Lodging Operating Statistics: Overcoming the Numbers Game

The U.S. lodging industry's segmentation strategy has resulted in a proliferation of "new" lodging products. Moreover, terms such as hotel and motel long ago ceased to convey meaningful information about facilities and levels of service for managers to compare lodging properties' operating statistics. Working with South Carolina's lodging industry, the author developed a new, multi-tier categorization scheme for lodging properties. The scheme takes into account the characteristics of different types of properties and combines those with existing location characteristics. In some cases the category labels are familiar, but their definitions have lacked industry consensus. Three primary bases for grouping are the dominant type of lodging unit, on-site food and beverage services, and meeting and banquet facilities.