Creatives , including those in the hotel space , want to remain true to their craft . However , as they find that initial fulfilling success and start to grow beyond a handful of project , staying in their chosen lane becomes more and more challenging . For Liz Lambert , who around 20 years ago quit the legal profession — which included a stint prosecuting street criminals in the Manhattan District Attorney ' s office — and bought a beat up motel across the street from her favorite Austin , Texas , hangout , staying true means refusing to forget that at the end of the day the business is simply about the art of hospitality .
PERSONALITIES
LIZ LAMBERT ’ S ART OF HOSPITALITY
ATTORNEY TURNED TEXAS-BASED HOTELIER EXCELS BY TAPPING INTO CREATIVES AND THE EMOTIONAL APPEAL OF TRAVEL .
By JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
Creatives , including those in the hotel space , want to remain true to their craft . However , as they find that initial fulfilling success and start to grow beyond a handful of project , staying in their chosen lane becomes more and more challenging . For Liz Lambert , who around 20 years ago quit the legal profession — which included a stint prosecuting street criminals in the Manhattan District Attorney ' s office — and bought a beat up motel across the street from her favorite Austin , Texas , hangout , staying true means refusing to forget that at the end of the day the business is simply about the art of hospitality .
“ It ' s such a time of change and growth for the hotel industry ,” says Lambert , the founder and chief creative officer of Bunkhouse , which now owns and / or manages seven lifestyle hotels predominantly in the Southwest and has several more under development . “ The market is really hot , and there ' s lots of new brands and different kinds of travel . But still at the end of the day , they call it the art of hospitality , and I think that ' s something that can ' t be forgotten .”
“ I ' m very fortunate to work with a team of folks that are really thoughtful and creative ,” says Lambert , who was a creative writing major in college with a concentration in poetry . “ And over the years , I ' ve developed relationships with a whole group of creative people that can take bits and pieces and come together for a synergistic exercise where we all add a lot into the mix . And I think that ' s what keeps it interesting and keeps our hotels ‘ real ’ in their own way .”
Is there some sort of secret to this method ? “ I hate to say it , but you kind of figure out ,” Lambert says . " It ’ s ‘ all right , here ' s what I need to do to stay in those lanes that I like to stay in .’"
It ’ s also called figuring it out as you go and following your instincts , which is what Lambert has done since 2000 by
16 hotelsmag . com October 2019