All articles by Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Trend watch 2024
Andreas Scriven, head of hospitality and leisure at Deloitte UK, explains why confidence in the hotel industry is high with investment and M&A on the agenda for 2024.
The future of European hospitality
The landscape of hospitality has been in constant flux since its post-pandemic recovery. Particularly in Europe, the industry continues to grapple with the challenges of staffing, emerging technologies and cybersecurity. HFTP COO Carson Booth discusses how to address these concerns. Meanwhile Yiannis Denaxas, HFTP competition winner and global hospitality business graduate student, describes how Web3 will shape online reviews and ultimately transform trust in hospitality.
A sense of place
Hotel design is increasingly becoming more than just an aesthetic; it reflects the property’s identity and helps draw out the guest’s experience of the local culture. Abi Millar speaks to hoteliers across the industry who are bringing the surrounding area and the history of the property to bear on the design.
Invest in tomorrow
Since the pandemic, hotels have struggled to recruit the staff they need, with competition from other sectors rising all the time. No wonder so many operators are moving towards more holistic recruitment programmes, offering a range of appealing benefits for apprentices. Young people, for their part, are at the centres of these developments. Andrea Valentino investigates, hearing from Anjana Raza, head of social responsibility at the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Jetting into 2024
As the year draws to a close, president of EHMA Panos Almyrantis shares his update on the association and gives his expectations for the industry in the year ahead.
Data reservations: No vacancies
The past year has been an interesting one, with leisure travel demand softening but business demand improving. With the purse strings expected to be tighter, the guest segment is expected to change according to STR’s latest Independent Hotel Show report.
Great expectations
With a ten-year career at IHG Hotels & Resorts, Phoebe Galbraith speaks to Joanna Kurowska, vice-president and managing director, UK and Ireland, to find out how her time and experience in hospitality has shaped her as a hotelier as well as her expectations for the industry.
Bagpipes, brews and bonnie views
Scotland’s capital is a world class destination for tourists, with Edinburgh recognised as Europe’s leading sustainable destination for 2023 by the World Travel Awards. Its unique cultural heritage, famous Christmas markets and Scotland’s financial hub means it is no surprise that it welcomed 1.8 million overseas visitors in 2022. Phoebe Galbraith hears from Andrew McPherson, general manager at The Balmoral, and experts across the industry to find out what makes Edinburgh such a globally renowned destination.
A wealth of knowledge
The luxury hotel sector is driven by increasing global wealth, and analysis suggests a rising number of high-net-worth guests could fuel new development. Jim Banks talks to development experts Willemijn Geels of InterContinental, Francesco Cefalu of Mandarin Oriental and Jan Hazelton of Kerzner about the market segments and regions that offer the best prospects for new luxury hotel projects.
Launch of Thynk Direct: Introducing New Technology for Instant Booking in Hospitality
Thynk, a provider of technology solutions in the hospitality sector enabling hotels to drive direct sales and boost operational efficiencies, is pleased to announce the launch of Thynk Direct at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show. This new smart instant booking engine aims to improve the process by which hotels manage group reservations and meetings directly through their websites, offering immediate booking confirmation and the potential for increased revenue.