Dear Round Up Readers,

The warmth and generosity of the hospitality industry was on display Friday night in London at Hospitality Action’s  "Back to the Floor" event, where over 600 people gathered for a dinner and live auction that raised nearly £260,000 (that’s $328,588)! The charity organization was established in 1837 and provides grants and vital assistance to all who work, or have worked within hospitality here in the UK. One of the bigger fundraising events, GMs, Owners and other execs go "Back to the Floor" and wait tables for guests. Thank you to Brenda Collin, EVP, Preferred Hotels and Resorts, for hosting us!

It was amazing to see quite a few herteliers serving!  In the top image L to R: Anne Golden, VP, Pan Pacific, Lorraine Jarvey, GM, Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Brenda Collin, EVP, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Emily Goldfischer, hertelier, Kellie Rixon, Chair, Institute of Hospitality, Joanne Taylor-Stagg, GM, The Athenaeum, Rohaise Rose-Bristow, Owner, The Torridon, Bronwyn Groves, Act Clean, Hilary Cooke, St. Julian's Scholars, Kalindi Juneja, CEO, PoB Hotels, and Ciara Crossan, CEO and founder of Wedding Dates.

GETTING EXCITED for our May event in NEW YORK!!! Grateful to Marlene Poynder, MD, The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel and Beam Suntory, who are partnering with us along with NYC Women of Hospitality! We will have a panel discussion centered on women in beverage, celebrating progress and reclaiming the narrative around drinks –– plus an interactive cocktail mixing and wine tasting session! Sounds so interesting and fun, right?!! MARK YOUR CALENDARS for 5:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, May 15th! Tickets go on sale soon! if you would you like to participate as a speaker or sponsor, please email me!

Speaking of events...be sure grab tickets to She Has a Deal Pitch Competition in Washington, DC on April 25-26 and the Black Women of Hospitality Inaugural Brunch on Sunday, June 23rd in Atlanta.

Hot 🔥 tips: great to see hertelier Valerie Ferguson in London! We had a terrific dinner at Arlington, the new hotspot by Jeremy King (famed Le Caprice restauranteur) and went to see Sarah Snook (Shiv from Succession) in the new adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray! Highly recommend!

Now, on to the news of the week...

Business, Women, and Random Trends:
 

• Inspo: The World’s Richest Self-Made Women In 2024 Forbes annual list is out. Only a tiny sliver of the world’s billionaires are women who’ve created their own fortunes. The group is dominated by women from China and the U.S., with 43 Chinese citizens (including 7 from Hong Kong) and 30 Americans.
   

• Women’s Share of Executive Jobs Falls For First Time In Years Dispatch from the ARRRGH! Department: researchers at S&P Global found women’s share of coveted executive roles dropped in 2023 for the first time in nearly two decades, according to a recently published report. Read more in the Washington Post.
   

• How Female CEOs are Caring for Parents in Asia Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com, a tech travel business with $6.2 billion in annual revenue, shared that when she first joined the company almost two decades ago, she had a young baby at home. Today, Trip.com offers employee benefits such as stipends for new parents, taxi rides for pregnant workers, birthday gifts up to $1,400 for children until the age of 5, and egg-freezing—all relatively unusual in China. Read more in Fortune.
   

• The Unstoppables: Sharing the Secrets of a Lifelong Career What does ambition look like at 90? Where does it come from? Some of the most prominent creative people over the age of 75 (Martha Stewart and Giorgio Armani to name a few) describe, in their own words, what continues to motivate them to the New York Times. So inspiring!
   

• The Specific Tasks A Boss Gives Female Employees That Don’t Just Create Burnout — They Mean You’re Exploited Women are often pressured or guilted into doing work above their pay grade because of outdated gender expectations, which bosses often exploit. Interesting post inspired by TikTok complaint reels.
   

• No Time For Friends? Try the ‘Friendship Snack’ The Wall Street Journal advises, friendships can benefit from quick exchanges—if you do them right.

Travel & Hospitality:
 

• Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work: Hospitality Companies Rate! Hilton is ranked #1 for the second year in a row. Followed by: Marriott (#8); IHG (#28); The Breakers (#59); and Hyatt (#73). More to come on the female-led iconic The Breakers in Palm Beach, which is the only independent property to make the list (this is also their second time) Great Place To Work, selects honorees using analytics and confidential feedback from employee surveys. Companies are only considered if they are Great Place To Work Certified™, with 1,000 or more staff in the U.S.
   

• Hilton adds NoMad to Expand 'Luxury Lifestyle' Offerings Hilton bought a controlling interest in NoMad this week (I love the London property!) and plans to add 100 globally. Coupled with their recently announced exclusive partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World and their planned acquisition of the Graduate Hotels brand...it seems safe to say, Hilton is on 🔥
   

• Hyatt’s CEO on the Strategy Behind Selling $2 Billion in Assets Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian sat down with the WSJ for an extended video interview to discuss the hotel company’s “asset-light” strategy and what this means for Hyatt’s future.
   

• 'Quiet luxury' Was Once All About Fashion — Now It Describes How the Top 1% Travel, Too CNBC shares examples of million dollar + vacations, remote locations....including space. An eye-opening read, yet feels slightly OTT and overblown...agree?
   

• The Hottest Restaurant in France Is an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Les Grands Buffets features a seven-tiered lobster tower, a chocolate fountain, and only what it considers "traditional French food" (yet brownies made it!?!). Gourmands are willing to wait months for a table, but you can dig in now with the fun review in The New Yorker! Fun to see buffets making a comeback post COVID-19.

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. 
 

• How My Career Led Me to a Family: Spa Director Leesa Jones, The Tryall Club, Jamaica Starting in spas, she flew to the sky with Virgin Atlantic, then to Necker Island, where she met her husband. Read about Leesa Jones's adventure!
   

• Dealing With a Multi-Gen Workforce, AI, Gig Workers + 6 Other Key Trends You Need to Know From the HSMAI 3rd Annual State of Talent Report It's no secret that finding and retaining talent is a challenge. Dorothy Dowling explains the 9 key trends she found and you need to know.
   

• Is "The Case For Marrying an Older Man" a Marketing Plan for Women Columnist Nancy Mendelson unpacks the viral essay "The Case for Marrying an Older Man" –– you need to read this!

Podcasts & Videos to Download!

• Creative Crossroads! hertelier's own Nancy Mendelson on this cool new podcast. The topic: How to Master Authentic Brand-Building. CHECK IT OUT NOW!! She speaks about alignment versus consensus in corporate brand building. Great listen!
   

• Sarah Jessica Parker Follows Hotel Workers Home to Find the Best Local Restaurants...and other travel and food tips from the Sex and the City/ And Just Like That star (who is also starring in Plaza Suite in London) on the Ruthie's Table podcast hosted by Ruthie Rogers, owner of London's iconic River Cafe.
   

• Why Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt Don’t Own Nearly 99% of Their Hotels Two-thirds of U.S. hotels carry the name of a major brand. But companies like Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt don’t own or even run most of the properties. Here’s what’s behind that strategy and what it means for consumers. Great video on WSJ.com.

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Thank you for reading!

Em