Rethinking Sustainable Hotel Growth in Emerging Destinations
The piece argues hotels must move beyond "extractive hospitality" by integrating local vendors and communities as economic partners rather than excluding them from tourism spaces.
Opinion Articles
Andean as a Boutique Collection with All the Hallmarks of Purposeful Travel
Ignacio Masias discusses how his family-run Andean collection of six Peruvian hotels creates authentic, transformative experiences while stewarding local culture and heritage properties.
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Encapsulating the Barefoot Luxury Trend at Casa Yuma in Puerto Escondido
The 25-room property opened in March 2024 using local Chukum materials and employing exclusively regional talent to create an unpolished luxury experience.
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Ibiti: A Living Proof That Regenerative Hospitality Works
In the heart of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, that question has already been answered. Ibiti Projeto stands as living proof that regenerative hospitality is not a far-off dream but a reality. Over 40 years, it has transformed once-degraded land into a thriving biodiversity refuge, while creating opportunities for local people to become entrepreneurs and stewards of their own future.My recent immersion there was a reminder that regeneration is not an abstract ideal - it’s a tangible force that can transform landscapes, economies and mindsets all at once.
By Nicola Gryczka Kirsch, EHL Entrepreneur in Residence and Founder of The Regen Studio, EHL
Tourism Competitiveness in Argentina: Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Responses
Currently, Argentina faces significant challenges regarding its competitive position in the global tourism sector. The recent devaluation of the peso has intensified barriers to attracting international visitors, while also highlighting the crucial importance of each destination’s unique value proposition within the country.
By Diego Rodriguez, Managing Director, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Horwath
Exquisitely Experiential Meetings and Events at the Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana
Meetings and events are in the midst of a renaissance heading into 2025, with numerous contributing factors as to why. Top of the list for the corporate and group segments is the need to bring people together in a world that has embraced hybrid or fully remote working arrangements.
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Guanacaste, Costa Rica’s Rise and Challenges as an Eco-Luxury Lodging Destination
Costa Rica’s natural beauty, dedication to sustainability, and rich biodiversity have made it a top destination for travelers worldwide. Known for its lush rainforests, pristine beaches, and diverse ecosystems, the country attracts nature enthusiasts and adventure-seekers alike.
By Luigi Major, Vice President, Houston, HVS
Creating an Oasis in the City at the Andaz Mexico City Condesa
Come springtime, Mexico City (CDMX) is set ablaze in enchanting swathes of lavender and mauve as the Jacaranda trees enter bloom, littering the parks and grand avenues with flowers and pleasant aromas to contrast the sprawling metropolis all around. Not yet drowning in heat and with cool evenings, April is the perfect time of year to visit the city which itself is entering a hospitality renaissance with tourists discovering this cultural and gastronomic capital while corporate travelers continue to deliver a consistent flow of midweek stays as businesses in CDMX benefits from Mexico’s current economic boom.
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Understanding sustainability challenges in the Galapagos Islands
Since 2020, an interdisciplinary research team from EHL Hospitality Business School, the Catholic University in Quito, and the Charles Darwin Research Station at the Galapagos in Ecuador have been studying the challenges associated with tourism dynamics at the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands. This article summarizes the main findings of this collaboration: the carrying capacity of the islands, the sustainability transition of tourism, and the political challenges that have been affecting sustainability efforts in the archipelago.
By Carlos Martin-Rios and Peter Varga
Sense of Community as a Growth Strategy with Andaz Mexico City Condesa
The idea of an urban hotel embedding itself into the surrounding community is nothing new, but for many properties it remains just that: an idea that’s talked about in press releases and on the website yet seldom woven into every aspect of the operations and amenities. When a hotel does in fact go through the meticulous process of creating a strong sense of community, the results are nothing short of magical, and this is reflected through a positive impact on guest satisfaction, demand and the ability to grow rate.
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Placing Wellness and Sustainability as Core Hotel Values with the Fairmont Mayakoba
Spread across a sprawling 45-acre ocean-facing campus with 401 rooms and suites, the five-diamond, AAA Fairmont Mayakoba has long been on our bucket list of resorts worth visiting. Just outside of Playa del Carmen in the heart of the remarkably popular sun destination that is the Mayan Riviera (especially for Canadian snowbirds like the two of us), the Fairmont Mayakoba property intrigued us because of its diverse array of amenities, its sustainable luxury approach within the broader Mexican hospitality industry and its core focus on authentic wellness experiences.
By Adam Mogelonsky and Larry Mogelonsky
Daring Travelers to Live for More with a Visit to Panama
Building on the pillars of Panamanian pride and sustainable tourism, Panama is offering stimulating, regenerative experiences for purpose-driven travelers. To inspire travelers to experience the Central American country’s unique history, geography, and culture, its destination marketing organization (DMO), Visit Panamá, has been busy rebranding the nation’s image and vision. They partnered with us at Expedia Group Media Solutions to help communicate their vision: to put Panamanians at the heart of their offering, while encouraging travelers to connect in a meaningful way. In this post, we’ll describe this vision plus the ways our marketing campaign highlighted the diversity of this dynamic and exciting destination.
By Ana Paradela, Director, Business Development, Expedia Group Media Solutions
Postcards from the Galapagos Islands: Do the fittest really survive?
When thinking of the Galapagos Islands the first images that we may conjure up are of giant tortoises, marine iguanas, sharks, beautiful tropical beaches, and a laid-back lifestyle where troubles of the outside world are non-existent and one’s daily ‘responsibility’ is to swim with the dolphins. This could have been the case in the past, but not in 2020!
By Peter Varga, Assistant Professor, EHL
Sustainable hotels and The Black Sheep Inn: An example to follow
Although the number of hotels and inns claiming to be sustainable keeps increasing, in reality how many of them are good examples of sustainable hospitality? The Black Sheep Inn in the Ecuadorian highlands is surely one of them. Recognized by various sustainability agencies, ‘La Posada de la Oveja Negra’, as it is called in Spanish, continues to attract travelers from around the world who seek profoundly sustainable lodging. The TripAdvisor’s Ecolíders Platino (2016), the Certificate of Excellence (2013), the SKÅL International Ecotourism Award (2006), and the First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards (2005) are only a few of the numerous international accolades the Black Sheep Inn has received during its 25 years of existence.
By Peter Varga, Assistant Professor, EHL
Hotels In Mexico Can Expect Guests This Christmas
No matter your personal circumstance, it's likely that you've begun counting down to the new year.
By Jason Lugo, Market Vice President – Americas, SiteMinder
The Impact Of COVID-19 In The Hotel Industry – Brazil Overview
In view of the advancing Coronavirus over the past few days, the economic impact starts to deepen and takes bigger steps around the world, mainly reflected by issues due to the drop in consumption and production, the stock market and supply chains, and this serves as a wake-up call for all the world even for those powerful countries in the European Union as a possible economic recession is looming.
By Felipe Touro, Founder, Touro Insights & CO
The Future of Hospitality Industry in Colombia
On November 24, 2016, the signing of the Final Agreement for the Termination of the Conflict between the Colombian State and the Revolutionary Army Forces of Colombia (FARC) put (at least formally) an end to the oldest and largest civil war in the Americas. Already the expectations or even the hope for the signature was a turning point for Colombia and its hospitality industry, which accounts for 2% of the Colombia's GDP and provides 1.357.103 jobs, according to DANE (Departamento Nacional de Estadistica), 2018.
The Staff Of Nizuc Resort Cancun Clearly Understands Where True Hospitality Starts – The Human Heart
As a hotel industry sales and guest services trainer, on average I experience six or more hotel stays each month. Although I have clients across all segments of lodging, many of my clients are in the ultra-luxury five star or five diamond categories. Once thing I have learned is that the level of authentic and genuine hospitality, which travelers treasure the most, has little to do with the number of stars or diamonds hanging on a plaque behind the front desk. In fact, I've experienced some of the most memorable service encounters at economy lodging properties, whereas I find that hospitality too often falls short at ultra-luxury properties and instead feels scripted and robotic.
By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)
Is Your Hotel Advertising During Rio 2016?
With the television landscape becoming increasingly fragmented by cable, satellite, social media and internet streaming options, reaching many people at once via traditional, 20th century media placement methods comes with its fair dose of anxiety. One interesting effect of this channel nichification is that large-scale events and compressions are now all the more precious.
By Larry Mogelonsky, Partner, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited
Trends and Opportunities Brazil 2014 - 2015
This article analyzes hospitality markets in six major Brazilian cities – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre and Salvador – discussing key performance indicators in 2014 vis-à-vis past years. Welcome to the 7th edition of the Brazil: Trends and Opportunities, an annual publication by HVS/HotelInvest that focuses on presenting and analyzing hospitality industry performances in the primary markets in Brazil. Every year we digest the latest, reliable market information and present the challenges and opportunities facing the Brazilian hospitality industry. In the end, it is our opinion that a well informed and transparent market is a solid and professional one. In this edition, we will analyze the situations that affected the hospitality market in 2014, including the World Cup, the stagnation of the national economy, and the presidential elections.