SPECIAL REPORT
Palma is an art-filled lobby lounge at the Santa Monica Proper , designed as an all-day living room where guests can work , dine , relax or entertain .
COVID-related protocols represent a clear point of difference that hotels can leverage , says marketing consultant Peter Bates , CEO of Strategic Vision , Tarrytown , New York . “ The way hotels have been able to implement these policies , often with support from medical partners , has been very effective ,” he notes . “ It ’ s very hard for Airbnb to introduce that consistency .”
With the threat of COVID fading , “ the safety protocols put in place over the past year will become less imperative as time progresses ,” argues Jeff Doane , chief commercial officer for Accor , North & Central America . “ But extreme cleanliness is now table stakes in our industry , especially in the luxury segment .”
Mayerowitz is also convinced COVID protocols will eventually fall from top of mind . “ Americans have a very short memory , and once they feel comfortable doing whatever travel they want to do , they will probably get out there and not look so much into the details of it ,” he says . “ I put this in the same category as having a smoke detector in the room . Guests want to know it ’ s there but don ’ t want to think twice about it .”
If one positive thing came out of the pandemic , it was the accelerating adoption
of technology , which resulted in more automation and touchless capability at many hotels — also something Airbnb properties can ’ t match . Dream Hotels , for instance , installed a robot to deliver items to guestrooms at one location and is eyeing robots for other properties . And Hilton , which launched digital room keys in 2015 , has rolled them out to more than 80 % of its global portfolio .
“ We will always be in the business of people serving people , but the pandemic has proven that many guests appreciate the ability to check in , choose their room on their phone and walk straight to their room — where their phone is now their key ,” says Mike Gathright , Hilton ’ s senior vice president , customer experience . In some newer Hilton guestrooms travelers can control functions like the TV , light switches and thermostat using their phone as well .
“ Several studies point to it , and I ’ ve seen it with some of my clients . Hotels that implemented some kind of touchless technology are at an advantage ,” Puorto adds .
Amenities are yet another point of difference that hotels can exploit . Features like on-site restaurants , room service , reliable high-speed Wi-Fi , gyms and spas aren ’ t available to short-term rental guests .
EXPERIENCES OVER STAYS Airbnb and its ilk have long touted their locations and hosts as providing a local experience that hotels can ’ t match , but hotel operators have challenged that notion and refined their positioning to level the playing field . No longer are many hotels , especially in the independent and boutique space , just a place to sleep .
At Proper Hospitality hotels , guests have access to electric bikes , daily wellness activities , fitness centers , and F & B and programming tied to the local community . “ From the design — often in partnership with local artists — to our wellness , music and speaker series activations , to our F & B offerings , our hotels offer a guest a rewarding way to experience the best of a location ’ s culture in a way that an Airbnb never could ,” says Brian De Lowe , Proper ’ s president and cofounder . “ We ’ re big believers that a big part of the attraction is getting to see the city or the area in which we operate — through our lens .”
A prime example is Palma , an art-filled lobby lounge at the Santa Monica Proper , designed as an all-day living room where
66 hotelsmag . com May / June 2021