Luxury faces
By Katherine Doggrell , Co-founder at NewDog PR
CHANGE IN EUROPE
The European branch of the ILHA was unable to hold an event in person but found that enthusiasm for online discussions hadn ’ t waned . Staffing , the digital experience and ESG concerns were front of mind for attendees , as the impact of the pandemic started to wane .
A common agreement across the different panels was that the events of the past two years had not generated any new trends , but rather accelerated those already in place and forced hotels to address them sooner than they otherwise might have done .
One issue which has been on the rise around the world was the staffing shortage , accelerated in many countries during the pandemic as team members moved to other sectors .
In Own and away ? Will investors seek to be closer to assets postpandemic ?, Justin Lanzkron , Business Development Director , Kew Green Hotels , said : “ There was an issue in hospitality before any of this happened . People were fed up with the hours and the pay and various other issues . [ In the UK ] Brexit was a cause to a small degree , and Covid just was a catalyst . What would have taken two or three years happened in two or three months .
“ We have to , as an industry , ask ourselves questions about where do we go from here ? We have to think about flexibility for our staff . We have to think about training , better pay , better future career prospects . How people can fit their families and their life into working in hospitality . We need to take a big picture look and make changes .”
For Will Laxton , CEO , McTaggart Family & Partners , pay and conditions were a point of differentiation for the group . He said : “ We topped up the payroll above furlough [ the UK pay support scheme ], to show people that we felt they were very valued and that we understood that the situation that they were in was very volatile and frustrating .
“ And , being candid , there ' s a commercial agenda and that decision has bred a sense of loyalty , and that we ' re a real team of people embracing the challenges that we all face together .”
The staffing issue was more relevant to the luxury segment than any other , with guests expecting , as Laxton noted , the human touch , commenting : “ There is no substitute for human contact ”.
One method of addressing smaller team sizes was technology , something the luxury segment has previously resisted .
Speaking on Wing men : How owners and asset managers work together , Julian Anthony , VP Asset MGT , Dorchester Collection , said : “ Front of house innovation in the hospitality industry has largely been driven by the select-service sector . And that has seen acceptance by its clientele , so things like keyless check-in front office , front desk kiosks , automated F & B systems , have been trending . However , the typical luxury guest is not so accepting of these automated service options .
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