Hotel Power Panel: Reason (at Last) for Hope

If corporate budgets are the first victim of a recession, it follows that business and personal travel are the second—a reality that drops directly to the bottom line of the lodging industry. But much has happened between the Americas Lodging Industry Summit in San Diego this past January—with its tone reflecting a downturn that had not yet let go—and the NYU Tisch Center Hospitality Conference.

The mood was much more upbeat for that event, which was held this past June at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. That cheerier tone is clearly evident in most of the comments made at Real Estate Forum’s Annual Hotel Power Panel, held in conjunction with the conference.

Clearly, as most of the panelists acknowledged, we are not yet out of the woods, but despite the tentative nature of the recovery to date and the ongoing threat of a double dip, the opportunities are beginning to show themselves—and therein lies reason to hope…

…to read what the experts have to say, visit the digital edition of Real Estate Forum.