Loews Hotels & Co’s newly appointed chief commercial officer, Kristie Goshow, recently spoke with LODGING about the road that led to her current position, where she will focus on driving top-line revenue performance, strengthening and expanding customer relationships, increasing direct bookings, and elevating brand awareness across Loews’ 27 properties. She touched on some of the people and posts that underpinned her personal and professional career growth, described challenges—and opportunities—facing the industry, and even offered a bit of advice to rising hoteliers.
Early Years
Goshow traces her roots in the industry back to her childhood in the United Kingdom, when her father, who traveled overseas for extended periods, would return home to his family full of stories, complete with the cultural nuances and languages of the people and places he visited. These stories about the world and the richness of discovery, she said, lit a fire in her to seek that excitement in her own life and career.
That career included early positions in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Singapore, Dubai, and the United States, working in travel logistics with MSAS before moving into aviation with Virgin Atlantic, where she served as area sales manager. However, it was at Utell (Pegasus) that she got her real education about the industry and the passion to commit to it. “My real induction came through Utell (Pegasus), which was effectively the godparents of early distribution, enabling connectivity across the industry, before connectivity was fashionable. That experience was foundational; it was the point at which I was truly hooked,” she recalled.
Career Development
Goshow said “deliberate changes” she made while working across airlines, travel technology, and hospitality were part of an overall strategy that provided a breadth of experience that gave her a full-picture view of the industry. “I’ve moved between small companies and large ones, with each transition offering the chance to either develop new skills or refine existing ones, and occasionally both at once,” she explained.
She held senior leadership roles at Viceroy Hotel Group, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Le Méridien, and Utell (Pegasus), as well as nine years in Dubai with the global luxury brand Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, leading distribution, marketing, and business innovation. She also held the role of chief marketing officer at Preferred Hotels & Resorts (now Preferred Travel Group), overseeing global marketing and loyalty initiatives for a portfolio of more than 700 hotels across more than 80 countries.
Just prior to assuming her current position at Loews, Goshow served as chief commercial officer at Peregrine Hospitality Group (formerly KSL Resorts), where she was responsible for sales, revenue strategy, and marketing.
Mentors
Of course, she didn’t do it alone. Goshow made it clear that there were many mentors who eased her path. “I consider myself very grateful to those who took a chance on me themselves or opened doors through their networks,” she related. “A few offered very direct feedback, exposing blind spots and making me better for it.” She also mentioned a college professor whose negative feedback drove her to prove him wrong: “He took great pleasure in telling me he would ensure I never worked in the industry. It was the best challenge he could have set.”
Taking on Challenges
Clearly not one to be discouraged by challenges, Goshow spoke at length about some of the obstacles facing the industry, along with the opportunities they present. “Challenges keep us alert, curious, and innovative, ultimately serving our associates, guests, investors, and communities,” she maintained.
Goshow addressed the challenges below, mainly in terms of their implications for hoteliers.
• The accelerating pace of technological change. Goshow observed that technology is advancing guest expectations “at a speed that increasingly strains IT budgets and operational agility,” adding, “The challenge is no longer adoption alone, but our ability to continually reengineer the business model in step with evolving expectations without fragmenting the guest experience or overwhelming associates.”
• The loneliness epidemic and the rising need for belonging. As societies become more fragmented and demographics become “increasingly untethered,” Goshow claimed, “The human need for connection and belonging will only intensify.” Hospitality, she said, is uniquely positioned to meet this moment for both guests and associates “by thoughtfully evolving our operational practices to better serve growing segments.” Among those segments, she mentioned solo travelers, for whom hoteliers can create “experiences that feel inclusive, intuitive, and human, starting with eliminating moments that unintentionally spotlight isolation, like asking if someone will be dining alone.”
• Geopolitical unrest and perception-driven demand volatility. Goshow called attention to how the reality of “ongoing geopolitical instability, amplified by media narratives,” impacts perception and can negatively affect traveler confidence and therefore future demand. “Navigating this reality requires agility, neutrality, and a deep understanding of how sentiment, not just facts, shapes travel behavior,” she commented.
• The pursuit of longevity and holistic betterment. What Goshow called “the global pursuit of longevity,” she said, creates a significant opportunity for hospitality to enrich lives “through exceptional experiences that foster meaningful physical, emotional, and intellectual betterment.”
• Retaining and sharpening our ability “to see.” Goshow’s overarching point relative to embracing challenges concerned the need for hoteliers to be ever vigilant—not complacent—to recognize and act upon opportunities that arise. “We must continuously challenge ourselves to remain ever observant,” she asserted. “It is remarkably easy to lose the guest’s perspective when operating within scripted brand standards and habitual routines. Sustained competitive advantage comes from seeing what others miss, anticipating unmet needs, recognizing small frictions, and staying ahead of the next problem to be solved.”
All in All
Goshow regards the professional road she has taken as one that has fulfilled her personally, possessing as she does “a curious mind” that embraces innovation and challenges. There is also that childhood fascination with her father’s stories of people and places. As she put it, “Our industry enables us to observe how people live and to respond with experiences that genuinely improve lives.”
But beyond that, she has “the privilege and responsibility” of being part of an industry that touches so many lives. “We are stewards of assets that strengthen communities and provide meaningful careers—careers that allow families to thrive. Few industries can claim to offer comfort, surprise, respite, success, recovery, discovery, safety, and purpose all at once. And still get people a decent night’s sleep.”
