Preferred Hotels & Resorts 2
Of course there was a lot of industry information at the 20th Global Conference of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, 12-14 May in Charleston SC.
STR’s Jan Freitag gave his usual wry industry update. Best Average Daily Rate globally is St Barth’s, at $3,330 – fastest growth is Seychelles, $871. In the USA. New York tops at $583, with San Francisco, back thanks to tech’s return, seeing $438. There’s increasing competition from luxury cruises (boutique sea-cationing).
Here we all were, talking about the world in a destination that seems to do everything right. Streets and pavements are clean, shops are open – there was a busy and helpful Apple Store only four blocks along King Street from host hotel Charleston Place.
Yes, the city charmed everyone. Preferred President/CEO Lindsey Ueberroth, above right, dressed in Charleston blue, as did her colleague Stephanie Dowling, a one-time hotel owner who heads Preferred’s global communications. Check in for the conference, by the way, and there were gifts for all – choose a cooking skillet, a rush basket, gold earrings or a bow tie, with the compliments of the makers, all in Charleston. We had gorgeously enjoyable Low Country foods, from shrimp and corn in broth through to pecan-heavy hummingbird cake, and we learned to address everyone as ‘cousin’.
One of the event’s main sessions featured a group of locals, moderated by the charismatic President/CEO of the city’s convention and visitors bureau, Helen Hill. She was talking with the head of Charleston Museum (founded in 1773 it claims to be America’s first museum). Another of her panellists was hotelier and restaurateur Steve Palmer, founder of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, who after the opiate death of a friend started Ben’s Friends support, which has now gone global.
The sessions included, separately, two extremely impressive and articulate young female influencers. Chloe Popescu, in a tea-rose pink embroidered frock and coordinating daffodil cardi, heads marketing for Oscar de la Renta. Sophie Morgan, who wheeled herself onstage in a black jacket over light khaki jeggings, is writer and advocate for disability travel – she was paralysed after a road crash at 18 (she argued for better information, enhanced staff training and more welcoming an approach.
Seven rising stars were honoured in one main session, and variously throughout the event. As well as the prestige, and value on their CVs, the seven will have a week’s residency in France, courtesy Forbes Travel Guide…. (below, Forbes Travel Guide’s Chris Fradin flanked by Bob Van Ness and Casey Ueberroth).
