Successful Hotel, Lodging and Resort Management: Delivering the Guest Experience

Michael Collins, Ph.D. brings over forty (40) years of hospitality industry experience to his current role as Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Hospitality Management at the University of San Francisco. For the first 25 years of his career, he climbed the ranks of the hotel industry, starting as a bellman and rising to the position of Vice President and General Manager for the 2,000-acre Resort at Glade Springs (WV)—a full-service hotel, conference center, golf resort and spa.  Along his career path, he served in general management capacities at Hyatt hotels in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Chicago and Wyndham hotels in Salt Lake City, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and Myrtle Beach (SC). Since 2003, Dr. Collins has worked in higher education—starting at The Ohio State University, where he earned his Ph.D., and then serving on the faculty at Coastal Carolina University prior to assuming a faculty post at the University of San Francisco. He now teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University. Michael also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership from the University of Charleston (WV). He is the author of Make It Count! Getting the Most from a Hospitality Internship, as well as Delivering the Guest Experience: Successful Hotel, Lodging and Resort Management.   

Gabriela Lelo de Larrea, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the School or Resort & Hospitality Management within the Lutgert College of Business at Florida Gulf Coast University and an Assistant Editor of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Dr. Lelo de Larrea holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management and a Master of Business Management from Victoria University in Australia. Gabriela earned her Bachelor of Tourism Administration from Universidad Anahuac in her hometown of Mexico City. She is a Certified Hotel Industry Analyst (CHIA) and a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE). 

Dr. Lelo de Larrea has published in top-tier hospitality and tourism academic journals, including the International Journal of Hospitality Management. Her research focuses on innovation, customer experience management, strategic management, and revenue management in different service industries, including lodging organizations. 

Before her academic career, Dr. Lelo De Larrea spent a decade working with leading hospitality companies, including Disney Parks & Resorts, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, holding positions in guest services, marketing, and event management. Gabriela’s diverse background provides her with unique insights gathered from a wide variety of business settings, ranging from fast-paced, high-volume operations to intimate luxury settings. Having lived and worked in four different countries, Dr. Lelo de Larrea brings a global perspective to customer service and experience management.

Karima Lanfranco, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor and the Academic Program Coordinator for Hospitality Management in the College of Business and Management at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. 

Prior to her career in academia, Dr. Lanfranco spent more than ten years in the hospitality industry, working in luxury and upper-upscale, full-service hotels and resorts across the United States. After earning two Master’s degrees, she completed the  Corporate Management Training program with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, going on to serve in various management roles with Hyatt Hotels in San Francisco and Chicago. Karima then relocated to Hawaii to work for Four Seasons Hotels, prior to a move to Orlando, where she continued her hotel industry career with Hilton Hotels & Resorts and the Kessler Collection. While the bulk of Karima’s experience is in rooms operations, including guest services, housekeeping, and revenue management, she also gained experience in event management and banquet operations during her industry career. 

Dr. Lanfranco earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from the University of Miami (2008); a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (2010); and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Hospitality Management from the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida (2021). Her research focus includes lodging operations and service failures and recovery. Dr. Lanfranco is a Certified Hotel Industry Analyst (CHIA) and a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE).