ATLANTA—Forbes Travel Guide—the originator of the five-star hospitality rating system and formerly Mobil Travel Guide—announced that Gerard J. Inzerillo will become chief executive officer effective May 12, 2014, and will lead the brand and 56-year old star rating system as it enters as many as 10 new international markets in the coming months.
Inzerillo is a lifestyle visionary with more than four decades at the helm of some of the world’s leading hospitality companies, including Kerzner International Resorts, where he significantly influenced the development of the One & Only brand and Atlantis Resorts; Ian Schrager Hotels, where he conceptualized and launched such legendary hotels as Morgans, the Delano, and Royalton; Sun City Resort, where he coordinated major aspects of the 1994 inauguration of President Nelson Mandela; Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts; and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Most recently, he was president and CEO of IMG Artists, the leading artists’ management, lifestyle, and festival company.
“Forbes Travel Guide is poised for rapid growth and scale as it continues to set the global standard for luxury hospitality—and there is no better person to lead that effort than Jerry, a visionary with a proven track record of building successful luxury brands and creating innovative new market opportunities,” said Jeff Arnold, chairman of Forbes Travel Guide. “Jerry’s extensive experience as a global operator makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead the Five-Star rating system’s continued expansion and to develop new ways to bring the world’s finest experiences and best insights to our members.”
“I’m thrilled and honored to join the company at this exciting and dynamic moment in the company’s growth,” Inzerillo said. “As someone who created and ran luxury hotels, I know first-hand how important the five-star rating is to both the hotel and to the traveler’s expectations. I am excited to work with the team to accelerate introducing new services to the industry and firmly secure the leadership position in the luxury travel market by leveraging the unique and special heritage of Forbes Travel Guide.”
The international expansion will bring the official star ratings into new markets including Paris, Tokyo, Rome, Mexico, and the Caribbean. This comes on top of the more than 150 markets in which the company currently rates hotels, restaurants and spas in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.
“The global leisure and unmanaged business market for travel bookings at hotels is worth more than $340 billion,” said Forbes Media President and CEO, Mike Perlis. “Maximizing the power of the Forbes brand to leverage the fastest-growing segments online and in mobile is a tremendous opportunity for us. We reach 28 million qualified consumers per month on Forbes.com worldwide, and we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to expand our partnership with someone of Jerry’s extraordinary experience and reputation, as well as the team at Forbes Travel Guide.”
