SPECIAL REPORT
BRINGING THE
OUTSIDE IN
Building community has been touted as a great way to engender loyalty , as it not only brings in revenue from locals but makes guests feel as though they are a part of the local scene . Community building has been executed by developing locally based programming , localizing product and even having knowledgeable concierges sending guests outside the hotel .
HOTELS : What works when it comes to building a local feel at your hotels ?
Greg Doman : It ’ s about balance , as there ’ s a risk that it becomes too scripted and becomes kind of Disneyesque . It goes to the word authentic , and if it isn ’ t authentic people are going to steer away from it . So there ’ s how you do it and how you curate it . We ’ ve done it a little bit on the hostel side with Jo & Joe and then with Mama Shelter . It must be natural and authentic .
Pasricha : At the end of the day , what does your brand stand for ? If you ’ re focused on community , bring the outside in , provide almost a town hall , which is certainly what the Hoxton is about . We design our spaces for people that live and work in the area . Probably one of the biggest complaints we get is you can ’ t find the reception desk . That ’ s by design . We do not have reception as you enter . So a big part of our ethos is around developing in those communities and interesting areas .
Walshe : One of the best hotel experiences I ’ ve had in a long time was recently in Santa Barbara at the Hotel Californian . Sitting at dinner , my wife and I had an amazing rapport with our server . The following day we did three things in Santa Barbara that we would never have thought of doing if he hadn ’ t said to us , ‘ OK , I ’ m getting to know you guys , so here ’ s what I think you should do tomorrow .’ He had the confidence and the courage to try to run our day the following day . I came back , from a wellness point of view , from that weekend , feeling enriched with restored faith in humanity . It was actually my interaction as a human being with other brilliant human beings in a beautiful environment that renewed me . I didn ’ t need to go to a gym for that . I didn ’ t need to go to a yoga class or sit with a meditation headset on . I just loved the fact that there was respect , and there was integrity , and there was engagement in the environment that I had
IT ' S ABOUT BALANCE , AS THERE ’ S A RISK THAT IT BECOMES TOO SCRIPTED AND BECOMES KIND OF DISNEY-ESQUE . IT GOES TO THE WORD AUTHENTIC , AND IF IT ISN ’ T AUTHENTIC PEOPLE ARE GOING TO STEER AWAY FROM IT .
GREG DOMAN
28 hotelsmag . com May 2019