NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Even with U.S. hotels performing above expectations, Kerry Mack, chief revenue officer at Highgate Hotels, said the dip in international inbound demand has taken its toll.
"Outside of World Cup, the international pullback is a little tough in markets that are heavily reliant" on international travelers, she said in an interview at the recent Hotel Data Conference. "We're hoping that all of the good press and the good news and the excitement of all of the international travelers during World Cup spurs people to book their next trip."
Some of Highgate's hotel markets — such San Francisco and New York — are outperforming and the group bookings are strong even outside of the World Cup, but there's still a need for the return of international travelers.
"We still need the international back. They stay longer. They book further in advance. They spend more in the outlets. We need that segment back to where it was," she said.
Highgate Hotels, which manages more than 450 branded and independent hotels, spun off a tech-focused company over 15 years ago. Mack said this has allowed Highgate to find the right technology that works for the company and its properties. That's more valuable now than ever as artificial intelligence use increases.
"We are very big on trying everything, and I think in this sort of new AI world, you don't know exactly what is going to be the winning technology for a hotel specifically," she said. "You don't know which of the vendors are going to really come up on top for AI search discoverability and how to get your hotel and your brand out there. So we are constantly testing and trying and evaluating, and not everything is the right fit for every hotel."
For more from Highgate's Kerry Mack, watch the video embedded above or listen to the podcast below.