All articles by Ky Nikitha
Ky Nikitha
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.
A bright future
Ezio A Indiani, the newly appointed president of the European Hotel Managers Association, enthuses on the honour of receiving such an appointment and outlines his virtuous aspirations for the organisation.
Shifting brands
In a little over a year in charge, Deutsche Hospitality CEO Thomas Willms has launched one brand, acquired another and now has his sights set on transforming the group’s flagship offering, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts. He tells Phin Foster about the importance of leveraging one’s heritage, the transformative impact of entering the conversion space and why Deutsche is willing to bet big on the economy segment.
On the horizon
In February 2019, Meliá Hotel International revealed its annual results for 2018, marking the end of a three-year strategic plan that had seen a 250% increase in earnings per share, nearly 15,000 rooms added to its portfolio, and an intense period of investment and repositioning. Global development managing director Maria Zarraluqui speaks to Hotel Management International about the impact this has had upon development strategy and where the group is looking to go next.
Gulf in demand
The UAE hotel industry has seen phenomenal growth over the past decade, with international operators opening properties at an incredible rate. However, as certain segments become increasingly saturated, how dynamic a market does it remains? Abi Millar hears from industry leaders, including Matthew Tripolone, vice-president for Middle East and Africa at IHG, about where the opportunities still lie.