, while traditional scattershot approaches may be a waste of money.

DinSide

Earlier this summer, the locals on Mallorca protested against mass tourism and stated that tourism has, among other things, led to increased house prices and pollution. "Tourists, go home!" has been a recurring message in the various protests against mass tourism.

Flysmart24.no

On Sunday, it is ready for a new day of action in Spain aimed at mass tourism. Now a Norwegian and an American professor are warning against the damage this could have on the industry throughout Spain.

Hospitality Experts

An expert in health care tourism, consumer loyalty, consumer loyalty programs, strategic pricing, and revenue management.
An expert in hospitality technology, social informatics, and organizational behavior.
An expert in casino marketing, casino management, slot operations and business operations analysis.
An expert in food and beverage operational management, event management, wine education, and etiquette.
An expert on management and consumer behavior.
An expert on tourism, gaming, and slot machines.  

Recent Hospitality Accomplishments

Faculty members Hyelin (Lina) Kim and Zihui Ma (both Hospitality), along with graduate students Minji Kim and Sooyeon Lee, completed a study exploring the impact of influencer marketing on consumer behavior when it comes to purchasing organic food. Their article, "What Makes Consumers Purchase Social Media Influencers…
Kasra Ghaharian (International Gaming Institute), Marta Soligo (Hospitality), and Brett Abarbanel (International Gaming Institute, Hospitality) published a study, "AI ethics in a controversial industry: the case of gambling and its ethical paradox," in AI and Ethics with co-authors Fatemeh Binesh (University of Florida) and Lukasz Golab…
Yen-Soon Kim (Hospitality), chair of the Food & Beverage and Event Department and associate professor, has been recommended by a panel from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and World Learning to join the prestigious Fulbright Specialist Roster for a three-year tenure (starting June 14). This program,…
Tony Henthorne’s (Hospitality) book, "Jamaica: Tourism History of an Island Paradise," published by Archway Publishing, is now available on Amazon. The book explores the cultural and political history of the island – from its humble beginnings, to the Hollywood invasion of the 1940s, to its status today as one of the world's most popular tourism…
Faculty members Amanda Belarmino and Cass Shum (both Hospitality), along with alumnae Yunxuan Carrie Zhang (Ph.D. '22) and Dina Zemke (Ph.D. '03), recently wrote an article that was featured in the International Hospitality Review. The article, "Comparing the antecedents of manager’s and employee’s job satisfaction in the housekeeping…
Cass Shum (Hospitality) and coauthors recently published their paper "'I was so scared I quit:' Uncanny valley effects of robots’ human-likeness on employee fear and industry turnover intentions" in the International Journal of Hospitality Management. The paper focuses on the effect of robots' appearance on employees' fear and industry…