LODGING LEADERS
185 | Hampton by Hilton Enters Middle East Market with Shruti Gandhi Buckley
LODGING LEADERS
Shruti Gandhi Buckley is global head of Hampton by Hilton. In her role, Buckley is responsible for the overall brand strategy, which includes driving brand growth and development, diversifying and increasing revenue and sustaining customer loyalty. With a deep understanding of the hospitality business, Buckley fosters innovation and success for Hampton by Hilton, Hilton’s largest brand, which has more than 2,300 properties globally with 620 on the horizon, marking the largest pipeline in brand history.
In This Episode, Shruti Reveals …
- The vision behind Hilton’s expansion into the Middle East, and why they chose Dubai as the location for the largest property in their portfolio.
- The property itself, and as you heard in the opening soundbite, they paid attention to every detail.
- The market in Dubai, and the kind of travelers they expect this property will attract.
- They have a female GM – Nayla Chowdhury – at the helm of the new Dubai property, and Shruti gives advice to women looking to succeed in the hospitality industry.
- And, we talk about what’s next for Hampton by Hilton.
Resources & Links
Shruti Gandhi Buckley
Hilton
LODGING LEADERS
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295 | Doing Well: Coronavirus pandemic advances wellness design and programs in hotels
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing the lodging industry to rethink health and wellness. Designers such as Blanche Garcia of B. Garcia Designs see this as an opportunity for hotels to revise their messaging beyond clean and safe by introducing wellness products and programs they can market and attract guests who want to feel good during their stay and return home feeling better than when they left. Those who promote healthy buildings as well as safe travel are exploring how implementing elements of wellness can be a cure for hotel businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hotel industry.
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294 | She is a Hotel Investor: What She Has a Deal can teach every hotel investor
She Has a Deal, a program that promotes women as hotel owners, last month minted several new investors through its inaugural pitch competition. Long Live Lodging examines what it took for the three women who comprise the team called Datcher to win the top prize of $50,000 in equity in a fund that would include their $27.4 million project proposed for downtown Detroit. Two additional projects proposed during the competition were selected to benefit from She Has a Deal’s first investment fund. Datcher’s winning formula as well as the other project proposals can be emulated as hotel developers and investors search for ways to fund upcoming projects that reduce investors’ risk while delivering a healthy return as the lodging industry navigates its way through the business downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.