Lagniappe
What do most people not know about you ? I used to be a hockey cheerleader .
What is your best hotel memory ? I was staying with friends at the Ritz Paris . Our last evening happened to be the birthday of Ernest Hemingway , and the bartender , Colin , brought up some cognac from Hemingway ’ s private collection that they still maintain . Colin allowed us to sample some . It was one of those moments that still give me goosebumps .
Where would you most like to visit ? I would love to visit Saba Island , the smallest of the Dutch Caribbean islands . It recalls what the Caribbean used to be . The images of the island are spectacular , and apparently it boasts excellent diving . I ’ ve never gone scuba diving , but if I had the chance to go to Saba , I would learn how to do it there .
What is your personal goal for the year ? I think based on the answer above that it ’ s to go to Saba Island .
What do you do better than anyone else ? Listen .
Who taught you your biggest lesson ? My mother taught me to not be afraid . Action cures fear . It ’ s a mantra I use to this day .
Dianna BaLaBon
Senior vice preSident of SaleS and marketing , SiXtY HotelS , new York citY
As senior vice president of sales and marketing for Sixty Hotels , Dianna Balabon overseas brand strategy and resource deployment for the brand ’ s five luxury lifestyle properties in New York , Miami and Los Angeles , with a property opening soon in Montreal . Prior to that , she spearheaded brand marketing for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and had sales and brand strategy roles at Andre Balazs Properties , the Trump Hotel Collection , The Peninsula Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World . Balabon is a native of Iowa .
What part of your job requires the most creative thinking ? The industry is changing so rapidly and at every angle . Nowadays , it is often difficult to ascertain one brand from another , and it is causing a massive amount of confusion with consumers . Being true to your brand ’ s point of view , and speaking to customers the way they want to be spoken to , with the right message at the right time , requires one to be nimble , quick and adaptive .
What personal skill or experience makes you unique in your field ? I think my innate curiosity drives me to want to continually innovate and look at things differently . I ’ ve had the pleasure of working for some of the greatest brands , from traditional luxury to lifestyle luxury . They are very different in their approaches but share common threads . I ’ ve wanted to stay on top of industry trends and changes in this business , which is vastly different ( yet surprisingly the same ) from when I started 23 years ago .
68 HOTELS January / February 2016 www . hotelsmag . com