Checking In - West April 2010

March 18, 2010

Tyler Davidson

That’s the question many planners are asking when considering the bargain-basement price tag attached to meetings at luxury properties these days.

If you’re not planning for a company under the thumb of government bailout funds or otherwise constrained because of a fear—one based in reality—of placing your high-profile organization on the perception hot seat, the economic tides are running in your favor, but maybe not for long.

The highest-performing hotel segment just a few years ago, the luxury tier is making a strong comeback, according to statistics from hospitality industry firm Smith Travel Research (STR), which said luxury will fare better than any other segment in terms of occupancy in 2010. STR also noted that the luxury hotel segment has recently experienced several months of growth, in the 5 percent to 8 percent range.

All this means that the window of opportunity is closing for tapping this rarefied tier before prices once again reflect the supply and demand situation. Low room rates? Value-adds? Book it now before it goes away.

Check out Maria Lenhart’s cover story, to see where the luxury hotels bargains are, and start working on those talking points to give your group a well-earned taste of the good life.

About the author

Tyler Davidson is the vice president and chief content director for Meetings Today, which publishes the meetings industry trade magazine Meetings Today as well as MeetingsToday.com, various newsletters, webinars, the in-person Meetings Today LIVE! Hosted-buyer events and other meetings and events industry B2B channels.

Tyler has covered the travel trade for nearly 35 years. In his role with Meetings Today, which recently won the prestigious FOLIO: Eddies Award for best magazine issue, Tyler leads the editorial team on its mission to provide the most in-depth meetings content in the industry. Previously, he worked as the Asia, Canada, Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. editor at Travel Weekly magazine and TravelAge West. Before joining the dual editorial staff producing destination sections for Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, Tyler was the Africa, Israel, Middle East, Switzerland and Pacific Northwest editor at TravelAge West. He also undertook general news and feature assignments while working at the magazines.

Besides reporting on the travel trade, Tyler has covered the real estate industry, held various editorial positions at the San Francisco-based national satire magazine The Nose, wrote freelance technology industry pieces and covered the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders for a bilingual newspaper in San Francisco. He has a B.A. in Journalism from San Francisco State University, where he worked in various editorial capacities on its award-winning student magazine, Prism.

Contact: tyler.davidson@meetingstoday.com