The Artisans: Chris Cline
The BLLA Team sits down with Chris Cline, General Manager of The Hotel Santa Barbara, as he delves into his experience as a boutique hotelier.
News
[Podcast] How hoteliers can use a design mindset to improve hotel operations and elevate staff and guest experiences
In this episode, we have a chat with Cheryl Durst, CEO of the International Interior Design Association. First, we discuss a few practical ways in which hoteliers can use design strategies to improve staff and guest experiences. We then learn about the power of having purpose when making design choices for team spaces and guest rooms; investment strategies a hotel might use when considering a design update; and the impacts – some surprising – that a design choice may have on a hotel, including in staff operations. We finish off our conversation on the topic of how hoteliers can benefit from using a “design mindset” when seeking to improve hotel operations and elevate the overall staff and guest experience.
Hyatt to Further Strengthen Position in Luxury with Plans to Acquire Mr & Mrs Smith
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and Mr & Mrs Smith today announced an agreement for a Hyatt affiliate to acquire London-based Mr & Mrs Smith, a platform offering direct booking access to a carefully curated and growing collection of over 1,500 boutique and luxury properties in some of the world’s most desirable locations. Hyatt will acquire 100 percent of the asset-light Mr & Mrs Smith platform for an enterprise value of £53.0 million in cash consideration.
Hyatt and Mr & Mrs Smith
The Artisans: Michelle Barnet
The BLLA Team sits down with Michelle Barnet, Founder & Chief Pineapple Officer of Staypineapple, as she delves into her experience as a boutique hotelier.
BLLA, in collaboration with ROOMZA, hosted an intimate Social Club Dinner Party on April 12th
The 4th iteration of BLLA’s intimate Social Club Dinner Party was held on April 12th in downtown Los Angeles in the private room called “The Apartment,” located on the 2nd floor of The Hoxton Hotel.
Uniting the Boutique Community to Amplify the Lucrative Future of Independent and Boutique Hotels
The Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) is returning to the live stage with the 11th annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 7-8, 2023. Boutique experts and visionaries will gather in New York City’s Florence Gould Hall to better understand the fundamentals of hotel investment as it relates to the evergrowing boutique landscape.
10 architectural gems that are bookable on Airbnb
Milan Design Week, the biggest annual design event in the world, kicks off on April 17. To mark the occasion, Airbnb has rounded up a selection of designer masterpieces available at every price point: from a Mediterranean loft by a renowned ‘starchitect’ for less than $100 per person to a lavish but otherworldly architectural icon in the Californian desert.
An Interview with Amit Patel
The BLLA Events Team sits down with Amit Patel, Business Line Manager, Hospitality at Corporate Spending Innovations, as he prepares to attend the 2023 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 7-8 at Florence Gould Hall.
Top Industry Leaders Embracing Their Intuition & Feminine Spirit
Last month, BLLA partnered with the Travel Industry Executive Women’s Network (TIEWN) to host the 2023 Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference in beautiful Westlake Village, California.
Interior Image Group (IIG) Completes Heart-Led Interior Design For The Shepherd Hotel
Interior Image Group (IIG) recently completed The Shepherd – a peaceful haven and a first-of-its-kind project in Downtown Clemson, South Carolina. If the home is where the heart is, The Shepherd Hotel has quickly become a cherished home away from home for many visiting Downtown Clemson.
The Luxury Collection Announces New Global Explorer Laila Gohar
The Luxury Collection, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, announces chef and artist Laila Gohar as the brand’s newest Global Explorer. In her role as a brand ambassador, Gohar has collaborated with The Luxury Collection to create a globally inspired barware collection with complementing cocktail recipes drawing from her travels with the brand. Gohar marks The Luxury Collection’s first epicurean Global Explorer, underscoring the power of cultural discovery through food and drink.
The secret to creating a winning hospitality concept
As a hotelier, restaurant owner, or hotel group executive, you may be involved in the launch, opening or reopening of one or several properties. Along the way, you’re making important investment decisions for projects that will open several years down the line. This leads to many questions:
By Youri Sawerschel, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Creative Supply
Kanava Hotels & Resorts Announces Rebranding to Empiria Group: We Create Space for Joy
Known as pioneers who elevated the luxury scene in Santorini, leading privately-owned hospitality group, Kanava Hotels & Resorts, today announced an exciting new chapter, with the unveiling of their new brand name Empiria Group. The change celebrates the company’s 30 years of expertise and plans for further developments and echoes its evolving purpose, values, and commitment to creating space for joy.
Driftwood Hospitality Management Adds Wylie Hotel to Portfolio
Wylie Hotel, the historic boutique hotel located in the Old Historic Fourth Ward neighborhood, is now operated by Driftwood Hospitality Management. Based out of North Palm Beach, Florida with decades of hospitality experience and a strategic focus on hotel and resort acquisitions, Wylie Hotel will join over 80 other properties that Driftwood manages across the United States. Additionally, the boutique hotel will transition to a Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
The Artisans: Kurt Bjorkman
The BLLA Team sits down with Kurt Bjorkman, Chief Operating Officer of The Ranch at Laguna Beach, as he delves into his experience as a boutique hotelier.
W Hotels Announces the Launch of Live Electronic Music Showcase: W PRESENTS
W Hotels Worldwide today announced the launch of W PRESENTS, an innovative live electronic showcase series featuring headlining artists handpicked by Leah Chisholm (LP Giobbi), Global Director of Music for W Hotels. All performers will be selected by Chisholm, including several opening acts who are part of her FEMME HOUSE organization, a collective that prides itself in creating equitable opportunities for women and gender-expansive individuals in the music industry.
AHLA’s Chip Rogers joins cast of Hotels ByDesign
American Hotel & Lodging Association President & CEO Chip Rogers is joining the cast of Hotels ByDesign.
Sonesta Creates Luxury & Lifestyle Lodging Development Team
Sonesta International Hotels Corporation (Sonesta), the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S., today announced the establishment of a Luxury & Lifestyle Lodging Development Team. The team will lead Sonesta’s growth of its Upper Upscale brands, which include The James and The Royal Sonesta franchises in the Americas. Today’s announcement underscores Sonesta’s commitment to and growing leadership position within the burgeoning lifestyle and luxury sectors.
IIG Receives Gold Winner Award from the MUSE Design Awards
Interior Image Group (IIG), one of the nation’s top hospitality interior design and procurement firms, is proud to announce they were recognized as a “Gold Muse” for their work at Caesars Atlantic City. The MUSE Design Awards is a part of the MUSE Awards Program, an international competition for designers whose craftsmanship shift paradigms. Their ingenuity and thorough works leave others in awe, and in so doing redefine boundaries and scope – much like a muse.
The Artisans: Eric Freitas Orford
The BLLA Team sits down with Eric Freitas Orford, General Manager of The Ludlow, as he delves into his experience as a boutique hotelier.