BTN Expert Q&A

Extended Stay America just completed a watershed year in its post-bankruptcy turnaround, with the completion in November of a $565 million initial public offering. Work continues on portfolio-wide investment and renovation to which the brand already credits a significant uptick in rates, revenues and guest satisfaction... Keep Reading

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic on Jan. 1 officially launched a joint venture through which they are sharing revenues, aligning corporate sales, coordinating networks and planning schedules between the United States and United Kingdom. Announced in December 2012 along with Delta's deal to acquire a 49 percent stake in... Keep Reading

An inaugural member of The BTN Group's Business Travel Hall of Fame, Prism Group founder Michael Whitesage long has been at the forefront of travel information and data management. The nine-time member of BTN's annual list of the most influential executives in the business travel industry recently spoke with BTN's David Meyer... Keep Reading

BTN this month inducted Loews Hotels CEO Jonathan Tisch into the Business Travel Hall of Fame, not only for his stewardship of the hotel chain but also, more importantly, for his advocacy for the travel industry. Tisch recently spoke with BTN's David Meyer as part of BTN's Vision: 2020 project about the hotel industry and the... Keep Reading

Las Vegas - Latin America's hotel construction pipeline in 2013 reached its highest level in about five years, and InterContinental Hotels Group is behind only Accor in terms of properties in development in the region, according to a Lodging Econometrics report issued this year. IHG vice president of strategic marketing... Keep Reading

Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts still is most identified by its ultra-luxury Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, but during the past 16 years the hotel company has built and acquired its way to a global portfolio of more than 20 properties. Contrary to the prevailing image of decadence, many of those hotels primarily are business travel... Keep Reading

Marriott International COO Bob McCarthy in February will retire after nearly four decades with the company. McCarthy spoke with Business Travel News lodging editor Michael B. Baker to provide an update on the sales team reorganization that Marriott began several years ago, recent meetings product initiatives, the company's... Keep Reading

Real estate investment trust Ashford Hospitality Trust this quarter is spinning off into new subsidiary Ashford Hospitality Prime eight of its top-performing hotels from its 122-property portfolio. They include the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.; downtown Courtyard properties in San Francisco, Seattle and Philadelphia;... Keep Reading

Industry veteran George Odom in July returned to Advito, the consulting arm of BCD Travel, to fill the newly created position of vice president of integrated travel and meetings. His 35-year career in travel sourcing and meetings management included a long tenure at Eli Lilly and Co., and, more recently, a stint as manager of... Keep Reading

Lisa Potts, the Trump Hotel Collection's new senior vice president of sales and marketing, spoke recently with BTN lodging editor Michael B. Baker about corporate and group demand, upcoming openings and her new role.... Keep Reading