beverage, wellness and other ancillary services. Can you talk about how The Langham is delivering an experience beyond just the room product and how it is designed and operated at the luxury level? van den Oord: Today’ s travelers want more than a comfortable bed; they want experiences that feel both elevated and personal. We design our hotels to deliver a full lifestyle offering, spanning wellness, culture and dining. Food and beverage is a prime example. Our restaurants and bars aren’ t about formality or showmanship; they’ re about creating spaces where people feel relaxed and at ease. We want our venues to feel like part of our guests’ daily lives and local communities, not just an extension of a luxury stay. Alongside this, our Chuan Spa platform blends traditional Chinese medicine with modern wellness. Across all these touchpoints, the goal is the same: to bring our brand’ s essence to life in ways that are as welcoming as they are memorable.
HOTELS: There’ s no escaping the velocity of AI and other technology. How do you envision the tech stack not only
View of The Langham, Melbourne across the Yarra River.
within the four walls of the hotel, but with regard to distribution and revenue management and how you engage customers and prospective clients when they aren’ t at the hotels? van den Oord: As AI becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, its role
in hospitality is clear: to simplify processes in the background so that colleagues can focus more fully on delivering meaningful guest interactions. We’ re currently piloting solutions in the areas of bookings, guest hotlines and frontline service, and the results are looking promising.
The lobby at Cordis, Hong Kong.
HOTELS: How would you describe your leadership style and, furthermore, outside of hotels, where do you take cues from to improve yourself professionally and Langham Hotels as a whole? van den Oord: I believe true leadership is decisive and directional: People look for clarity and conviction from the top. At the same time, it’ s about creating conditions for others to succeed. That balance is something my mother taught me early on— that strength and empathy aren’ t opposites, but partners. Beyond hotels, I look at fashion and architecture, where creativity is matched by discipline and the smallest details carry weight. For me, it reinforces a simple truth: clarity of purpose, expressed with precision and authenticity, builds lasting trust with those who matter most.
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