All articles by Ky Nikitha
Ky Nikitha
EHMA is trending
A study by consultancy company Horwath HTL has identified new trends that are impacting the activities of hotel managers. Ezio A Indiani gets to grips with these figures.
Get a room
Modular construction methods significantly defray development costs for operators but have traditionally resulted in economy offerings on greenfield sites. Now, the assembly of the AC Hotel NoMad in the centre of Manhattan promises to make prefabrication an urban affair as well. Greg Noone talks to Rob Wagemans of design firm Concrete, architect Danny Forster and Marriott International’s Eric Jacobs about whether the time has come for large-scale modular projects in the heart of our major cities.
The focus to grow
Hakkasan Group has weathered the many recent storms in the global restaurant market. Operations vice-president Michael Neuner tells Tina Nielsen about his plans for developing the company and the importance of finding the right partners in order to deliver this vision.
Guest who
Operators now have access to more data than ever before, with analytics being put in place to enhance customer service, and optimise revenue and loyalty schemes. Will Moffitt investigates which hotels are harnessing this technology most efficiently and the costly impact, financial and operational, of getting your data strategy wrong.
Walk the talk
Last year, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) proclaimed it wanted to become one of the top three hotel operators in the world. It seemed a wildly ambitious statement of intent, but events over the period since suggest the company is charting the right course. Andrea Valentino talks to Elie Younes, executive vice-president and CDO at Radisson Hospitality, about where new development is focused and how a new ownership model could push it up the hotel league table.
Just as well
The global wellness industry is now valued at over $4 trillion, with an increasing amount of focus and money being invested into hotels’ spa offerings. But, in an ever-more competitive marketplace, what are hotels and brands doing to differentiate their wellness offerings from their rivals and what trends are emerging on the horizon? Patrick Kingsland speaks to Rosewood’s Niamh O’Connell and Anna Bjurstam of Six Senses to find out.
Stars in our eyes
Ezio A Indiani, president of the European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA), reflects on a busy first few months in the role and highlights the exciting plans that have been set in motion.
Woman on the rise
Maram Kokandi is the first woman in Saudi Arabia to rise to the role of general manager, having been awarded the position at the Park Inn by Radisson Madinah Road, Jeddah.
Room at the top
In the space of just six years, OYO has established itself as one of the biggest
players on the hospitality scene and a significant threat to more established
operators within the economy segment. Ralph Hollister of GlobalData looks
at how this Indian success story has travelled so far so quickly and analyses
the factors that will ultimately define its next stage of growth.
Guests of honour
The franchise model is expanding across Europe and into higher-end hotels, partly because of the success of third-party hotel management companies. Elly Earls meets Hilton’s Patrick Fitzgibbon, Interstate Hotels & Resorts’ Nicholas Northam, and RBH Hospitality Management’s Neil Taylor to find out about the benefits of the brand-owner-management company partnership and whether it can make for a more guest-focused experience.