FEATURE
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LUXURY HOTELS
HOMSY EXPLAINS THE FIVE DETAILS THAT OUTLINE A UTOPIAN HOTEL
1. THE STORY OF EVERYTHING
From the heroic story behind the stag’s head hanging in
reception, to why the staff always skip the last step on
the staircase — these are the places where every detail
has a reason for being and a story behind it.
2. UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE
We select only places that offer a sense of discovery, where
you started your evening with one plan and ended up
doing something far more exciting. They encourage you to
explore and find out what’s around the next corner.
3. PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
Instead of being fawned over by servants or dictated to
by overlords, we value the places that evoke a sense of
equality — where a member of the service team could
just as well be one of your entourage.
4. SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATED
It’s not about free Wi-Fi or iPads. We look to partner
with hotels who want to use technology to make
guests’ experiences even better: before, during, and
after their stay.
5. PLAYFUL CHARACTER
These are hotels run by people who understand what
play means to people. They flaunt their individuality, fly
the flag for eccentricity, and give their guests permission
to be just that little bit more carefree, experimental, and
sometimes, downright silly.
increasingly spend their disposable income own devices. “They don’t want to have to be expectations, as well as creating truly
on travel. Homsy sees the generational carrying two, or if you have to make sure they unique experiences,” she says.
shift in the luxury traveller as one of the are given a smartphone that allows them While the Utopian Collection is still in its
main reasons the market is evolving. “It to make calls and use data without extra infancy, its founders are ambitious, and aim
is definitely the younger generation that roaming charges so they can go out and to be one of the “main innovators” in the
makes up the bulk, but interestingly the explore without any constraints,” he says. luxury market. They have plans to expand into
‘Gen Xs’ and ‘Boomers’ have adopted
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Principally he says owners need to
Asia next year and by 2021 to have locations
similar characteristics because technology realise “they have to change as market in every continent. The end game of this
has changed the spectrum of things and and expectation of luxury has changed”. masterplan? 250 properties in five years.
the spillover is huge. It is not just defined “Either they are going to make a plan and by generations everyone is looking at start making changes or they are eventually the main target will be to keep up with
luxury through a different lens.” going to be out of the market”. developments in the sector and see it
During that time Homsy believes
as a continuous challenge.“There will be
To make waves in a market that changes
at growing pace, Homsy says the value of CONCLUSION a gradual change but hotels will have
investing in technology is “huge”. One of the Technology will continue to change guests’ to innovate even more, because the
key areas he points to are hotels offering expectations and the way in which we discussion we are having today will, I can
their own iPads or smartphones to guests in communicate, agrees Thomas. “Those guarantee, be outdated in two years. We
their room. But he believes that in the luxury who remain competitive will be those have to constantly re-imagine and innovate
market guests should be be able to use their who adapt technology to meet guests’ amongst an ever-changing backdrop.”
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October 2018
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