Henry Stoll

20 years building hospitality real estate & travel experiences in SE Asia. Now creating the category of professionally-managed travel homes | Personal views.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

As one of the largest employers with the biggest customer base globally, the leisure industry is uniquely positioned to leverage the value of human interaction in the age of technology and AI.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

Travellers who don’t want a hotel still have no reliable alternative in Vietnam.

After 20 years in Southeast Asia hospitality real estate, including watching Da Nang transform since I first visited in 1995, I’ve chosen Ho Chi Minh City as the pilot destination to build the category that doesn’t exist yet; the demand is real and the gap is massive.

Every booking is a gamble. Different owner. Different standard. Trust never compounds.

Hotel rates feel mostly like a tax, with facilities and inclusions that are rarely used, not value. Most new residential buildings in HCMC weren’t designed for international travellers; the fit-out, the amenities, the communications.

We’re changing that.

Professionally managed travel homes in vetted neighbourhoods. One seamless loop connecting guest, staff, and city.

Reply with the #1 thing that frustrates you most about finding a proper “travel home” in HCMC or anywhere in Vietnam.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@elonmusk Who are "they"?

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@Shtreetwear From visible identity to lived identity: How heritage brands are turning luxury into a world you can actually inhabit
https://t.co/pwrOB5WV7I

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

https://t.co/6Nd7HvI25d

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

https://t.co/6Nd7HvI25d

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

Haha, I can confirm I’m a human and these messages were written by my own ✍️. I’ve been conceptualizing, developing, and managing hospitality real estate and travel experiences in Southeast Asia for nearly 20 years now. I first visited Da Nang in 1995 when I was 10, back when it was still part of Quang Nam province and my father was overseeing the development of the Furama Resort Danang (Vietnam’s first 5-star resort). Hotels and resorts have come a long way since then, but residential projects and complementary infrastructure for the international travel market only really started in the last 10 years.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

Real estate dev POV: Cut costs now amid booming demand/supply imbalance let devs ignore climate-resilient design and global standards, as renters tolerate flaws like mold and poor ventilation until complaints pile up. Increasing materials and red tape trap billions in stalled projects, fueling cheap builds.

Operational POV: Squeeze max profits by minimising ops costs, like skimping on maintenance, and providing limited amenities rather than investing in value-adding features.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

Finding good (nomad) accommodation in Da Nang is tough because the destination is still in its first wave of residential development - mostly locally built / refurbished without proper climate-driven design (e.g., to combat humidity and mold) or international traveler standards for hospitality and comfort. Plus, owners prefer long-term leases (6-12 months) since they use commission-based agents - the longer the lease, the more the owner nets after fees. Solid short-term options are scarce and pricier as a result.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@ekwufinance DEI to EDI... same same but different. The results say everything.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@visegrad24 If only their "men are [more] alert" at heritage sites in Egypt, to ensure "touching the wall, writing a name, anything, is unacceptable."

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

Words spoken by the Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty:

"I am the Foreign Minister, and I take full responsibility for these words. If someone, even kids, puts paint or touches the fence, grab him, tie him up, and call the police. That is harassment of the embassy.

Some may ask, “Are we diplomats or thugs?” No, we are not thugs. But touching the wall, writing a name, anything, is unacceptable. We’ll gouge his father’s eye and drag him inside. If our men are alert, no one will dare. If he tries, I’ll open the door and bring him in myself."

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

Reading through the replies in this post, it is clear that @grok is simply a better version of ChatGPT in every aspect of the experience.

As ChatGPT tries to reinstate its [early] lead in the AI landscape, it keeps stumbling... bogged down by flawed foundational principles that hold it back.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

Clearly there is something going on in the back room... Could we see a new lobbying coalition?

@Meta, @Spotify, and Match Group specifically targets Apple and Google's dominance in the mobile app ecosystem, pushing for reforms to open up app stores and reduce anticompetitive barriers.

@Microsoft, @Meta , @xai, and Match Group filed to support @EpicGames in a U.S. court case, backing a motion to hold Apple in contempt for violating an anti-steering injunction under California law. This allowed developers to link to third-party payment systems without Apple's commission.

@EpicGames has been in a high-profile legal battle with Apple since 2020, claiming the App Store's policies, including app discovery and ranking mechanisms, create an anticompetitive environment that suppresses third-party developers.

@Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission in 2019, accusing Apple of using its App Store dominance to unfairly rank and promote its own services like Apple Music over competitors.

In 2019, a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that Apple's apps often ranked first in App Store searches for categories like "music" and "audiobooks," even when competitors had higher user ratings or downloads, prompting accusations of self-preferencing from developers.

A group of UK app developers launched a class-action lawsuit in 2024, alleging Apple's excessive fees and control over rankings amount to abuse of market dominance.

Regulators, such as Russia's antimonopoly service, found Apple guilty of antitrust violations in 2022 for abusing its position in the iOS app market, including issues related to app distribution and visibility.📷

Broader developer complaints, documented in academic and legal analyses, highlight non-transparent ranking algorithms that disadvantage smaller or competing apps.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@sama In any debate, claims carry weight only when backed by concrete evidence. At least @elonmusk concluded his accusation with a clear commitment to legal action. Can @sama rise to the occasion, provide proof for his counterclaims, and walk the talk?

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@bookingcom is facing a class-action law suit from more than 10,000 European hotels arguing that the accommodation mega-site used its muscle to distort the market to their detriment over a 20-year period.

The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (Hotrec), which represents the industry within the EU and is bringing the legal action, recently extended to 29 August a deadline for hotel owners to join the suit because of high demand.

The lawsuit, expected to be one of the largest ever filed in the European hospitality sector, is also backed by 30 national hotel associations, including Britain’s.

“Over 10,000 hotels have already joined the pan-European initiative to claim compensation for financial losses caused by @bookingcom's use of illegal ‘best price’ (parity) clauses,” Hotrec said in a statement.

It alleges that the “best price” pledge on @bookingcom was extracted from hotels under huge pressure not to offer rooms at lower prices on other platforms, including their own websites.

The hotel industry says that the Netherlands-based platform also used the clauses to prevent customers making what it called “free-rider” bookings, which it defined as using its services to find a hotel but then booking directly with the management, cutting out @bookingcom.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@bookingcom is facing a class-action law suit from more than 10,000 European hotels arguing that the accommodation mega-site used its muscle to distort the market to their detriment over a 20-year period.

The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (Hotrec), which represents the industry within the EU and is bringing the legal action, recently extended to 29 August a deadline for hotel owners to join the suit because of high demand.

The lawsuit, expected to be one of the largest ever filed in the European hospitality sector, is also backed by 30 national hotel associations, including Britain’s.

“Over 10,000 hotels have already joined the pan-European initiative to claim compensation for financial losses caused by @bookingcom's use of illegal ‘best price’ (parity) clauses,” Hotrec said in a statement.

It alleges that the “best price” pledge on @bookingcom was extracted from hotels under huge pressure not to offer rooms at lower prices on other platforms, including their own websites.

The hotel industry says that the Netherlands-based platform also used the clauses to prevent customers making what it called “free-rider” bookings, which it defined as using its services to find a hotel but then booking directly with the management, cutting out @bookingcom.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@nayibbukele In other words... Upgrade your mental “OS” to unlock your potential; embracing self-discovery and mindfulness for true fulfilment.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

How can AI make travel more human?

In an era where AI is reshaping everything... tech enhances, but people create the magic in travel; the future is about blending AI’s smarts with human warmth.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@ficci_india Indeed

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

As one of the largest employers with the biggest customer base globally, the leisure industry is uniquely positioned to leverage the value of human interaction in the age of technology and AI.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@lucio_tato @gregisenberg Indeed @lucio_tato

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

As one of the largest employers with the biggest customer base globally, the leisure industry is uniquely positioned to leverage the value of human interaction in the age of technology and AI.

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

@cnnbrk Most recent update om this breaking story 👇

[Henry Stoll @henrystoll]

As of the most recent updates from local sources, 34 bodies have been recovered, 11 people have been rescued, and 8 individuals are still missing from the Wonder Sea vessel, which was carrying 53 people (48 tourists and 5 crew members) when it capsized around 1:30 p.m. local time due to strong winds and a sudden storm.

Most of the passengers were Vietnamese families from Hanoi, including over 20 children, and no foreign nationalities have been officially confirmed yet.

Among the fatalities are at least eight children, as reported in several accounts.

Rescue efforts involve border guards, navy, police, port authorities, and divers, with 27 boats and two rescue crafts deployed, but operations are hampered by heavy rain, strong currents, rough seas, and poor visibility after nightfall.

A crane barge has been used in attempts to lift the boat, though without success so far due to the conditions.

Notable survivor stories include a 14-year-old boy who was trapped in an air pocket inside the sunken cabin for four hours before rescuers broke a window to free him, and a 10-year-old boy who was hospitalized with injuries but is now stable.

The incident occurred near Dau Go Cave during ongoing rainy weather influenced by regional wind patterns, though Storm Wipha (also referred to as Typhoon Wipha in some reports) is approaching northern Vietnam and expected to make landfall early next week, potentially complicating further efforts.