At the best hotels, the new luxury is the old luxury: service.
In the post-recession world, high-end hoteliers’ investments are shifting away from fancy freebies like lotion and soap and toward expert service that reflects a real understanding of the guest’s preferences, executives told the Reuters Global Luxury and Fashion Summit this week.
“There was a time when you couldn’t go into a luxury hotel room without walking into the bathroom and being bewildered by the amenities ... on the sink,” said Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc (BEE.N) Chief Executive Officer Laurence Geller.
The recession caused the company to take a much closer look at what it offered in each room, deciding what current items guests would not miss and which additional ones they would pay for.
“Amenities don’t impress,” said Geller, whose company owns and manages luxury hotels under the Four Seasons, Intercontinental and other brands. “What comes down to it every time is service.”
Societe des Bains de Mer (BAIN.PA), which runs four hotels and five casinos in the flashy principality of Monaco, is training staffers to recognize customers so they can greet them personally.
“It’s a smile at reception, calling the guest by their name, serving breakfast on time, not making any mistakes with the bill,” SBM Chief Executive Bernard Lambert told the Paris leg of the summit.
“It’s about getting to know and then remembering your customers,” he added. “Guests want to be recognized.”
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