Lobby view from the Sound View Hotel in Greenport , New York
PERSONALITIES
Community-powered
HOSPITALITY
EAGLE POINT CO-FOUNDER ERIK WARNER FIRMLY BELIEVES HIS HOTELS CAN HELP MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE . HE URGES HIS CONTEMPORARY TO PLEDGE TO DO THE SAME .
by JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
Call Erik Warner the conscience of the hotel business . While certainly not asking for that title , by any means , the co-founder of investment firm Eagle Point Hotel Partners ( EPHP ) in New York City is very steadfast in his belief that more hotel owners and operators must do much more to make the world a better place . “ I am encouraging all of us to meaningfully connect our guests into our communities and to each other . That ’ s it . Make a pledge ,” he implores .
Never wanting to be defined , Warner nonetheless does fit into the new and growing number of independent developer / operators who focus on being community driven and believe in the greater good the hotel business can provide . And , not surprisingly , he visibly shudders when he considers creating spaces in his hotels for Instagram-able moments because Warner says they are unsustainable – they have no meaning and evaporate into the ether in a matter of seconds . No photo opps for him , please . It is simply and nobly about connecting guests with staff and the local communities for the betterment of humanity .
68 hotelsmag . com September 2022