Hotel Industry Leaders Still Face Burning Questions
Hotel Operations Must Adapt to the New Normal
The collective mindset of the hotel industry is there is now a unique opportunity to change for the better.
How this change plays out will have distinct benefits for the future of hospitality and the associates who work in it, according to panelists who participated in the “Bourbon with the bosses” panel at the Hotel Data Conference co-hosted by STR and Hotel News Now.
Panelists said there is no doubt the pandemic has been a major influence on everyone's worldview, including new and future employees.
“It will be fascinating to see what the full impact of the pandemic will be on [Generation] Z, our future leaders. Our industry is expressive, and their recent experience might not have been,” said Erika Alexander, chief global officer of global operations at Marriott International.
Amanda Hite, president of STR — CoStar's hospitality analytics firm — said reaching younger generations requires creative thinking.
“How do you connect with people who grew up in a different world? TikTok videos?” Hite asked.
James Carroll, president and CEO, Crestline Hotels & Resorts, wondered about the possible repercussions of the hybrid work environment of the past two years.
“Will it be positive?” he asked.
The panel produced as many questions as it did strategic answers, but underlying everything was the need to focus on people even more than before. People has been the main subject of many conference panels over the last half decade, not just the 24 months and more of the pandemic.