How’s 2024 going for you so far, Round-Up Readers?

For me, it’s been a slow wade back into reality––jet lag perhaps? And, while I haven't set resolutions this year, I'm trying to build some new habits––journaling (no, I don't already keep a journal) and less doom scrolling/phone time. Loved this list of 100 tiny changes to transform your life from The Guardian. How about you? Any new plans for 2024?

Although I was aiming for a "Dry January" (so far, so good) I love the more moderate idea of "Damp January" instead, which I read about in this brilliant essay by Lora Kelley in The Atlantic. She concludes..."Going 'damp' is a scaled-back resolution, a chiller in-between that goes against the spirit of harsher plans to reset. Damp January is a good match for our current moment; especially since the coronavirus pandemic started, some people have eschewed hustle culture in favor of self-care and being gentle with ourselves." Cheers to that…and to an exciting hertelier event that has come together Friday, January 19th here in London, in partnership with HSMAI Europe and Women in Travel Thrive!

Come for breakfast and a panel discussion with some  awesome female hospitality leaders (see below) at The Athenaeum. I hope you can make it! Click here or on the image for tickets.

On to the rest of the news...

Business, Women, and Random Trends:
 

• The New Rules of Executive Presence A very important read for leaders (and aspiring leaders) in Harvard Business Review which looks at the changing traits of leadership and Executive Presence (EP). EP is typically perceived as consisting of three elements in descending order of importance: gravitas, skillful communication, and the “right” appearance. The author, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, offers new research which shows that new weight is given to inclusiveness and respect for others.
   

• 80% Of Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women Are 50+ (Of Course) Inspiring read in Forbes, "Smart companies are recognising that 50+ women may be their most ambitious, dedicated and hungry talent segment. When organisations flex their old, outdated, linear career maps, designed for single-earner men of another age, they discover a loyal seam of untapped potential..." see below on exciting new data about 50+ women in the UK from Bloomberg.
   

• Top Three Challenges Facing Working Women Today + A Bright Spot Based on the Bloomberg Equality newsletter, which argues that despite a boom of women in the workforce: 1) access to childcare; 2) return to office mandates; and 3) inflexibility remain challenges and major disconnects. Find a summary on LinkedIn. The one bright spot: women over 50 are the fastest growing segment of the workforce in the UK.
   

• Setting New Year’s Intentions in Middle Age "Reframing a 'resolution' as an 'intention' is one way to improve our odds of feeling success in 2024," says Chip Conley, founder of the Modern Elder Academy (and former founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality), in Time. Encouraging us to view "midlife is less of a crisis and more of a chrysalis...with the potential for deep transformation." Concluding with the hopeful, "You’re not just getting older—you’re getting better. Your best years are not behind you. They’re right now."
   

• Being an ‘Authentic’ CEO is a Job in Itself for Women An interesting read in The Conversation about the 'double bind' women face in leadership by being judged on more than mere leadership abilities.

Travel & Hospitality:

• May Is The New July; Norway Is The New Italy: How Extreme Heat is Changing Tourism With 2023 going down as the hottest summer on record, Fast Company makes a compelling argument for how climate change will shift consumer travel patterns.
   

• Secrets of the Michelin Man In addition to restaurants, The Michelin Guide will soon start judging the world’s hotels. Air Mail has a very insightful interview with Gwendal Poullennec, the director of the Michelin Guide, about how they are choosing hotels for the new directory. Noting, "[A hotel] should be a destination in itself and it should provide a real local experience. We won’t be featuring integrated resorts. We advise people to travel and discover cultures. We look for architecture and design, service, value for money. And we insist on authenticity."

  
  

• The 41 Most Anticipated Hotel Openings of 2024 according to Vogue
   

• Can AI transform travel in 2024? From deepfake invites to Insta-generated itineraries, Globetrender's Jenny Southan investigates if virtual assistants can go beyond booking flights, suggesting local experiences, and even offering sophisticated language help? Read more in The Evening Standard.
   

• Meet the Accor Executive Breathing New Life Into Three Luxury Brands — including 60-year-old Sofitel Check out The Points Guy interview with Maud Bailly, who shares what she's been up to since taking the helm as CEO of Sofitel and Sofitel Legend, and MGallery and Emblems — two of the company's soft brands competing in the boutique hotel space.

On hertelier this week:

Big Welcome to Our New Subscribers! The story in Forbes, How Women Are Changing The Hotel Industry, keeps bringing new readers! Super excited to have you here. 
 

• It's OK to Dislike People, REALLY Sometimes it is OK to not like someone. Columnist Nancy Mendelson explains why.
   

• What's Next for Hotel Investment? 4 Takeaways From the JLL Global Hotel Sentiment Survey Wondering what’s happening in the hotel investment space?  We get insights from the JLL Global Hotel Sentiment Survey with Jessica Jahns.
   

• Ally of the Month: Anton Safonov, Aquarius Hospitality Solutions Inspired by his mom, who immigrated from Russia, Anton Safonov, has become a fierce ally for women. Meet our first ally of 2024!

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Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!!

Em