EDITOR ’ S DIARY
PASSION FOR HOSPITALITY
EDITORIAL Jeff Weinstein , Editor In Chief 1.312.274.2226 E-mail : jweinstein @ hotelsmag . com Barbara Bohn , Managing Editor 1.312.274.2209 E-mail : bbohn @ hotelsmag . com Brittany Farb Gruber , Associate Editor 1.312.274.2229 E-mail : bfarb @ hotelsmag . com Bert Ganzon , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2227 E-mail : bganzon @ mtgmediagroup . com Steve Vanden Heuvel , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2218 E-mail : svandenheuvel @ mtgmediagroup . com Brittney Hackbart , Associate Art Director 1.312.274.2216 E-mail : bhackbart @ mtgmediagroup . com Carolina Martinez , Freelance Design E-mail : cmartinez @ mtgmediagroup . com Bill McDowell , Vice President , Editorial Director 1.312.274.2201 bmcdowell @ mtgmediagroup . com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Oriana Lerner , Erin Sund
PUBLISHING David Wood , Publisher 1.312.274.2225 dwood @ hotelsmag . com
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Nakul Anand Executive Director , ITC Ltd ., Gurgaon , India Stephen Bartolin President , Broadmoor Sea Island Co ., Colorado Springs , Colorado Geoffrey Gelardi Managing Director , The Lanesborough , London Kirk Kinsell President & CEO , Loews Hotels & Resorts , New York City Alex Kyriakidis President and Managing Director , Middle East and Africa , Marriott International , Dubai Christopher Nassetta President and CEO , Hilton Worldwide , McLean , Virginia Monika Nerger Chief Information Officer , Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Atlanta Paul Sistare President and CEO , Atlantica Hotels International , São Paulo Susan Terry Vice president of culinary and food and beverage operations , Marcus Hotels & Resorts , Milwaukee , Wisconsin
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ENCOURAGEMENT
The critics like to cry about homogenization and growth for the sake of growth , and there have been moments during my many years covering the business where I wouldn ’ t disagree . From time to time I still feel that way . But I am here today to give the greater hotel business a pat on the back and a bit of praise , as what I have been seeing much more of for , let ’ s say , the past five years is more soul in design and certainly more awareness about how to deliver what guests want now .
Perhaps it was the rude wakeup call from the sharing economy ,
Editor In Chief or maybe it was growing competition from new independently minded developers , but I see a lot of good ideas and I am meeting more people who understand trends , don ’ t play to fads and are trying their best to deliver genuine hospitality . Not everyone is getting it right , for sure , and there are some concepts that look and feel a bit forced , but in general I think that hoteliers are creating spaces that are warmer , more inclusive and smart . I prefer to call it the natural evolution of the business . It was destined to be .
I hear more talk about honest , intuitive and aware service than I do gimmicks . I still fear that technology trumps the human touch too often today , and technology certainly plays an increasingly important role in service delivery , marketing and efficiencies , but as I talked to Two Roads ( formerly Commune-Destination Hotels ) leader Niki Leondakis at The Lodging Conference last month , she smartly talked more about training the staff who touch guests all day to be more genuine , personable and unafraid to use an emoji in a direct message . Niki is not the only one thinking in those terms .
Trump Hotels ’ new Scion brand talks about the power of “ we ” and “ community .” It ’ s too early to tell what Eric Danziger and the Trumps will deliver , but on the surface it sounds on target with what guests want now – connectedness , curation , energy , accessibility .
This month , HOTELS features interviews with our Hotelier of the World award winners , Jonathan Tisch and James McBride ; multi-generational hoteliers Alan and Michael Fuerstman of Montage Hotels & Resorts ; and travel specialist and hotelier Samy Ghachem of Sereno Hotels . During the interview processes , all of them made concerted efforts to talk more about intuitive service , genuine kindness , benevolence and purpose in many shapes and forms . It resonated with me and gave me cause for hope .
Of course , all of this is easy to say and hard to do – it always is and it always will be . Finding those line-level workers who truly understand the art of hospitality will remain challenging forever and a day . But those messages and methods appear to be taking hold and are more in keeping with evolving guests needs than I can remember . That is encouraging and bodes well for an industry challenged like it never has been before .
November 2016 hotelsmag . com 7