News and Views

In an article for Hotel Report magazine in January 2010, Melvin Gold considered how the hotel industry, and its constituent companies, may grow in the future. This is in the context of the industry's financial restructuring in recent years, and the economic recession in the World's major economies. (In this article I used analagies with an earthquake - the article was written long before the tragic earthquake in Haiti and my thoughts and sympathies are with Haiti and its people in the light of this terrible event). Click here to view the article.

The question facing hoteliers is whether the price war is stimulating new demand. Melvin Gold, a consultant, doubts it. “The problem is that discounting moves demand around the market,” he said. “Does it create any new demand? Probably a little bit, but not enough to make a huge difference.” Melvin Gold, quoted in an article by Matthew Goodman in The Sunday Times. Click here for full article.

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 2008 he was once again present in Berlin. In addition 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. He also participated at the Euromoney 8th Annual European Hotel Finance and Investment Summit where he moderated and participated in a panel entitled "Been there, seen it and lived to tell the story – strategies to deal with a downturn". In 2009 he was once again in Berlin and a host of industry events including presentations on hotel industry issues for banks and industry bodies.

In March 2010 Melvin will be attending the Berlin Hotel Conference once again and will be moderating a panel session entitled "How is brand profitability being adapted to cope with the downturn and keep owners happy?". Here's a link to the website for the Berlin Hotel Conference.

Opinions

Melvin has written Opinion articles and provided various comments 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).

Anyone who says they are not discounting is missing one word - yet! said Melvin Gold at a Caterer Roundtable debate in April 2009. Click here to view the video.

To discount or not to discount? - 8 February 2009 (The consultant's view)

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)

For previous articles, click here