Name: John T.A. Vanderslice
Title: Global head, luxury and lifestyle brands
Company, city: Hilton Worldwide; McLean, Va.
Number of employees: 25,000-plus
Recent project: Waldorf Astoria is adding 13 new hotels in more great places, including Berlin, Edinburgh, Jerusalem, Beijing and Panama. Conrad Hotels & Resorts is adding 15 new properties to its portfolio, including the highly anticipated Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa, Conrad Dubai, Conrad Algarve and Conrad Seoul.
First job: Painting dorm rooms at Fairfield University
Little-known fact about you: My middle initials, T.A., stand for Thomas Aquinas; I share this middle name with my brothers, father and son.
Your Business
Essential business philosophy: Plan your work, work your plan.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Stay innovative. While all luxury hotels pride themselves in great service, we take it one step further. We’ve launched True Waldorf Service across all 22 Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, which ensures personalized service from the moment guests book their trip to the time they depart. Each guest is offered a personal concierge who remains the guest’s main contact before, during and at the end of the stay. With our upcoming Conrad amenities offering, we will be the first hotel brand to offer guests a choice of three amenity lines.
Yardstick of success: I always say success is the sum of details well executed.
As a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling?
My G-Shock watch goes with me everywhere. It’s solar powered and updates automatically when I enter new time zones.
How you spend your time on board: Work, sleep, movies. In that order.
Favorite restaurant in the world: My favorite is 32 East in Delray Beach, Fla. Its James Beard Award-winning executive chef, Nick Morfogen, only cooks with the freshest ingredients and sources everything locally.
Favorite destination: Rome. From its history to its restaurants, it’s a spectacular city to visit.
About Your Brand
What can travelers expect from Hilton’s luxury brands?
Conrad Hotels & Resorts is Hilton Worldwide’s luxury brand for today’s modern, sophisticated traveler. By focusing on the individual, Conrad offers guests a world of style, service and connection in gateway cities and exclusive leisure destinations around the world. Across five continents, in key cities and the most sought-after resort destinations, Conrad delivers the greatest luxury of all — “The Luxury of Being Yourself.” Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is Hilton Worldwide’s luxury brand of landmark hotels, each representing worldly sophistication and unparalleled guest service.
What makes Hilton luxury brands’ guestrooms unique?
Each Conrad is a dynamic reflection of its city and culture. Waldorf Astoria guestrooms should feel “Better than Home,” where residential comforts and effortless technology dovetail to provide a memorable experience.
What is the most challenging aspect of launching new properties?
The most challenging aspect is finding the right property for the right brand. Whether executing new builds or converting existing hotels, the location, the look, the surroundings have to be right. A few great examples include acquiring the award-winning Waldorf Astoria Chicago and our plans to convert The Caledonian in Edinburgh to a Waldorf Astoria. For Conrad, we just opened Conrad New York, a 463-suite luxury hotel in Battery Park City in lower Manhattan, bringing our signature Conrad style to the heart of New York City.
Read This Next
All Reads on This Topic
Read Them All
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedMarch 2024
Mar 27, 2024Udaipur Unveiled: A Walking Tour in Rajasthan’s Most Romantic City Reveals Its Many Layers
Anyone who makes their way to Rajasthan in northern India has likely heard of Udaipur’s allure. The city revered for its lakes and marble palaces is considered by many who know not only the Indian subcontinent but the planet as a whole to be the most spectacularly romantic city on Earth.
Daily
Mar 27, 2024Go Island Hopping in Spain with Meliá Hotels International
It’s time to start planning summer travel. Consider a chic island getaway off the coast of Spain. Spain’s Meliá Hotels International offers a collection of hotels throughout the islands that highlight the Spanish lifestyle.
Daily
Mar 27, 2024“Deal or No Deal” Interactive Game Show Comes to Holland America Line
Holland America Line expands its entertainment offerings by launching the game show brand Deal or No Deal on nine ships. TimePlay, an entertainment software company, powers the show format, with a highly adaptable design and strong brand identity, on more than 85 ships worldwide.
Sponsored Content
The Argosaronic Islands Are Calling
The Saronic or Argo Saronic Islands of Greece call travelers to explore its seven small islands and islets brimming with history, natural sites and more. With most easily accessible by boat, the islands’ proximity to ports of Athens make the Saronic Islands an ideal destination for those preferring shorter boat rides. In fact, trips from Athens ports to the islands take only between 10 minutes and two hours, depending on the island you choose, making them perfect for day or weekend trips. From Piraeus port, you can access Hydra, Spetses, Aegina and Poros directly. Come explore these stunning islands with us and find the inspiration to plan your next trip to these islands. Hydra Hydra town curves around a slope overlooking the Argosaronic Gulf like an amphitheater and is considered one of the most romantic destinations in Greece. Most unique to the island is its lack of vehicles. People on the island get around on mules and donkeys as well as water taxis, making for a peaceful and laid-back day. Hydra lies a two-hour ferry ride from Piraeus port in Athens.
eFlyer Reviews
Mar 27, 2024Hotel Indigo La Paz Puerta Cortés Review
Hotel Indigo La Paz Puerta Cortés is an oasis where the desert meets the sea, nestled between the Sea of Cortez and La Paz Bay in Mexico. With an emphasis on providing guests a relaxing experience through wellness and culture activities, the hotel is a short 10-minute drive from Downtown La Paz, Mexico. Upon entrance under the porte cochere you are greeted with a palette of whites and browns, a theme constant throughout the property.
Japan Airlines Purchases 32 Airbus, 10 Boeing
eFlyer News
Mar 27, 2024eFlyer Lead
Mar 27, 2024Aeromexico Named Most Punctual Airline in the World
Cirium, a global aviation analytics company, recently released the most on-time airlines in the world for early 2024. The study found Aeromexico as the most improved airline in February, with a 90.66 percent on-time performance, a 12.5-point increase in on-time performance over January 2024.
Sponsored Content
Tips to Plan a Destination Event Worth the Trip
Corporate events can often feel … too corporate. Where to go to get the team out of the office environment to bond and think outside the box? Starting with an unconventional, unique space to make them feel like the all-stars they are will get the juices flowing and make your LinkedIn profile glow.
Daily
Mar 27, 2024Hyatt Regency Chicago Unveils Renovations This Spring
Half a century ago, several architecturally significant buildings not only changed the face of Chicago but also reintroduced the city as a world-class travel destination. Roughly a year after the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) emerged as the then world’s tallest building, Hyatt Regency Chicago opened its doors in August 1974. A second tower was constructed in 1980, making it one of the most ambitious hotels the city had seen, down to its above-ground skyway and underground concourse.
ShareThis