Editor ’ s diary
Passion for HosPitality
A TrIp To hotel church
This issue of HOTELS is filled with inspiration . It ’ s our annual People Issue and at a time when we all need words of wisdom and examples of passion for hospitality , I highly recommend you read this issue front to back .
We start with a very special tribute to the late Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson ( p10 ), who lost his battle on February 15 . At the time of his death , the outpouring of remembrances was touching . Everyone had a great story to tell about how Arne had made an impact on their career and lives , learning from his management style . He was a champion of inclusivity and simply doing the right thing . It was just over a year ago when I interviewed Arne for this special issue for 2020 . We spoke about his style , family and what mattered to him most . It wasn ’ t the trappings of his position at Marriott – it was always about making a difference for the company and its associates . In my own way , I want to remember Arne by excerpting content from the article that ran last year as there are so many great quotes about leadership to share , and let it act as another remembrance of one of the hotel industry ’ s finest leaders .
This month also marks the unveiling of HOTELS annual Hotelier of the World award nominees ( p15 ). We profile four corporate and four more independent nominees . It will be up to you to choose the winners by voting at hotelsmag . com / HOW2021 . But it is inside the bios where you can find the artisty and ingenuity each one of these candidates has developed to lead . I want to single out the two women on the ballot – Dr . Jennifer Cronin of Wharf Hotels in Hong Kong and Mary Celeste
Beall of Blackberry Farm in Tennessee – because I hope they can serve as inspiration for the growing number of women too slowly working their way into upper
Editor In Chief management . I also want them to serve as examples for the decision-makers who still might be a bit hesitant about promoting women into senior leadership positions . They have led with style , a socially aware presence , and the determination to succeed . I only hope I can continue to find more women like them to add to future Hotelier of the World ballots because they are still too hard to find , and I know they are out there .
I am , perhaps , most excited to mention this year ’ s Legend interview with the incomparable Horst Schulze ( p28 ), the cofounder of Ritz-Carlton who definitely inspired an entire generation of hotel leaders with his unending determination . As he described it , he learned to become a man of excellence . He said there are no shortcuts and you can ’ t achieve excellence by compromising . My time spent with Horst to craft this story left me incredibly motivated as at age 82 he is still as excited about this business and continues to put everything into perfect perspective about what makes this business so special .
As the industry slowly rebounds from COVID , please use this issue to rekindle any motivation you may need . The future is bright because of leaders like these who inspire us all .
EDITORIAL Jeff Weinstein Editor In Chief
Carolina Martinez Art Director
Contributing Editors Debbie Carlson , Jeanette Hurt , Megan Rowe , Juliana Shallcross , Alicia Sheber , Erin Sund
PUBLISHING Ali Jahangiri CEO
David Wood Publisher
Marie Ekberg Padilla Senior Editor
Eylul Ener Elmaghraby Social Media
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 Brian Levine Caroline de Donnea-Birkel Alvan Eric Loreto
ADMINISTRATION Kamyar Amiri-Davani Kristi Carlson
EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION OffICES 96 Discovery , Irvine , CA , 92618 , USA edit @ hotelsmag . com
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4 hotelsmag . com March / April 2021