Barry Sternlicht has a lot to be happy about these days.
Just minutes after we spoke to the former founder and CEO of Starwood Hotels, who is now the founder, chairman, and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, Sternlicht officially opened his latest hotel, proclaiming it to be the “most exciting, greatest hotel I’ve ever done.”
And with panoramic views of Manhattan and an enviable location in the heart of New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge Park, it’s hard to disagree with him.
But as you’ll see in our following interview with Sternlicht, as happy as he is with his newest hotel, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, he isn’t completely satisfied just yet.
For the billionaire real estate investor, everything is always a work in progress. There’s always room for improvement. There’s always room for more innovation.
Skift spoke to Sternlicht about what it’s like to build a new hotel brand from the ground up today, how the industry has changed, and what hospitality needs to do today to avoid becoming just a commodity.