" the Best hotels in the world are the ones who read their guests and really go out oF their way to get more than just a stay and make it an experience ."
DemanDing perfection , settling for excellence
Ocean House President and Managing Director Daniel Hostettler prioritizes guest relationships and personalization .
by Brittany FarB , associate editor
From as early as he can remember , DaniEL HOSTETTLEr wanted to be a chef . However , his father cautioned him at a young age about the long work days , nights and holidays . Today , the president and managing director of the Ocean House in Westerly , Rhode Island , jokes about the fact that the hours are not any better in the front of the house than they are in the kitchen .
“ This is a 24 / 7 / 365 job ,” says Hostettler , who oversees the Ocean House ’ s sister properties Weekapaug Inn and Watch Hill Inn , also in Rhode Island . “ It ’ s a lifestyle decision for your entire family , especially at higher levels at luxury properties . You have to put in a lot of time and it has to be something that you love .”
This outlook has inspired Hostettler ' s deep commitment to growing the Ocean House brand in a passionate , yet careful , fashion . “ My initial inclination is to constantly grow the brand , but all of us here have determined that slow growth is better ,” he says . “ It ’ s important to learn
" the Best hotels in the world are the ones who read their guests and really go out oF their way to get more than just a stay and make it an experience ."
patience , and we are not going to add properties unless we are ready for that growth . We own the properties , so we ’ re not just a management company . As an owner , we don ’ t just want to aggressively grow the brand and lose focus at the property level .”
Hostettler ’ s philosophy has developed over more than 20 years in the industry while holding a variety of management positions at luxury hotels worldwide , including The Peninsula Beverly Hills in Los Angeles , Meadowood Napa Valley in California , Summer Lodge Hotel and Spa in the U . K ., and Lajitas Gold Resort in Terlingua , Texas . Since joining the pre-opening and development team at Ocean House in 2009 , he has tirelessly encouraged his staff to connect with visitors with the goal of turning them into lifelong guests .
“ The best hotels in the world are the
38 HOTELS April 2016 www . hotelsmag . com