The wife and son of the White Lodging will be interviewed
during presentation at ALIS.
LOS ANGELES – The late Bruce White, founder of White
Lodging, will be posthumously presented with the International Society of
Hospitality Consultant’s 2026 Pioneer Award during the Americas Lodging
Investment Summit (ALIS) on January 27 in Los Angeles.
The award, established in partnership with ALIS in 1996,
recognizes an individual each year who is considered a pioneer in their field
by making an outstanding contribution, achievement, or improvement in the
hospitality industry.
The award presentation will include an interview with Beth
White, chair, White Lodging, and Conner White, vice chairman and chief investment
officer.
He was never satisfied with the status quo and wanted to help transform the industry, which is exactly what this award celebrates.
Conner White
“Our family, and everyone affiliated with White Lodging past
and present, take great pride in what my father built and his relentless
passion for the hospitality industry,” said Conner White. “He was never
satisfied with the status quo and wanted to help transform the industry, which
is exactly what this award celebrates.”
Andrea Belfanti, CEO of the International Society of
Hospitality Consultants, said, “Bruce White embodied the visionary spirit that
drives our industry forward. His innovative approach continues to shape how
hospitality leaders think, operate, and invest. It is a privilege for ISHC to
honor his lasting impact through the Pioneer Award, which celebrates
individuals whose contributions elevate the entire field.”
“Bruce White’s legacy is synonymous with changing the
landscape between franchising companies and hotel investors and operators—a
landscape that remains in place 40 years after its foundation was laid,” said
Jeff Higley, president of The BHN Group by Northstar. “The period of exponential
growth experienced in hotel franchising by third-party investors and operators was
heavily influenced by Mr. White’s forward thinking and determined approach. The
ALIS team is honored to be a part of this recognition of Mr. White’s influence
on the industry.”
Bruce White founded White Lodging in 1985 with a single
hotel in Northwest Indiana, ultimately growing the business into one of the
hospitality industry’s largest privately held development, ownership, and
management companies. He passed away in early 2023.
In addition to being among the earliest Marriott franchisees, he introduced the
first dual- and tri-brand hotels in the United States. Throughout his career,
White developed, owned, and managed more than 225 new hotels over the last 40
years on behalf of White Lodging and other partners. Learn more about Bruce
White and his history in the industry through a 40-minute documentary here.
Past recipients of the Pioneer Award include:
- Ben Weprin (2025)
- Tracy Prigmore (2024)
- Alejandro Zozaya (2023)
- Peggy Berg (2022)
- Marilyn Carlson Nelson (2020)
- Jack DeBoer (2019)
- Wing T. Chao (2018)
- Ian Schrager (2017)
- Lyndall DeMarco (2016)
- Stephen Kaufer (2015)
- Michael Bedner (2014)
- Steve Rushmore (2013)
- Chip Conley (2012)
- Kathleen Taylor (2011)
- Leland C. Pillsbury (2010)
- J.W. Marriott (2009)
- Jean Gabriel Peres (2008)
- Stanley Selengut (2008)
- Jean-Claude Baumgarten (2007)
- James E. Burba (2007)
- Stelios Haji-Ioannou (2006)
- H.P. Rama (2006)
- Costakis Loizou (2005)
- Barry Sternlicht (2005)
- Christel DeHaan (2004)
- Regis Bulot (2004)
- Bill Kimpton (2002)
- Jonathan M. Tisch (2001)
- Michael A. Leven (2000)
- Jack Vaughn (1999)
- George Johnson (1998)
- Randell A. Smith (1997)