An Unconventional Approach to High-End Hospitality

Conventional wisdom can hinder as well as help. This is especially true if you want to craft something out of the ordinary.

As Skift contributor Colin Nagy notes in his piece on first-time hoteliers, rookies are able to “harness a combination of naivete, the cross-pollination of thinking from outside the industry, as well as dashes of verve and sensibility.”

It doesn’t always work, but when you’re operating at the luxury end of the market, sometimes it pays to think differently.

For feedback or news tips, reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet me @paddywhyte.

— Patrick Whyte, Europe Editor

5 Looks at Luxury

What Luxury Hospitality Can Learn From These First-Time Hoteliers: Ambitious first-time hoteliers are forging some of the most intriguing hospitality experiences. The power of the beginner’s imagination combined with knowledge and passion from other industries is adding up to exactly what the most jaded travelers want.

The Man Who Puts the Sparkle in the Baccarat Hotel: When your brand is all about high-quality, custom-crafted crystal, you’d better be sure that the message shines throughout any product extensions. To uphold and safeguard Baccarat’s identity, enter the glass attendant.

The Hotels Paradox: Keeping Tech Cutting-Edge But Simple: Hotel chains are always in search of the next big thing in innovation or loyalty that will give them an edge over the competition. But in discussions with industry professionals at the NYU Hospitality Conference last week, it seems most would be willing to settle for reliable Wi-Fi and USB ports in rooms. Maybe simple is better?

Japan Wants Its Tourism Revenues to Match Increasing Visitor Numbers: Japan wants to attract more luxury travelers. That sounds rich, considering a Japan holiday is for most people a luxury trip. But having more arrivals without a corresponding increase in tourism dollars is indeed vexing — just ask Singapore — and Japan is right in trying to redress it.

Gym Chains Want to Expand Beyond Fitness: If workout centers want to reach more customers, staying in the fitness lane may not cut it anymore. Instead forward-thinking athletic clubs are elevating themselves into full-fledged lifestyle brands.

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Skift Europe Editor Patrick Whyte [[email protected]] curates the New Luxury newsletter. Skift emails the newsletter every Tuesday.

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