News and Views

The flight to brands. Why brands, especially budget brands, may prevail in any industry downturn. A City View article written for H - The Hotel Magazine. September 2008.

Buoyant hotel sector attracts investors. A viewpoint article written for Travel Trade Gazette (27 October 2006) discussing the current investment trends in the hotel sector. Click to view the article on TTG's website (you may need to register which is free, and easy).

"The budget hotel market has much greater maturity to it now. It has undergone extremely rapid growth and is no longer the new kid on the block. But it is still growing." says Melvin Gold in a feature article on budget hotel on www.CatererSearch.com website. (June 2006).

Melvin is the Chairman of the editorial committee of the Institute of Hospitality's Hospitality magazine. In the first issue he wrote an article for the Devil's Advocate column presenting a contrary view of a popular trend. The article focuses on some of the potential downsides of the current trend in the hotel sector to separate the asset ownership from management. Click here to read the article. (Spring 2006). Click here for the Hospitality magazine website.

"The boutique sector has set the challenge for the mainstream hotel sector. It has become almost unacceptable now to walk into a hotel and find it covered in 1970s chintz." So says Melvin Gold in a boutique hotels snapshot article on www.CatererSearch.com website (May 2005)

Gold Standard (Hospitality magazine, June 2004) (Copyright: Excel Publishing)

Conferences

Melvin is present at many of the major European hotel industry conferences and events including the annual Berlin Hotel Conference. In 2007 he was among the panellists at the Tourism Society's 'Prospects for 2007' event which was held on 11 January 2007 and moderated the Breakout Panel on the subject of 'Future In-Room Technology' at the 10th International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin from 5-7 March 2007. He also moderated the Institute of Hospitality's debate entitled 'The Profit Cystal Ball' in November 2007.

In 2008 he was once again present in Berlin. In June 2008 he was a speaker and panellist at the distribution workshop at Terrapinn's World Budget and Economy Hotels Congress. Find out more about the event by clicking here and download Melvin's prepared text by clicking here.

In September 2008 he participated at the Euromoney 8th Annual European Hotel Finance and Investment Summit. Melvin moderated and participated in a panel entitled "Been there, seen it and lived to tell the story – strategies to deal with a downturn".

Opinions

Melvin has written a series of Opinion articles for Caterer and Hotelkeeper on topical hotel industry issues. Links to the most recent articles appear below. Previous articles can be viewed by clicking here. (NB. Copyright of these articles rests with Caterer and Hotelkeeper).

Tomahawk to go fourth and multiply - 7 June 2007 (Ask an Expert article concerning group expansion)

Expanding your Business - 3 May 2007 (Routes for expansion article - things to consider when adding to a property)

What were you thinking of, Mr Brown? - 5 April 2007

Uncertainty is the only safe prediction - 25 January 2007

Make room for real bookings - 21 September 2006

When disaster strikes.... - 31 August 2006

For previous articles, click here