This Week's BLLA Commentary

Many of you know my passions include helping the underdogs of the hospitality industry. Before the formation of BLLA, the list of underdogs included boutique hotels, and once upon a time, women. Women have made leaps and bounds as a demographic in every single industry in existence. Hospitality is no exception. While only 32 of the Fortune 500 CEOs in 2017 were women, this is an increase from the 21 women who were included the year before. While not an impressive ratio it does show the forward movement of women in the business sector I have long been a champion of.

At our annual Executive Women’s Conference this past March, I touched on the initiative of 20 by 20, a group aiming to populate the boards of US companies with at least 20% women by the year 2020. Their diligent research shows companies with more diverse leadership have more longevity and success.

I expand on the topic in a recent Forbes publication: "Research shows this to be true: A recent analysis from 2020 Women on Boards found 55% of companies that fell off the Fortune 1000 index had one or zero women on their boards. An analysis from Harvard's School of Public Health ranked Fortune 500 companies by number of women directors present on their boards and found those in the highest quartile had a 42% greater return on sales."

Read more on the initiatives of Women on Boards, and my in-depth analysis by reading the full article here.

What are you doing to diversify?

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What's Developing

motor

Mercedes Actros Turned Into Rolling 2-Story Hotel

Some people took this mobile lifestyle to another level, and converted an Actros, which is essentially a workhorse truck built by Mercedes, into a cool hotel-on-wheels that offers adventure and surf trip packages. Their mission? To share the lifestyle with adventure-seekers and travelers.

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borneobulletin

What makes for a 'luxury hotel' nowadays?

Ideas about what makes a hotel luxurious are now widely divergent, notes Stephan Braun, director of Windrose Finest Travel. "Twenty years ago, "pomp and splendour' was the only kind of luxury being offered," he said. But now the demands of travellers have changed. Old status symbols have lost their appeal.

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hospitalitydesign

Boutique Concept B on Canal Debuts in New Orleans

Housed within a 1930s-era, 15-story building, Canal on B is crafted in homage to the city’s heritage.

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Boutique Hotel Spotlights

travelweekly

Review: at six hotel, Stockholm

Housed in the former headquarters of Swedbank on Brunkebergstorg Square, the 343-room luxury establishment bills itself as a lifestyle hotel at the intersection of art and design..

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inews

The Magnolia hotel is an affordable way to enjoy the best of the Algarve

The Algarve in the south of Portugal has long proven irresistible to British travellers in search of sunshine, with balmy temperatures and warm weather year-round.

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Industry News

pulse

Come for the room, stay for the food – Accra’s best hotel restaurant

The West African capital Accra can boast of some of the best hotels in the country, which in turn play host to some of its finest food offerings. Whilst most of these restaurants are known for their top-notch service and ‘go the extra mile’ attitude, we set out to pin-point what exactly sets Accra Marriott's restaurant apart.

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hotelmanagement

Canada poised to see hotel sales decline in 2018

For 2018, Canada's hotel transaction volume is expected to fall short of last year's $3.5 billion, according to data from Colliers International. However, the group forecasts the total will meet the $2.3-billion average achieved between 2011 and 2017.

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This Week's Resources