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Global Visions, Local Touches - Genna Panagopoulos - Defining Hospitality
Description
This week, Dan Ryan sits down with Genna Panagopoulos, Vice President of Development at Minor Hotels, to make the case that the most exciting real estate play in hospitality right now isn't in Asia or Europe, it's right here in America. A restaurant kid from Detroit who fell in love with hotels, Genna is the one handed the keys to a 640 property global giant's entire North American future, armed with 12 brands, a freshly built franchise model, and a philosophy that deals only work when everyone at the table wins. One NH Collection in Manhattan down. Twenty four more to go.
About the Guest:
Genna Panagopoulos, VP of Development at Minor Hotels, a Greek American, raised in the restaurant business by an immigrant father who treated every customer like family, who somehow ended up being the person responsible for introducing one of the world's largest hotel companies to the United States. With over 15 years spanning hotel investment, brand strategy, and development at the likes of Davidson Hotels and IHG, Genna isn't just opening doors in new markets. She's the one deciding which doors are worth knocking on in the first place.
Chapters:
00:35 Meet Genna Panagopoulos
02:10 Greek Roots and Philoxenia
05:43 From Restaurants to Hotels
07:03 Minor Brands and Luxury Resorts
09:50 US Growth Model and Deal Flexibility
12:02 Target Markets and Investor Mindset
15:13 Financing and Conversion Strategy
20:12 Service Culture and Scaling Luxury
27:26 Uniqueness Over Scale
28:50 Early Growth Bottlenecks
29:30 Portfolio Deals and Marketing
30:30 New Brand or Collections
32:11 Lessons From US Expansion
34:10 Where Deals Are Happening
36:09 Choosing the Right Partners
38:58 Deal Terms and Key Money
42:48 Future Vision and Wrap Up
Quote of the Show:
“We're not here to make money right now. We're here to plant our flags and build brand awareness." - Genna Panagopoulos
Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.
Minor Hotels is introducing the legendary Anantara and Wolseley brands to North America: learn more about the company's strategy and ambitions!!
Links:
- Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
- Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- Genna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genna-panagopoulos-726a7525/
- Minor Hotels Website: https://www.minorhotels.com/en
- Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/
🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/
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