50 shades of the luxury hospitality industry

The world of luxury hospitality is predominately perceived in a positive format; however, what this chapter discusses is the negative side to the luxury hospitality. The chapter critically examines the hotels' role in breaches of human rights and their possible involvement in illegal practices such as human trafficking and modern slavery. It provides an overview of the problem, the key terms and the stages of hotel involvement in this procedure. It examines the underlying reasons for the status quo, including discretion and secrecy accompanying luxury service. It highlights the vulnerability of the luxury sector relating to repercussions in terms of reputation and loss of trust. The chapter further examines the concept of duty of care and the breaches of it in relation to hotel staff. Particularly, it examines the industrywide problem of alcohol and drug abuse among employees and the possible reasons behind it, followed by possible best practice solutions.