ceiling heights , fireplaces , etc ., and to deliver this in a New York context with the current state of affairs was extraordinary challenging … It ’ s one of those challenges which we will remember forever . The takeaway is that you must stay calm and always tell people that within six to eight months we ’ ll only remember the good stuff . But this has been a challenge on so many levels that you don ’ t want to do too often in your career … It will be a marker for all our careers .
Rendering of a villa corner terrace at Aman Beverly Hills
have an opportunity to place this property very quickly at the top of the market . The smallest room is 70-plus square meters , 730 square feet , literally competing against the suites . If you look at the occupancy levels today in New York and over the last few months – recovering very quickly – I ’ m cautiously optimistic that we won ’ t be that far off of what we initially forecasted .
H : What ADR do you think you ’ re going to get in New York ? RF : I need to get US $ 2,500 . That ’ d be another minimum . If I get it right , I can even go a little bit higher .
H : What is Aman ’ s forecast for revenue growth ? RF : As a total brand , we ’ ll be ahead of 2019 numbers , which was our best year in history . In 10 to 15 of our hotels , we are reaching new heights around rates with little resistance , which has been extraordinary . I think that trend will continue for a little bit , but we need to be careful
and really focus on the value proposition , so guests feel that we deliver against those rates .
The challenge is still Japan ’ s recovery – Tokyo . I still have challenges in Indonesia , where one hotel works well and the other three are really challenging … I think once Tokyo swings back and our Bhutan property reopens , we ’ re going to have a strong second half of this year . Then , in New York , I ’ m cautiously optimistic that as of September we will have four very , very strong months to really give us the momentum in 2023 to clearly position ourselves at the top of the New York market .
H : Can you share one or two of your biggest learns from the New York project ? RF : The takeaway is that I couldn ’ t have done this alone . It is crucial to bring together a cohesive , aligned team . To transform a building like the Crown Building to Aman standards , which implies certain
H : On a more global scale , are you tweaking your service delivery or adjusting amenities ? RF : We recognize the change of multi-generational travel ; we understand that lead times are much shorter ; and people want to have more space . Therefore , our villa product has gone through the roof . Even the tents at Amangiri have been a huge success … Wellness , where we can perpetually evolve , we are moving from being reactive to much more proactive in bringing in more technology to help guests stay healthy from the morning through the evening … You must have agility and creativity as the market changes . But I also believe some of this is just organic . And Aman products are actually becoming more relevant today than ever .
H : What has surprised you this year ? RF : I did not anticipate that we ’ d come back so quickly – that was surprising in a good way . The challenges around talent – I thought it was temporary , but I think we ’ re going to be in this for a long time before we restimulate an entire generation of talent to come into this business .
54 hotelsmag . com September 2022