All articles by Ky Nikitha
Ky Nikitha
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.
A seat at the table
Traditional operators have long avoided any association with hostels but, running out of niches and labels for different consumer demographics, some are beginning to explore whether the shared accommodation concept can help them capture millennials and Gen Z. Tim Gunn asks Generator’s Alastair Thomann, Etienne Matichard of Jo&Joe and Hostelworld’s Paul Halpenny about the potential of communal living.
The full works
Small lifestyle concepts and big global players are making moves to try and harness the potential of co-working within their portfolios. Elly Earls meets Accor Innovation Lab’s Frédéric Fontaine and Zoku’s David Kijlstra to discover the extent to which their efforts can make hard work pay.
Marks of distinction
Perhaps the biggest issue facing the European hospitality industry is a war for talent, between direct competitors and against other industries often seen as offering more attractive career prospects. Setting a clear career path, and establishing ongoing learning and training programmes are prerequisites for any operator. Abi Millar discusses the challenges with Hyatt’s Yves Givel, Rob Zajko from Hilton and citizenM’s Michael Levie.
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.