An Interview with Deborah O’Donnell
The BLLA Events Team sat down with Deborah O’Donnell, Director Strategic Sales, Lodging & Institutions at DIRECTV, as she prepared to participate in the 2023 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 7-8.
Press Releases
Lark Hotels Expands Its Lark Independent Portfolio Into the Southeast With Four Hotels
Lark announces the debut of four new Lark Independents along North Carolina’s southern shore: The Beach House and The Starlite Inn in Carolina Beach, and The Admiral’s Quarters Motel and The Sand Dunes in Kure Beach. The independently-owned boutique hotels will now be managed and operated by Lark, growing its portfolio of Lark Independents to 18 hotel properties throughout the United States.
BLLA Interview with Marissa Ballan, Vice President, Global Investment Management at citizenM
The BLLA Events Team sits down with Marissa Ballan, Vice President, Global Investment Management at citizenM Hotels, as she prepares to participate in the 2023 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 7-8.
An Interview with Curtis Crimmins
CC: I’m a lifelong hotelier who got my first taste of the business by following my mom to work while she was a hotel housekeeper. Though these visits sparked my love of hotels, the reason my mom brought me to work has darker roots, it was to keep me safe from her abusive partner.
Design: The imaginative fusion of an ancient “resting hotels” with a “Space Oddity,” concept draws a symbiotic connection to the majestic Dead Sea and the Judean Desert
Bar Orian Architects in collaboration with Lambs & Lions Studio today officially announces a new luxury resort planned for Israel’s Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea, scheduled to open in 2025. The 109 room-and-suite property will be built on a plot of land with an area of about 20 dunams (nearly five acres) in the Judean Desert overlooking the serene landscape of the Dead Sea. The imaginative fusion of an ancient “resting hotels” with a “Space Oddity,” concept draws a symbiotic connection to the majestic Dead Sea and Judean Desert.
An Interview with Frank Wolfe
The BLLA Events Team sits down with Frank Wolfe, CEO of HFTP, as he prepares to participate in the 2023 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 7-8.
Preview Seoul Fashion Week with K-Pop’s ENHYPEN at Dongdaemun Design Plaza now on Airbnb
Get your light sticks ready! ENHYPEN is set to kick off Seoul Fashion Week in September 2023 with the world’s first overnight stay at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the soul of style in Seoul.
Pyramid Global Hospitality Announces Addition to Management Portfolio
Pyramid Global Hospitality – the powerhouse hospitality company behind inspired collections like Benchmark Pyramid Luxury & Lifestyle and Hamilton Pyramid Europe – is pleased to announce the Wayfinder Newport hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, as the latest addition to the company’s distinguished management portfolio. Continuing a longtime partnership with Dovetail + Co, owner of the Wayfinder Newport, Pyramid Global has assumed management of the 197-room hotel with immediate plans underway to rebuild and revitalize the property.
Radisson Hotel Group and PPHE Hotel Group accelerate global growth of the premium lifestyle art’otel brand
Radisson Hotel Group expands its portfolio of bold, art and design-inspired hotels with the inclusion of art’otel in the Radisson Hotel Group’s brand portfolio, growing to ten distinct brands under one overarching umbrella. Across the brand spectrum, the Group offers inspiration through travel with authentic and engaging cultural experiences that allow travelers to feel part of each local art and design community.
Introducing Eight New Members of Design Hotels
From historically renovated structures dating back to the 12th, 18th, and 19th centuries in Italy, Spain, and Montenegro to modern architectural masterpieces in Greece and Indonesia, the newest members of Design Hotels share a common goal: to honor and preserve their surrounding landscapes and cultures. Each of the following eight properties reflect this ethos through distinctly contemporary lenses, creating unique destinations that foster individual experiences as well as intimate feelings of community.
Avi Brosh’s Palisociety Introduces “Le Petit Pali” With Two Signature Carmel-by-the-sea Destinations
A bespoke new bed & breakfast concept brings forth Palisociety’s vision of a traditional small inn experience, layered with an upscale interpretation of the brand’s revered charm and personal approach to travel and hospitality
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.
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.