The general consensus was that home-grown hotel brands, such as the event's supporters - Rixos, Dedemann and Marmara have excellent local knowledge and know what suits the market. On the flip side,the international brands have high global visibility and well-tuned operations.
"The conclusion is to avoid making choices based on ‘ego' and choose the brand that will deliver the best return on investment for each project," said conference delegate, Turkey-based Banu Ogawal.
Elif Egeli Nişanci of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels summed up the issue by advising that development should not be for the sake of development: "Make sure that the supply matches the demands of market to ensure the project will maintain good rates."