Kristi Blake

The Summer Issue of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Magazine is finally out! Get your copy at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, available worldwide in all Rooms & Suites, Four Seasons Jets, Residences and Private Retreats! #LuxuryTravel #TheFourSeasons #FourSeasonsMagazine #DiscerningMedia

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So how can you resist booking a late summer break here?

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In an industry where personalized experience is key, AI offers a myriad of opportunities to enhance guest satisfaction and streamline operations.

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Good hotel GMs are hard to find these days. An expanding Capella Hotel Group seems to be able to spot and retain them. I sense this when reading its press release on four new GMs. They include Anthony J. Gill, who left Four Seasons and is GM of Patina Maldives, and Hildegard Anzenberger, formerly with Langham and is GM of Capella Hanoi. The two others are existing Capella GMs, moved for strategic reasons: Dennis Laubenstein, GM of Capella Taipei (opening 1Q25), and Antonio Saponara, the new GM of Capella Bangkok. The former has worked with the group for over a decade. What they all have in common seems to be a passion for sustainability, culinary excellence and guest experience, three touchpoints in the upper luxury space today. The Singapore-based hotel group, owned by Pontiac Land Group, will need more good GMs. The group aims to double its portfolio to 24 hotels by 2030. There are seven Capella hotels in operation, and 10 new ones opening in the next three years globally, including in Riyadh (Diriyah) in 2026 and Florence in 2027. Patina, launched amid the pandemic in 2020, has one hotel in operation in the Maldives; two others, in Osaka and Tianjin, will open in 2025 and 2026 respectively. Competition is strong in the upper luxury space. No doubt there will be serious GM-spotting. Read more about it in this Hotels-Asia article: https://lnkd.in/gF8Sb9Xm And this article on Pontiac Land in Hotel Investment Today: https://lnkd.in/gsy66RCx #hotelGMs #capellahotelgroup

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Independent hoteliers are rewriting the rules of hospitality. Unlike their branded competitors, independents aren’t bound by rigid standards—they have the freedom to design tech stacks tailored to their unique vision. This freedom allows independent operators to adopt scalable, future-ready technology that fits their needs—on their timeline. By investing in tools like advanced automation and seamless integrations, they’re staying agile and ahead of the competition. Discover how independents are leveraging their flexibility to thrive. #HotelTech #DataAnalytics #HospitalityInnovation https://lnkd.in/gvvRCfwX

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Irrespective of your industry, this is a must-read. Will Guidara 's Unreasonable Hospitality - the story of Eleven Madison Park, leadership, and teamwork. https://lnkd.in/epgvG6yF People talk about going above and beyond, about brilliant experiences, amazing hospitality. However, only when you move from being attentive, to paying attention can you deliver a genuine, lasting, memorable impact. To quote: "People will forget what you do; they'll forget what you said. But they'll never forget how you made them feel." That's all built on non-negotiables. When Charlie Raincock and I started the agency back in 2002, our first principle remains one of our non-negotiables to this day. Proactivity. Being on the front-foot…with an idea (when not asked), with a call (when not expected)…is not an unreasonable thing to ask, or do. It’s what makes you better. It’s not an easy thing to do, to maintain though. Even harder in today’s world of instant gratification and distraction. But it's important. And for a visual understanding of Unreasonable Hospitality...if you haven't watched it, watch it.... The Bear on Disney+ Especially the Forks episode in Series 2!! #agencylife #motivation #leadership #communication #commitment

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In 2018, Bill Heinecke's Minor International made a daring €2.3 billion acquisition of NH Hotel Group—just a year before the pandemic hit and nearly derailed the hospitality industry. Despite the challenging years of COVID-19, Heinecke’s bold move has now turned into a major success as travel rebounds globally. Minor International has not only recovered but thrived, with its profits tripling in 2023 and strong growth forecasts for the coming years. Heinecke, now 75, plans to invest nearly $864 million through 2026 to expand the company’s footprint, targeting 750 properties across the world. With over 78,000 staff in 65 countries, Minor is already a global player, owning 561 hotels and quick-service outlets in 56 countries. Heinecke’s strategy of merging acquisitions, like the NH deal, with a transition to an asset-light model, has proven to be the key to sustaining growth. As he aims for further expansion in key markets like China, India, and Thailand, Minor International is set to become one of the world's top hospitality firms. His mantra? “When an idea fails, use it as a learning experience and move on quickly.” Despite past setbacks, Heinecke’s resilience, strategic risk-taking, and hands-on leadership continue to drive his success. At 75, he’s still as competitive and driven as ever—proving that even in his later years, he's just getting started. Proud to have survived the Covid years and to have been a part of communicating the phenomenal growth of Minor Hotels over the past 10 years alongside Minor's corporate PR team. (Looking at you, Marion Walsh-Hédouin, Mark Thomson & Natasha Rhymes!) Read below for Ron Gluckman's profile of William Heinecke for Forbes to learn more about the man who started it all and his plans for the future of the company. 🌟 🌟 🌟 #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Hospitality #Hotels #Resorts

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Culinary Agents Launches HospitalityCareerPaths.com: Empowering Hospitality Professionals with Career Insights and Exclusive Compensation Data   New York, NY – Culinary Agents launches HospitalityCareerPaths.com, a new platform with career insights as well as exclusive pay, benefits and skills data. The site also features career paths and advice from over 500 industry leaders in diverse roles to help aspiring, new, and seasoned workers navigate career growth. “Over the years, we’ve shared compensation insights on a case-by-case basis to assist with job searches and business growth. In doing so, we recognized the broader value of this data and decided to make it available to everyone. Our goal is to make Culinary Agents the most reliable resource for all career-related data, ultimately reshaping how professionals navigate their paths in hospitality,” says Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents. The initial launch leverages tens of millions of data points from CulinaryAgents.com. As users contribute, the platform will evolve, providing a dynamic and up-to-date resource for the hospitality industry. Future plans for the site include career mapping and skills features, designed to advance professional growth and career planning in hospitality. Culinary Agents is the hospitality industry's go-to hiring platform and trusted professional community. For over twelve years, we've connected talent and businesses, offering technology solutions that cater to the unique needs of hospitality, including job marketing, applicant tracking, employer branding, and AI-driven candidate matching. We also support talent nationwide with job opportunities and career development resources. As a result of these efforts, we've been able to gather exclusive data and best practices to better serve the industry. For more information, please visit HospitalityCareerPaths.com.

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💡 Did you know MICE tourism contributes to 20% of all tourism globally, channelling a whopping $1.4 trillion USD into the market? All #MICEPROFS have an important task of ensuring that we are directing the momentum responsibly so the growth of the region is sustainable. Take Africa for example, the African region's economic growth is predicted to be almost 4%, (above the global average of 2.6% according to African Development Bank Group). With the growth in regions such as Africa happening so rapidly, it makes the topics, ideas, plans and deals made at WTM Africa KEY in in sustaining that growth. Hear more from IBTM's Marketing Manager, Nick Nagle where he chats with Sean Loots on the Cape Town Means Business podcast. Here, they highlight the importance of MICE events in propelling industry growth! 🚀🌍 🎧 For more insights, listen to the episode here https://spoti.fi/44m3tyC #MICEtourism #Sustainability #culturecreators #culturecreates #eventmarketers

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Drawing on feedback from 300 #traveladvisors who specialize in #cruise, #Virtuoso found that 58% believe it will emerge as the strongest #tourism sector in 2024-25, surpassing land-only experiences. #cruisenews Virtuoso Travel #cruiseindustry #travelindustry #travelindustrynews #traveltrends #luxurytravel

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Isenberg Culture and Tourism Management spent the day in the beautiful Valpolicella region in Italy. We learned of Valpolicella wines, tasted Amarone (and more) and delved into the business and culture of Italy #HTMPossibilities Hospitality & Tourism Management, Isenberg School of Management

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My latest for Hotel Investment Today. What do Taylor Swift and the CEOs of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Marriott International have in common? This story! I recap a few interviews from the Bank of America Gaming and Lodging Conference last week, including some interesting thoughts from both hotel companies about the Taylor Swift effect, leisure performance, asset-light and how the consumer bifurcation is also showing up in lodging weakness in greater China. #hotelinvestmenttoday #hotel #hospitalitynews #hotelnews #hospitalityindustry #hospitality #taylorswift #lodging

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Insights from Barak Hirschowitz, President of the International Luxury Hotel Association. On the sidelines of the spectacular INSPIRE Luxury Hospitality Conference Fontainebleau Las Vegas, we had the privilege of speaking with Barak Hirschowitz about how the definition of luxury travel has evolved. “Luxury is no longer about marble floors and chandeliers,” Hirschowitz explained. “It’s about time. Today, time is the ultimate luxury.” As modern travelers become more tech-savvy and meticulously informed, they plan every detail of their journeys—often down to the minute. While this shift offers certainty, it also diminishes the excitement of the unknown. To stay relevant, luxury hotels must reimagine their approach, focusing on personalization and time-saving innovations. Streamlined check-ins, tailored itineraries, and exceptional experiences that value a traveler’s time are what set standout brands apart in today’s competitive hospitality landscape. Catch the full interview to discover how the luxury travel industry is redefining itself to meet the expectations of a new era of travelers. ✨ #LuxuryTravel #HospitalityInnovation #INSPIRE2024 https://lnkd.in/ed8RAFkP

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5 Key Trends in #TravelExperiences - Spending on tours and activities may hit $300 billion by 2025. Expect to see more consolidation pressures, growth in demographic targeting, adoption of AI, & attempts to react to climate change @skift

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