BLLA (Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association) 2nd Annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference SOLD OUT
Opening June 4th at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) Auditorium on Broadway
New York, NY - June 4, 2014 - BLLA announces its Boutique Hotel Investment Conference is SOLD OUT. The interest in the boutique lifestyle sector of hospitality is the highest it's ever been in the history of this sexy sector of the hotel industry.
From Hilton's recent announcement of its new lifestyle brand as well as a boutique affiliation, Curio, similar to Marriott's Autograph Collection, to the dozens of new independent brands such as 21C Museum Hotels, CitizenM and Nobu Hotels, it is apparent that specialist hoteliers are turning the experiential guest experience on its heel to the benefit of travelers worldwide.
The BLLA brings the players all together at the Boutique Hotel Investment Conference opening today in New York City. Included is a debate that pits four small brands versus one large brand, Starwood and its boutique/lifestyle brands W, Luxury Collection, Element and Aloft. Obviously this discussion is heavily weighted with independent brand speakers who will tout the many benefits they experience operating on their own, versus the big chains.
The conference, organized and powered by BLLA, was established to focus squarely on the capital investment and financing side of the boutique lifestyle hotel sector. The program features a keynote from industry icon Horst Schulze, who defined the luxury hotel experience through his long tenure as president of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company (now CEO of Capella Hotels) and on-stage interviews with Ian Schrager, the godfather of boutique and CEO of the Ian Schrager Company, as well as Eric Danziger, the newly named CEO of lifestyle brand Hampshire Hotels and past CEO of the Wyndham Hotel Company.
The conference is a micro-targeted version of other hotel investment conferences and is recognized for its intimacy, allowing attendees to get up close with the industry executives. It is small enough to enable maximum networking opportunities in an extremely focused, targeted and easy to navigate format.
This conference is known for its intimacy allowing attendees to get up close with these industry executives. It is a micro-targeted version of other hotel investment conferences and everyone who attends is there for a very specific reason. It is small enough to give attendees the ability to meet almost everyone there. The program is extremely focused, targeted and easy to navigate.
Traditionally accompanied by an array of gourmet flavors, the attendees are welcomed to the comfortable movie-style seating with large screen viewing of a multitude of audio visual presentations, and conclude with a staple networking cocktail reception. Attendees are invited to connect socially via the new BLLA Conference App, as well as review videos of the panel discussions, after the conference when a password and link are distributed.
BLLA's new conference website, bllaevents.com, provides detailed information on the New York event as well as other upcoming BLLA events and select global conferences in the boutique and lifestyle luxury space.
DIAMOND Sponsors include: Real Hospitality Group, The New York Institute of Technology - School of Hospitality Management, JF Capital Advisors, Richard Sandoval Restaurants, CohnReznick, Greenberg Traurig & Vizergy.
About The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA)
The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) is the first and only alliance association dedicated to uniting the world's independent boutique and lifestyle hotels and small brands. This organization was created to be the unifying voice of this distinctive subset within the hospitality industry. BLLA's goal is to unite the world's collection of independent boutique & lifestyle properties and the suppliers that sustain them, offering them the opportunity to successfully compete on a level playing field with major hotel companies, as well as market themselves to meet the ever-increasing demand from discerning boutique-seeking clients. For more information or to become a member, visit blla.org
Contact:
Frances Kiradjian
Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association
[email protected]
818-883-4363
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
