BTN Expert Q&A

Omni Hotels & Resorts in the past year grew its portfolio by record levels, boosted largely by last summer's acquisition of five resorts from KSL Capital Partners, the 2013 acquisition of a historic Toronto hotel and the completed construction of a convention hotel in Nashville. Omni vice president of sales Tom Faust spoke... Keep Reading

Hong Kong – Luxury hotel company Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is expanding rapidly in China, with more than a dozen hotels expected to open within the next few years. It also is gaining ground outside of the Asia/Pacific region, with properties under development in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Marina Kleiman,... Keep Reading

Corporate housing supplier Oakwood Worldwide in recent years has expanded its global footprint not only through the growth of its own brand but also through its 2012 acquisition of Marriott International's ExecuStay brand. Oakwood president Ric Villarreal spoke recently with Business Travel News lodging editor Michael B.... Keep Reading

The complexities of global air contracting in the past few years have mounted with the rise of international airline joint ventures, the entrenchment of global alliances and changing carrier perceptions about the true value of marketshare-based deals. Four Europe-based buyers in October at the Association of Corporate Travel... Keep Reading

Los Angeles - Two years into his position, Loews Hotels president and CEO Paul Whetsell is ready for what he calls a "stabilizing" year. During that time, the upper upscale hotel company has invested about $250 million in renovations and technology upgrades across its portfolio and added locations in a few U.S. gateway... Keep Reading

Turkish Airlines is one of the world's fastest-growing carriers. Passenger numbers in January were up 24 percent compared with the same month in 2013, and the fleet has expanded to 233 from 65 aircraft in 2003, with enough on order to double in size again. Meanwhile, European travel managers report increasing corporate... Keep Reading

With a U.S. footprint that includes Chicago, Fort Myers, Los Angeles Miami and New York JFK, Airberlin this year will increase frequencies to the United States from its hubs in Berlin and Düsseldorf and also is set to debut in the coming months a lie-flat business-class product. A member of Oneworld, Airberlin counts as a... Keep Reading

Los Angeles – As Choice Hotels International continues to expand its upscale footprint through growth of its Cambria Suites brand and the Ascend Collection, travel buyers are taking sharper notice of the largely midprice hotelier when it comes to creating preferred hotel programs, according to president and CEO Stephen Joyce.... Keep Reading

Los Angeles - In the managed travel space, the economy hotel segment gets much less attention than midprice and upscale tiers. That certainly was true of Motel 6 less than a decade ago, but in more recent years the chain has made measurable strides in attracting corporate business on the national level. Motel 6/Studio 6 CEO... Keep Reading

Having served as chairman and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since Jan. 1, 2011, Christoph Franz in May will leave the company to become chairman of Swiss healthcare firm Roche, where he is a board member. Lufthansa this month appointed Carsten Spohr to succeed Franz, effective May 1. Franz recently spoke with The BTN Group... Keep Reading