FROM A CULTURAL STANDPOINT , ( MY EXPERIENCE ) GAVE ME MORE OF A MINDSET IN TERMS OF HOW TO APPROACH DESIGN AND TO THINK OF OPERATIONS
FROM A WELLNESS POINT OF VIEW .
survive . His goal is to make wellness the standard instead of an add-on .
Brown , who was born in London but grew up in cities around the world ( his father was in the Air Force ), spent a lot of time in Germany as a child . Over the years he has lived on four continents , which he says has allowed him to view wellness from the mindset of several cultures . At Resense , he oversaw management and growth of the portfolio in China and Southeast Asia . In other positions , he spearheaded growth in Switzerland and Germany .
“ My experience working in different territories with multiple brands and stakeholders has helped prepare me for my role with Accor and given me a deep understanding of how we can approach wellbeing ,” Brown says . “ From a cultural standpoint , it gave me more of a mindset in terms of how to
RATING BEING approach design and to think of operations from a wellness point of view .”
For one , he says , Accor ’ s hotels are designed to attract locals to bars , lounges , spas and fitness clubs . Not only can that encourage hotel guests to unite with a destination , but locals are often invited to join as members , which helps drive revenue . His laser focus on wellness is only part of his character ( he ’ s a fan of fantasy football , podcasts and backgammon , and he has a serious desire to take a backpacking adventure across a country , just like he did when he was younger ).
Rick Harvey Lam , senior vice president of global marketing for Accor ’ s luxury and upscale brands , says that experience can be invaluable to shaping such a strategy , adding that the “ biggest opportunities can be in the simplest things .”
STRETCH GOALS Brown sees areas for improvement in incorporating wellness .
“ There is still significant opportunity in food and beverage and for us as an industry to progress in that area , from introducing vegetarianism to veganism ,” he says . “ People are still seeing it as a side amenity , not a core amenity . Hospitality needs to catch up to this idea that people are eating differently .”
“ Then , how do we tackle sleep ? People might spend a good 12 hours in their room , so are we optimizing the sleep experience ? At Accor , we ’ ve spent time researching and looking at all the ways you can optimize the guest ’ s sleep . Even in the basics from a hotel perspective , of how lighting is done to blackout curtains — there are so many simple things that can be done right now that are sometimes being missed in the hotel industry .”
For a behemoth like Accor , a company known for acquiring the little guys , “ we are sometimes going against players with smaller networks known for their wellness legacy ,” Lam says . “ That ’ s something we see as an opportunity , to learn from the best . We try to study and learn from partner brands in our portfolio and make sure we create a similar successful concept across our networks .”
The spa experience , however , isn ’ t going anywhere — in fact , it should be “ front and center ” at a hotel , Brown says .
“ It ’ s a place where our guests spend a long time , even compared to food and beverage … There are push and pull factors happening right now in our world . Push factors being a fear of virus , employment fears , life stresses — factors that are worrisome or create anxiety . Pull factors are a feeling of peace , serenity , people working out and feeling well ,” he says .
That zest for people will always help to drive home Accor ’ s wellness strategy , Brown adds .
“ We can ’ t deliver any great experience unless we are passionate about people . We make sure our teams are empowered , trained and rewarded in the right way . Wellness starts with our colleagues .”
April 2020 hotelsmag . com 41