Hospitality Resources

Engaging with different types of resources will help you understand your industry on a deeper level.

Caution

When using resources on this guide, continue to evaluate credibility and relevance for your audience. A resource can be considered credible in one situation but questionable in another, or its quality can suddenly degrade. Additionally, credible resources can still contain problematic content like content marketing, inaccurate opinion pieces, flawed research, or misrepresented evidence.

Professional Organizations

Professional organizations and trade associations promote their industries and provide networking opportunities to members. Their websites offer information and educational materials for professionals in the industry.

The following examples are organizations for professionals in hospitality-related fields:

Trade Publications

Trade journals or trade magazines provide industry-specific insights, giving prospective professionals an insider’s view of the field.

The following examples are trade publications with a focus on hospitality:

Club Management

(Golf/Country Clubs)

(Quick Service Restaurants)

Newspapers

Newspapers cover current events relevant to professionals in all fields.

Newspapers with coverage that could be useful to hospitality professionals include:

New York Times

UW-Madison students can create a free personal account through the library

Wall Street Journal

UW-Madison students can create a free personal account through the library

Popular Magazines

Popular magazines, although aimed at a general audience, can be useful for understanding an industry in a larger context or from a consumer’s point of view.

Popular magazines that might be useful to professionals in hospitality include

You also might want to consult business-focused popular magazines like Bloomberg Businessweek, Harvard Business Review, or MIT Sloan Management Review.

Websites

Discovering Hospitality

Podcasts

Most industries have reputable experts who podcast about their chosen field, providing an insider’s look. These types of information resources vary widely and require vetting, but can be credible.

The following resources offer perspectives on hospitality as an industry:

Books

Most industries have notable books that insiders find useful or that have had an influence on that industry. Asking insiders is the best way to find out which books are considered essential in your field.

Here are a few examples of influential books for hospitality:

Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy (Isadore Sharp)
The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (Joseph A. Michelli)
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect (Will Guidara)

Scholarly Journals

Scholarly journals publish in depth research, usually conducted by professors.

The following resources offer academic perspectives on hospitality: