LHW's 2025 Summit Unites Over 200 Global Hoteliers for Three Days of Insight, Innovation, and Connection in London

Opening the conference, Chris Walker, Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, The Leading Hotels of the World, called on attendees to “think holistically, adopt an integrated strategy, and work cross-functionally and collaboratively” to unlock the full potential of their hotels’ commercial performance.

The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW) brought together more than 200 hoteliers for The Summit 2025, held this year in the heart of London, England. Hosted at The Landmark London, an LHW member hotel celebrated for its timeless grandeur and modern elegance, the immersive three-day event connected commercial leaders across sales, marketing, revenue, and communications to engage in rich dialogue, strategic workshops, and dynamic networking opportunities.

Curated to explore the complete guest journey, from awareness to conversion and long-term loyalty, the program offered a forward-looking lens on the trends and strategies shaping luxury hospitality today. Designed for commercial leaders, The Summit empowered participants to navigate a competitive landscape with renewed clarity and actionable insights to drive room bookings, elevate brand presence and storytelling, and optimize profitability.

On the main stage, LHW’s leadership team presented a dynamic lineup, covering 2025 hotel performance and the 2026 outlook, digital innovations across the portfolio, brand and storytelling initiatives, Leaders Club loyalty enhancements, sales strategies, and the role of AI in hospitality, among other topics.

The agenda also featured a diverse roster of thought leaders and innovators, including: Cindy Novotny, MCA, Robbie Bargh, Gorgeous Group, Spencer Bailey, The Slowdown and editor of LHW’s coffee table book series with Phaidon Monacelli, Rebekka Berger, DayBlink GPO, Leora Novick, Persephone Social, Nadine Choe, The Stanza, Philip Schaetz and Siv Forlie, CUBE, and Rosie Shephard, Luxury Communications Council in a panel conversation with Nina Kong, High Snobiety, Louie Blake, Long Lane and Ndubuisi Uchea, Word on the Curb.

Leading strategic partners—such as American Express, 80 Days, Dayblink GPO, Canary Technologies, Castello 1935, CUBE, Cvent, Hospitality Solutions, Hotelbeds, IDeaS, La Bottega Collective, Lavazza, Mason Rose, Persephone Social, Revinate, Sojern, and Ultimedia—delivered impactful workshops, breakout sessions and support, sharing the latest insights shaping the future of independent luxury hospitality.

Evenings provided immersive cultural moments, showcasing the spirit of London and reinforcing the community within LHW’s hotel membership. Highlights included a traditional red London bus tour, a quintessential British pub experience, a buzzy dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s Heddon Street Kitchen.

On the final night during a dazzling Gala Dinner at Shakespeare’s The Underglobe, LHW proudly introduced the first-ever Leading Impact Awards, honoring the commercial achievements and rising talent across the global collection.

The awards celebrated the people and programs driving creativity, leadership, and innovation within independent luxury hospitality, recognizing those making an impact on the industry’s future.

Best Hotel Social Media Presence:

• Marbella Club Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa

  
  

  For its creativity and consistency across social platforms, Marbella Club delivers a digital voice as warm and welcoming as the resort itself, inviting travelers into the Andalusian lifestyle with content that feels both timeless and fresh, while actively engaging with LHW’s global community.

Best Hotel PR Consumer Campaign:

• Portrait Milano

  
  

  For its standout PR campaign that turned its historic piazza in summer 2025 into a stage for cinema, sport, music, and gastronomy, delivering strategic storytelling, high-impact placements, and meaningful brand partnerships.

LHW Brand Ambassador:

• The Datai Langkawi

  
  

  For upholding LHW brand standards and actively participating in marketing opportunities. The Datai integrated LHW across every touchpoint—on property, digitally, and through Leaders Club—earning a perfect LQA Brand Score and exemplifying true brand partnership.

Digital Excellence:

• The Killarney Park

  
  

  For strong digital performance through engagement with LHW digital solutions. The Killarney Park pairs standout conversion and top marks in LHW’s Digital Health Check with rich storytelling, embracing best practices, emerging tech, and sustainability to turn digital engagement into measurable impact.

Leading Collaborator:

• Rayavadee

  
  

  For partnerships with other LHW members to achieve common goals. Rayavadee co- created a multi-hotel Leading Journeys package, hosted advisor webinars, and helped secure a U.S. FAM, spotlighting Thailand while showcasing each hotel’s distinct character.

Distribution Share Shifter:

• Baur au Lac

  
  

  For leveraging LSS to shift share to priority partners like Hotelbeds and Webbeds. Baur au Lac streamlined distribution, lifting direct share and offering learnings to advance the Collection’s strategy.

Leverage Leading – Sales:

• The Okura Tokyo

  
  

  For consistent engagement with LHW Sales teams, events, and programs. The Okura Tokyo turned partnership into performance through sustained collaboration, creative engagement, and alignment of strategy and storytelling to unlock new demand and long-term relationships.

Moment Maker: Excellence in Storytelling & Sales Impact:

• The Chedi Luštica Bay

  
  

  For creative, memorable sales activations. The Chedi Luštica Bay blends emotion with strategy, using in-house storytelling with its own magazine, immersive trade presentations, and sensory experiences to inspire trust and deliver measurable results.

Leaders Club Hotel of the Year:

• The Landmark London

  
  

  For regular involvement and deployment of Leaders Club initiatives and activations. The Landmark London’s whole-of-hotel approach has enrolled thousands of members, driving millions in revenue on property and significant revenue across the wider Collection, more than any other enrolling hotel.

Leaders Club Ambassador of the Year:

• Vera Mazzoni, Group Quality Manager, Villa d'Este

  
  

  Ms. Vera Mazzoni, Group Quality Manager, Villa d’Este & Villa La Massa For embodying the spirit of hospitality and the ethos of Leaders Club. Vera Mazzoni elevates the Leaders Club experience through meticulous, personal touches, recognition, storytelling, and celebratory moments that translate into class-leading guest satisfaction – setting a benchmark for service-led loyalty.

Trailblazer in Commercial Performance:

• Mauro Pinho, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach

  
  

  Recognizing an outstanding hotelier who is innovating and evolving commercial strategy. A creative strategist and disciplined executor, Mauro Pinho reimagined low-season performance with forward-thinking offers, driving double-digit occupancy growth and significant revenue. Additionally, his leadership in reassessing acquisition costs and shifting mix toward stronger group business delivered measurable gains to the bottom line.

As a cornerstone of LHW’s annual calendar, The Summit reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to fostering excellence and innovation across its portfolio. The next marquee-member gathering, The Leading Hotels Annual Convention, will take place in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2025, an anticipated event that promises extraordinary opportunities for inspiration, connection, and leadership......Read more here - Hotel Management Global Outlook Link

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Small Tip To Landing Good Senior-Level Hotel Management Positions in 2025 - 2026

Many of our members have remained with us since the inception of our job lead service seven years ago. They continue to renew their memberships, staying on board even after securing new positions, and for good reason.

Daily, our editors dispatch bulletins detailing new job vacancies, projects, and industry shifts, including hotel launches, expansions, strategies, and market trends.

We recognize that numerous long-standing, senior-level members utilize these bulletins as conversation starters, reaching out to hotel chains and potential employers, sometimes with unsolicited applications and messages. LHN endorses such proactive engagement. It's an excellent, informal method to gain early interest from prominent hotel groups and upcoming projects, indicating your interest and broadening your opportunities for intriguing interviews or discussions about potential roles, particularly at the upper echelons of management.

Our editors also keep these proactive efforts in mind, shaping many bulletins to cover "new openings, new projects, and new market developments."

While membership spots for 2025 I 2026 are limited, it's not too late to renew.- Read more her

The Team

at LEADING HOTELIERS NETWORK / JOB LEAD SERVICE

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