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The Writers Bar at Raffles Jaipur features rare books lining the pastelblue shelves .
growth , but we are very focused on doing it thoughtfully . A Raffles logo will only go on a hotel if it is truly the right fit for the brand ,” he said .
The capital markets dictate a lot of this , and one way Accor is tackling it is through diversifying its real estate approach through branded residential development alongside the hotel , a component that makes a project much more attractive to an investor . Last year , Accor launched Accor One Living , a platform focused on the design and operation of mixed-use development options . Fairmont currently has 22 residential projects in the pipeline .
One of the hotter development trends that is also a byproduct of the choppy capital markets and higher cost of capital is conversions ; taking over a cash-flowing asset , flipping it to another flag and adding light ( in some cases
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heavier ) CapEx . An example of this is Fairmont Golden Prague in the city ’ s Old Town . The hotel dates to 1974 and operated as an InterContinental hotel up until 2020 when Fairmont took over as manager . It was subsequently closed for a major renovation with a targeted reopening in early 2025 .
DUTY OF CARE If growth is the remit for a hotel company , then staff and service are the essential components that allow for expansion . At the luxury level , peerless , intuitive , bespoke customer service are bedrock traits . Sure , employees can be trained in them , but these qualities are to a high degree innate , inherent and emerge naturally .
Acar said it also comes down to a simple action that is rarely mastered : listening . He describes the power of it in one instance — an encounter between a Raffles customer and
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a staff member , as shared to him by the guest . Raffles properties make chauffeur-driven limousines available for airport transfers . Not surprisingly , the radio is often on and tuned to a music station . On this occasion , the guest commented to his wife how the song being played on the radio was by one of his favorite artists . It was merely an offhanded , throwaway comment to pass the time . The couple checked into the hotel and proceeded with their stay . That evening , upon returning to their room after dinner , a record by the artist had been placed on a table .
“ The guest couldn ’ t believe it , couldn ’ t understand how they knew he liked that musician ,” Acar said . “ He didn ’ t even remember the comment from the car — stunned by the attention to detail .”
It ’ s not always roses . Things don ’ t always go as planned , even at luxury hotels that strive for
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perfection . “ Luxury is defined by how you recover when things go wrong ,” Acar said . In this way , the listening trait gives way to observation . “ Our guests speak to us in so many ways , not all verbal ,” Acar said , stressing the idea of reading guests , picking up on non-verbal cues and not waiting for the negative complaint to come because , as Acar said , it may never materialize .
Consider room service . It ’ s oftentimes seen as a transaction : a guest places an order and the food arrives later . But take a closer look . “ If a guest orders pasta and upon clearing the tray most of the pasta has not been touched , be curious as to why ,” Acar said . “ It ’ s a chance to make it better . Read your guests and learn from every interaction .”
That level of attentiveness , at the highest echelons of luxury hospitality , is what sets hotels apart . It ’ s not the furniture and decor , the food or the flowers , those are table stakes at the luxury level . Creating an indelible , intangible experience is the difference between an okay stay and an extraordinary stay that creates a repeat , loyal guest . Put another way , it ’ s fighting for every inch , to paraphrase Al Pacino ’ s character in “ Any Given Sunday .”
Perhaps it is also the stuff that dreams are made of . “ Delivering our guests things that they didn ’ t even know to dream of . That ’ s the sweet spot ,” Acar said . “ And that ’ s exactly why I enjoy luxury hospitality .”
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September 2024 hotelsmag . com 63 |