going to be short-lived , the Brown team started calling suppliers to ask for some relief , as well as landlords and banks . Then it continued to search for different target markets , tapping the locals , as well as divorcees and plastic surgery patients – and it paid off , Avigad says .
Brown Hotels even dedicated one full hotel just to kids , after a focus group that included Avigad ’ s daughter and some of her friends taught them Play Doh is not an experience they want to offer . They created virtual reality and selfie stations , as well as Nintendo and TikTok options . “ This is how we survived the summer ,” he says . “ We just discovered more and more niches and were very dynamic . Where other hotel chains just started to be very introverted and cutting costs – and we did cut costs , too – we just kept finding new market niches .”
What COVID has also taught Avigad is more humility and to yield the most from every meter . “ Being more open to other people ’ s opinion was a very humbling experience at the age of 50 . COVID teaches you better ,” he admits , adding for the moment that the company ’ s appetite for risk has been toned down some .
Perhaps the group ’ s secret sauce to better fight through COVID has been its ongoing immersion into local cultures . It was integral in coming to Greece , where the principals had no connections . But Avigad says they go out into the community wherever they develop and work only with locals – from architects to graphic designers and chefs . “ There ’ s nothing better than actually getting down on the ground meeting people , going out developing more and more circles of friends ,” Avigad says , adding they immediately start to post to their social media accounts to increase the buzz . “ We know the DJs , the drag queens , the creative people , the ‘ it ’ girls . This is what we do . We love hosting . This is when it ’ s genuine – it comes out , you know .”
Throwing the parties and delivering content is one thing , but Avigad says getting hotel basics right is just as important . “ We ’ re working hard on our sleep experience with very good mattresses and bath
The 87-room Dave Red Athens is amonth the first of seven new properties by Brown Hotels set to open in Greece over the next two years ,
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