Interview: Auberge Resorts CEO Wants to Give Guests More Control
Skift Take
As consumers become more accustomed to personalizing their shoes, furniture and experiences, it is only logical that they come to expect similar service from high-end hotels. Which brands will be ready to assist them could impact their future.
Editor’s Note: This interview is part of Skift's CEO interview series. This particular series is with hospitality CEOs talking about the Future of the Guest Experience and the evolving expectations and demands of hotel guests. Check out all the interviews as they come out here. Also, enjoy the previous series on the Future of Travel Booking, with online travel CEOs.
Auberge Resorts is a high-end collection of owned and operated hotels located across the U.S. and internationally. Each property is designed to reflect their unique outdoor surroundings, with an emphasis on personalized service and access to unique experience.
Auberge CEO Craig Reid joined the group in January 2014 following a more than 30-year career with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. His primary task is to expand the Auberge collection internationally through the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Africa.
Reid started his hotel career with a four-year apprenticeship that placed him in the hotel kitchen, at the front desk, handling reservations and accounting, setting up room service, and finally getting into management.
“You were learning a craft but it was a rich, rich way to learn," explained Reid in our recent interview.
A hotel collection like Auberge has a different perspective on technology and service than a corporate hotel servicing the same business traveler 200 nights per year. Reid shares his insights and goals in an edited interview below:
Skift: What shifts in guest expectation and demands have you seen in the past couple of years?
Craig Reid: The single biggest thing that we’ve seen post-downturn is people want a greater sense of, what I call, real identity. They want a sincere product and they’re moving away from routine or traditional products. If you were to look at, for example, the top ten hotels that Travel + Leisure or Conde Nast writers historically comment on, it would be big brands. As of late, it’s hotels that are more intimate and bespoke, have a greater sense of personality, and resonate with the environment.
Skift: Have there been any changes in what customers are seeking out or expecting from this breed of more intimate, bespoke hotels?
Reid: Yes, there are a couple of key changes. There’s this idea of being able to have an experience that's catered to the group or the individual. People are becoming more accustomed to having things done their way verse t
