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Wynn Resorts named highest-scoring hotel company in the world

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Wynn Resorts announces that it has earned the distinction of being the highest-scoring hotel company in the world as rated by Forbes Travel Guide, outranking all other luxury hotel brands the company rates, representing a total of 1,105 hotels in 58 countries. Wynn Resorts exceeded each and every other luxury hotel brand including The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, The Peninsula Hotels, and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, among others.

“Wynn Resorts is the highest-scoring brand out of all prestigious hotel companies featured in Forbes Travel Guide’s 2019 Star Ratings,” said Amanda Frasier, Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice President of Standards and Ratings. “This accomplishment represents an unwavering commitment to excellence, as Forbes Travel Guide rates the most exceptional hotels in the world.”

Each resort in Wynn Resorts’ global portfolio was rated individually and their combined scores contributed to the top distinction. Resorts include Wynn Las Vegas, Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Tower Suites, Encore Tower Suites, Wynn Macau, Encore Macau, and Wynn Palace.

“Wynn Resorts is the highest-scoring hotel company in the world for one reason and one reason only – we have the most dedicated and talented employees,” said Matt Maddox, CEO of Wynn Resorts. “Our teams in Cotai, Macau, Las Vegas and Boston are second to none, and I am grateful to work alongside them. Remarkable people yield remarkable results.”

Forbes Travel Guide’s stringent and anonymous rating evaluations are based on more than 500 objective standards, with an emphasis on exceptional service.

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US Travel: Pulling CBP staff to US-Mexico border can hurt legitimate international travel

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U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Barnes issued the following statement on Customs and Border Protection’s announcement that it will reassign agents from airports and other entry points to the U.S.-Mexico border:

“The administration rightly points out the importance of security, but we believe security priorities and economic priorities go hand in hand.

“In pursuing its objectives on the southern border, we urge the administration to keep other entry points appropriately staffed and effectively secured. Aside from concerns about migration and border security, it is an immutable fact: travel is trade, and the U.S. economy and jobs base enjoy many billions of dollars in beneficial impact from legitimate international business and leisure visitors to the United States.

“Immigration and visitation are two separate points on the policy spectrum, each important in its own right. The American travel community stands ready to work with the administration to advance policies that are beneficial to both security and prosperity.”

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United Airlines Chief Digital Officer named one of 2019 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology

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Today, United Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, Linda Jojo, was recognized by the National Diversity Council as one of the 2019 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology. This prestigious list recognizes women who are shaping the future of technology with their insight and leadership. Jojo is the only airline executive to receive this award.

Since joining United in 2014, Jojo has played a critical role in differentiating the company’s operations and customer experience by using innovative data analytics, digital products and e-commerce. Under her leadership, United has issued over 60,000 mobile devices to its pilots, flight attendants, gate agents and technicians to increase mobility and arm employees with real-time data in order to provide more personal and caring service to its customers while improving the airline’s operation. Her team has also recently redesigned united.com and released a new, upgraded mobile app to provide intuitive assistance along every step of their journey. These enhancements have maintained United’s status as the number one downloaded app in the industry and delivered accelerative revenue growth through digital channels.

“The entire United family is incredibly proud of Linda for being recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology,” said United’s Chief Executive Officer, Oscar Munoz. “This award is a true testament to her outstanding leadership abilities and the impact she is making not only at United, but across the corporate landscape. She has accomplished a lot in her time at United, and I look forward to all she and her team will do in the future as our airline continues to grow and excel.”

Jojo was selected for the 2019 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology Award based on the following criteria:

• Top leader in her organization and profession
• Directly contributes to business growth or strategic direction of the organization
• Effective role model who inspires other women and is active in mentoring
• Operates with the highest integrity and ethical behavior
• Demonstrates a commitment to corporate citizenship

In addition to her work at United, Jojo is passionate about preparing young people for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). She is vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, an organization with a mission to connect young people to STEM fields through exploration of space and the stars. She is also a member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute board of trustees. Jojo holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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Marriott International opens its 7,000th property

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Marriott International, Inc. today celebrated the opening of its 7,000th property – The St. Regis Hong Kong. The stunning, 27-story luxury hotel, which features butler service, and multiple restaurants, is emblematic of Marriott’s global expansion strategy which disproportionately focuses on the highest lodging tiers as well as fast-growing international markets such as Hong Kong. The company’s first property, the Twin Bridges Marriott, opened in 1957 and was a four-story motor hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

“It’s thrilling to open our 7,000th property, an incredible milestone for a company that began as a nine-stool root beer stand in 1927 and didn’t even open its first hotel until decades later,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International. “I can’t think of a more fitting property to hold the honor than The St. Regis Hong Kong which underscores the benefits of our merger with Starwood, the importance of luxury and the tremendous opportunity in Asia.”

Today, Marriott’s pipeline is growing with an increasing number of legacy-Starwood branded hotels with brands such as St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W.

“Our newest luxury hotel – The St. Regis Hong Kong – is a testament to our well-defined global growth strategy,” said Tony Capuano, Marriott’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer. “By leveraging our industry-leading luxury brands, including those we gained from the Starwood merger, our robust relationships with multi-unit owners and our expertise in identifying strategic opportunities in global gateway markets such as Hong Kong, we are well positioned to expand our global footprint by 25 percent in the next three years.”

The milestone follows Marriott’s announcement in March that it expects to add more than 1,700 additional hotels by the end of 2021, including about 320 hotels in Asia Pacific. According to STR data, Marriott’s overall open hotels and signed pipeline at the end of 2018 totaled a combined 1.69 million rooms, which exceeds that of its next competitor by 36 percent.

Marriott estimates that these 1,700 properties expected to be added by the end of 2021 could provide up to 150,000 jobs around the world. In Asia Pacific alone, the company’s additions in the region over the same time period could provide up to 56,000 jobs.

“As we look at adding an expected 1,700 properties to our system, hiring and retaining talented people has never been more important to our continued success,” said Dr. David Rodriguez, Chief Global Human Resources Officer, Marriott International. “As our footprint grows more global, workers in our hotels – from bartenders to housekeepers – will have ever-growing choices and opportunities as they grow their careers with Marriott International and its franchisees. For over 90 years, we have focused on building a company that puts its people first and this value remains at the forefront as our global growth continues.”

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U.S. Travel applauds introduction of JOLT Act

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Have you heard of the JOLT Act? JOLT stands for Jobs Originated through Launching Travel.

The Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy for the U.S. Travel Association, Tori Barnes  issued a statement on the introduction of the Jobs Originated through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act of 2019:

“International inbound travel is central to America’s job growth: in 2018, international travel spending directly supported 1.2 million American jobs and $33.4 billion in wages. The JOLT Act will do just as its name implies—provide a ‘jolt’ to the American economy and workforce with critical enhancements to inbound travel, including measures to increase both the security and efficiency of the U.S. visa process.

“The Visa Waiver Program—which the bill would re-designate as the Secure Travel Partnership—is one of the most important tools for increasing secure travel to the United States. Renaming the program will more precisely reflect its value as a national security instrument, and other provisions in the legislation will further strengthen the program while facilitating the arrival of qualified international visitors who bolster America’s economy.

“U.S. Travel applauds Representatives Quigley and Rice for recognizing the role that secure, robust international inbound visitation plays in America’s economic and jobs growth, and we are eager to work with Congress to advance this important bill.”

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