Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Cuculic will be president and CEO for Best Western

He succeeds David Kong, who retires at the end of the year

Cuculic will be president and CEO for Best Western

LAWRENCE “LARRY” CUCULIC, Best Western Hotels Group’s senior vice president and general counsel, will succeed David Kong as the company’s president and CEO when Kong retires at the end of the year. The announcement was made during the company’s annual convention in Las Vegas Thursday after an emotional farewell to Kong, who has served as president and CEO for 17 years.

Cuculic has been serving in his current position for the company for 12 years and will assume his new role on Dec. 1 after Kong officially steps down, Best Western said in a statement. Previously, Cuculic was senior vice president general counsel and corporate secretary for Wabash National Corp., vice president legal and corporate secretary for American Commercial Lines, Inc., and was a partner in the law firm Gambs, Mucker & Bauman.


He is a U.S. Army veteran and served as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer. Cuculic graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Notre Dame Law School.

The search for Kong’s replacement took approximately 8 months, said Ishwar Naran, chairman of Best Western’s board of directors.

“We went through a really thorough process of external candidates and internal candidates. And we also hired Korn Ferry [management consulting company] as a consultant to go through this process,” Naran said. “That was a big responsibility for the board this year. The best part is that every board director is supporting the decision, so I do believe sincerely that we made the right decision.”

Naran said Cuculic stood out from the other candidates in several ways.

“I think our membership is a unique membership compared to other brands. It had to be somebody who fit our culture. That was one of the priorities,” he said. “We have known Larry for almost 12 years now. I have known him personally in abroad for four or five years. I think his thoughtfulness, his calmness, his leadership quality, is his domain of highest integrity in my opinion. We know that he is a leader and he will lead us.”

Six promises

In his acceptance speech, Cuculic said he would make six promises to Best Western members.

“Now I know six is a strange number. I could try to limit it to a round number like five but I couldn't cut the list because to me all six are important,” Cuculic said.

The promises are:

  1. To always respect that members have a voice that deserves to be heard.
  2. To always work hard with honesty, integrity and fairness.
  3. To focus on driving revenue for the members.
  4. To make wise use of funds from members’ fees.
  5. To strategically grow the Best Western brand in a way that does not negatively impact members.
  6. To protect Best Western’s reputation among guests by providing a quality state for value.

    ENEWS COVID 10 11 21 Best Western new CEO Kong closeup David Kong, who will retire at the end of the year as Best Western’s president and CEO after 17 years in the position, makes his official farewell speech during the company’s annual conference in Las Vegas on Thursday.

“I think Larry was right on with his six promises, and he talked about spending time with the board, spending time with the executive team and going on a listening tour in January, because that is how you become successful, because you listen to everybody in the organization,” said Kong, who announced his plans to retire last month. “I have often said that the person who was going to be really successful with this organization is the one who looks at our 2000 members in North America and says, ‘I'm so fortunate I have all these talented, experienced operators and owners giving me advice on what I can do to help me become more successful in serving them.’”

Cuculic said he has learned much from Kong.

“Mr. Kong has taught me that over the past 12 years; how to be thoughtful, how to listen to our members,” Cuculic said. “It's a special organization, our a membership association that has a right to have their voice heard. And that's what differentiates us from the other brands. I've watched Mr. Kong be successful in that regard, and hopefully, I can continue his legacy of really being so thoughtful, and collaborative with our membership and our board of directors as well. Because it's a team, it truly is a team.”

More for you

Olympic Wage ordinance 2028
Photo credit: Unite Here Local 11

Petition fails to stop L.A. hotels wage increase

Summary:

  • Failed petition clears way for Los Angeles “Olympic Wage” to reach $30 by 2028.
  • L.A. Alliance referendum fell 9,000 signatures short.
  • AAHOA calls ruling a setback for hotel owners.

A PETITION FOR a referendum on Los Angeles’s proposed “Olympic Wage” ordinance, requiring a $30 minimum wage for hospitality workers by the 2028 Olympic Games, lacked sufficient signatures, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar. The ordinance will take effect, raising hotel worker wages from the current $22.50 to $25 next year, $27.50 in 2027 and $30 in 2028.

Keep ReadingShow less
AHLA Foundation expands hospitality education

AHLA Foundation expands hospitality education

Summary:

  • AHLA Foundation is partnering with ICHRIE and ACPHA to support hospitality education.
  • The collaborations align academic programs with industry workforce needs.
  • It will provide data, faculty development, and student engagement opportunities.

THE AHLA FOUNDATION, International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education and the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration work to expand education opportunities for students pursuing hospitality careers. The alliances aim to provide data, faculty development and student engagement opportunities.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotel data challenges report highlighting AI and automation opportunities in hospitality

Survey: Data gaps hinder hotel growth

Summary:

  • Fragmented systems, poor integration limit hotels’ data access, according to a survey.
  • Most hotel professionals use data daily but struggle to access it for revenue and operations.
  • AI and automation could provide dynamic pricing, personalization and efficiency.

FRAGMENTED SYSTEMS, INACCURATE information and limited integration remain barriers to hotels seeking better data access to improve guest experiences and revenue, according to a newly released survey. Although most hotel professionals use data daily, the survey found 49 percent struggle to access what they need for revenue and operational decisions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hyatt Way partnership

Hyatt taps Way for unified guest platform

Summary:

  • Hyatt partners with Way to unify guest experiences on one platform.
  • Members can earn and redeem points on experiences booked through Hyatt websites.
  • Way’s technology supports translation, payments and data insights for Hyatt.

HYATT HOTELS CORP. is working with Austin-based startup Way to consolidate ancillary services, loyalty experiences and on-property programming on one platform across its global portfolio. The collaboration integrates Way’s system into Hyatt.com, the World of Hyatt app, property websites and FIND Experiences to create a centralized booking platform.

Keep ReadingShow less
Report: CMBS delinquency rate hits 7.23 percent in July

Report: CMBS delinquency rate hits 7.23 percent in July

Summary:

  • U.S. CMBS delinquency rate rose 10 bps to 7.23 percent in July.
  • Multifamily was the only property type to increase, reaching 6.15 percent.
  • Office remained above 11 percent, while lodging and retail fell.

THE U.S. COMMERCIAL mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate rose for the fifth consecutive month in July, climbing 10 basis points to 7.23 percent, according to Trepp. The delinquent balance reached $43.3 billion, up from $42.3 billion in June.

Keep ReadingShow less