EDITOR ’ S DIARY
CHANGE FOR THE
BETTER
With the New Year always comes optimism , welllaid plans and if nothing else , hope for better and happier lives , better health and better bottom line results in business .
I hope you also approach 2022 with continued resolve to take better care of yourself . We have all been through the ringer the past two years and self-care needs to remain the order of the day to serve yourself , and the important family members and colleagues around you . In so many interviews I have done since the start of the pandemic , I heard stories of increased self-reflection ,
Editor In Chief more time at home with family and generally more attention to self . As we start to ramp-up and come closer to business as usual [ or unusual ], I urge you not to lose sight of what you have personally learned and gained from the pandemic .
As I write this diary in mid-December , I think and hope we are at the start of a transition to better days for the hotel business . The pandemic has generated potentially lasting transformations , although some still believe we will return to old norms , and those who are swift enough to ride the tides of change will certainly win .
Change must come in the way hoteliers treat their customers – both external and internal . Change must come in the way you go to market , selling stays and experiences that feed traveling souls in need of both physical and emotional nourishment . Flexibility must become the new order of the day to maintain and grow teams .
Change is already coming with lodging products , many nontraditional and perhaps well suited for the way the world is now working and playing . It will be so interesting to watch the industry giants and more traditional hoteliers react with refined products and , yes , launch new brands . Finally , perhaps some of the legacy brands will fade away to make room for next-gen products that are more hybrid in nature , more local , more entertaining and more sustainable .
With HOTELS increasing focus on the finance and investment side of the business , this month ’ s Special Report takes a look at the M & A market for 2022 . If performance continues to improve this year , the experts tapped to offer commentary for the articles agree merger and acquisition activity will only become more aggressive as cash continues to look for homes and the remaining troubled assets likely change hands . The expectation is that as the year progresses , M & A activity will become even more buoyant .
“ Hold onto your hat . The ‘ Diamond Age ’ of travel is going to create a surge in travel demand and robust KPIs for hotel assets creating elevated valuations and transaction activity ,” says Guy Langford , partner , M & A , at Deloitte .
Hold on to your hat , indeed , Guy , and HOTELS readers around the world . The year at hand will continue to be a year of transition and hopefully one of less uncertainty . The one thing I am fairly certain about is that the winds of change will blow louder . Standing still will get you swept away . Embrace of what you have learned during the pandemic and continue to respond with purposeful resolve and increasing speed .
EDITORIAL Jeff Weinstein Editor In Chief
Shamsa Bulbulia Editorial Coordinator
Kathakali Nandi Editorial writer
Ever Villapana Designer
Contributing Writers Jeanette Hurt , Megan Rowe , Juliana Shallcross ,
Alicia Sheber
PUBLISHING Ali Jahangiri CEO
Brian Levine Associate Publisher
Marie Ekberg Padilla Senior Editor
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Nakul Anand Executive Director , ITC Ltd ., Gurgaon , India
Stephen Bartolin President , Broadmoor Sea Island Co ., Colorado Springs , Colorado
Robert Hecker Managing Director , Horwath HTL Asia Pacific , Singapore
Ramsey Mankarious CEO , Cedar Capital Partners , London
Christopher Nassetta President and CEO , Hilton , McLean , Virginia
Monika Nerger Chief Information Officer , Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Atlanta
Susan Terry Vice President of Culinary and Food and Beverage Operations , Marcus Hotels & Resorts , Milwaukee , Wisconsin
Trevor Ward Managing Director , W Hospitality Group , Lagos , Nigeria
ADVERTISING Caroline de Donnea-Birkel
ADMINISTRATION Kristi Carlson
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