9 thinkers, books, and ideas connected to this field.
American entrepreneur who co-founded Airbnb with Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk — building it from renting air mattresses in an apartment to the world's largest accommodation platform — and who rebuilt the company post-COVID by becoming deeply product-focused and re-centering on founders' instincts over professional management.
Annual guide published by Michelin since 1900 — originally a free booklet of maps, gas stations, and restaurants to encourage motoring — which evolved into the world's most prestigious restaurant rating system, where receiving or losing a Michelin Star is a career-defining event for chefs.
Italian lager beer brand founded in 1846 — associated with Italian lifestyle aesthetics — which has become one of the most recognized premium lager brands globally through its association with Italian culture and design.
American business dynasty that built the Hyatt hotel chain, Marmon Group, and a diversified private equity empire — one of the most successful examples of multi-generational family wealth compounding in American business history.
American hotel and casino magnate — who reinvented Las Vegas with the Mirage (1989), Bellagio (1998), Wynn (2005), and Encore — one of the most consequential entrepreneurs in American hospitality history — resigned from his company in 2018 following sexual misconduct allegations.
American businessman who built Las Vegas's largest hotels, controlled MGM Studios multiple times, and gave over $1B to Armenia — a self-made billionaire who started as a charter pilot.
Founder of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts — who created the modern luxury hotel category through a deliberate focus on service quality and physical scale (midsized hotels, large rooms).
The world's leading luxury hotel brand — founded by Isadore Sharp in Toronto in 1961 and built around exceptional service quality as the defining competitive advantage.
Swiss hotelier who invented the modern luxury hotel — transforming hotels from mere lodging into total experiences, and whose name became synonymous with luxury.