10 January, 2008:The No. 1 trend in today´s hotel industry is greening, according to American Hotel & Lodging Association President Joe McInerney.
"Every hotel company now has an environmental specialist, and we´re working with all of them to develop a certification program," he told USA TODAY.
Other trends he noted:
---The average daily hotel rate in 2008 broke the $100 barrier for the first time ever, he says. "If we have a recession, I don´t think rates will go down dramatically," said Mr McInerney. "We´ll be OK in a recession…the supply hasn´t caught up with the demand."
---He does not anticipate discounting.
---He envisions technology creating even more perks popular with hotel-goers. "Everybody´s changing armoires to dressers and putting in the flat-screen TVs and iPod docking stations. I see more research into what the consumer wants in the last five years than in the past 40 years," he said.
