All articles by Amit Thadani
Amit Thadani
A business travel revolution
The Covid-19 pandemic changed many aspects of society irrevocably and forever, but will business travel meet the same fate? Jane Pendlebury, chief executive at HOSPA, sees the post-pandemic travel landscape as the opportunity for a new approach.
A new world of wellness
Wellness resort Chiva-Som has won global acclaim for its holistic approach since it was established in Thailand in 1995, but it is only now that the brand has decided to expand beyond South East Asia. Elly Earls meets Daniele Vastolo, the general manager of Chiva- Som’s newest undertaking in Qatar, to find out what gave Chiva-Som the confidence to make the leap and how it adapted its approach to create the first full-immersion wellness resort in the Middle East.
Finding calm in the storm
How do you create the perfect oasis for people stopping over between different time zones? From lighting and soundproofing to designing a welcoming communal space, Kaunteya Chitnis of MCR, Jonathan Manser of the Manser Practice and Maarten de Geus of Concrete Amsterdam speak to Brooke Theis about the elements of a great airport hotel.
Hospitality’s heroes
In a world full of glaring inequality and social injustice, hotels have long allied themselves with just causes. Often these actions take place in the communities where these businesses are situated, or they have been carried out as a reaction to extreme events, such as the homelessness crisis caused by Covid-19. Increasingly, however, certain hotel brands have become charities or foundations, making valuable contributions and forcing structural changes to benefit those in need. Mae Losasso speaks to Daniele Kihlgren, philanthropist and owner of Sextantio Rwanda from the Capanne Project, and Bruce Poirson, chief sustainability officer at Accor, to discover if a hotel can really make a positive difference in a relentlessly business-focused world.
Trends in 2022
Prior to the International Hotel Technology Forum in Madrid on 27–28 April, Nick Wyatt speaks to Gonçalo Oliveira, CIO of Pestana Hotel Group, about the difference between digital and in-person services, changing holiday demands and supporting the wider customer experience.
Superb start-ups
Inspiring hospitality technology start-ups share ambitions to drive industry solutions and win big at HFTP’s E20X pitch competition.
Hotels in the cloud
When the pandemic hit, most companies and hoteliers alike were already moving towards cloud-based services, consciously or not. Bryan Hammer, vice-president of IT at Belmond, explores how Covid-19 has affected the adoption of cloud technologies in the hospitality industry.
A new kind of traveller
People have changed their habits drastically over the past few years, from how they go to work and school, to how they shop and socialise. While some behaviours from this period will eventually fade away as the situation improves, Covid-19 has made an indelible mark on everyday life, and this includes travel, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2022 state of the industry report.
Residential hotels: A hotel that lasts
Residential properties traditionally have occupied a small niche in the hospitality world. But with the pandemic upending how operators think about development and their customer base, this is quickly changing. Andrea Valentino talks to Brad Berry, vice-president of global residential development at Rosewood, to understand how isolation has made the acquisition of branded residential properties more appealing for big spenders, how Rosewood puts as much care into its residential pipeline as it does regular hotels and how the new boom in long-stay properties could yet transform the operator’s relationship with its regular hotel guests too.
A region on the rise
Central America and Mexico have long had reputations as places to kick back and enjoy some sun. But though the classic beach resorts are still popular along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, hoteliers are increasingly encouraging broader experiences too. And why not? From fabulous natural beauty to elegant cityscapes, this is a region with plenty to offer, especially now that local governments are investing heavily in infrastructure. But with the threat of violence ever present, can Central America truly fulfil its potential? Andrea Valentino talks to Mario Carbone, managing director of development for Mexico and Central America at Hilton, and Alejandro Aceveda, regional vice-president of development for Mexico and Central America at Marriott, to learn more.