SEPTEMBER 2026
Vol. 60, No. 5
DEPARTMENTS
36 PERSPECTIVES Viewpoints from hotel industry voices and leaders
46 DESIGN The Westman, Bend, Ore.
74 TECHNOLOGY AI innovation
78 PRODUCTS Minibars, banquets, buffets
ON THE COVER
The co-founders of IDeaS, Ravi Mehrotra and Sanjay Nagalia, in their office in Bloomington, Minn.
COVER STORY
RATE MAKERS
Two students met on a train in India. Years later, they’ d go on to create a company that revolutionized how hoteliers price accommodations. The story of IDeaS, and its founders Ravi Mehrotra and Sanjay Nagalia, is one of science. It’ s also a tale of immense passion.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
TOP TALENT
A panoply of greatness exists in the hospitality industry. Some shine a little bit brighter. It’ s within that vein that HOTELS Magazine introduces its inaugural Top Talent Awards, recognizing the most influential people who promote, operate, build and invest in the hotel industry.
ROUNDTABLE
DATA MATTERS
Artificial intelligence may dominate hospitality technology conversations, but hotel executives say the industry’ s biggest challenge is far less glamorous: getting its data in order.
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Q & A
FIRST OUT OF THE GATE
Did you hear? JW Marriott is going allinclusive. The man behind it, Javier Coll, knows a thing or two about the space. The co-founder of AMResorts shares the development and opening of JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort All-Inclusive in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
4 hotelsmag. com September 2026