THE LUXURY LESSON
That ’ s a treasure .”
One such person was Four Seasons founder Isadore Sharp . At the opening of the Berlin hotel , Sharp noticed a vase of flowers blocking the view from the front office . “ He said , ‘ In this way , you cannot see the guests entering the hotel .’” That simple sentence underscored the importance of being guest-centered . “ From that moment , that was actually kind of my philosophy ,” Zucchetti said .
Tollman , through her years running hotels in South Africa and the U . K ., offered her own perspective : It ’ s all about the staff . “ That ’ s where I spend a lot of my time , in training and doing different courses in all of our hotels . And we found it works , because they are the people who see your guests , and they can either make or break your restaurant or your hotel , by how they treat the guests .”
Zucchetti added , “ I think you mainly have to be true to your own identity , and for sure , not to be able to please everybody , because in this way , in the long term , you end up pleasing nobody .”
He underscores a lesson that could only come from a true hotelier : “ Maybe the happiest moment is ... it ’ s funny to say , but when you leave a property , because you see how and what you did , what effect it had on the staff ,” Zucchetti said . “ If the staff say they ’ re going to miss you — that is really what makes me happy , because it means what you did was right .” — BARBARA BOHN
Corporate Hotelier of the World Beatrice Tollman , founder and president , Red Carnation Hotel Collection
THE LUXURY LESSON
After the disconnectedness triggered by COVID-19 , one thing is clear , writes Thailandbased hotelier Anthony Lark : The hotels that get luxury right will change their focus drastically .
“ We hoteliers need to consider that life will not bounce back to traditional luxury — nor should it .
“ In my conversations with wealthy , well-traveled former guests living in the northern hemisphere , they are explicit about what they yearn for . These are people who every year asked me for the largest villa and the most kitted-out yacht for a day on the Andaman Sea . Increasingly , they are asking for news of wellness offerings and rare , secret local experiences .
“ Those same guests regaled me with tales from their past travels talked about Bhutanese textile weavers , Portuguese sourdough bakers or Colombian coffee farmers with whom they shared meaningful encounters . Perhaps we all learned in lockdown that these memories endure far longer than those of decadent bed linens .
“ Before any of us had given a thought to wet markets in Wuhan , our industry was abuzz with “ experiential ” and “ transformational ” offerings , and we see more nimble hotels and resorts luring guests away from staid grand dames while commanding higher rates .
“ We will enter a new era , described by marketer Morris Sim as travelers who will embrace the idea that “ luxury is the outcome of an experience , not a product .” The hotels that redefine luxury will help guests make meaningful , immersive connections with the culture and environment while delivering unpretentious , anticipatory service with thoughtful human touches .
“ I strongly believe guests will gravitate to uncluttered places where simplicity reigns , where they can look and feel better about their emergent selves and can enjoy consequential encounters with fascinating strangers .
“ Are we headed towards a new paradigm where our job is to nurture the “ outcome of the experience ” rather than count threads ?”
January / February 2021 hotelsmag . com 11