In this conversation, mutual friends and former colleagues at Starwood, Willem Both (EVP Information Technology at Kerzner International) and Carson Booth (HFTP Board Member) share some of their memories at Starwood, and discuss their joint thoughts on tech budgeting and ROI, as well as the lasting trend of self-service and contactless travel.

Timestamps

00:28
Introduction
00:35
What's up in Dubai and Berlin... dealing with COVID
03:00
Reflecting on mutual souvenirs with Starwood (Whiteplains, Bangkok)
07:25
Discussing impact of COVID for Kerzner Brands (Atlantis, One&Only)
09:20
Has Kerzner continued to invest in the last 18 months?
12:40
Discussing challenges with GDPR rules in China
15:25
Discussing consequences and challenges of moving data into the cloud
18:25
Moving towards more self-service as part of the guest journey
21:50
Opportunities for secure decentralized storage of identities
25:45
Trends in measuring ROI on tech investments
31:01
Are QR codes and other contactless solutions here to stay?
38:03
Closing

(left) Willem and Carson on a mission in Sanya , Hainan Island in March 2015 - (right) The fish Scene Bangkok in 2013— Photo by Photos: Willem Both(left) Willem and Carson on a mission in Sanya , Hainan Island in March 2015 - (right) The fish Scene Bangkok in 2013— Photo by Photos: Willem Both
(left) Willem and Carson on a mission in Sanya , Hainan Island in March 2015 - (right) The fish Scene Bangkok in 2013— Photo by Photos: Willem Both