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Hotels and travel define the life passion of Bill Barnett, founder and managing director of hospitality consultancy firm C9 Hotelworks.
Considered one of the foremost experts in the hotel residences sector, Barnett is a globally recognised hospitality, tourism, and real estate advisor. He holds over 39 years of experience in the Asia Pacific region, and has an extensive background in hotel operations, development, and asset management.
His career highlights include senior corporate roles at international hotel chains and publicly-listed companies. He has also developed successful residential projects in Thailand and is actively involved in multiple technology start-ups. With these successful ventures, he has written four books on travel, property, and hotels.
Barnett joins the elite panel of judges at the TDM Travel Excellence Awards Thailand 2024, where he discusses the changes in travel preferences and patterns over the years, what strategies are effective in adapting hotel operations and development, and the factors that are going to influence the industry over the next decade.
With nearly four decades of experience in the Asia Pacific region, how have travel preferences and patterns changed over the years, and what trends do you currently see dominating the industry?
At the beginning of my time in Asia, there was a defined lag in keeping up with global trends. This was not a disconnect, it was an emerging market story that is now becoming a mature marketplace. Asian hotel owners now know how to manage their own properties, franchising is now becoming commonplace as it is in North America and Europe. At the same time, once cheap labour costs are soaring and the East is not coming more into line with the West.
Certainly from a hotelier’s perspective, the build up of hospitality in Asia has seen many of the best hotels in the world come up from an owner’s dream to reality and the perspective I have learned is that anything is possible.
As founder and managing director of C9 Hotelworks, what strategies have proven most effective in adapting hotel operations and development to meet evolving traveller expectations?
As independent advisors to many hotel owners and projects, our intention is to add value, and create sustainable products and strategies. One thing that stands out in our work is the ethic about saying ‘no’ and telling a developer the project will not work and standing by this. Call it ‘tough love,’ but it is what you have to do. Another goal we work to is helping developers with extraordinary ideas and creating amazing hotels. Our calling is ‘be the black sheep,’ be brave and innovate whilst questioning everything in the process that has gone before.
You have written extensively about the travel and hospitality sectors. How do your books reflect the changes in the industry, and what key insights do you hope your readers take away?
Tourism, hotels and real estate remain cyclical affairs; nothing moves in straight lines; and; appreciating the journey that will come, or in other words, please fasten your seatbelts.
What major trends and challenges do you anticipate will influence the future of the hospitality and travel industries in the Asia Pacific over the next decade? How should businesses prepare for these shifts?
People matter. Globally and also in Asia, we see a tremendous flight from those looking for hospitality careers. They are deemed to be too hard work, long hours, and crowd your lifestyle.
Hospitality is a human endeavour and the industry is slow to engage, and inspire — it is the biggest challenge ahead. Many of the best things that have happened in my life have come from the hotel business. I am grateful and understand the need to ‘pay it forward’ to the industry and inspire the ones who will come next.
As a judge at the TDM Travel Excellence Awards 2024, what innovative aspects of travel and hospitality are you particularly interested in when evaluating the nominees?
Disruptors. The brave, the bold, and the ones who want to change the norm. These are my heroes, and it is those who want to be the black sheep and dare to separate from the crowd.
