Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

Earlier this month, I attended the 20th A nnual Graduate Education & Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism (also known as Graduate Conference ).  It was a very successful conference, featuring 145 stand-up presentations and 186 poster presentations over a three-day period.  Yet, it was just like one of the many academic conference I have been to, I feel this is something missing.  I ask myself:  Poster Presentation at the 20th Graduate Conference A re academic researchers trapping themselves in producing "scientific" research? Have our industry partners provided adequate support to academic programs in research and product development? Why hotels do not use academic research in product development? (As what is suggested by this CNBC report about Marriott). Where is the place for interdisciplinary research in hospitality and tourism (e.g., working with other scholars in architecture, interior design, fine arts and civil engi...

--> I attended both IHMRS (International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show) and BDNY (Boutique Design Trade Fair) this year with 15 students, faculty, and staff from the Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona . Being a five-time attendee of IHMRS since 2009 and a professor who often shares hospitality trends and industrial updates, I paid special attention to new products and ideas that were different from those in the past. Guess what new products and ideas I found?       +Cal Poly Pomona  Students Attended the +IHMRS 2014 in +City of New York   Fewer e-commerce sites, OTA sites, or mobile app developers attended IHMRS than before.  TV mirrors are here.  Green practices will stay.  "Special" textiles will be used for a variety of purposes and facilities.  Preserved vertical gardens help businesses keep the beauty of plants but require no maintenance. +DrainWig is helpful in solving the clogging issues ...

Is there anything technology can't do?  Recently, Marriott launched the #GetTeleporter campaign , taking us to a virtual vacation.  What business applications do you see from the teleporter?  Will people buy in this concept?  Tell us what you think. 

The Aloft Hotel is testing a robotic butler concept in the Cupertino, California location.  The chain has no intention to replace any service staff at this point and is planning to bring more "botlers" (robotic butlers) to other Aloft Hotel if the concept proves to be successful. In general, I believe technology can enhance customer service, but at the same time, technology may also minimize the real human interactions among customers and staff.  So, is it a good thing when hotels use machines to serve people? Do customers have a saying on how they will be served (by a real human or by a robot)? With those thoughts in mind, I wrote two articles on MultiBriefs.com . I believe machine serving people has become a reality , but at the same time, there will be a variety of options (brands) in the future to meet different needs from customers. Customers will be able to choose a hotel that uses machines or uses real human being for customer service . In your opinions, to which...

The Wall Street Journal reported a new research finding , suggesting us to chew more if we want to lose weight. But isn't it obvious? It takes longer for people to eat if they chew more. Studies have shown people eat less if they eat slowly (in this case, chew more). On top of that, food that mixed well with saliva will get digested better. Regardless, it is interesting to see somebody actually making effort to prove the causal relationship. Hopefully, nobody would start eating more unhealthy food because they will chew more of the unhealthy food.

I recently read an interesting experiment from a famous restaurant in #NYC , where the owners compared customers' behavior of today and that of 10 years ago.  I wrote an article about it on MultiBriefs .    Here is what was reported by the restaurant (and what I included in the article):  July 1, 2004 : Customers walked in.  They were seated with a menu.  Three out of 45 requested for a different seat.  Customers spent about 8 minutes on the menu before closing it, indicating that they were ready to order.  Servers instantly took the order.  Appetizers were served in about 6 minutes (except for complex items).  Two out of 45 customers sent items back.  Servers remained attentive to customers.  Checks were delivered when customers finished their meals.  Customers left within 5 minutes.  On average, it took 1 hour and 5 m...

President Obama was caught on tape working out in a hotel during a trip to Poland.  Leaving politics aside, this video shows Obama is just like many other travelers: They all work out in a hotel gym.  According to a 2012 survey conducted by TripAdvisor with over 1,400 U.S. travelers, healthy eating and exercise have played an important role in Americans' vacation.  Sixty-nine (69) percent mentioned healthy eating is important during vacation, and 53 percent said they always or often do exercise while they travel. I am glad to see the industry is responding to what travelers want. Many hotel brands have already updated their workout facilities through renovations and/or re-branding.  Today, travelers can easily find up-to-date equipment in a large workout room in hotels.  There are also websites that are specifically developed for hotel gym reviews (e.g., HotelGymReview.com ).  My recent stay at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower was a gr...