Luxury hotels tips

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, June 7, 2024. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Luxury hotels in the U.S. have recently experienced robust growth in demand and room rates, while economy hotels have declined year-over-year. The numbers for the first five months of the year suggest a break with broad historical patterns.

Oyo has announced the launch of its first luxury hotel, the Palette Royal Reflections Hotel and Spa, in Dubai. The opening marks a significant step in Oyo’s strategy to expand its premium offerings, driven by the increasing demand from Indian tourists for high-end accommodations in the region.

Rosewood Hotel Group, the ultra-luxury brand, has quietly launched a program that sets a higher bar for meeting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has a long-term plan to shift its mix of properties to reflect more premium, lifestyle, and luxury brands. But for now, many hotel investors are balking — preferring mid-market and extended stay brands.

Kempinski Hotels said Tuesday it had appointed Barbara Muckermann as its new CEO. Muckermann becomes the first woman to lead Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group.

Thailand-based hotel company, Minor Hotels, has set ambitious targets for its India expansion, aiming to open 50 properties over the next decade.

Luxury hospitality has always been image-based. But recent trends have created jarring distortions that make it hard for guests to understand reality. 

The first Nobu, a new-wave Japanese restaurant, opened in New York 30 years ago this year. The brand keeps expanding, with about 50 restaurants worldwide.

Michelin announced its top picks for U.S. hotels Wednesday, using its new hotel “key” system. Only a small number of hotels across seven cities made the cut.

Hilton said Wednesday it had acquired a majority controlling interest in Sydell Group, the owner of NoMad Hotels.

Vikram Oberoi, CEO and managing director of the Oberoi Group, knows luxury inside and out. Oberoi-branded hotels — recently ranked as “world’s best” by Travel and Leisure readers — are quite familiar to Oberoi himself: He spent the first decade of his life in the Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, before a stint in the Oberoi, New Delhi.

LXR is a Hilton brand with 14 luxury hotels and resorts. Last week, Hilton announced a deal for an LXR resort in Saudi Arabia, and it has seven other properties in its pipeline worldwide.

Gilda Perez-Alvarado surprised some hotel industry vets when she joined Accor last October, becoming its chief strategy officer. She switched from being the Global CEO of hotel broker JLL.

The surprise exit of Jumeirah Group CEO Katerina Giannouka 15 months into her role is the latest resignation for the government-owned hotel brand of Dubai.

Katerina Giannouka has left Jumeirah Group one year into her time as CEO, confirms an internal document seen by Skift. The document is attributed to Jumeirah’s owning company Dubai Holding group CEO Amit Kaushal and was circulated to leaders in the organization.

Aman, the ultra-luxury hotel and resort group, has been growing fast since Vladislav Doronin became chairman and CEO in 2014.

Apeejay Surendra Park Hotels, commonly known as Park Hotels, is set to have its IPO on February 5. The group currently operates 30 hotels in 20 cities across India, with 2,298 rooms. Through a strategic mix of ownership, management contracts and leased properties, the group aims to open 56 hotel by 2026.

Travel blogger Ben Schlappig recently shared details of a mediocre stay at a luxury property that charges $3,000 a night during ski season. I find Ben to be a consistently objective reviewer, and the issues he outlines would be egregious at any property, let alone such a pricey one.

Karim Alibhai knows better than most how to make luxury hotels profitable. He’s the founder and top boss of Gencom, which has owned, part-owned, or developed 8 Ritz-Carltons and 150 hotels under other brands over three decades.

Jolyon Bulley became IHG’s CEO of the Americas in July 2023. He has big shoes to fill — his predecessor, Elie Maalouf, ascended to group CEO.