In an industry landscape nearly overrun with brands for every segment of guest, we are quick to forget that many of the industry's biggest brands began life as independents. While large swaths of the traveling public prefer the consistent experiences offered by brands, growing contingents of guests are interested in travel experiences that hark back to the early days of hotels, when every property’s name was unique and your lodging had a slice of character connected to its locale.
With independents on the rise, HOTEL MANAGEMENT met with the leaders of the segment to get a handle on the topic. Eight such leaders sat down with us at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, held in June at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, to discuss the current landscape of the industry as well as the victories and challenges facing independent hoteliers in the years to come.
Check out our recording of the discussion below, hosted by Glenn Haussman, editor at large with HOTEL MANAGEMENT.