All articles by julian turner
julian turner
Show me the green – ecofriendliness vs cost-effectiveness
For newbuild hotels, finding an equilibrium between ecofriendliness and cost-effectiveness is a perennial challenge. Hotel Management International and Iris Ceramica invited European hotel development and design sector leaders for lunch at the Savoy to share their solutions.
A divergent portfolio – Carlson Rezidor’s diversification strategy
With 120 properties currently in development across EMEA, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is unmistakably in growth mode. Underpinning this is a strategy based on diversification, as Elie Younes, executive vice-president and chief development officer, explains.
Crème de la crème – Michael Gray
After almost 50 years in the hotel industry, Michael Gray retired from front-line service in March 2016. He began at Claridge’s, embarking upon a career that included stints in Paris, Singapore and Melbourne. Gray was appointed GM of the Churchill in 2004, adding the title of Hyatt International’s VP for UK and Ireland six years later. He remains the UK’s national delegate for EHMA.
Bigger and better – the evolution of Marriott International
A little over six months since Marriott International completed its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a strategy for how this new hospitality behemoth will look to build upon its European presence has started to take shape. Phin Foster talks to the group’s president and managing director for Europe, Amy McPherson, about the need to reassure owners, expand into new geographies and leverage unprecedented scale.
Unknown quantities – market forecast for 2017
Whether it was disheartening IMF growth forecasts, the Brexit vote and the plummeting pound or continuing fallout from tragic events in the Middle East, 2016 was quite a year. How do some of the industry’s most influential developers and financiers see 2017 playing out, and what is the outlook for the European hotel investment landscape? Patrick Kingsland speaks to Mark Wynne Smith of Jones Lang LaSalle and Deloitte’s Nikola Reid to find out more.
Steady as she goes – the Middle East and North Africa
After a turbulent year for the hotel market in the Middle East and North Africa, investment remains high. Eleanor Wilson meets Dr Martin Berlin of PwC, Marko Vucinic of Jones Lang LaSalle and Marriott’s Samir Baidas to find out who is leading this growth and which markets to watch.
HMI Dining Club talks green hotel development in London
Delegates from 18 hotel operators, owners and architecture firms gathered in London on 8 February for a lunch briefing event at the Savoy to discuss profitable and sustainable hotel building in Europe.
Portrait of the artist – Adam Tihany
Heading up the redesign of The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach is only the latest instalment in a portfolio of prestige projects for Adam Tihany, including the Four Seasons Dubai, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Geneva and a string of collaborations with top chefs. In an exclusive interview with Sarah Williams, Tihany looks back over a lustrous career and outlines a design philosophy devoted to the careful observation of human experience.
Rich pickings – Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Kofoed
An incredible year for Rasmus Kofoed has seen his restaurant, Geranium, gain three Michelin stars – the first in Denmark. But the multi-award-winning chef is keeping calm, as Tina Nielsen discovers.
Check in, chill out – creating compelling spaces
The traditional hotel lobby is giving way to open social spaces with close local ties. While some hotels have swapped check-in desks for apps and tablets, others are changing strategy to provide a deeper human connection. Eleanor Wilson talks to Anne Golden of Morgans Hotel Group, Ennismore’s Timothy Griffin and Daniel Welborn of The Gettys Group about the importance of cultivating local connections, and what goes into the effort to draw guests out of their rooms.