IT Solutions for Branded vs the Independent segment - Which one is more innovative?
Ira Vouk in conversation with Cloudbeds CEO Adam Harris
To continue the controversial topic raised by Ira Vouk and Max Starkov in one of the previous Insiders episodes on how branded hotels compare to independent in terms of innovations and tech adoption, Ira Vouk (author of "Hospitality 2.0", industry consultant and tech innovator) is bringing Adam Harris into the discussion. Adam is the CEO and co-founder of Cloudbeds, the largest tech player in the independent hospitality arena. In the middle of the conversation, Ira asks him a $50 bln question.
00:30 Introduction
02:10 What is the true share of branded properties vs independent, globally?
04:50 Why hotels are leaving brands, conflicts of interest
08:10 What prevents many brands from upgrading their tech stack
14:20 Are loyalty programs still relevant and what we can learn from short term rental sector
21:15 What the future holds for large brands in terms of technology evolution
26:30 How to achieve a balance between standards and flexibility and where next-gen travelers are going
35:50 Why most innovations are now born in the independent sector
39:30 What Adam would do differently if he could rebuild his company from scratch
42:32 Moral of the story