Testimonials

Boutique Hotel Investment Conferences

by BLLA

Jody Pennette, Founder & CEO at cb5 hospitality consulting

“Thank you for including me and giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences with such a focused audience but also for the no less than five amazing business connections made that are all leading towards great new clients and opportunities.

I’ve never written a testimonial, but I just wanted to acknowledge you for organizing such spectacular events and attracting the very best of our industry. Can’t wait for the next BLLA experience!”

Atit Jariwala, Founder & CEO at Bridgeton

“BLLA is so valuable to the boutique hotel community. It’s nice to be able to get together with like-minded people in a safe and fun environment over a few days.”

Kayla Evans, Client Executive at Marsh & McLennan Agency

“Thank you all SO much for putting on another amazing conference, and for allowing MMA to be a part of it. It was an incredible two days.

We look forward to many more collaborations in the future and hope that we can see all of your faces in person very soon. Cheers to staying Boutique!”

Janet Eason, Founding Partner & Business and Brand Strategist at Eason Branding

“As a newcomer, I can tell you that this was by far the best industry conference that I have ever attended. (And I have been to most of them).

It was organized, filled with great content, inspirational, AND ran on time. I cannot believe that I ever questioned if an ‘investment' conference would be worth two days of my time. It was incredibly valuable.”

Jack Westergom, Founder & Managing Director at Manhattan Hospitality Advisors

“You are to be commended as to the quality of the event, the speakers, and the content.

I also wanted to thank you for making it so easy to be a speaker which got me comfortable with the format quickly."

Benedetta Cassinelli, CEO & Co-Founder at Considerate Group

“I really enjoyed being part of such an engaged and friendly audience. Your stage was by far the best I have been part of! It felt very cozy, like being in a beautiful living room and discussing interesting topics amongst like-minded people.”

“Thank you so much for having me. I had a great time on the panel!”

Abhay Bakaya
Chief Development Officer at SH Hotels & Resorts
“Thanks for having me on the panel! I really enjoyed meeting the panelists and conference attendees.”

Allison Callen
Director, Hotel Investments at Global Holdings Management Group
“Thanks again for having me at your event last week. It was great to participate in it again!”

Brad Bloom
Managing Director at Citi
"Huge fan of what you guys do for our industry. Thanks for including me."

Brian De Lowe
President & Co-Founder at Proper Hospitality
"It was great to connect with you virtually. Love the dynamic duo!!"

Gilda Perez-Alvarado
Former Global CEO at JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group
"It was my pleasure to participate. Great job on the event!"

Jay Stein
Head of Dream Hotels at Hyatt
"I am really impressed with this lineup of speakers at your Investment Conference."

Jeff Weinstein
Former Editor In Chief at HOTELS Magazine, HOTELS' Investment Outlook
"Thanks for having me! I love that our fireside chat was 45 minutes and Ariela asked substantive/real questions!"

Rami Zeidan
Founder at Life House

Chef David Burke, President at David Burke Hospitality Management

“I personally found the material presented and the conversations generated to be interesting, informative, and helpful.

I'm happy to share that I noticed a similar reaction by attendees as well as other panelists. I look forward to coming back!”

Deborah O'Donnell, Director, Strategic Sales, Lodging & Institutions, Owners & Operators at DIRECTV

“I had a great time at the event and look forward to the next one! Thank you to the entire BLLA team for all you do to keep these events fun as well as organized!”

Homi Vazifdar, Founder & Executive Director at The Canyon Group

“As a BLLA virgin, it was truly refreshing to be in a ‘boutique’ conference environment rather than at a massive gathering like ALIS, NYU, Berlin and Hong Kong.

You folks have successfully distinguished yourself from the pack. It was a great conference where speakers and moderators spoke their minds in an uninhibited way, seamlessly interacting with the audience.

Kudos to the Kiradjians and the BLLA team!”

Lance Helfert, Principal at Montecito Venture Partners

“We are so grateful for BLLA and the wonderful community they’ve been able to create around the boutique community and lifestyle.

As a fairly new boutique investment & hospitality group, they have welcomed us with open arms and provided so many great connections and resources that have positively impacted us. Speaking at the 2021 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference was an honor, and I look forward to strengthening the relationships made with other like-minded groups and individuals.”

Carson Foerster, Sales Director at Mews

“Mews finds great value in supporting the BLLA.

Engaging with innovative, forward-thinking boutique hoteliers at BLLA events helps to build important connections so we can pursue our goal of reimagining hospitality.”

Tea Ros, Managing Director at Strategic Hotel Consulting

“This is a conference with creative content and a vibrant atmosphere. The networking opportunities are fun and the line-up of speakers is outstanding, ranging from industry pioneers to new trend-setters. I found the conference insightful and inspirational - highly recommend the event for anyone involved in boutique hotel investments.”

Michael Kitchen, Partner at Aparium Hotel Group

“BLLA is the premier organization for independent hoteliers, bringing together a bespoke group of industry peers hyper-focused on thinking outside of the box. For first-time hoteliers or those established but hoping to gain traction in the independent arena, I would highly recommend BLLA as an organization and The Boutique Hotel Investment Conference.”

Walter Isenberg, President & CEO at Sage Hospitality Group

“Thanks to the BLLA team for putting together an inspiring and informative conference leveraging technology to deliver great content to the passionate entrepreneurs who occupy the independent hospitality space. Today more than ever consumers crave experiences that are best delivered by boutique owners and operators.”

"Congratulations on 10 years! Thanks for including me; appreciate all you do and glad the event was a success!"

Dan Flannery
CEO at Cape Resorts
"Thanks for having me. It was a very fun and positive experience. I just wish I could have stayed longer."

Robin Kennedy
Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer at Montage International
“Great work everyone. Wonderful event and venue.”

Daniel C. Peek
President & COO at Hodges Ward Elliott
“Thanks for hosting such a great conference! It was really great to be there!”

Atit Jariwala
Founder & CEO at Bridgeton
“It is I who should thank you and the BLLA team. I love the work you do and am honored to help.”

James Bermingham
CEO at Virgin Hotels

Janis Cannon, Senior Vice President, Upscale Brands Portfolio, Cambria Hotels and The Ascend Collection at Choice Hotels, International

“Mark your calendars to attend next year’s BLLA Conference. The 2022 BLLA Conference brought professionals from across the globe together to share and learn about changing consumer needs and behaviors, new technologies, and operational models designed for success in the new norm.

The networking opportunities provided a platform for informal business discussions and segment insights for customer acquisition and loyalty. The conference was valuable for understanding our growing category for the future.”

David Goldstone, Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer at WorldVue

“I love what you stand for and are doing for this important segment of our industry. Your tireless efforts and professionalism are well-known and respected.

You can count on our continued support and involvement for years to come. Thank you again for an incredible conference.”

Ernest Lee, Chief Commercial Officer at citizenM hotels

“It was my first time attending a BLLA conference, and I am already looking forward to the next one!

Ariela and Frances curated an incredibly well-rounded, diverse and thought-provoking program covering today's most important hotel topics.

There was a senior-level audience and the intimacy of the event allowed for high-quality levels of networking and discussion."

Samuel Chang, Partner at IBCaribbean

“The BLLA Investment Conference was fantastic. It was very informative and helpful in making great connections.

I look forward to more events as I navigate the next steps in the development of our projects.”

“It was really great, ladies! Thank you for having me. Congrats!”

Channing Henry
Managing Director, Head of US at PKF hospitality group
"It was great to be a part of the conference, thought it was a very productive panel. Look forward to next year."

Rob Kivell
VP, Real Estate Financing Group at Goldman Sachs
“Thank you for this! Really appreciate the attention to detail during the conference. Much appreciated.”

Pam Rauseo
Director of AP Automation, Hospitality at Edenred Pay USA
“Thank you for the opportunity to speak at your event, it was great!”

Rod Clough
President at HVS Americas
“Thank you, BLLA! We really enjoyed the conference and see it as a success.”

Peter Wright
Division Manager at Nestle Premium Waters

Serena Robert, Senior Sales Manager Northeast at La Colombe Coffee Roasters

“We had a delightful time getting to be there and support you and the attendees. Every year is always so fun and we appreciate the work you and the team do to collect such an amazing group of professionals together.”

Stephanie Normand, VP Marketing at Pace Revenue

“A big thank you for including us as sponsors in the event. I heard from all of our attendees that it was a well-organized successful event, and they had a lot of really great conversations there.”

Jody Pennette, Founder & CEO at cb5 hospitality consulting

“Many business conferences are so large and impersonal that they can turn comical as you watch attendees frantically trying to sell one another in the breakout sessions. BLLA feels more like an intimate reunion with all the “right” people mixing and mingling without any of the hustle.

With so many familiar faces catching up and sharing experiences, a strong sense of belonging takes hold, and you grasp that BLLA is all about community.

It’s tough out there and getting harder every day and feeling connected is everything so thank you so much Frances and Ariela for creating something truly authentic and for inviting cb5 into your warm wonderful BLLA family.”

Testimonials

Boutique Hotel Investment Conferences

by BLLA

“Thank you for including me and giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences with such a focused audience but also for the no less than five amazing business connections made that are all leading towards great new clients and opportunities.

I’ve never written a testimonial, but I just wanted to acknowledge you for organizing such spectacular events and attracting the very best of our industry. Can’t wait for the next BLLA experience!”

“BLLA is so valuable to the boutique hotel community. It’s nice to be able to get together with like-minded people in a safe and fun environment over a few days.”

“Thank you all SO much for putting on another amazing conference, and for allowing MMA to be a part of it. It was an incredible two days.

We look forward to many more collaborations in the future and hope that we can see all of your faces in person very soon. Cheers to staying Boutique!”

“As a newcomer, I can tell you that this was by far the best industry conference that I have ever attended. (And I have been to most of them).

It was organized, filled with great content, inspirational, AND ran on time. I cannot believe that I ever questioned if an ‘investment' conference would be worth two days of my time. It was incredibly valuable.”

“You are to be commended as to the quality of the event, the speakers, and the content.

I also wanted to thank you for making it so easy to be a speaker which got me comfortable with the format quickly."

“I really enjoyed being part of such an engaged and friendly audience. Your stage was by far the best I have been part of! It felt very cozy, like being in a beautiful living room and discussing interesting topics amongst like-minded people.”

“Thank you so much for having me. I had a great time on the panel!”

“Thanks for having me on the panel! I really enjoyed meeting the panelists and conference attendees.”

“Thanks again for having me at your event last week. It was great to participate in it again!”

"Huge fan of what you guys do for our industry. Thanks for including me."

"It was great to connect with you virtually. Love the dynamic duo!!"

"It was my pleasure to participate. Great job on the event!"

"I am really impressed with this lineup of speakers at your Investment Conference."

"Thanks for having me! I love that our fireside chat was 45 minutes and Ariela asked substantive/real questions!"

“I personally found the material presented and the conversations generated to be interesting, informative, and helpful.

I'm happy to share that I noticed a similar reaction by attendees as well as other panelists. I look forward to coming back!”

“I had a great time at the event and look forward to the next one! Thank you to the entire BLLA team for all you do to keep these events fun as well as organized!”

“As a BLLA virgin, it was truly refreshing to be in a ‘boutique’ conference environment rather than at a massive gathering like ALIS, NYU, Berlin and Hong Kong.

You folks have successfully distinguished yourself from the pack. It was a great conference where speakers and moderators spoke their minds in an uninhibited way, seamlessly interacting with the audience.

Kudos to the Kiradjians and the BLLA team!”

“Mews finds great value in supporting the BLLA.

Engaging with innovative, forward-thinking boutique hoteliers at BLLA events helps to build important connections so we can pursue our goal of reimagining hospitality.”

"Congratulations on 10 years! Thanks for including me; appreciate all you do and glad the event was a success!"

"Thanks for having me. It was a very fun and positive experience. I just wish I could have stayed longer."

“Great work everyone. Wonderful event and venue.”

“Thanks for hosting such a great conference! It was really great to be there!”

“It is I who should thank you and the BLLA team. I love the work you do and am honored to help.”

“Mark your calendars to attend next year’s BLLA Conference. The 2022 BLLA Conference brought professionals from across the globe together to share and learn about changing consumer needs and behaviors, new technologies, and operational models designed for success in the new norm.

The networking opportunities provided a platform for informal business discussions and segment insights for customer acquisition and loyalty. The conference was valuable for understanding our growing category for the future.”

“I love what you stand for and are doing for this important segment of our industry. Your tireless efforts and professionalism are well-known and respected.

You can count on our continued support and involvement for years to come. Thank you again for an incredible conference.”

“It was my first time attending a BLLA conference, and I am already looking forward to the next one!

Ariela and Frances curated an incredibly well-rounded, diverse and thought-provoking program covering today's most important hotel topics.

There was a senior-level audience and the intimacy of the event allowed for high-quality levels of networking and discussion."

“The BLLA Investment Conference was fantastic. It was very informative and helpful in making great connections.

I look forward to more events as I navigate the next steps in the development of our projects.”

“It was really great, ladies! Thank you for having me. Congrats!”

"It was great to be a part of the conference, thought it was a very productive panel. Look forward to next year."

“Thank you for this! Really appreciate the attention to detail during the conference. Much appreciated.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to speak at your event, it was great!”

“Thank you, BLLA! We really enjoyed the conference and see it as a success.”

“We had a delightful time getting to be there and support you and the attendees. Every year is always so fun and we appreciate the work you and the team do to collect such an amazing group of professionals together.”

“A big thank you for including us as sponsors in the event. I heard from all of our attendees that it was a well-organized successful event, and they had a lot of really great conversations there.”

BLLA EventsA part of the BLLA Family

BLLA Events

A part of the BLLA Family