SPOTLIGHT
We caught up with our INSPIRE ‘19
emcee Jaclyn Riley, a
hospitality brand marketing and
communications consultant who
launched Kimpton Hotels &
Restaurants internationally after
overseeing all communications for
the hotels and resorts in the Eastern
U.S. and the Caribbean.
YOU LAUNCHED KIMPTON HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
INTERNATIONALLY FOLLOWING ITS ACQUISITION BY IHG. WHAT
PERSPECTIVE WOULD YOU SHARE WITH OTHER BRANDS THAT
ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THE CONSOLIDATION TRENDS IN THE
INDUSTRY?
I’ve given this a lot of thought, taking what I learned
from launching Kimpton outside the U.S. and
comparing notes with experts ranging from owners
and developers to private equity investors and
innovation strategists. The strategic challenge with
consolidation is that smaller luxury brands tend be
highly curated and experiential – the “cool kids,”
really – whereas most global hospitality companies are
driven by standardization and system size. The key to
success for the parent company is to empower leaders
who understand both the growth model and the cool
kids’ mentality. You have to be unflinching in defining
and protecting what makes your brand memorable –
and then you have to find the best tools, systems and
strategies to deliver that brand DNA at scale.
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