stuart pallister
INTERVIEW: Hotel Investment Trends in Europe
Stuart Pallister | February 22, 2019
By Stuart Pallister If you're thinking of investing in the hotel sector in Europe where should you be looking to put your money? Patrik Hug, Senior Consultant, Advisory & Valuation Services at Christie & Co based in Munich, Germany, says much depends on how risk averse the potential investor is. Hug, an EHL graduate, says that four out of five investors in hotel real estate are not passionate about hotels. "It's about cash flows, yields, and the return on investment. Of course, they like dealing with hotels, but it could be a parking lot as well. In the end, as long as the return is correct, that's all that counts. So it really ...
Artificial Intelligence: Hospitality, and That Human Touch
Stuart Pallister | February 13, 2019
By Stuart Pallister Artificial intelligence is undoubtedly going to have an impact on the hotel industry as the bots – robots and chatbots – play a greater role. Julia Aymonier, CIO of EHL, says yes, some jobs will change, particularly those related to repetitive tasks. "The biggest challenge," she told Hospitality Insights in an interview, "will be to train people for jobs that are created by artificial intelligence." Robot-concierge? "There will be jobs, and if we don't train people, we won't have the staff we need to do these new jobs." We're unlikely to see robot concierges in four- and five-star hotels, as you can't hav...
Luxury Hospitality and the Risk of Obsolescence
Stuart Pallister | February 4, 2019
By Stuart Pallister Luxury hospitality is at risk of becoming obsolete, according to PwC Global industry leader for hospitality and tourism, Nicolas Mayer. That's because it no longer fulfills the 'needs and desires' of clients that they couldn't get elsewhere. Mayer told EHL students recently in classroom sessions that, in decades gone by, luxury had involved 'standard expectations' about security, beautiful surroundings and service levels that guests were willing to pay for. Whereas now, this brand promise and standardization, this consistency promise, doesn't need to be obtained from a luxury operator anymore. You can get it online a...
The Value of Teamwork in Service
Stuart Pallister | October 31, 2018
By Stuart Pallister How does one of the top restaurants in the world approach teamwork in service? Two EHL lecturers have just spent several days at Alain Ducasse's restaurant at the Plaza Athénée in Paris and came away with a number of insights which they will now pass on to their students, as they seek to make sure the education they provide is up-to-date and aligned with the latest trends in the industry. The two faculty members spoke to Hospitality Insights about their key takeaways. Eric Iunker and Lionel Sauvère who teach on EHL's practical arts (or AP program) have a challenge. How can they make sure what the...
The Future of Private Equity and Private Markets
Stuart Pallister | October 9, 2018
By Stuart Pallister Ecole hôteliere de Lausanne, a leading hospitality school, recently staged the 2nd annual private markets research conference. Private equity was a major focus this year particularly as the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund had recently decided against investing in this area. Private equity, or unlisted equity investment, has had an impact on a wide range of industries, including hospitality. A few years ago, Blackstone's $26 billion Hilton deal was hailed as the best leveraged buyout ever. According to a Bloomberg View columnist, the most profitable equity deal in history was 'badly timed but brilliantly execute...
Content Marketing Strategy in Hospitality: Choice Hotels Europe
Stuart Pallister | October 3, 2018
By Stuart Pallister In this article on the brand as publisher, we focus on Choice Hotels which has launched a travel portal to drive traffic to its booking site and collect customer data. Tess Mattisson, director of marketing for the European division of Choice Hotels International, spoke recently to EHL students about why she decided to launch the site and the benefits it has brought. When Tess Mattisson joined Choice Hotels in January 2016, the European division was languishing. With some 7,000 hotels globally, the US is the group's biggest market and that was the main focus of its marketing spend. Mattisson's goal was to put 'heads i...
The Future of Work: Look on the Bright Side?
Stuart Pallister | October 2, 2018
By Stuart Pallister Whenever you hear a news item about artificial intelligence and robots, which are now gaining a foothold in the hospitality industry and other sectors, the message is usually this: jobs are going to disappear, with perhaps millions of people facing long-term unemployment. In the view of futurist and 'recovering journalist,' Gary A. Bolles however, we shouldn't just focus on the negatives. We should look at these developments as an opportunity. Problem solving "Robots and software don't take jobs, they take tasks," he told Hospitality Insights following a keynote address to EHL's international advisory board. For huma...
The Future of Food: Transparency and Traceability Are Key
Stuart Pallister | September 17, 2018
By Stuart Pallister What are the main trends facing restaurateurs and the food industry currently, and where is gastronomy heading? Those are some of the questions posed during a panel session at the recent Window 2 the Future conference staged by Lausanne Hospitality Consulting at Ecole hôteliere de Lausanne. The quality of produce remains ever-important but transparency – and traceability – is critical for consumers. "People want to know what they eat, where it comes from, how it was made. And with what ethics it was made," said panelist Peter Rebeiz, Chairman and CEO of Caviar House & Prunier. I think today we'...
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