SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2025
Vol. 59, No. 5
DEPARTMENTS
30 PERSPECTIVES Viewpoints from hotel industry voices and leaders
48 F & B The most important meal of the day
52 DESIGN Peter Fillat and Canal House
64 NEWS Extended-stay rally
80 PRODUCTS Minibars and coffee
DEVELOPMENT
LUXURY UNDERCOVER
Luxury hotels are more expensive than ever to build. It doesn’ t mean that projects aren’ t getting done; odds are, however, there will be residences attached. And that’ s just one of the trends.
20
ON THE COVER
Craig Smith, CEO, Aimbridge Hospitality
44
OPERATIONS
FINDING THE EDGE
Crestline Hotels & Resorts turns 25 this year. It’ s a milestone anniversary, to be sure, and for CEO James Carroll, a former naval aviator, piloting the management company successfully is the stated objective.
74
MARKET UPDATE
SET FOR SUCCESS
From Dubai to Riyadh, the Middle East has been the leader in global hospitality performance. The region’ s transformation into a global powerhouse is a story of vision, investment and relentless ambition.
6 hotelsmag. com Sept / Oct 2025