Brand, independent debate heats up
Oct 14, 2014
Brand versus independent. The debate has played out on plenty a hotel industry conference panel or stage, but rarely does the conversation get as animated as the one that played out during the “Face off” panel at last month’s Independent Lodging Congress.
Representing the brand perspective was Chuck Henry, founder of Hotel Capital Advisers, which manages the international hotel activities of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal’s Kingdom Hotel Investments. The company counts 20 properties in its portfolio, primarily comprising the Four Seasons, Raffles, Fairmont and Mövenpick brands.
Siding with the independents was Michael Barnello, president and CEO of LaSalle Hotel Properties, which has a portfolio of more than 40 hotels, the majority of which are independent.
The executives tackled a number of topics during the fast-paced, sometimes heated discussion, including Yield and Sales Office vs Online.
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