All articles by Ky Nikitha
Ky Nikitha
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.
A hospitality hub for the future
In April, operators from across the MENA region gathered at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference to discuss how best to synchronise for success. Hotel Management International looks back on those three days and the topics discussed, deals signed and challenges anticipated by regional stakeholders.
Hot property
The pipeline is bursting, and investor, developer and operator interest in the German hotel market is higher than it’s been in years. Elly Earls meets industry insiders to find out where opportunities still lie, who’s making the most of them and how long the good times are likely to last.
Arabic assessment
While the Middle East posted mixed results for Q1, Africa posted growth in occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room. Nevertheless, the former continues to attract significant interest from the world’s largest operators and brands, as demonstrated by STR’s release of the top 50 companies and brands in the region, unveiled at this year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference as part of the STR 500. Our partners at the industry leader in hospitality analytics look at some of the stories behind the numbers.
Amicale departure
After six years at the helm, Hans Koch stepped down as president of the European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA) at the organisation’s 46th AGM, held in Paris in February. He looks back over his tenure and highlights some of the achievements of which he is most proud.
Collaborate and captivate
A multimillion-dollar rebrand will see Millennium Hotel London Mayfair converted into The Biltmore this spring, the first European member of Hilton’s new luxury brand, LXR Hotels & Resorts. Greg Noone talks to Martin Goddard and Jo Littlefair, the husband and wife team behind the renovation, about the genesis of their design studio, the meaning behind modern luxury and how they have learned to collaborate with some of the biggest high-end operators on the hospitality scene.
Among the stars
Receiving his third Michelin star earlier this year was just the latest highlight of Mauro Colagreco’s remarkable career. The Argentine chef talks to Tina Nielsen about the journey from dropping out of university in his home country to opening one of the best restaurants in France and creating a global culinary portfolio.
In it together
Within what remain quite niche circles, there has been a lot of excitement surrounding blockchain technology’s potential to revolutionise the hospitality sector, with some even christening it ‘a new internet for the travel industry’ with the potential to end online travel agency (OTA) ascendancy. Will Moffitt speaks to hoteliers, entrepreneurs and academics in an effort to separate hype from reality and asks how close we are to seeing mainstream implementation.
Kings of Europe
As part of the STR 500 launch, STR revealed Europe’s 100 largest hotel groups during the 22nd International Hotel Investment Forum in March. Our partners at the industry leader in hospitality analytics look at some of the stories behind the numbers.