OUND ER climb up Hyatt ’ s career ladder to blend commercial and bespoke luxury hotels .
“ Conor knows the industry . He knows his competitors , and he knows operations . But , beyond that , he ’ s always working on taking the pulse of emerging trends ,” says Michael Gray , former vice president at Hyatt Hotels U . K . and general manager of the Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill in 2009 when O ’ Leary took over as F & B director ; he ’ s now founding partner of hospitality advisory Gray Matters Intl . Ltd .
“ He ’ s not afraid to ‘ shake the trees ’ with new styles of service and products . And he can drive that to the top and bottom lines . He demonstrated that with his innovative design and operational concept for the renovation of The Churchill Bar , which is still one of the must-visit bars in London .”
Initially as hotel manager and , since 2018 , as joint managing director , O ’ Leary has had lots of opportunities to “ shake the trees ” at Gleneagles . In many ways , the initiatives at this rural Perthshire estate are beta tests for the evolutionary changes reshaping luxury hotel management and marketing .
“ Hoteliers can no longer dictate to guests as to how
The Gleneagles Hotel , Scotland
they should enjoy the property ,” he says . “ Ideas about luxury continue to change … We ’ re selling to more knowledgeable , self-aware and curated travelers . With all the tools at hand , we shouldn ’ t have to ask what our customers want . We should know .”
The fun for O ’ Leary has been finding the “ never saw that , never did that ” offers . “ We ’ re known as one the world ’ s premier golf hotels , but golf delivers only 15 % of our revenue ,” he says . “ We had to communicate a strong brand message to those contributing the other 85 %.”
To play to the growing multi-generational family travel market , the hotel upgraded the traditional kids ’ clubs : Little Glen , for young children , is a miniature hotel with a pretend train station , steam train and a stable of hobby horses . The Den , for teens , has online and analog games , and a film screening room .
CUSTOMER PRIORITIES To be relevant , modern luxury has to be approachable , aligned with guests and experiential , says O ’ Leary . He predicts climate change will be one of the biggest change-makers in the 5-star world .
HOTELIERS CAN NO LONGER DICTATE TO GUESTS AS TO HOW THEY SHOULD ENJOY THE PROPERTY .
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