The hotel industry is being disrupted. Of course we know about Airbnb but they may actually be the least of the industry’s problems. The real challenge is changing the culture of a business sector that has experienced tremendous success. History shows it’s difficult and the result is that former household names may go the way of Borders Books. In today’s digital age we’ve seen this dynamic play out in publishing, music, and even the electronics retail industry as with the 94-year-old brand Radio Shack.

The consumer is in the business driver’s seat like never before. Social media, mobile and digital devices have changed the rules of marketing and customer service. Many of the traditional practices of the hotel industry are liabilities when targeting the most rapidly growing consumer segment, read that as millennials.