The ever-popular Round Tables staged by Sleep + Eat in association with Benjamin West will be returning this year to give visitors to the show a rare opportunity to talk with leaders influencing the hospitality industry today.

This year’s table hosts will be Florian Kollenz, 25 Hours Hotels’ Chief Development Officer; Max Rodman, Real Estate and Venture Investor at Round Hill Capital; Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts’ Director of Development Samantha Sugarman; Felicity Black-Roberts, Vice President of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts; Elena Sainz de la Peña, Business Development Manager, CBRE Spain; YAYS Concierged Boutique Apartments’ CEO Peter Heule; and SUSD’s Director Harry Harris; and Philip Camble, director of White Bridge Hospitality.

Moderated by Daniel Englender – Managing Director of Benjamin West – the Development Roundtables will take place at 17:00 on 20th November in the Sleep conference Theatre, National Hall London Olympia.

“It’s my pleasure to host the Sleep + Eat Roundtable event for the 8th consecutive year,” – says Daniel, a regular speaker at investor and design conferences, and a lecturer at two London schools and the Ecole Hôtelière in Lausanne. “I’m delighted to say that yet again, we’ve brought together a stellar group of hotel investors, developers and operators, each of whom will be hosting a table of conference visitors for a vibrant series of 10-minute, open-house discussions on any aspect of the hospitality industry that our visitors care to discuss. This is where conference attendees have the opportunity to grill the leaders in our industry and they can expect some surprisingly frank and honest responses.”

Ahead of the Sleep + Eat 2018, two Roundtables hosts – Harry Harris (SUSD) and Philip Camble (White Bridge Hospitality) – have shared their insights on the state of the industry.

What three factors do you think will most determine your success next year?
PC: Political stability, debt funding and opportunities. Political stability is critical to the family office investors we work with. Debt funding is key to leveraging attractive ROIs for our clients and without it deals won’t happen. Opportunities which give strong ROIs in good locations are not common and sourcing such deals take a considerable time and effort. If these three elements can come together simultaneously in 2019, we will have a good year.
HH: For us, the big one will be an ongoing appetite for co-living and co-working spaces, for both economic and social reasons. The commencement on site of our Grotto hotel scheme will, I hope, enable us to further influence this new market.

Left to right: Philip Camble, Harry Harris

How important are brands to hotel guests?
HH: We are not involved with the major hotel brands, most of our work has been bespoke one-off projects. But the subscription economy is converging with the shared economy and the major brands are influencing the market by giving service and consistency to users and learning how to provide a much more personalised service.
PC: Guests draw comfort from branding in unknown destinations, but in more mature destinations, such as London, an independent property can often attract a strong following that consumers like to be associated with. It depends on the location and the target customer. Few resort hotels are branded, especially in the Mediterranean, as brands have struggled to deliver value for owners in the face of dominant Tour Operators who in turn have the direct relationship with the client.

How important is the balance of Recognisable and New in the hospitality projects you deliver?
PC: We like both and are brand agnostic. We will be guided by the market, the destination, the site and the concept.
HH: We lead on creating new members clubs, which embraces the subscription economy, but it is actually a very old economic model. New communities are demanding greater individuality whilst at the same time wanting more shared experiences. A member’s club delivers recognition to its members, and a community for them to be part of.

What’s the role of the restaurant and bar offering in the hotel industry today?
PC: Depends on the location and the hotel concept. Within the budget segment it is not vital. Within an urban setting they can add value but are not essential. Within a resort they are critical. For example, on a recent visit to Sicily where the food at the hotel was appalling and we ate out every day and left with a bad memory of the entire hotel experience.

The Round Tables are part of the two-day, free to attend Sleep conference, highlights of which will include:
Andrew Zobler, founder and CEO of the Sydell Group, the company responsible for such developments as The Ned (London) and NoMad (New York and Los Angeles) who will open the conference
Muza Lab’s co-founders Inge Moore and Nathan Hutchins will share their thoughts on how luxury interiors need to become less serious and more engaging
Jamie Chappell of Howarth HTL who will moderate a panel in his inimitable way, unpicking the experience and knowledge of owners and investors involved in the business of hotel turnaround
Dr Alanna Hare who will deliver a keynote on the importance of sleep to wellbeing.

Sleep + Eat will be open from 10am-8.30pm on Tuesday 20th November and from 10am-6pm on Wednesday 21st November. For more information and to register for a complimentary pass, please visit www.sleepandeatevent.com.