There are many historical properties turned into luxury hotels.
25.08.2023 - 14:23 / skift.com / United Airlines / Rashaad Jorden / Sean Oneill / Richard Clarke
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, December 23, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Luxury hotel companies got a major boost from a post-pandemic surge in demand this year. But they’re missing out on a lot of revenue by failing to charge well-off travelers higher rates, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.
Richard Clarke, managing director at Bernstein Research, said luxury hotels should command higher rates, citing the desire among many luxury consumers to spend more money on experiences. Clarke, who presented at the recent Skift Global Forum East in Dubai, stated that luxury hotel companies haven’t seen their market share rise at the same rate as makers of personal luxury goods and luxury cars.
While O’Neill writes some analysts are worried a recession could hurt luxury hotel performance in the next year, Clarke said he doesn’t believe that will be the case. He described luxury spenders as a separate breed, noting their wealth has increased faster than inflation.
Next, United Airlines launched its first major marketing campaign in a decade earlier this year, an effort that represents a new era in branding for the company, reports Contributor Samantha Shankman.
The campaign — titled Good Leads the Way — sees United address themes like pilot diversity, sustainability, and its efforts to enhance customer service. Sixty employees appeared in more than 50 different pieces of video, digital and social media content. United Chief Communications Officer Josh Earnest said the campaign highlights the work its staff has done to help travelers.
Finally, Hollywood star and environmental activist Edward Norton blasted luxury safari operators at a recent tourism conference for large-scale greenwashing, arguing they’re making superficial sustainability commitments. So what steps are companies in the sector taking to ensure they’re truly running their businesses sustainably? Skift reached out to three prominent figures in South Africa’s luxury safari industry to get their answers, reports Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy.
As Norton asserts luxury tour operators need to be sincere about boosting local communities, Glenn Phillips, CEO of the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, said sustainable tourism should emphasize improving those communities. His reserve is home to the Lapalala Wilderness School, which provides the children the opportunity to learn about nature conservation and zoology over sponsored three-day training camps.
Meanwhile, Russel Bink, CEO of wildlife reserve Tswalu, said more than half of its guest fees go to its conversation component and outreach programs. Bink asserted his goal is to maintain
There are many historical properties turned into luxury hotels.
Visiting London is all about hitting the big sites: Tower Bridge, the British Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and, of course, Big Ben. To make every second of your time in the English capital count, book a hotel near one of those must-see places — you’ll feel fully immersed in the city, and you’ll get an eyeful of beauty every time you look out the window or step out the door. Staying in a hotel near Big Ben in London is probably the best strategy because you’re not only next door to the most famous clock tower in the world, but also to so many other must-sees: Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, and, the icing on the cake: Buckingham Palace. Of course, the problem with this idea is that the closer you are to the big attractions, the more expensive the accommodations, but we’ve managed to find six luxury hotels near Big Ben for a variety of budgets.
Acadia National Park stretches over a rocky and mountainous coastal landscape of the Maine coast. The park has a wild beauty reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest and is home to an extensive network of hiking trails (120 miles, in fact) and its 30 lakes are prime fishing, biking, and boating spots. Mount Desert Island, where the majority of the park is located, has a quintessentially New England atmosphere, with charming fishing villages, bustling lobster boats, and colorful buoys dotting the harbors. While there are no lodges within the boundaries, there are plenty of hotels near Acadia National Park for anyone who would prefer a comfortable bed after a day of adventuring.
My dog Poppy was begging me for a pampered, luxe vacay, so I took her to The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco in the heart of the Nob Hill neighborhood to experience the storied hotel’s “Love Your Pup” package. From the moment we checked in to our room on the club level, we were impressed.
Anyone who has stayed in an exuberantly designed hotel in Asia has most likely experienced the designs of Bill Bensley: the Bangkok-based designer is the creative force behind The Siam Hotel Bangkok; Rosewood Luang Prabang, Shinta Mani Angkor and Capella Hanoi among others. Apart from his hotel designs, though, Bensley is also an artist and philanthropist and those three interests combine in the first Bensley Art Trail, a 12 day tour for those interested in art, design, luxury and conservation from November 28th-December 10th. Bensley will lead it, taking 12 guests behind the scenes of several of those hotels as well as his home, with itinerary details constructed by the Bangkok based luxury, bespoke travel company Smiling Albino. Proceeds will go to the Shinta Mani Foundation which is based in Cambodia to fund 32 scholarships for students of the Shinta Mani Foundation Hospitality School, Class of 2024.
Guests commonly come in contact with numerous hotel personnel, even during short stays. They are less likely to meet—or even know about—some of the people who work behind the scenes. One of those roles is the Hotel Operations Manager.
Jongyoon Kim, the CEO of South Korea-based superapp Yanolja, sees Tesla as the metaphor for its company highlighting how the electronic vehicle company has been rethinking the entire value chain.
“Après ski” in New England is commonplace. But in the heart of Boston? Not so much.
While luxury boutique hotels have always appealed to a certain set, Small Luxury Hotels of the World is trying to create more converts. In October, it launched a marketing campaign around a so-called “private collection” to amplify the message that “smaller is better.”
The Portrait Milano debuts December 1 in the heart of Milan’s fashion district. The location makes sense, given that the 73-room property belongs to the Lungarno Collection — a group of Italian boutique hotels founded by the family of Italian loafer king, Salvatore Ferragamo.
Not all hotels should pursue remote workers, a hotel group CEO has suggested, because they mostly served their purpose during the pandemic.
Kerzner International has unveiled its new brand Siro, a set of fitness-themed lifestyle hotels. The developer said on Wednesday that it has slated to open its first property in a tower in One Za’abeel, a luxury community in Dubai, U.A.E., in the last months of 2023.