PERSONALITIES
HOTELS NEXT-GEN LEADERS ARE CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO ON THEIR OWN TERMS .
Contributed by MEGAN ROWE
The next generation of hotel leadership is here , and its members are engaged , passionate and optimistic – and they have a healthy dose of skepticism regarding traditional management approaches . What do these next-gen leaders care about ? HOTELS is interviewing 20 rising stars in hospitality about career fulfillment , what makes a good leader , who inspires them and where the industry should go next . Look for frank and sometimes surprising answers from a diverse group of young leaders , all under age 40 , to be featured in print and online over the next few months .
Below , we start the series with two hoteliers on the leading edge : Ines Miro-Sans , whose Casa Bonay boutique hotel is making a splash in Barcelona , and CorePoint Senior Director of Asset Management Sam Hudson , who manages a 70-property portfolio .
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AUTHENTICITY , PERSONALITY KEYS TO SUCCESS
Inés Miró-Sans , at 34 , is the founder and co-owner behind Barcelona ’ s eclectic Casa Bonay . More than a stylish hotel , it ’ s a collaborative gathering place with 67 imaginatively furnished guestrooms , a local coffee roaster , bookstore , Southeast Asian restaurant , tapas and cocktail lounge , Spanish-made shirt shop , design store and rooftop beach-themed barbecue spot — all in a restored 1869 mansion .
HOTELS : How effectively do you think the industry has been responding to disruption ?
IM-S : I think people are finally seeing that it ’ s not enough just to offer a space . In Spain , most of the brands are without any soul , any kind of connection , which is crazy when you think about it because you ’ re responsible for someone ’ s experience . You can ’ t just have 100 beds and not care about or pay attention to what ’ s going on downstairs in the lobby . I think that ’ s changing ; people are realizing this is not enough and they need to go a step further and offer something more .
H : What trends are you seeing in boutique hotels , and what fads ?
IM-S : We are seeing that many new hotels have a design element , even with the big chains , but also in independent hotels . There is more thought behind it , whereas before you couldn ’ t see it as much . And I think boutique hotels are being positioned to a higher-end niche .
Every year customers get more spoiled . They have higher expectations . There ’ s no ceiling , and with all the technology in the industry everything is changing . But we believe authenticity and personality are the keys to success . It ’ s not enough to have the nicest coffee shop or restaurant — you have to understand why you put it there . There has to be a reason behind it . H : How have hotel industry
18 hotelsmag . com May 2019