An article in The Economist XXXXXXXXXXhas described the new world of the ‘virtual’ hotel. You stay at a hotel with a famous brand name, and you are surrounded by that brand – on the staff uniforms,...

An article in The Economist (2009) has described the new world of the ‘virtual’ hotel. You stay at a hotel with a famous brand name, and you are surrounded by that brand – on the staff uniforms, the crockery, the stationery and perhaps even the toiletries. But it is quite possible that the hotel is owned by a business that has simply taken a franchise on the brand name. The building that constitutes the hotel is likely to be leased from a property investment business, and the culinary and cleaning services may be provided by external suppliers. a What do you think are the main advantages for hotel chains of not owning the buildings in which they operate? b Do you think the hotel chains should have any concerns about the outsourcing of ownership of the buildings in which they operate?