Lennert De Jong - Another Star | Flipping the Script on Brands, Tech, and the Marriott Move

The brand is sold, the tech is integrated, and a new star is
rising. If you are wondering what hotel operations will actually
look like in the next few years, Lennert De Jong is already there,
blueprint in hand. In the latest SMACK episode, Florian sits down
with the CEO of Another Star (and ex-CitizenM legend) to unpack one
of the most talked-about moves in hospitality lately: CitizenM
selling the brand to Marriott. Yep. That one. They get into how
Lennert and his team pulled off a record-speed tech integration in
four months (casual) and why the so-called “death of loyalty” is
wildly exaggerated in the age of AI. What is on the table: - The
Marriott move: why selling the brand but keeping operations was the
smartest scale play in the room. - Another Star is born: how
CitizenM turned into a white-label operator with serious firepower.
- AI and distribution: why AI agents might actually help hotels
claw back direct bookings from the OTAs. - Loyalty, upgraded: why
Marriott Bonvoy is still a cheat code for conquering the world’s
biggest cities. Hit play on all platforms and check out how Lennert
and his team decided to flip the game once again. Think big hotel
chains are dinosaurs? This episode might ruin that narrative. Enjoy
the show!