YOU THINK OF FIELD GENERALS AND STAFF GENERALS . YOU WANT BALANCE . YOU DON ’ T WANT FIELD GENERALS RUNNING AMOK , BUT AT THE SAME TIME , YOU DON ’ T WANT THE STAFF GENERALS TO TELL THE FIELD GENERALS HOW TO DO THEIR JOB
– CRAIG SMITH , PRESIDENT AND CEO , AIMBRIDGE HOSPITALITY
plate so that they ’ re focused on what ’ s most important for them — and that ’ s focusing on the customer and driving results .”
It ’ s still not a straight line to Smith , but the line is shorter . Aly El-Bassuni , president-owner relations , will expand his role to include operations resources . He , Jacobs and four presidents in charge of Full-Service , Select-Service , EMEA and LATAM divisions will report directly to Smith and sit on the C-suite committee .
To hear it from Smith , leading an organization like Aimbridge is a bit like fielding an army . “ You think of field generals and staff generals , right ?” he put forth . “ You want balance . You don ’ t want field generals running amok , but at the same time , you don ’ t want the staff generals to tell the field generals how to do their job . We have them both sitting at that table and that creates better communication .”
Smith said that turnover in the first quarter of the year is already down considerably at its managed hotels . At the top levels , Smith is guided by an addition by subtraction ethos . Consider Jacobs , who ostensibly absorbs the roles vacated by Reid and Tiffany Cooper , who had been CDO , Americas and Caribbean , and will be based at Aimbridge ’ s Dallas headquarters . For management companies , sourcing new deals is a top priority along with operating successful , profitable hotels . Development is what Jacobs does : More than 15 years with Marriott International , his last one as CDO , before Aimbridge pried him away . “ Eric is the type that ’ s going to be out with the troops finding deals ,” Smith emphatically said .
ABOVE AND BEYOND THE U . S . Smith is more optimistic on transactions picking up later this year after a rather attenuated last 12 months . “ But we can ’ t just M & A our way to a larger size ,” Smith said . He appears most excited over prospects of growth outside the U . S ., where around 15 % of Aimbridge ’ s portfolio currently
The Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman ’ s Reef in St . Thomas , one of the many resorts operated by Aimbridge . resides . His and Jacobs ’ Marriott pedigree should help , especially internationally , where Smith has flexed his muscles in the past and , furthermore , since franchising is still nascent in regions like Europe and the Middle East . “ The international markets are probably 10 to 15 years behind ,” he said . “ We ’ re now seeing this overseas , where people are saying , ’ Craig , you worked for a big brand company , you know how standards work , you know how to do this .’ You don ’ t want to turn the keys over to somebody who ’ s unsophisticated .”
Smith said he recently spoke with six CEOs of major brand companies and , to a man , they told him : “ We need a strong Aimbridge ,” which somewhat surprised him , he continued . “ We need you to come in and make sure you are firing on all cylinders . If you do , we would push more business in your direction ,” they told him .
SHAKING IT UP There is no disguising the fluidity and disruption that has defined Aimbridge over the course of the last couple of years , ever since it announced its structural reorganization in 2022 by creating six operational divisions , which it has since pared back . The bigger shock came in late 2023 when it was announced that longtime
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