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 Chloe Riley , Associate Editor 1.312.274.2229 E-mail : criley @ 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 Bill Kinross , Vice President , Group Publisher 312 / 274-2214 bkinross @ meatingplace . 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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Do you
HAVE THE HUSTLE ?
Great service and amenities have become the price of entry . Making guests feel comfortable , like they truly belong in your hotel , is now the key differentiator and loyalty builder . Of course , the never-ending vigil to improve the quality of deliverables remains important , but in the age of experiences you ’ d better learn to make your guests feel good .
I recently had an affirming conversation with Ennismore ’ s Sharan Pasricha , who is having great success with his Londonbased Hoxton brand . I called him for HOTELS annual Hot Issue to
Editor In Chief talk about the lobby and how it has become the focal point of the feel-good hotel experience . If you have a buzzy , comfortable and interesting space where it might be difficult to locate the front desk ( if you even have one ), the lobby experience serves to make a great first impression that drives incremental revenue . At the same time , it can make a huge impression on locals , who may not only make it their hangout but recommend it as a place to stay , and so on and so on .
Pasricha waxed so thoughtfully about what his team calls “ The Hoxton Hustle .” He describes it as a burst of energy a guest feels when they walk in the door , an eclectic mix of furniture , fantastic light , great music , affordably priced food and drink , with a great mix of people who live and work in the area , along with the business travelers and tourists staying on property . The Hustle delivers the feel good .
It requires the right mix of cultural programming that is not contrived or predictable . For The Hox , for example , it is more about how-to events related to tech or fashion , and entrepreneurial spirits sharing their ideas and concepts . To make it work , you must understand your community and audience , and Pasricha says the bolder the better , so don ’ t be afraid to fail . Programming also keeps guests in the lobby longer , spending more on food and drink .
But perhaps most importantly , for guests to achieve this ultimate utopian state , the staff needs to be carefully selected . They must intuitively understand hospitality and happily work side-by-side as their state of mind is what rubs off most on guests . As simple as it may seem , it matters most to have a happy team , which translates into a happy hotel . The team also must know the neighborhoods , and Ennismore spends a lot of time training staff to embrace , understand and ultimately showcase the location . So choosing the right location for the hotel , Pasricha says , should hinge more on its relevance and authenticity .
Interestingly , Ennismore also is developing a more mid-market product called NoCo — a less boring budget experience . So the question is how do you bring “ The Hustle ” to this segment and still have it pencil out , because staffing will be limited and self-service technology will be more prevalent ? Pasricha says they are still working on it , but at this stage he knows the key is figuring out the right blend of accessibility and openness .
We will continue to follow this consuming trend . In the meantime , enjoy our Hot Issue and if you haven ’ t already done so , find a way to create your own hustle .
June 2018 hotelsmag . com 7