Playa Hotels & Resorts just recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a big event in Cancun.
25.08.2023 - 13:30 / skift.com / Sean Oneill / Patrick Pacious / Geoffrey Ballotti / Chris Nassetta
Rob Goldstein, CEO and chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp., was last year’s best-compensated public hotel company CEO, collecting $40 million. The second-most was Patrick Pacious, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International, who earned $27 million in total compensation.
Yet the newsiest detail in hotel CEO pay was something else. Most major hotel company CEOs ended 2022 with less actual overall compensation than first awarded. A new regulatory measure this year made it easier to see the difference between what CEOs aimed for and what they actually got.
A new rule this year required U.S. companies to more clearly report the equity awards that account for pay packages for top executives. In the past, companies reported compensation as valued when awarded. This year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission required companies to disclose a “compensation actually paid” measure — which provides a clearer picture of the paper gains and losses of top bosses for the three most recent years.
Hotel CEO pay packages begin with a salary and then add a buffet of incentives tied to meeting performance targets or the shifting value of company stock. An annual bonus, stock share awards, and other compensation help to boost the average pay of a top boss. Yet the variable compensation can be tricky to estimate because an executive may hold it indefinitely and the value will fluctuate.
Exhibit A: In 2022, Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta earned a base salary of $1.3 million. But he also had an opportunity to receive $23.5 million in compensation but only received $8.4 million. Hilton tied CEO pay to targets for financial performance. About half of the incentives were linked to an adjusted earnings target. Other targets included free cash flow, net room growth, and diversity equity and inclusion goals for staffing.
Hilton’s stock sagged 19% last year, which depressed the value of its equity awards. In comparison, the Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index, which tracks 20 large hotel companies and real estate investment trusts, was down 15% for the year.
Wyndham CEO Geoffrey Ballotti is another executive who saw less than “expected” remuneration. Under the old measure, Ballotti was notionally awarded $9.7 million in compensation last year. But under the new measure, he was effectively awarded only $1.6 million — primarily because of a change in the fair value of equity awards granted in prior years.
Another notable compensation package was for Thomas Reeg, CEO of Caesars, the casino and hotel operator. He was paid a base salary of $2 million last year. But variable compensation made up most of his remuneration. A 56% plunge in the company’s equity value last year impacted his compensation so much that his compensation was
Playa Hotels & Resorts just recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a big event in Cancun.
The summer-opened La Nauve Hôtel & Jardin takes over a historic Cognac distillery and mansion in the area of France famed for its namesake spirit.
In the heart of the Riviera Maya, between the lush nature and turquoise waters of the Mexican Caribbean, hides a treasure you are about to discover. The Fives Oceanfront Hotel & Residences, a luxurious boutique hotel complex located in the picturesque fishing village of Puerto Morelos, invites you to immerse yourself in a world of sensations and emotions that will take your breath away.
The city of Oxford revolves around its university, England’s most prestigious alongside Cambridge. Because teaching started in the city in the 11th century, Oxford is filled with historic colleges, many hundreds of years old, and all incredibly beautiful in their architecture. Visitors to the city can walk the cobblestone streets that weave around the colleges, libraries, churches, and museums, and even take tours of the colleges’ lecture halls, chapels, and dining halls. But a day trip isn’t enough to get a good feel for Oxford. Even if the city is only 50 minutes away by train from London, you need to stay in a hotel in Oxford, England, for and take the time to fully explore this one-of-a-kind city.
Hotel Indigo Guadalajara Expo draws on its rich cultural background to create an authentic neighborhood stay experience for guests.
Travelers United’s choice to sue Hyatt over its “junk fee” practices fits into a broader storyline about travel junk fees being in the limelight ever since President Joe Biden referred to travel fees in his 2023 State of the Union address.
“I’m really excited about the quality of the brand portfolio,” IHG CEO Keith Barr said at Skift Global Forum. Barr goes on to describe the current realities of the hotel business: it’s a real estate business at the end of the day, after all. But IHG has been hyper-focused on its brands and its franchise partners. “It’s been great because there’re such clearly defined brands that enable us to work with a number of opportunities,” he told Skift’s Sean O’Neill.
Not all hotels should pursue remote workers, a hotel group CEO has suggested, because they mostly served their purpose during the pandemic.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, December 16, and we are headed back from a successful Skift Forum in Dubai. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Ace Group International, the operator of a buzzy brand of 11 open Ace lifestyle hotels, will be acquired by Sortis Holdings, a Portland, Oregon-based hospitality firm, the companies said on Tuesday.
Ace Hotel Chain Acquired for $85 Million by Hospitality Firm Sortis: Ace only has about a dozen properties, but it has punched above its weight in brand impact. Here’s our analysis of whether Sortis is a good home and if $85 million is a good price.
On January 17, I reported that Sortis Holdings would acquire Ace Group International, owner of Ace Hotels, for $85 million in cash. Executives for Sortis Holdings, a Portland, Oregon-based hospitality firm, weren’t available to speak when I wrote that article. But I’ve since interviewed them. Here’s some more color on their plans.