All articles by Amit Thadani
Amit Thadani
Prison to premium hotel
When it opens its freshly coated doors this summer, the Bodmin Jail Hotel will be liberated from its former role as a bastion of crime and punishment and offered a new lease of life as a boutique hotel. Far from being a unique conversion project, Bodmin joins an impressive roster of former jails that have become stylish hospitality ventures, including the Malmaison Hotel in Oxford and the Courthouse Hotel in London. Will Moffitt speaks to Matt Cartwright, a founding director of Twelve Architects, the company that led Bodmin’s re-design, about the challenges of turning this former clink into a vibrant hospitality space.
Healthier, happier hospitality
Even before the pandemic, more than half of hospitality workers did not make their employers aware of their mental health issues. Throw in the financial insecurity and social isolation caused by continual lockdowns and it becomes clear that the hospitality industry could be in the midst of a looming mental health crisis. Elly Earls speaks to Tim Etherington-Judge, founder of Healthy Hospo; Sue Harmsworth, founder of ESPA; and Mark Lewis, CEO of Hospitality Action, about how hoteliers can support staff and guests during this difficult period.
Digital drive
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, hoteliers are ramping up their hygiene protocols and enhancing health and safety culture. The growing need to engage digitally with guests to curb the spread of the virus is also changing working patterns and accelerating the digitalisation of revenue management, recruitment and staff interactions. Jim Banks speaks to Arielle Quick, chief continent lodging services officer at Marriott; Carla Milovanov, senior vice-president for global technology and customer services at Accor; and Julia Vander Ploeg, global head of digital and technology at Hyatt, about how technology is reshaping the way hotels operate.
Every step of the way
Covid-19 has highlighted the need for hotels to utilise technology at every stage of the guest journey to provide a safe, comfortable and personalised experience without having to make physical contact. Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), a non-profit trade association that provides a platform for hospitality professionals to connect with technology companies, explains how hoteliers can leverage technology across their business, from pre-arrival to check-out.
There’s gold in the MUD
As the number of mixed-use developments (MUDs) and schemes across the UK and EMEA continues to rise, their combination of residential, retail, leisure and entertainment facilities – as well as co-working spaces and shared amenities – could become a mainstay of the hospitality sector. Jim Banks speaks to Russell Kett, chairman of HVS; Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality; and Dexter Moren, founder of Dexter Moren Associates, about the rise of MUDs and their appeal in a post-Covid world.
African expansion
For decades a forgotten corner of global hospitality, Africa has recently come into its own. With development pipelines bulging and visitor numbers growing, the economic and political improvements seen across the continent are increasingly reflected in local hotels. But with the pandemic exacerbating wobbly infrastructure and substandard healthcare, the industry still has its work cut out. Andrea Valentino chats to figures across sub-Saharan hospitality to learn more about the region’s remarkable boom, the ongoing challenges of coronavirus – and why the long-term picture is still looking rosy.
The path to recovery
The past year has been incredibly challenging for global hospitality, but the arrival of vaccines means that hotels are finally starting to think about the future. Andrea Valentino talks to Elie Younes, executive vice-president and chief development officer for EMEA at Radisson Hotel Group, about how his company has fared over the past 12 months, the new brands it has launched – and in what ways hospitality might change for the better going forward.
Bright future
The European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA) has done its utmost to support hoteliers throughout the difficulties brought on by the pandemic. Now, however, with vaccination campaigns in full swing and case numbers starting to fall, there is hope that hotels can begin to return to normal. EHMA president Ezio A Indiani shares the latest news from the organisation and reflects on what the future might hold for European hotels.
True to its roots
Since 1956, Meliá Hotels International has grown from a humble family-led hospitality group into a global enterprise. The leading hotel company in Spain, Meliá is both a commercial success story and a sustainability giant in its own right. Will Moffitt talks to the group’s vice-chairman and CEO, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, about the unique challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of family values and the urgent need for global environmental action.
Grounds for hope
The past year has been hugely challenging for the hospitality industry, with cancelled flights and national lockdowns plaguing Europe and the Middle East in particular. Vaccination campaigns, lower case numbers and a series of sporting and political events planned for the near future indicate that there could be sparks of recovery for these regions in 2021, albeit in a limited capacity. The latest data from STR makes the case for hope.