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Going It Alone

NEW YORK CITY-One of the last panels of the NYU Hospitality Conference pondered the relevance, longevity and raison d’etre of independent hotels in the current market.

By Ryan Clark | Updated on June 08, 2011

NEW YORK CITY-Asked to define what independent hotels can be counted upon, with all joking aside, Glenn Colarossi, chief Business Development Officer, WTS International noted, “Intimacy and size.” The panel, “The Branding of Independent Hotels” rounded out the final day of the 33rd Annual New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference held at the Marriott Marquis here. The discussion was moderated by Hotel Management’s executive director Stacy Silver and zeroed in on the benefits and detractions of not linking up with brands. The panel consisted of Colarossi; Dennis McCarty, vice president design and construction – America, Intercontinental Hotel Group; George Scammel, vice president, Global Design, Wyndham Worldwide; Adam Tihany, president, Tihany Design; Christopher Tompkins, corporate vice president, Brand Marketing, B Hotels and Resorts; and Kip Vreeland, vice president, Autograph Collection, Marriot International, Inc.

“Independent hotels can command price,” noted McCarty. “But when the economy goes down, independents cannot compete like brands.” Simply put, they cannot be as flexible with their price in a down market. It can be beneficial to link up with a brand if there is an economic need, since independents are not as buttressed for the low valleys of a down cycle. The panel also pointed to the necessity to expand. At a certain point, to go global, independents will need the reservation access and management capabilities of the bigger brands to manage the jump in scale and saturation.

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