The brand is sold, the #tech is integrated, and a new star is rising… 🏨✨
If you’re wondering what #HotelOperations will actually look like in the next few years, Lennert De Jong is already there, blueprint in hand. 🫡
In the latest SMACK episode, Florian sits down with the CEO of Another Star (and ex-citizenM hotels legend) to unpack one of the most talked-about moves in #hospitality lately: CitizenM selling the brand to Marriott International. Yep. That one. 🤝⚡️
They get into how Lennert and his team pulled off a record-speed #TechIntegration in four months (casual) and why the so-called “death of loyalty” is wildly exaggerated in the age of AI. 🙂↔️
What’s on the table:
🏷️ The #Marriott move: why selling the brand but keeping operations was the smartest scale play in the room
🚀 Another Star is born: how CitizenM turned into a white-label operator with serious firepower
🤖 AI & distribution: why AI agents might actually help hotels claw back direct bookings from the OTAs
💳 Loyalty, upgraded: why Marriott Bonvoy is still a cheat code for conquering the world’s biggest cities
🎧 Hit play on all platforms and check out how Lennert and his team decided to flip the game once again 👉 https://lnkd.in/d8Qa-f2E
Think big hotel chains are dinosaurs?
This episode might ruin that narrative. 🦖💨
Enjoy the show!
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Tech & Transformation: SMACK Hospitality ⚡️
#SMACKHospitality #Podcast #CitizenM #anotherstar #HospitalityTech #HotelInnovation