The following thirteen new brands were introduced in the past month. This now adds up to an astounding 92 new hotel brand announcements in the past 12 months. 

• Dusit D2  Pasadena Hotel
• Amalfi Hotel Chicago
• Eastin Easy Hotel
• U Hotels & Resorts
• Eaton Smart New Delhi Airport Transit Hotel
• Castelfalfi Resort in Tuscany
• Centara Grand Nusa Dua Resort & Villas
• Hemingway Hotels and Resorts
• Concierge Hotel
• Hotel Diva
• The Nolitan
• Z New York Hotel
• New Hotel by the Greek Yes! Hotel Group 

Meanwhile, at a recent Cornell Brand Roundtable (June 8, 2011), a dozen participants were invited to lead eight different sessions to discuss key insights for successfully measuring and managing brands.  Professor Chekitan Dev of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration said “Managing brands successfully has become the key priority for hospitality business leaders and we wanted to present the science and art that supports excellent brand management, which includes every aspect of the brand….  We discovered that brand value currently accounts for a significant portion of market capitalization, and maximizing the value of this “asset” must be a key priority for the leadership of every organization.  We learned that brands must be relevant, authentic and differentiated to earn a premium.

Impertinent Question:  How many of the 92 newly-announced brands are relevant, authentic and differentiated?