All articles by Ky Nikitha
Ky Nikitha
Master of all trades
Arguably no role has undergone greater transformation over the course of the past decade than that of the hotel general manager, so how do the best practitioners in the business stay abreast of such a fast-changing landscape? Tim Gunn speaks to Toshiro Maruyama of Shirouma-so, The Beaumont’s Jannes Soerensen, and EHMA president and GM of Principe di Savoia Ezio A Indiani about the flexibility needed to succeed in some of the industry’s most particular positions.
Get a room
Modular construction methods significantly defray development costs for operators but have traditionally resulted in economy offerings on greenfield sites. Now, the assembly of the AC Hotel NoMad in the centre of Manhattan promises to make prefabrication an urban affair as well. Greg Noone talks to Rob Wagemans of design firm Concrete, architect Danny Forster and Marriott International’s Eric Jacobs about whether the time has come for large-scale modular projects in the heart of our major cities.
The focus to grow
Hakkasan Group has weathered the many recent storms in the global restaurant market. Operations vice-president Michael Neuner tells Tina Nielsen about his plans for developing the company and the importance of finding the right partners in order to deliver this vision.
Guest who
Operators now have access to more data than ever before, with analytics being put in place to enhance customer service, and optimise revenue and loyalty schemes. Will Moffitt investigates which hotels are harnessing this technology most efficiently and the costly impact, financial and operational, of getting your data strategy wrong.
Arabic assessment
While the Middle East posted mixed results for Q1, Africa posted growth in occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room. Nevertheless, the former continues to attract significant interest from the world’s largest operators and brands, as demonstrated by STR’s release of the top 50 companies and brands in the region, unveiled at this year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference as part of the STR 500. Our partners at the industry leader in hospitality analytics look at some of the stories behind the numbers.
Amicale departure
After six years at the helm, Hans Koch stepped down as president of the European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA) at the organisation’s 46th AGM, held in Paris in February. He looks back over his tenure and highlights some of the achievements of which he is most proud.
On the horizon
In February 2019, Meliá Hotel International revealed its annual results for 2018, marking the end of a three-year strategic plan that had seen a 250% increase in earnings per share, nearly 15,000 rooms added to its portfolio, and an intense period of investment and repositioning. Global development managing director Maria Zarraluqui speaks to Hotel Management International about the impact this has had upon development strategy and where the group is looking to go next.
Gulf in demand
The UAE hotel industry has seen phenomenal growth over the past decade, with international operators opening properties at an incredible rate. However, as certain segments become increasingly saturated, how dynamic a market does it remains? Abi Millar hears from industry leaders, including Matthew Tripolone, vice-president for Middle East and Africa at IHG, about where the opportunities still lie.
A seat at the table
Traditional operators have long avoided any association with hostels but, running out of niches and labels for different consumer demographics, some are beginning to explore whether the shared accommodation concept can help them capture millennials and Gen Z. Tim Gunn asks Generator’s Alastair Thomann, Etienne Matichard of Jo&Joe and Hostelworld’s Paul Halpenny about the potential of communal living.
The full works
Small lifestyle concepts and big global players are making moves to try and harness the potential of co-working within their portfolios. Elly Earls meets Accor Innovation Lab’s Frédéric Fontaine and Zoku’s David Kijlstra to discover the extent to which their efforts can make hard work pay.