ON THE WEB HOTELSMAG . COM
THE TALK
SOCK IT TO ME
hotelsm . ag / CEOSocks The gentlemen at this year ’ s CEO panel at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin had their ankles on full display . The “ sock challenge ” was leveled by panel moderator Andreas Scriven , Deloitte ’ s head of hospitality and leisure , and was all in good fun . But it also served as a visual reminder that the challenges facing the panelists , who combined represented about 80 brands , donned colorful socks reflecting growth , market share and identity – not dreary downturns or dull outlooks .
THE NEWS
IHG TO REVIVE REGENT
hotelsm . ag / IHGRegent Can InterContinental Hotels Group resurrect a one-time luxury icon ? That ’ s the bet it made in March when it announced plans to acquire from Taipei ’ s Formosa International Hotels a 51 % stake in Regent Hotels and Resorts for US $ 39 million in cash . IHG will have the right to acquire the remaining 49 % interest in a phased manner from 2026 . “ It ’ s a great opportunity to restore the brand ’ s prominence and expand its global footprint with IHG ’ s capabilities , while also giving IHG a great new opportunity to compete in the upper luxury sector ,” Robert Hecker , managing director at Horwath HTL for Pacific Asia , told HOTELS . “ I think it ’ s a huge win-win-win .”
THE NEED TO KNOW
HILTON MAKES GROUP MOVE
hotelsm . ag / HiltonMoves In part three of HOTELS analyst Chad Crandell ’ s commentary on diminishing returns on group commissions , he addresses the timing of Hilton ’ s announcement to join Marriott in the battle to lower group commissions . In a letter to owners , Hilton acknowledged the important and integral role group intermediaries play in meetings and events business , and highlighted the value of such travel professional partnerships . At the same time , Hilton acknowledged the need to balance the needs of all parties , to the benefit of all stakeholders — customers , hotels and owners . We ’ re moving in the right direction , says Crandell . The obvious question : Who ’ s next ?
4 hotelsmag . com May 2018