LAGNIAPPE
sense with a paralleling strategy to be a 4-diamond , luxury resort . But I ’ ve always taken the stance that we can do it all , if we do it well . This has made us push ourselves to be unique .
H : Who has been your mentor and what is the best piece of professional advice you have ever received ? AS : The owner , Bob Dunn , has been my mentor . I ’ ve worked for Bob for nearly 22 years , starting as a development associate in the sports development division of the company and working my way up to COO and managing director of The Edgewater . Bob is a visionary , and no project is too complicated or too challenging for him and his partners to take on . He taught me a lot about believing in a vision and then taking the steps to make it happen , never giving up when things got difficult . We ’ ve worked on some incredible projects together , none more interesting to me than The Edgewater . His best advice was , “ if not now , when ?” That ’ s a good question to ask yourself when you ’ re unsure if something can get done . If you can ’ t answer when , the answer is probably to do it now .
H : Which emerging trend are you focusing on ? AS : Value . We are spending a lot of time figuring out what our customers truly value and how we can best deliver it . With inflationary pricing driving nearly every decision , we can ’ t lose sight of delivering on what people value . And I believe that more and more , value will be derived from personalized service and interactions above physical items .
H : What ’ s the biggest threat to the hospitality industry ? AS : Big meetings and conventions . There was a rush back and now we see a more tepid response . Time will tell , but it does concern me .
Also , the loss of human touch . With staffing challenges , I ’ m concerned that an automated society may become a reality . And in our business of delivering genuine hospitality , and proving those surprise and delightful moments , the human touch is invaluable .
H : What is one unusual thing you learned on the job ? AS : How unique it is to be surrounded by our employees who come from such diverse cultures and backgrounds . I ’ m always learning and growing from my interactions with our team members . I love that part of the job .
H : Where are you finding happiness today ? AS : Being out and about more – the joy of having dinner out with friends .
H : What ’ s your hotel pet peeve ? AS : When I go to other hotels and notice that the employees are not trying to make a connection with the guest . It ’ s not that hard to do and if you don ’ t like to talk to people , you probably are in the wrong place .
H : Which historical figure would you love to host ? AS : I love to read and study history , so there are many . But , because of the timeliness , I ’ ll say Queen Elizabeth II . There are certainly questions we can debate about the monarchy , but as an individual I think she was extraordinary . To think of the things she must have experienced and been privy to over time are just fascinating . And , through it all , she managed to keep a sense of humor .
The Edgewater hotel in Madison , Wisc ., on Lake Mendota .
96 hotelsmag . com Jan / Feb 2023