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Burt Cabanas moved to Miami from Cuba when he was 10 years old, following the death of his father. While his family planned to return to Cuba, they were unexpectedly exiled to this country in the aftermath of Castro's revolution. At 14, the young Cabanas' took his first job was in the hospitality industry: Pool boy at a Miami Beach hotel. He never really left the industry.
Today, Cabanas leads Benchmark Hospitality International, an independent hospitality management company he founded 30 years ago. The company has a portfolio of 35 boutique hotels, resorts and conference centers, and more than 6,000 employees coast to coast, including Hawaii and Japan
We caught up with Cabanas when he was at his second home in Florida preparing for his children and grandchildren to visit during the Easter holiday.
What are the biggest changes you've seen in 30 years?
E-commerce and technology. You can't get away from them. Just think of everything we used to do before. For example, in the past, 800-numbers dominated marketing for everything but groups. Now customer purchase decisions may be done online. The deck is no longer stacked against the independent hotel or resort because they lack the budget to reach potential guests. Furthermore, advanced technology enables guest history systems to implement intuitive applications and "remember" guests' preferences.
What's stayed the same?
E-commerce...