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Current Hoteliers of the World sponsors :

Protect-A-Bed

Purchasing Management International

The Wall Street Journal

For more information on sponsorship opportunities contact Dan Hogan ( 001 ) 312-274-2221 or dhogan @ hotelsmag . com

In the early 1990s Luke Bailes decided to reinvent the safari experience by building Singita ’ s first lodge , Ebony Lodge , in the Sabi Sand Reserve on land his grandfather purchased in 1925 . He restored the land to its original condition by utilizing aerial photos from the 1930s and with the help of environmentalist Dave Wright .

Singita now has 12 properties in Africa , and its core reflects Bailes ’ vision to preserve land and wildlife . Bailes is actively involved in the day-to-day operations of Singita and has an in-depth understanding of the game lodge and hospitality industries .

Bill Heinecke created his first companies in Thailand in 1967 at age 17 after borrowing US $ 1,200 to register them . Today , Minor International owns and operates multiple companies focused on restaurants , hotels and lifestyle brands as well as operating more than 100 hotels across 27 countries .

Minor ’ s Anantara brand includes 30 properties in eight countries with 10 more under development , and in 2011 , Minor launched the upscale Avani brand .

A CSR advocate , Heinecke has a foundation to support underprivileged children ’ s education in Thailand , and his annual King ’ s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament has raised more than US $ 750,000 for Thailand ’ s elephant population .

Under Christopher Nasetta ’ s leadership since 2007 , Hilton Worldwide has become one globally aligned organization and has added nearly 1,200 properties to its portfolio . It has increased the number of rooms in its development pipeline by 60 % and has the largest active pipeline in the industry . In 2013 , Nassetta was pivotal in Hilton ’ s reentry to the public market on the New York Stock Exchange .

Previously , Nassetta rose through the ranks at Host Hotels & Resorts to become president and CEO . Earlier , he co-founded real estate investment and advisory firm Bailey Capital Corp .

Nassetta also serves on multiple organizations including the World Travel & Tourism Council International Youth Foundation .

Claus Sendlinger , whose company represents and markets some 260 independent hotels , began his travel industry career in 1987 by starting an agency specializing in sport and music events . Four years later , he developed Travel Trends , a tour organizer for high-end , authentic travel experiences .

In 1993 , Sendlinger established Design Hotels , a hotel cooperative with 10 members focused on communications strategies that went beyond traditional tourism marketing . With its growth , lebensart global networks AG was born in 1998 and went public in 1999 . In 2003 , the company was renamed Design Hotels , and in 2004 the headquarters were moved from Augsburg , Germany , to Berlin .