WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — The 14th Annual Boutique Hotel Owners Conference, presented by the Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA), officially opens its doors this September 29–30 in the serene setting of Westlake Village, California, welcoming a curated group of global hotel owners, investors, and creative leaders for two transformative days of reconnection, reinvention, and reflection.
This year’s conference boldly breaks from tradition under the theme “Terra Incognita”—Latin for unknown land. In the spirit of exploration, BLLA invites its intimate community of boutique pioneers to journey beyond the familiar boundaries of hospitality to reimagine the future of ownership, leadership, culture, and design.
“The 2025 Boutique Hotel Owners Conference is not a repetition—it’s a reinvention,” said Frances Kiradjian, Founder and CEO of BLLA. “We’re exploring uncharted territory with those who aren’t afraid to ask the deeper questions and shape what comes next in our industry.”
What Awaits in the Unknown
Grounded Conversations with Independent Leaders
- Alex Kirkwood, Kirkwood Collection
- Alex Levin, L+R
- Andrew Archibald, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe
- Annabel Schwartz, House of Talana LLC
- Ariela Kiradjian, BLLA / StayBoutique
- Cory Sobczyk, Arch RoamRight
- Daniel André Langer, Équité
- David Bowd, Salt Hotels
- Deniz Dorbek Kocak, The Bright Hotel Group
- Glenn Turner, Romeo Bravo Software
- Hya Valdez, Capital One Travel
- Jennifer Barry, CIIC Public Relations
- Justin Bain, BAIN Hospitality
- Kate McAnally, Grand Hotel McKinney
- Kimberly Walker, Nomada Hotel Group
- Kurt Bjorkman, The Ranch at Laguna Beach
- Maya Mallick, The Culver Hotel
- Megan Kennedy, Elder & Ash
- Mitch Prensky, COJHO Hospitality Consultancy
- Peter Twachtman, Lark
- Rachel Turchin, The Horse Shoe Farm
- Rob Blood, Lark | Elder & Ash
- Robert Krzak, Gecko Hospitality
- Rod Clough, HVS Americas
- Sam Bakhshandehpour, José Andrés Group
- Samantha Ahuja, Greenberg Traurig
- Sean Wilkinson, Might & Main
- Tarun Goyal, Simplotel Technologies
- Thomas Brown, Ad Altius Advisors
Conversations That Matter
This year’s sessions invite attendees to dig deeper and think differently about how they operate, grow, and lead in today’s dynamic landscape. Featured topics include:
- Top Issues Owners Face Today: Rising capital costs, labor volatility, and scaling without dilution—leaders address the friction points reshaping independent ownership.
- Boutique Hotelier Manifestos Raw, personal philosophies from those leading with conviction—not conformity.
- Conscious Capital: Building with Soul and Scale Funding strategies that honor both values and vision.
- The Architecture of Emotion Crafting: Spaces that resonate through sensory storytelling and creative alignment.
- Redefining Ownership for a Regenerative Future. From agrotourism to community wealth, this is ownership reimagined.
- Narrative Alchemy: Turning Space Into Story. How boutique hotels become vessels for culture, memory, and meaning.
- The F&B Frontier: Why restaurants and bars are now the heart of brand identity and emotional loyalty.
- Signals of Luxury: Decoding the aesthetic and emotional codes that define modern luxury globally.
- GuestOS: The rise of intelligent infrastructure and how to implement tech that feels human.
- The Advantages of Owning a Small Hotel: Small-scale properties as innovation labs—and why nimbleness wins.
- Charting New Profit Paths: Revenue-boosting frameworks that don’t compromise soul or service.
- The Unfamiliar Shift: Lessons from fashion, beauty, and wellness on how to design the future—without a map.
New Rituals for the Modern Owner
- Morning hikes through California’s natural beauty
- Open-mic dinners where voices of the industry rise
- Sensory activations that go beyond panels and PowerPoints
- Space for serendipity, reflection, and honest dialogue
A Room Full of True Independents
With intentionally limited capacity, this conference ensures that every attendee is a leader in their own right, whether running one property or a growing portfolio. It’s not just about what’s said on stage; it’s the conversations sparked in between.
A Conference Unlike Any Other
Hosted once again at the stunning Westlake Village Inn, this year’s gathering embodies the essence of boutique hospitality: personal, meaningful, and profoundly human.
For those passionate about charting bold new paths in independent hospitality, the 2025 Owners Conference is the room to be in. But space is limited—and approval is required to attend.
This Conference is supported by sponsors who care deeply about this industry and this sector in particular. Thank you to the following: Greenberg Traurig, Segafredo Zanetti, RBS, Gecko Hospitality, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Nestle Premium Waters, Arch RoamRight, Capital One Travel, Simplotel, Liquid Crystal, Jonas Chorum, Operto, eviivo, The Company Store, mknly procurement, Entegra, and dailypoint.
Register to attend.
BLLA (Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association)
Established in 2009, the Boutique Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) is the world’s most innovative and influential association for independent boutique hotels, brands, and suppliers. Dedicated to championing the unique essence of boutique hospitality, BLLA offers unparalleled networking opportunities, industry insights, and advocacy initiatives to its global membership base. With a mission to elevate and empower independent hotel owners and operators, BLLA continues to shape the future of hospitality through innovation, collaboration, and excellence. The organization is a pioneer in forecasting the boutique movement. The corporate manifesto showcases BLLA as a catalyst for trends and the future of the boutique lifestyle, focusing mainly on hospitality. BLLA.org
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