We ’ re opening Seattle — our 18th location — in March . There are still major markets to add , domestically and internationally as well as getaways within a two-hour drive . For example , we ’ ve added hotels in the Hamptons on Long Island , New York and Palm Springs , California , which offer easy access to the big cities nearby . H : What is Standard ’ s new role ? JS : Standard remains the majority stockholder . Swan & Legend joined the board and we have outside directors , as well . H : How is the app performing ? JS : People are planning less and traveling spontaneously for business and leisure . Revenues have grown quarter over quarter by 25 % over the last year plus . Active users are growing by a similar amount on a monthly basis . Our customers spend more than the average guest on other services , |
and that enabled us to raise RevPAR by more than 3 %. Guests dine and have drinks in our lounges . It ’ s a one-night adventure and they don ’ t have to worry about the commute home . H : Who are your customers ? JS : The majority is local , a few hours drive or less . In the last year , we saw an increase in the number of people who fly . Our customers aspire to have an experience and are drawn to the lifestyle hotels not associated with chain brands . A last-minute stay should not be relegated to an unremarkable hotel . H : You compete directly with the site HotelTonight , which was just acquired by Airbnb . JS : We definitely operate in a similar realm in that we offer sameday , one-night bookings . HotelTonight has started to branch off beyond same-day bookings so that they start to look like the |
Jimmy Suh , president , One Night , and chief commercial officer , Standard International |
Expedias of the world . ( HotelTonight offers reservations as far out as 100 days ). By sticking to same-day reservations we assure our hotels that they are gaining incremental business and that we ’ re not competing with them . H : Do you exclude chain brands ? What about trendy sub-brands such as Marriott ’ s Edition or Hyatt ’ s Andaz ? JS : We have stayed away from the chain hotels . It ’ s not as meaningful for the independent hotels we represent to be affiliated with chains . We also want to elevate the distribution platform for independent hotels that don ’ t have the power or backing of |
a Marriott or Hyatt . But we won ’ t have a blanket policy . There are certain markets in which a sub-brand is the most intriguing hotel and provides a unique experience . That would drive our decision . H : Would you rule out a hotel that ’ s listed on HotelTonight ? Could a traveler find the same deal on both sites ? JS : We don ’ t want to discriminate just because a hotel is listed on HotelTonight or Expedia . In terms of the deal , we guarantee that we have the lowest rate and I ’ m sure HotelTonight has a similar value proposition . H : The hospitality sector has been criticized for lagging in technology . How will apps such as One Night move the industry along ? JS : That ’ s the consensus . Hotel operators have been slow to adopt widely used technology such as the kind of payment |
systems used by Uber and Airbnb . People are more comfortable transacting business from their mobile devices . Hospitality should not move away from areas where people want service . But there is a growing appetite to use technology for administrative tasks that could decrease labor costs . H : What are some things you ’ ll be able to do with the funding that you couldn ’ t do before ? JS : We ’ re looking for office space in New York . We have four dedicated employees and , in coming months , we will boost that to 10 full-time staff members . We plan to advertise for the first time — on social media and perhaps other avenues . We want to host events at hotel venues . It ’ s all about the One Night . If you had One Night , what would you do ? Often the most remarkable nights of your life are unplanned . |
|
May 2019 hotelsmag . com 49 |