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Opinion Articles

Opinion Article

Revamping Hospitality: the Future of Hotel Renovations for Modern Travelers

According to Holistique Training’s Evolution of Hospitality Industry Trends, the hospitality industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by shifting consumer expectations, technological advancements, and a growing focus on sustainability and well-being. In response, hotels worldwide are investing in renovations to meet the demands of the modern traveler.

Sergio Bocci
By Sergio Bocci, General Manager, Hilton Anaheim, Hilton
Opinion Article

Personalization versus Customization with Aleksandra Kotle, GM of Crockfords Las Vegas

As we see time again, the story of a hotel is the story of the people working at the hotel. This is especially true for the luxury hospitality segment where service excellence, exclusive amenities and personalization are hallmarks of an experience worthy of the term ‘luxury’. With so much buzz around personalization these days, what is often missed is the precision of service delivery necessary to execute this attention to detail at scale, for which there’s no truer form of expressing this precision than through customization of the guest journey in a seamless blend of meticulously curated experiences.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
United States
Opinion Article

2025’s Top 10 Actionable Trends Shaping Boutique Hospitality

Boutique hotels are known for pushing boundaries, setting trends, and creating memorable experiences that larger brands struggle to replicate. In 2025, this spirit of innovation is driving major shifts in guest experience, technology, and operations. BLLA’s (Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association) board members, some of the most respected voices in the industry, weigh in on what’s next.

Frances Kiradjian
By Frances Kiradjian, Founder/CEO, BLLA
Opinion Article

Defining the New Miami with EAST Miami

The story of an urban hotel is the story of a city. The two move in stride, with the hospitality industry offering a home and a helpful hand to visitors while also providing dining and drinking hotspots that enable newcomers to evolve into lasting denizens of the locale. In this case study, EAST Miami (operated by Swire Hotels) that first opened in 2016 has grown to be the cultural steward for the booming neighborhood in Miami that is Brickell, presenting a picture of where hotel trends in luxury amenities, branding and customer mindsets are headed.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Miami, Florida, United States
Opinion Article

Designing With Purpose: Luxury Frontiers' Impact at Babanango Game Reserve

In the heart of Zululand, South Africa, lies Babanango Game Reserve, a once cattle-farmed landscape that now stands as a true testament to the power of environmental renewal. This reserve recently underwent one of South Africa’s most ambitious rewilding projects, reintroducing the Big 5 after nearly 150 years. The land, which is rich with history, culture, and natural beauty, has undergone an extraordinary transformation, and Luxury Frontiers had the honor of playing a key role in its incredible rebirth. Our design work at Madwaleni River Lodge, located within the reserve, embodies the essence of sustainability, cultural heritage, and community upliftment.

Graeme Labe
By Graeme Labe, Managing Partner & Chief Design Officer, Luxury Frontiers
South Africa
Opinion Article

The Mille Club: Two Rocco Forte Hotels in One Incredible Trip to Italia

Known to many as the Eternal City, Rome has an uninterrupted history spanning two and a half thousand years. Apart from incredible historical sites, Rome has some of the world’s finest luxury hotels, often carved out of grand palazzos that once served members of the royal court of the Papal elite, and all of them adorned with opulent finishings and fine art.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Italy
Opinion Article

The Progressive Luxury Hotel Evolution in Focus with EAST Hotels

The 21st century has already seen immense changes in how people travel and their demands for hotel services and amenities. In focus here is the growth, evolution and diversification of the luxury segment, wherein we recently sat down with the team behind the rebranding of EAST Hotels, a hotel brand that’s emblematic of this modern dynamic and the aspirational nature of travel for the 2020s and beyond. EAST Hotels has launched three hotels in Beijing, Hong Kong and Miami, with several more in the pipeline on multiple continents.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
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Opinion Article

200 Years of Sitting Pretty in Dublin: A Short Walk Through History and Hospitality at The Shelbourne Hotel

Since 1824, The Shelbourne has been a warm and inviting jewel of hospitality and the setting for some of the most dramatic cultural and political moments in Irish history. Beloved by guests and locals as “Ireland’s living room,” The Shelbourne has always reflected the spirit of the city around it, playing a significant role in the literary, social, political, culinary and artistic traditions of Irish society.

JP Kavanagh
By JP Kavanagh, General Manager, The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection, Marriott
Dublin, Ireland
Opinion Article

A Rising Tide

My husband, Jack, and I have been in the hospitality industry for many years, but the origins of this business date back to the 1980s, when we were asked to help revive the Miami Beach area, which was overwhelmed with crime. We opened Penrod’s Beach Club at One Ocean Drive in 1989 and it soon became very popular.In 1997 my husband’s daughter, Nicole, was killed in a car accident, at the age of 18. At that mo-ment, we decided that instead of mourning her death, we were going to celebrate her life. We took out the property’s pool and Jack planted trees to create a garden by the sea, filled with lights and candles.

Robert Walters
By Robert Walters, Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Global Asset Solutions
Opinion Article

Designing Diversely

For today's traveler, the possibilities are nearly endless. Someone vacationing in my homebase of Honolulu, for example, can stay anywhere from a limited-service hotel to a luxe oceanfront resort and spa to a secluded Airbnb.

Paul McElroy
By Paul McElroy, Executive Vice President, Highgate, Highgate Hotels, L.P.
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Opinion Article

The Funkiest Southwest Hotel with Lessons for Every Hotelier Worldwide

The concept of a contemporary, boutique motel, either as a new build or retrofit, that commands sizably higher-than-market rates started to become a trend in the 2010s but has grown since the pandemic. Spurred on by a core psychographic of drive-to-vacation culture amongst Gen X and millennials, in the United States we are seeing multi-property brands like Bluebird and Urban Cowboy achieve success by opening exquisitely decorated lodges in sought-after rural areas near major cities. Then there are a host of independents gracing the covers of travel magazines such as The Vagabond Hotel in Miami, The Dive Motel in Nashville, Skyview Los Alamos in California and Thunderbird in Marfa, Texas.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Opinion Article

A Case Study in Upleveling Rooms and Expanding Wellness at the Fairmont Tremblant

As background for those not from Canada, Tremblant is a picture-perfect ski village under two hours northwest of Montreal in the Laurentian Mountains. With numerous small hotels, chalets, lodges and short-term rentals to choose from, Tremblant is perhaps the closest thing that North America has to a charming French of Swiss alpine town, wherein the 312-key Fairmont Tremblant has always stood at the luxury resort pillar of the destination since its opening in 1996.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Canada
Opinion Article

Harmonizing Art, Architecture, and Design for Hospitality Success

“Art and culture are the lifeblood of a space - the connection to something larger that all humans intrinsically want to be part of. They work with architecture and design to accentuate the intended mood and vibe of a space.” This was one of several testimonials received from a study of hundreds of real estate professionals for the biannual State of the Art Report by NINE dot ARTS. What emerged from the study was a timely and powerful realization: that architecture, design, and art and culture are equally essential for achieving project success. And as the hospitality industry continues to bounce back from the pandemic while navigating economic challenges and changing traveler preferences, such realizations cannot be understated.

Martha McGee
By Martha McGee, CEO and Co-Founder, NINE dot ARTS
Opinion Article

Future Shaping Hospitality Design Trends

In recent years, several hospitality trends reflecting a blend of technological advancements, sustainability imperatives and a growing emphasis on bespoke experiences have emerged. From the innovative, versatile and flexible use of spaces to the integration of local culture and wellness amenities, such nuances continue to shape the way hotels are conceptualized, designed and experienced by guests worldwide.

Scott LaMont
By Scott LaMont, Chief Executive Officer & Principal, EDSA
Opinion Article

Building Brands: Trends and Challenges in Real Estate Branding

Creative Supply founder Youri Sawerschel and Frame Magazine’s Tracey Ingram get together for the fourth in a series on space and branding, bringing together insights from Sawerschel’s realm of brand strategy and brand design, and Ingram’s role as editor at large for one of the world’s leading interior-design publications. Here they discuss the current trends and (communication) challenges of the real estate industry.

Youri SawerschelTracey Ingram
By Youri Sawerschel and Tracey Ingram