Luxury Hospitality

What does luxury mean to you?

To my mind, a luxury experience is defined by the intangibles. Where any guest at your establishment (Hotel, Airbnb, Restaurant etc.) feels that they are the centre of attention. Luxury hospitality is predicated on empathy and anticipation. Many of these intangibles start with the hotel staff who are able to anticipate and read guests’ emotions, which is imperative as you never know what “type of day” the guest had before they entered your business. Luxury hotel staff are intuitive to guests’ needs and go out of their way to help and surprise with their knowledge of your likes and dislikes. For example, Baccarat New York has a fabulous tea service, Aman Hotel in Marrakesh is known for making you feel like you are the only guests at the resort, or being spoiled at the relaxed Esencia resort in Mexico. 

All of these things take an immense amount of effort and moving parts to prepare for a guests arrival. You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, enhance with subtle touches as they never go unnoticed in this competitive environment. For example, a few subtle, but key components to a hotel room — Nespresso coffee machine, in-room iPads, under floor warming, brand name toiletries, steam free mirrors, and even a simple welcome note from the manager go a long way in customer happiness.

When you love service and hospitality, it is reflected in the warmth and professionalism of the staff (and brand) of the hotel. The end goal for a luxury hotelier would be to enhance and make life easier for their guests.