Recovery Trends in the Urban Hotel Landscape

Todd Johnstone, CEO of Allbridge, offers advice for hoteliers on two paramount issues in today’s hospitality industry: data protection and cyber security. This informative conversation covers the differences between data that is collected, data that needs to be stored and data processing—and highlights why it is essential to conduct regular security audits to uncover potential areas of vulnerability, even if your property has never experienced a data security breach. Johnstone also stresses the importance of establishing protocols for detecting and responding to data breaches, and ensuring that policies are in compliance with the relevant data protection and privacy regulations.

Ariela Kiradjian is the co-founder & COO of The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), an organization devoted to the independent boutique lodging and lifestyle space. In this episode, she talks about the challenges and competitive advantages of operating a boutique hotel, highlighting the differences between what a “true” boutique hotel is and a “boutique-inspired” brand. Kiradjian details the demographic lifestyle characteristics of the type of guest who favors boutique properties and explains how to provide the bespoke experience that they are seeking. She also discusses the booking behaviors of this traveler cohort and the importance of leveraging AI to compete with larger chains. 

Performance across the hotel industry has been steady-to-brisk in the post-pandemic, high-interest-rate, inflationary world. But it differs state to state, city to city and block to block. In this episode of The Innovative Hotelier, Annie Fitzgerald, GM of The Westgate Hotel in San Diego, discusses recovery and renaissance in this SoCal market, with highlights including the return of group business and how to cash in on the plentiful amount of and convention business opportunities.

For Keir Weimer, founder of The Weekender Hotels, you can never have enough family time. That spirit carries through in his chain of rural resort properties, an ethos he discusses with host Robin Trimingham, along with the trend of a “return to nature.” Weimer also talks about the opportunities for creating a collection of bespoke properties and travel experiences using regional and small business association financing and how this works in a high-interest-rate market.

Trey Matheu and Christopher Baran of The Nemacolin resort in Pennsylvania discuss the business case and advantages of changing staffing models for luxury properties with host Robin Trimingham.

This broad-based conversation highlights the advantages, for example, of replacing the traditional front-desk team with a pre-arrival team that focuses on guest interaction and creating personalized itineraries designed to help maximize the resort experience.

Yannis Moati, CEO of HotelsByDay, and TJ Noble, senior director of key accounts and technology solutions for DerbySoft, chat with host Robin Trimingham regarding why hoteliers should rethink their attitude toward offering day rates.

This frank conversation discusses, among other things, marketing and operational challenges and also explains how technology can now make it possible to monetize hotel amenities, such as the pool, gym, spa and co-working spaces, to create scalable revenue for hotels.

David Eisen, editor-in-chief of HOTELS Magazine, chats with host Robin Trimingham, regarding the trend of consolidation and conversion within the hotel industry.

Recapping a year in which economic uncertainty and high interest rates made it extremely difficult to fund new construction, this conversation explores the many challenges of reinventing midscale hotel product in a way that satisfies both owner returns and guest experience expectations. In particular, Eisen points out that brands that focus on excelling at a couple of things, rather than trying to do too much, are those that will succeed the best.

Adam Harris, the co-founder and CEO of hotel management platform CloudBeds, chats with host Robin Trimingham, about the current state of the lodging industry and, specifically, the independent hotel segment.

Harris underscores the strength of independent hotels, postulating that they have outperformed brands post-pandemic and offers several trends currently dominating the independent space, including front-desk automation and the ongoing rise of blended travel.

Michael Kennedy, director of recreation and resort logistics at Sea Island Resort, chats with host Robin Trimingham about the importance of environmental stewardship and the wide range of eco-tourism initiatives and activities now available to hotel guests. Making the point that hoteliers have an opportunity to promote lessons in sustainability that can be carried forward for a lifetime, Kennedy equally demonstrates the business case for hotel-level sustainability.

Hospitality runs in the blood of Ryan Rivett, co-founder and CEO of My Place Hotels. His grandfather, Ron Rivett, founded the company, but is also well known as the creator of the popular, economy Super 8 brand, now under Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. In this wide-ranging discussion, he chats with host Robin Trimingham about many items within the hospitality space, including the opportunities associated with the hotel franchise operating model, breaking down, for instance, what each party to the agreement is responsible for. Rivett also offers advice for first-time franchisees and what to expect during each phase of the process.