The $12 billion next phase of New York’s Hudson Yards, Italian restaurant design evolves, and Skift’s list of the most influential people in the travel industry. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
These are the 30 most powerful people in travel
Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta; photo courtesy of Hilton
Skift has released its Power Rankings—a list of the 30 most influential people in the travel industry compiled by examining individual’s achievements, scrutinizing company financials, and combing through daily news to measure clout—with Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky claiming the first and second spots, respectively. Only three women—Trip.com group CEO Jan Sun (#10), Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin (#16), and STR president Amanda Hite (#22)—made the list. “We’d be remiss to ignore a troubling reality: power in the travel industry remains overwhelmingly white and male,” Skift editor in chief Sarah Kopit writes. “This isn’t something we take lightly, nor is it how we believe things should be. At Skift, we are committed to pushing for a more diverse and inclusive industry—one that better reflects the world it serves.”
Plans for Hudson Yards’ second phase are revealed
Rendering courtesy of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts
Development continues at Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side. Last week, real estate company Related Companies and Wynn Resorts unveiled new information about the neighborhood’s next phase, Hudson Yards West, which will be built atop undeveloped trail yards, reports Archinect. The $12 billion project will include the Wynn New York resort, a 5.6-acre public park dubbed Hudson Green, 1,500 new housing units (including 324 affordable apartments), a public K-8 school, and more. The park will be envisioned by Hollander Design and Sasaki, as part of a masterplan designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). “Finishing the undeveloped yards will not only create 35,000 unionized construction jobs during development, but 5,000 permanent union careers in the resort, which is the economic engine that supports all of these wonderful community benefits, including the affordable housing, public park, and transportation improvements,” says Related Companies president Bruce A. Beal Jr.
Hotel workers end strikes and continue negotiations
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
On Sunday, nearly 10,000 U.S. hotel workers—including housekeepers, front-desk staff, and servers—walked off the job after contract negotiations stalled, according to The New York Times. Strikes took place in Baltimore; Boston; Greenwich, Connecticut; Honolulu and Kauai, Hawaii; San Francisco and San Jose, California; and Seattle. The following day, on the Labor Day holiday, an additional 300 people joined the strike in Baltimore. While most strikes have concluded, labor disputes continue, reports Hotel Dive. Hotel workers are seeking higher wages and the reversal of Covid-era staffing and service cuts now that the hospitality industry has rebounded and room rates are reaching record highs. Hotels impacted by the strikes included Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont, and Marriott properties.
Italian restaurant design gets a maximalist makeover
Bad Roman, a Quality Branded restaurant in New York’s Columbus Circle, features interiors by GRT Architects; photo by Christian Harder
Architectural Digest delves into the traditional look of red-sauce eateries—think nostalgic gallery walls, checkerboard tablecloths, cozy booths—and how they’ve evolved to become the pattern-filled, boldly accented, vibrant F&B destinations we see today. “Broadly speaking, Italian restaurant design has long focused on a limited range of Italy’s vast visual culture for its inspiration, centered around a rustic Tuscan aesthetic,” says Rus Mehta, partner at GRT Architects, the New York firm behind Cucina Alba, Bad Roman, San Sabino, and more. “Our design [at Bad Roman], like the cuisine, does not aim to transport guests to any literal version of Italy but instead works like a capriccio painting: intentionally fantastic, juxtaposing styles, fragments, and motifs to create something new.”
Sneak peek: HD’s September issue drops next week
SIRO One Za’abeel in Dubai; photo by Natelee Cocks
We at Hospitality Design have dedicated our September issue to all things wellness. The new issue, which will hit inboxes Tuesday (subscribe to never miss our digital edition!), showcases 11 concepts elevating wellness across various fields, five leaders who are putting their own spin on the segment, as well as four projects that elevate design while prioritizing wellbeing. One of the projects, SIRO One Za’abeel in Dubai, comes courtesy of developer and operator Kerzner International with interiors by locally based LW Design Group. The inaugural SIRO outpost centers on the five biohacking pillars of fitness, recovery, nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep to take wellness-focused travel to the next level.
