How could a small brand like Omni matter ? That is what Mike Deitemeyer heard in 1996 when he orchestrated the deal for parent company TRT Holdings to acquire the then 35-unit hotel company ( 16 were franchised , and only eight were owned ). And for some time , he admits , there was angst about that perceived dilemma .
Today , however , Deitemeyer , president of Omni Hotels & Resorts since 2004 , talks mostly about feeling validated by how consumers have reacted to the company ’ s authentic , experiential approaches ( even in the big-box hotels the Dallas-based company is known for ), how social media and new distribution channels have helped level the playing field , and how being a private company offers the luxury of growing only when it makes sense .
In October , Omni Hotels & Resorts sat at 55 hotels ( 38 owned , four JVs , nine managed , three of the original franchises , one unbranded ) with another three under development , a whopping 163 F & B outlets , 20 golf courses and 113 retail outlets — but who ’ s counting ?
All along the way , the company has worked passionately to differentiate its hotels by delivering unique offerings such as inviting meeting planners and travel managers to an event to explain the role revenue management plays in contract negotiations . Omni also places a strong emphasis on F & B with a local flair and grades its GMs on how well they initiate programs in their local communities .
VALIDATING
MIKE DEITEMEYER HAS HELPED PROVE ‘ EXPERIENTIAL ’ CAN WORK IN BIG BOXES AND HAS OMNI HOTELS & RESORTS GROWING WITH A STEADY RHYTHM .
by JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
42 HOTELS December 2013 www . hotelsmag . com