Editor ’ s diary
Passion for HosPitality
EDITORIAL Jeff Weinstein , Editor In Chief 1.312.274.2226 E-mail : jweinstein @ hotelsmag . com Barbara Bohn , Managing Editor 1.312.274.2209 E-mail : bbohn @ hotelsmag . com Brittany Farb Gruber , Associate Editor 1.312.274.2229 E-mail : bfarb @ hotelsmag . com Bert Ganzon , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2227 E-mail : bganzon @ mtgmediagroup . com Steve Vanden Heuvel , Senior Art Director 1.312.274.2218 E-mail : svandenheuvel @ mtgmediagroup . com Brittney Hackbart , Associate Art Director 1.312.274.2216 E-mail : bhackbart @ mtgmediagroup . com Carolina Martinez , Freelance Design E-mail : cmartinez @ mtgmediagroup . com Bill McDowell , Vice President , Editorial Director 1.312.274.2201 bmcdowell @ mtgmediagroup . com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Oriana Lerner , Erin Sund
PUBLISHING David Wood , Publisher 1.312.274.2225 dwood @ hotelsmag . com
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Nakul Anand Executive Director , ITC Ltd ., Gurgaon , India Stephen Bartolin President , Broadmoor Sea Island Co ., Colorado Springs , Colorado Geoffrey Gelardi Managing Director , The Lanesborough , London Alex Kyriakidis President and Managing Director , Middle East and Africa , Marriott International , Dubai Christopher Nassetta President and CEO , Hilton Worldwide , McLean , Virginia Monika Nerger Chief Information Officer , Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Atlanta Paul Sistare President and CEO , Atlantica Hotels International , São Paulo Susan Terry Vice president of culinary and food and beverage operations , Marcus Hotels & Resorts , Milwaukee , Wisconsin
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New luxury
Some call it modern , casual or lifestyle luxury , while others have a harder time classifying it , but one thing is very clear : Over the past five years or so , we have been watching the luxury segment evolve where the traditional rules have changed , and those developers and operators who best understand the psychographics of new luxury customers are likely best positioned to prosper the most .
I ’ m not saying classics like The Oriental in Bangkok , The Ritz in Paris or The Plaza in New York City must completely evolve , because they are mostly meant to be experienced as
Editor In Chief the classics they have always been . But in many more cases , the rules of luxury are now different . It is more about vibrancy , personality and the richness of the experience as opposed to thread count of the sheets or even new media content . Make no mistake , thread count still matters in the luxury market , but what seems to matter more and more is new protocols for delivering service – less formal , warmer and , dare I say , friendlier . Service must remain anticipatory and will always be the key ingredient in any luxury setting , but it no longer necessarily needs to be buttoned up , and the trend toward a more relaxed delivery appears likely to continue .
It is OK for luxury hotels to deliver with more whimsy and even a bit of risk compared with tight choreography and too much starch . The palette has broadened , the ties have come off , and in some cases so have the shoes , at least in resort settings .
Some will argue that less formality translates into lower rates and top line revenues . In fact , the result could be just the opposite when you become “ the ” place to stay and “ the ” place for locals to drive F & B revenue . Average check might not be as high , but you might double the number of covers . In fact , emerging modern luxury developers are counting on it .
This evolution calls for more agility and observations seem to show , not all that surprisingly , the smaller groups have the advantage as they don ’ t have to unwind decades of formulas and manuals . Some of the bigger luxury brands are going to see requests from shrewd developers to change their traditional offerings and those who get ahead of the game will also prosper .
All of this is happening within the luxury hotel space and it is becoming ever more clear as to who is moving first – and this does not even include the growing number of fast-moving disruptors offering alternative luxury accommodations . Is it time to disrupt your luxury model ?
December 2016 hotelsmag . com 7