Teneo’s Client Advisory Board on repeat destinations, trusted relationships, and the operational confidence that separates good programs from exceptional ones
With more than a decade connecting meeting planners to a curated global portfolio of over 350 independent hotels, resorts, and destination management companies, Teneo Hospitality Group occupies a vantage point that few organizations in this industry share. Positioned at the intersection of planner need and property capability – with visibility into the decisions happening on both sides – Teneo sees, in real time, what is actually shaping how business gets placed. And one pattern the team has been tracking with increasing attention is this: in a market defined by uncertainty, the planners executing at the highest level are not always the ones chasing new ground. They are the ones who know exactly where they stand.
There is a version of destination strategy that looks great in a presentation deck – new markets, bold programming, the allure of somewhere no one has been before. And then there is the version that actually works under pressure: one built on operational intelligence, trusted partners, and a clear-eyed read of exactly what a destination can and cannot deliver. For the planners in Teneo’s community, these two things are not always in conflict. But increasingly, the data and the instinct point toward a third path: familiarity as a strategic asset, not simply a comfort zone.
Teneo Hospitality Group asked members of its Client Advisory Board to weigh in on how destination familiarity shapes their planning process – and the results are illuminating. Across a range of program types, client profiles, and organizational mandates, a consistent set of themes emerged. What follows is an exploration of those themes, and what they suggest about the direction of destination selection in 2026 and beyond.
The Expert Knows What They Are Selling
Before it ever becomes an operational advantage, destination familiarity is a credibility asset for the planners Teneo works with. Those who have walked the property, eaten the food, and absorbed the energy of a place can speak to it in ways that RFP decks and virtual tours cannot replicate.
Creative Freedom Starts with the Culture
Amaury Piedra, Vice President of Operations at Caribe Royale Orlando, spent nearly two decades managing hotel portfolios for one of the world’s largest hospitality brands. The contrast with independent ownership, he says, is fundamental.
“Today’s traveler is looking for new and different experiences, not cookie-cutter,” he says. “The independent properties have a culture all their own. We love to ‘color outside the lines’ and create bespoke experiences for each group.”
That latitude extends to the team. Decisions get made on property, not routed through a regional office. Associates are empowered — genuinely empowered — to say yes. Piedra is explicit about the cultural investment required to make that real: low turnover (single-digit percentages, with many associates averaging eight to ten or more years of tenure), strong internal recognition, and a management philosophy built on backing people up when they take initiative for a guest.
“Meeting planners recognize when it’s genuine,” Piedra says. “We get a lot of comments on our associates, on our service. If it’s real, it shows. You selected us, you put your trust in us. We want to make you look good.”
Diversity is an independent hotel’s strength, whether with food, entertainment, or venue options (Credit: Caribe Royale Orlando)
Selling With, Not At, the Planner
For Caribe Royale Orlando’s Director of Sales, Bryan Gay, the pitch for an independent property starts with a different kind of conversation. Planners don’t need another vendor reciting room capacity and F&B minimums. When it comes down to an independent hotel or a branded-property, planners want a partner who listens.
“Planners are really looking for a partnership and the flexibility to respond to unanticipated changes. We let them bring their creative ideas to us,” Gay says. “Our property is an open canvas. We have a ‘no saying no’ policy — no matter what the opportunity is, there’s always a way to make it happen.”
In practice, that means contract negotiations built around each group’s actual needs rather than a template, and a sales process that welcomes ambition, without the red tape. Planners who’ve wanted to try something unconventional but hit walls elsewhere tend to find the conversation refreshingly different.
The More You Share, The More They Can Do
Once the decision to go with an independent has been made, the key to getting the most out of its team is to start planning discussions now, not later. And when it comes to those discussions, Gladi Friedrich, Caribe Royale Orlando’s Director of Events and Catering, makes a case many planners don’t hear often enough: transparency is a creative resource.
“If the events team understands the areas of importance for the client — including the budget — we know where to focus our energy,” she says. “The earlier we understand those constraints, the earlier we can work creatively to meet the theme and build a custom experience without breaking the bank.”
She describes one pre-planning conversation that shifted the trajectory of an entire program: a group was planning to send attendees off-site for an activity. A simple question — “why leave?” — opened a discussion that led to a comparable experience on property, eliminating transportation costs. The planners were surprised, then grateful.
Who needs a static billboard when you have a walking QR code? (Credit: Teneo Summit 2025)
The Power of Planning On-Site
Friedrich encourages planners to visit the property in person before the event, walk the spaces with the events team, and identify where the highest-impact moments can live. Where to set the tone arrival. Where an unexpected venue creates a conversation. Where the right detail turns a functional space into a special moment.
“When our teams trust each other, we can quickly pivot together when a challenge arises on-site,” she says. “A planner is more like to lean on us if we’ve been working together for five or six months to come up with a solution together.”
That includes coming up with activities and inventive F&B menus unlike the traditional plated dinner that hits every table at the same temperature.
Independents Go Beyond the Banquet Table to Deliver Custom Culinary Options
“There’s no red tape on what we’re capable of doing,” says Caribe Royale Orlando Complex Executive Chef David Hackett. As an independent, “we’re not forced to purchase specific products. We’re able to reach out to smaller vendors who take pride in what they raise. It allows the chefs to be as creative as possible.”
That creativity surfaces in tangible ways: a custom five-foot gather grill where attendees cook together in teams, watched by chefs who act as judges. A pastry kitchen transformed into a private culinary competition, complete with wine and a three-course meal the group prepares themselves. How about an edible printer that produces branded designs on marshmallows and potato chips for breaks? The question driving every menu conversation, Hackett says, is simply: what don’t you normally see?
During opening night of the Teneo Summit 2025, Teneo sellers and leadership took turns at the grill with Caribe Royale Orlando’s culinary team
“We like to be challenged, to be pressured,” he says. “For a chef, that’s exciting because we want to be creative.”
That creativity is a team effort that’s uniquely collaborative. Without having to adhere to a standard menu set by a finance team or corporate brand, chefs at independent properties like Caribe Royale Orlando work directly with the events management team to refine offerings, identify what’s working, and build custom menus around each group’s theme and audience.
Guests can dance with ‘flamingos’ as a treat after a long day of meetings. (Credit: Teneo Summit 2025)
Where a Chain Might Conform, an Independent Customizes
Today’s meetings must deliver experiences that feel authentic, emotionally resonant, and worth remembering. The tools for that aren’t found in a brand standards manual, but in genuine partnerships with properties built around flexibility, creativity, and the sincere desire to make your program succeed.
Independent hotels are uniquely positioned to be that partner. They move faster. They customize more deeply. They say yes more often. And when something unexpected happens on-site — as it always does — they pivot alongside you, not around you.
The best meetings don’t happen like a paint-by-number. They happen when a planner and a hotel team decide, together, to draw something better.
Teneo Hospitality Group represents over 350 hotels and resorts, including Caribe Royale Orlando and many more independent properties. Contact your Teneo Sales representative to learn more and find the best fit for your next program.