EDITOR ’ S DIARY
“ BE PROUD , feel safe ”
This issue marks the publication of our annual ranking of the world ’ s biggest hotel companies . As I poured over the data what came to mind was the astounding resilience of this business .
Hotel owners and operators were shaken to their collective core over the past two years and when you stop to read this list you still see growth . So many other businesses could have crumbled , and many did , but thanks to understanding lenders who had little choice under dire circumstances and thanks to the somewhat rare , improved cooperation between owners and operators , so many survived and for the moment appear to be thriving .
Growth was muted this past year if you look at comparative data from the biggest hotel companies , but pipelines still appear somewhat solid as we look ahead . Muted new building appears to be the order of the day with so many developers and brands relying on conversion opportunities . It will only serve to aide performance measurements and perhaps lead to more M & A as the cost of capital rises .
Yes , it will be interesting to see how growth opportunities play out the rest of this year considering higher interest rates , aggressive inflation , and ongoing supply chain challenges . Tapping the breaks on growth might not be the worst thing for the hotel industry to allow for more performance recovery and some time to see where the macro-economic trends take us from here .
This issue is also loaded with insight from thought leaders and optimistic profiles about companies to watch . Writing about
Editor In Chief a French-based leisure company like Beaumier and its emerging growth potential simply bodes well for the industry ’ s future , and you can ’ t help but pull for a fledging disruptors like new age hotelier David Abraham ’ s Outpost brand . With so many hybrid concepts coming to market it will be very interesting to see how much traction and staying power they will have .
I will close by suggesting you read about my conversations with Standard International ’ s Amber Asher , an impressive emerging leader with very clear designs on how to grow both a portfolio and a team . Then , feast on the eminently quotable Homi Vazifdar of ultra-luxury developer the Canyon Group , who implored during this tumultuous moment , “ Ours is the biggest , brightest , best industry in the world . Be proud , feel safe . Don ’ t let politics or market chatter bother you . Like [ New England Patriots football coach Bill ] Belichick says , ‘ Just do your job and everything will be just fine .’”
EDITORIAL Jeff Weinstein Editor In Chief
Josefina Morley Editorial Coordinator
Kathakali Nandi Editorial writer
Juan Cruz del Val 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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