AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE WITH PEOPLE AND ENJOY PEOPLE , AND BE ENTHUSED ABOUT SOMETHING , WHICH ALSO RIFFS ON THE ROOTS I GREW UP WITH IN THE BUSINESS .”
THE INTERVIEW : JOHN PRITZKER
A king suite at the soon-to-open Thompson
Chicago
companies , they live and die by technology , but when they come to a place where we have designed meetings and education programs like beekeeping , cooking and organic gardening , it is the opposite of being tethered to their electronics . And almost to a person the feedback is they love the interaction they have with each other and the staff .
H : What will be the development mix for Commune ?
JP : We will determine opportunities as they come . We can ’ t yet sit and determine with a pie chart how much we will do with sliver equity , how much may require mezzanine debt or key money . One of the fun aspects of the development process is the creativity of designing a deal structure that gets you to where you need to go .
On the more pragmatic side , we are finding we are really good at doing historic renovations . That allows us to do projects like the Chicago Athletic Association , one in New York City I can ’ t yet name and a handful of others like the Roosevelt we are developing in Miami . It allows us to marry design and hospitality , and that is what we are looking for . Guild Hall in Manhattan and Belgraves in London that was a Sheraton were transformed into amazing , comfortable , quirky , unique , vivacious properties . That is what we are looking to do . H : How quickly will Commune grow ? JP : We are focused on measured growth and trying to balance the needs of existing properties . I am an owner , too , and as an owner I don ’ t
“ THE LIFESTYLE SECTOR HAS GOTTEN SERIOUS AND ‘ SCOWLY ,’
AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE WITH PEOPLE AND ENJOY PEOPLE , AND BE ENTHUSED ABOUT SOMETHING , WHICH ALSO RIFFS ON THE ROOTS I GREW UP WITH IN THE BUSINESS .”
– JOHN PRITZKER want to hear how aggressively we are going to be growing . Our focus is on the current stable of properties and owners , and growth comes as it comes . We want to expand to Europe and Asia , but it is not like we are diverting attention from the people who brought us to the party .
I am very mindful that there is a point at which it is very hard to retain a culture that got you where you are . It gets very hard once you get more distribution . Being mindful of that I can ’ t tell you what the number is , but we will have a good idea of what it is long before we get there . And I don ’ t really want to get there . This isn ’ t a nuclear arms race . We want to do what we do really well , and we want to have fun doing it .
H : Are you planning to launch an additional brand ?
JP : Yes , probably sometime in 2014 . I want to tell you now , but if I did Niki would wring my neck .
H : What are Commune ’ s biggest challenges right now ?
JP : One challenge is manpower . There are developers coming at us left and right for all three brands , and we can ’ t be in 10 places at once , so we must be disciplined about knowing where we want to be next and where we want certain brands to go . I think Joie de Vivre has huge legs . Where we wouldn ’ t do a Thompson in secondary or
50 HOTELS October 2013 www . hotelsmag . com