The great American road trip is back, and that could be good news for Choice Hotels International, which franchises value hotel chains like Comfort Inn. We talked to CEO Steve Joyce, who says he sees signs of stabilization in his niche of the travel industry.    Read More

Hertz Global Holdings is making a big bet on the consumer. In an interview on CNBC, Hertz CEO Mark Frissora says he's "literally scrambling to buy as many cars" as he can to ramp up for a rebound in demand.    Read More

The "endless salad and soup" deals remain popular items at Darden Restaurants, but CEO Clarence Otis is more concerned about whether consumers continue to skip dessert or go easy on the cocktails.    Read More

It looks like we’ll have another bankruptcy of a former LBO in the hospitality space. The WSJ is reporting that Red Roof Inns has defaulted on $332 million of mortgage debt.    Read More

The travel and leisure industry is all about customer service. Actually, every industry is about customer service, but we really hold people to account if we feel mistreated at an airline or hotel.   Read More

Never underestimate the power of a ridiculous idea. There are plenty of people who've managed to do far better financially than, well, me, by creating and selling outlandish products.   Read More

Stocks wobbled on Friday as investors were encouraged by a jump in consumer sentiment and a less-bad GDP report, but still remained jittery. Consumer sentiment improved in May to its highest level since last September as expectations for the future surged, but worries about current conditions persisted. Experts weighed in on the these topics and more…    Read More

No doubt there's been a lot of tough talk around the kitchen table about summer plans this year. But when parents are looking at where to trim the household budget, there's one item that seems to be staying on the list: summer camp.    Read More

In the most surprising press release I've seen in a long time, I heard from a company called Royal Restrooms proclaiming, "The economic downturn has been a boon for the most unusual businesses," including the portable toilet biz.   Read More

When it comes to handicapping the Spelling Bee, I'm one of the best in the world and I can easily show my work. In 2006, I picked eight spellers who could win, the winner Katherine Close was among my picks.    Read More