Long Live Lodging

As the hotel industry shifts into a new era influenced by the coronavirus pandemic as well as the unleashing of younger travelers eager to get out and experience the world, new hospitality brands are emerging either in full or by creating novel concepts within their traditional frameworks. In Episode 8 of NextGen in Lodging, host Chris Henry leads a discussion among three hospitality innovators who share what’s next for a recovering industry.

08 | Emerging brands, innovative products signal new era of hospitality As the hotel industry shifts into a new era influenced by the coronavirus pandemic as well as the unleashing of younger travelers eager to get out and experience…

Sonesta Hotels CEO Carlos Flores has big dreams for the company he’s led since 2012. Over the past 18 months, he’s made some of them come true, shocking an industry in the throes of the coronavirus crisis. In Episode 10 of Lodging Luminaries podcast, host Jason Freed talks with Flores about how he decided to pull the trigger to propel the company as a major contender in the franchising space. He also shares his views on the franchiser-franchisee relationship as well as whether the adoption of new technology can enhance a hotel’s value.

Episode 10 | Carlos Flores: Sonesta has ‘very lofty ambitions’ as it ‘pursues value’ in the industry Sonesta Hotels International’s CEO Carlos Flores has big dreams for the company he’s led since 2012. Over the past 18 months, he’s made some of them come tru...

Sanjay Bedi was at work the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, managing a 440-room Marriott Hotel in Somerset, New Jersey. He lived nearby, but corporate leaders ordered Bedi and other GMs to remain at their posts until further notice. A few days later, Bedi took a cab home along the New Jersey Turnpike. From his passenger seat he could see the New York City skyline and the gaping hole where the World Trade Center once stood. Bedi is now senior vice president of operations at Real Hospitality Group, which manages nearly 50 hotels in New York City, a travel market hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic. As America approaches the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Episode 336 of Lodging Leaders podcast features industry leaders who were on duty that fateful day and can recall the shock of the attacks, how they cared for frightened guests and how the event changed hotel operations. They also draw parallels to the coronavirus crisis and remind listeners of the resiliency of the nation’s hospitality industry.

336 | Never Forget: 20 years after 9/11, industry veterans remember the impact of terrorist attacks As America approaches the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on its homeland, Episode 336 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the impact 9/11 had on t...