To be for or against Donald Trump is now irrelevant: in January 2017, he will officially become our President and Commander in Chief, we may or may not like any of his policies, and have issues with his character.

One thing remains: he is a Hotelman, an Innkeeper, and will have a natural tendency to see to it his/our industry prospers. The lobby for the hospitality industry has always been weak on Capitol Hill.

The fact that “Marwood” and Hilton have elected to locate their world headquarters within a few miles of the Capitol has not served us well in the past. No one flew to our rescue when terrorism (think 9/11 among other instances) hit home and put our industry on its knees for several months.

Capitol Hill nor the White House bothered to do much for us to protect us against quickly rising wages, preferring to focus on issues pushed by the truly strong lobbies: energy, agriculture, defense, transportation, pharma. Nobody really cared that tourism and hospitality at large are the largest employer in the country.

Well, for the first time ever, we have a “friend” in the White House and he is ready to grab us by the lobby. And, if it is up to him, that wall on the Mexican border is going to be hard to cross, both ways: your room at Palmilla, which currently sells for $1,200.00 a night may well, due to tariffs the Donald decides to impose onto Mexico, soon double in price to $2,400.00. Doesn’t that suite at Montage Laguna Beach suddenly appear to be a bargain at $1,600.00 a night?

He may not be in the White House for a very long time. However, one can get a great many “executive orders” under one’s belt in even in 12 to 24 months.

So, friends and hotelkeepers, now is the time to mobilize yourselves, communicate among yourselves, and agree on a laundry list to be whitened by the House. If what you ask is good for Trump Hotels, chances are it will happen: keep American tourists within our borders; facilitate access to international travelers, in spite of a strong dollar.

The temporary visas for unskilled labor? He will find a way to rename them training visas with a special dispensation for dishwashers, maids, landscapers and laundry workers. As long as the season calls for them. No more, no less.

What Bush One and Two did for the oil industry, our new man at the White House can do for us.

Benoit Gateau-Cumin - Chief Recruiting Officer. Born and raised in France, Benoit managed to scoop up a French law degree prior to studying Hotel Administration at Cornell University. Upon graduation in 1975, he engaged in an eleven-year hotel management career that took him to Chicago, New York, Washington DC, San Diego, Istanbul, Jamaica and Hawaii. He held positions with Omni, Hyatt, Hilton International, ITT Sheraton and Méridien, as well as Honolulu’s unique Halekulani, consistently rated as one of the world’s best.

Benoit was bit by the “headhunting” bug in 1986, and has not relented yet. He founded The Boutique Search Firm in February 1992. His motto: small is beautiful. Benoit loves to mountain bike, take long walks with his wife Susana and their two dogs, and tinker with his budding collection of classic English sports cars.

benoit@boutiquesearchfirm.com / www.boutiquesearchfirm.com