Minor Hotels’ North American growth strategy: ‘No two deals are the same’; how creative deal-making and entrepreneurial agility will help Minor overcome noise in the U.S. market.
LOS ANGELES ─ Discover why uncertain times may be the prime time for Minor Hotels’ U.S. launch. Genna Panagopoulos, Vice President of Development, U.S. & Canada, Minor Hotels Europe & Americas, detailed the differentiators that have opened the way for bespoke agreements like the three already signed in Miami, New York and the Caribbean: flexible deal structures, investor oriented incentives and brand versatility designed to cut through a saturated landscape. In this interview at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in late January, she highlighted how Minor is tailoring its franchise and management terms ─ including key money, fee adjustments and creative subsidies ─ to position itself as a partner willing to share risk to unlock long term value. Panagopoulos also pointed to the unique upside of expertise and relationships, built across Minor’s 640-property portfolio spanning 57 countries, which “helps connect with foreign capital looking to invest in North America.” That reach, combined with an approach where “no two deals are the same,” is enabling the company to set an aggressive goal of 25 hotels in the coming years.