Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Hotels

Cascais Tourism Forum Takes Aim at Hotels Innovations

Aleksandr Shatskih

The hotel landscape in Portugal is unique among European markets for several reasons. The best way to describe the landscape there is “feast and famine”, as some hotel businesses are flourishing, while others are bankrupt. A May 19th event, the Cascais Tourism Forum, held for the first time this year, focuses on the developmental challenges for hotels wanting to survive in this dynamic environment.

AccorHotels Appoints First Chief Disruption Officer?

Phil Butler

Thinault Viort (at left) has been named the very first Chief Disruption and Growth Officer of AccorHotels. The move is reportedly to keep pace with a fast-moving consumer market. In one of the most interestingly worded press releases ever, a European mega hotel company touts an exec intent on shaking things up? According to the news […]

New Hilton Garden Inn to Open in Bucharest in 2017

Mihaela Lica Butler

Come 2017, deep pocket visitors to Bucharest will be able to enjoy the perks of Hilton if they choose to book Hilton Garden Inn as their home-away-from-home. This is what Hilton Worldwide promises to grace Bucharest’s Old Town early next year. The new property will feature no less than 201 contemporary appointed rooms, complemented by […]

Teimuraz Y. Chichiashvili Receives “Man of the Year” Leadership Award

Phil Butler

The organizers of the Russian Hospitality Awards and the organizers of the 11th Annual Conference on investments in hotel businesses of Russia and the CIS (RHIC) have jointly awarded Teimuraz Yu Chichiashvili, President of PATERO Development, the first ever “Man of the Year” award for leadership.

Mriya Resort & SPA Wins for MITT Showing

Aleksandr Shatskih

Mriya Resort & SPA, in Russian Crimea, has just won the “Best Stand” award at the 23rd Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT). The resort, one of 1,800 participating companies, was joined by tour operator, BSI Group, and the UAE’s Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority as winners.

Marriott’s Europe Footprint: Two Pronged Strategy Takes Shape

Phil Butler

News earlier this month that Marriott International plans to open five Moxy Hotels in key European cities reveals a powerful positive movement for certain European destinations. The new hotels, slated for Munich, Eschborn and Berlin in Germany; and Oslo, Norway; and Aberdeen, U.K. point to markets set to grow.

Boutique Hotels Get Aboard the Big Data Train

Aleksandr Shatskih

Big Data is catching on in the hospitality industry but it’s not just the biggest hotels that are leading the revolution. Smaller, boutique hotels are rapidly becoming data-driven too, using analytics to track and meet the demands of chosen demographic.

7 Days Booster Launches Quietly, Big Players Watch from Wings

Aleksandr Shatskih

Yesterday at ITB Berlin, the Executive Director of Plateno Group, Eric Wu (at left) announced the launch of 7 Days Booster, a hotel platform that combines online distribution, marketing education, property upgrades and a direct connect to more than 80 million Chinese loyalty travelers. Billed as an agnostic solution for any hotel or group of hotels, […]

The Hotel Business and Critical Mass

Phil Butler

Any hotel executive reading this will have arrived here via social media, Google, or as a direct reader via RSS feed. The same reader is probably reading during a commute, on a smart device, or using an iPad for night table reading. Technology has almost overnight, changed our personal and business lives in ways we never could have imaged even 5 years ago.