THE MAGAZINE OF THE WORLDWIDE HOTEL INDUSTRY
EDITORIAL Jeff Weinstein , Editor In Chief 1.312.274.2226 E-mail : jweinstein @ hotelsmag . com
Ann Bagel Storck , Managing Editor 1.312.274.2209 E-mail : astorck @ hotelsmag . com
Brittany Farb , Associate Editor 1.312.274.2229 E-mail : bfarb @ hotelsmag . com
Dani Friedland , Managing Editor , New Media 1.312.274.2223 E-mail : dfriedland @ mtgmediagroup . com
Queenie Burns , Vice President , Design 1.312.274.2216 E-mail : qburns @ mtgmediagroup . com
Bert Ganzon , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2227 E-mail : bganzon @ mtgmediagroup . com
Steve Vanden Heuvel , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2218 E-mail : svandenheuvel @ mtgmediagroup . com
Michelle Villadolid , Freelance Design E-mail : mvilladolid @ mtgmediagroup . com
Bill McDowell , Vice President , Editorial Director 1.312.274.2201 bmcdowell @ mtgmediagroup . com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORs Mary Gostelow , Oriana Lerner
PUBLIsHING Dan Hogan , Vice President , Publisher 1.312.274.2221 dhogan @ hotelsmag . com
INTERNATIONAL ADVIsORY BOARD
Nakul Anand Executive Director , ITC Ltd ., Gurgaon , India
Stephen Bartolin Chairman and CEO , The Broadmoor , Colorado Springs , Colorado
Geoffrey Gelardi Managing Director , The Lanesborough , London
Kirk Kinsell President , the Americas , IHG , Atlanta
Alex Kyriakidis President and Managing Director , Middle East and Africa , Marriott International , Dubai
Christopher Nassetta President and CEO , Hilton Worldwide , McLean , Virginia
Monika Nerger Chief Information Officer , Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Atlanta
Paul Sistare President and CEO , Atlantica Hotels International , São Paulo
Susan Terry Vice President Culinary Operations , Hyatt Hotels North American Operations , Chicago
EDiTOriAL AND PrODuCTiON OFFiCES , HOTELS Marketing and Technology Group , 1415 N . Dayton Street Chicago , Illinois 60642 USA 1.312.274.2200 ; fax : 1.312.266.3363 edit @ hotelsmag . com
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No time for complacency
am not one to be satisfied with the status quo . From my perspective , the moment complacency sets in is the moment you need to start looking over your shoulder because someone is more than likely looking to disrupt your world .
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In fact , “ disrupt ” is a word we hear a lot these days , especially in the hotel business . We first heard it attached to OTAs , who came to the market at the perfect time as the Internet was booming , mobile was emerging and naïve hoteliers during a weak economy looked for any way to boost business . While hoteliers might publically refer to OTAs as their partners , under the industry ’ s collective breath it wished it would have never opened that door , or perhaps it was inevitable .
Today , arguably shared economy entrepreneurs such as Airbnb are routinely called “ disruptors ,” and now we see companies like Amazon and Google looking to grab a piece of travel and tourism ’ s enormous cash flow .
Of course , at HOTELS we cannot ignore these disruptors as they impact your bottom lines on a daily basis . As a result , this month we introduce a new section in the Global Update called The Disruptors , which addresses issues ranging from the impact of emerging booking channels and metamediaries , to how to best implement new strategies related to mobile technologies and social media .
We have compiled an incredible team of industry experts who will regularly write both in print and online about the topics that have too many hoteliers scratching their heads trying to understand the impact of these new players likely disrupting their customer
acquisition models . For example , this month Cindy Estes Green , Kalibri Labs , sheds light on Amazon ’ s plan to offer travel products . Patrick Bosworth of Duetto writes about how to react to the next wave of online retailers selling hotel rooms . We also have Robert Cole of RockCheetah on Airbnb ; Amy Jo Martin of Digital Royalty on how to respond on social media channels ; Chris Jackson of Ecommerce Solutions talks about effective online marketing ; and Bob Gilbert of HSMAI makes 2015 predictions .
At the same time , the prose of our industry gadfly , the indefatigable Mary Gostelow , is moving to hotelsmag . com , where she will deliver a weekly column based on the hoteliers she meets and interviews as she constantly circles the globe . In fact , watch for more changes at hotelsmag . com over the course of 2015 as we , too , understand there is no time to sit back and accept the status quo . For starters , see this month ’ s design feature about Le Méridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center . Not only will you be able to read in print about how this transformation took place , but we have created a threepart multimedia series going deeper into the principals ’ processes , including video interviews with the owner , operator and brand manager .
And as always , we are always anxious for feedback as we evolve to meet your needs and help you succeed as hoteliers .
Editor In Chief
www . hotelsmag . com January / February 2015 HOTELs 7