THE INTERVIEW : MICHAEL GROSS
Newly opened Delano in Marrakech
Library bar at the Hudson in New York City
London . Aspirational and more glamorous Mondrian has its flagship in Los Angeles as well as properties in Miami and New York City . There are more Mondrians under development in London , Doha , Marrakech , Istanbul and the Bahamas . Luxury lifestyle Delano is in Miami Beach ( and for sale ) and just opened in Marrakech . Delanos are in the works in Las Vegas , Moscow and on the coast of Turkey . A fourth bucket called “ the originals ” will allow Morgans to continue to look for one-off management deals . In all cases , key gateway cities and resort destinations around the world are on the hit list , as Gross says demand for Morgans products outside the United States is “ dramatic .”
HOTELS caught up with Gross in early September to discuss the future of Morgans and the state of the lifestyle hotel industry .
HOTELS : What is the biggest imprint you have had on Morgans so far ?
Michael Gross : I am proud of the team we have brought in , as well as its quality and depth . You can have great vision , but if don ’ t have the right players in the field it is impossible to execute . I am proud of our ability to start executing on this plan .
Today we have 10 hotels under development , which will nearly double our portfolio from 13 to 23 . In terms of rooms , we will grow from 3,400 in three countries to 6,300 in seven countries . And to me this is just the beginning . With each contract we sign it adds more validity to our story .
H : What is Morgans ’ medium- to longterm ambition ?
MG : We have stated publicly that we are comfortable adding two to four management contracts a year . We have surpassed that this year , and in good years we can do that again . If we continue our current pace , I see a path to 30 to 40 hotels in three or four years .
H : How did you make the Moscow deal happen ?
MG : Very strong local developers — one of the biggest capital groups there — approached us . They knew our company and many of our assets and wanted something unique and different in a city with more traditional hotels . We both saw it as an opportunity to differentiate , and we were able to put a great deal together for both sides .
H : How effectively can you compete against the big brands for contracts ?
MG : The deals we have signed suggest we are having success and that it can continue . We benefit from having legacy brands and assets viewed as the originals . We have built a team that can compete with any of the big teams and are getting owners comfortable that we are not just going to deliver a great experience , but that we are also going to drive bottom-line efficiencies . By
56 HOTELS October 2012 www . hotelsmag . com