SAGE DEVELOPER TALKS ABOUT COMING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC , THE CHANGING CONSUMER AND AN EXCITING NEW OPPORTUNITY WITH AN ICONIC NAME .
SAGE DEVELOPER TALKS ABOUT COMING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC , THE CHANGING CONSUMER AND AN EXCITING NEW OPPORTUNITY WITH AN ICONIC NAME .
by JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
Stay informed , stay flexible and think about guests as non-monolithic – that sounds like sage advice for hoteliers , and it should . Those are the biggest takeaways from the pandemic from Philip “ Flip ” Maritz , a prolific hotel owner who has co-sponsored multiple investment funds ( total assets of US $ 7 billion at Broadreach Capital Partners and Maritz , Wolff & Co . with long-time Partner Lew Wolff ).
He talked to HOTELS in August and preached patience and acceptance of bigger forces at play today – not just COVID , but how people work and play differently with new sets of expectations . Having good timing doesn ’ t hurt either , he adds , referring to when his group contrarily started investing in
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TODAY luxury during the S & L crisis in the 1980s and 90s .
Maritz kept these principles in mind when he most recently created his first blank slate-hotel , The Ameswell in California ’ s Silicon Valley , which is a 255-room design and tech-oriented property that has a sustainable bent and offers the first cool-stay option in Mountain View built for less than US $ 500,000 a key , according to Maritz . With interiors by San Francisco ’ s BAMO , multiple food and beverage venues , tech-forward amenities , and a world-class art collection , the newly opened independent property was conceptualized to provide a centralized communal hub for both travelers and locals .
It ’ s really a business hotel , Maritz says , that happens to have a “ front yard ” with an Air Stream serving drinks and food , cornhole games on the lawn and plenty of space to hang out .
In an era where content – not just fancy linen and Michelin-star dining – matters , which Maritz knows all about , having developed and redeveloped properties like The Carlyle in New York City , Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands and the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas , The Ameswell is experientially focused to match the moment .
Located near the campuses of Google , Microsoft , Facebook , Amazon and other tech titans , the vibe at The Ameswell is modern , non-traditional luxury to attract a younger and more local crowd . The focus is less on traditional amenities and more on healthy food , water and air , fast internet , lots of power outlets and quiet rooms with a focus on sleep and quality bathrooms . “ I ’ m obsessed with a good shower ,” the good-natured Maritz says .
In a wide-ranging two-hour interview over two days , Maritz , who also chaired or co-chaired several owned hotel management companies ( Rosewood , Fairmont and Dolce Hotels and Resorts ), talked about everything from lessons learned to his next move with a legendary brand name .
HOTELS : How has COVID changed you as a developer and owner ? Flip Maritz : Broadly , it has added another macro-risk … More directly , it just reinforces importance of the basics : hygiene , health , the need to stay connected to community and awareness that different groups can view the same problems very differently .
H : How are your priorities shifting ? FM : It ’ s a function of age and modestly a degree of success
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