Mid-tier hotel brands, billed as upscale in Asia, don't cut it anymore with global travelers

Several mid-tier brands, such as Howard Johnson, were built as 4- or 5-star versions in Asia, but as the world gets smaller, these big brands are beginning to push for greater consistency throughout their global portfolios in terms of positioning...While such incongruities might go unnoticed within a domestic market, they pose a serious threat to brand integrity in the face of an emergent population of globe-trotting travelers.

"Everyone’s gotten a little bit savvier in branding and what the brand voice needs to be about..Therefore, we all need to be a little savvier to make sure that’s executed at the property level to make sure the guests get the same experience."