Condé Nast Traveler reveals results of its 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards survey, Frank Lloyd Wright’s only realized skyscraper is in trouble, and the countdown to BDNY is on. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
The unknown future of Frank Lloyd Wright’s only skyscraper
Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma; photo by Matt Gush courtesy of Adobe Stock
Bartlesville, Oklahoma—a city with a population of only 37,795—is home to the only realized skyscraper by late architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright. The 19-story Price Tower, completed in 1956, was commissioned by H.C. Price Company, a local oil pipeline and chemical firm. The building was sold to oil company Phillips Petroleum in 1981, it then laid vacant for a number of years shortly after, before being turned into a nonprofit arts center (a 21-key boutique hotel and restaurant was eventually added, too) in 2001. Facing financial hardship, a last-ditch effort to preserve Price Tower was made last year when it was sold to cryptocurrency entrepreneur Cynthia Blanchard, who planned to renovate the structure and turn it into Silicon Ranch, a hub for technology startups enticed by the state’s lower cost of living, reports The New York Times. Things haven’t gone as planned, and now, numerous furniture pieces designed by Wright himself have been—arguably, wrongly—offloaded.
Condé Nast Traveler reveals 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards results
Guestrooms at the Lodge at Bodega Bay were recently revamped by Superette Studio; photo by Katie Newburn
Condé Nast Traveler has named the winners of its 37th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. A total of 575,048 votes were cast to determine the 2024 best hotels, resorts, cruise lines, spas, cities, and more. The Lodge at Bodega Bay in California’s Sonoma County (recently renovated by Providence, Rhode Island firm Superette Studio) claimed the top hotel spot. The Ritz-Carlton, Doha; Hermann Bungalows in Palm Springs; the Thief in Oslo; and the Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto were named in the top five, respectively. For the resorts category, L’Horizon Resort & Spa in Palm Springs took home the top honor, followed by Makanyi Private Game Lodge in South Africa, Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman, Eden Roc Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, and Four Seasons Resorts and Residences Whistler in Canada.
Dockworkers’ strike negatively impacts New York restaurants
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
The recent strike by the dockworkers’ union in New York is significantly impacting the restaurant industry, disrupting the supply chain for essential products, reports Eater. The strike—which, according to The Associated Press, is now suspended until mid-January upon reaching a tentative deal—led to delivery delays, causing establishments to struggle with inventory shortages. “Chefs and restaurateurs are placed in a tricky position, as we can only raise pricing for consumers so much,” says chef Todd Mitgang of Crave Fishbar and Crave Sushi Bar. “The strike will also place gaps in our menu, which can last weeks, and when the items finally become available again, at what cost?” Industry leaders expressed concerns about longterm effects on the local economy, emphasizing the vital role dockworkers play in maintaining the flow of goods. The labor dispute highlights the interconnectedness of sectors within the hospitality industry and underscores the importance of stable supply chains for business success.
New CBRE report shows weakening U.S. hotel industry outlook
Dorchester Collection launched the Lana, Dubai earlier this year; photo courtesy of the Lana, Dubai
The just-released 2024 Global Midyear Hotels Outlook report from CBRE reveals a cautious landscape for the hotel industry, with performance varying greatly between regions. The U.S. is showing signs of softening demand, for instance, while the Middle East is experiencing strong growth, Skift recaps. The U.S. hotel market is projected to see revenue per available room (RevPAR) increase by 1.2 percent for the year; however, this is a decrease from the original 3 percent CBRE forecasted in February. In the Middle East, RevPAR in the UAE rose 30 percent above 2019 levels in the first half of 2024 and Saudi Arabia saw 44 percent growth above pre-pandemic levels in the same timeframe.
Don’t miss these CEU-accredited mainstage sessions at BDNY
The 2023 BDNY Mainstage; photo by PWP Studio
Still need to fulfill your CEU requirement for 2024? This year, the BDNY Mainstage, designed by Brooklyn, New York-based firm Watts & Dray, will host eight accredited sessions featuring insights on topics like wellness and sustainability, neuroaesthetics, the future of F&B, and more—all from visionary industry leaders. Get a sneak peek at four of these standout panels, and don’t forget to register for BDNY before advance rates end on October 10th!
