Luxury hospitality is more about being approachable than aspirational, a guiding principle at Conrad Hotels and Resorts as travel recovers from the pandemic.
Consumers are ready to make good on their travel deficits by seeking out new luxury experiences that are "memorable and meaningful", and hospitality brands which understand "approachable luxury", those who evolve together with guests' needs of today, will be the ones travellers will return to, according to Nils-Arne Schroeder, Global Brand Head, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and VP Luxury & Lifestyle, Asia Pacific at Hilton.
It's not that we don't wish to focus on the hardware, but luxury is delivered more through memories and experiences that guests will never forget.– Nils-Arne Schroeder
"When people start travelling again and deciding on a destination, their choices will be based on how they feel, and what they would like to experience. They want to discover the destination, its people, how the hotel remembers them, what the brand is doing for the community where it operates," explained Schroeder, speaking from recent findings by Conrad.
Approachable luxury is thus about "being comfortable, yourself, and a lifestyle that you'd like to live", a guiding principle that Schroeder sees underpinning luxury travel trends for the next few years.
Nils-Arne Schroeder Global Brand Head, Conrad Hotels & Resorts shares how approachable luxury is all about "being comfortable, yourself, and a lifestyle that you'd like to live". Photo Credit: Natalie Joy Lee
It's time to get personal
In a private chat with TWA, Schroeder also gave another example of how one Conrad hotel invited guests to make ingredients for their own meals, such as making sausages with the butcher and executive chef. The next morning, this guest ate breakfast a happy man, while hearing how everyone enjoyed his production of sausages from the previous day.
"Luxury hotels are built for the long term — not for the pandemic or post-pandemic," said Schroeder. "It's not that we don't wish to concentrate on the hardware, but it is more through memories, like this guest's authentic, memorable and sustainable experience that he will never forget".
It also means a rethink of Conrad's delivery of services and spaces.
While luxury hospitality is often equated to an abundance of space, Conrad's approachable luxury treatment means more than understanding space in the physical sense.
Space could also mean looking after a guest's need for privacy. "If this guest has expressed a desire to be on their own, then we won't ask 20 times 'what can we do for you today?' because this is really about personalisation," said Schroeder.
It also means having the flexibility to offer the space that guests seek, he added. The Conrad Centennial Singapore, for instance, has since December 2021 converted a floor of rooms to offer two-bedroom family suites, which combines an Executive Room and a Centennial Suite.
The wider range of room configurations has enabled the hotel to respond to different guest preferences or requirements, especially as travellers are more likely to blend business and leisure in the wake of the pandemic.
The Conrad Centennial Singapore's newest product combines a room and suite for greater privacy and space.
Shaping a sustainable future
Sustainability is another increasingly important factor for travellers in 2022 and beyond.
"Before, food was flown in from France because of the prestige; now we think it’s not sustainable. Do we really need wagyu beef from Japan to be served in Koh Samui, as opposed to homegrown beef in the hotel's neighbourhood — which story will we remember?"
Conrad has been stepping up sustainable initiatives across its properties in Asia. Enter Conrad Koh Samui's Iris Farm, which was built at the onset of the pandemic as a sustainability project to let guests try their hand at collecting eggs, composting and harvest vegetables. And by 2025, the resort plans is to have its vegetable demands met through the farm.
Another example is Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, which recently reopened after a multi-year renovations. The resort has also rolled out a hydroponics project to promote sustainable farming, its own coral propagation programmes, and a young girls apprenticeship programme to support local youths as well.
Conrad hotels worldwide have replaced plastic amenities with bamboo alternatives, key cards with wooden key cards, and plastic-free breakfasts.
These eco initiatives, if done correctly, could also lead to brand loyalty, as Schroeder believes that guests will remain "with those brands that align with what they believe in".
Ultimately, one of the biggest keys to customer loyalty is a hotel's team, whom Schroeder describes as the "magic" to delivering brand culture and DNA — something that he tries to live out by example.
Recollecting his former days as general manager at Conrad Seoul, Schroeder shared how he stored all 500 of his team members' numbers in his phone so that he could easily reach out to any of them to say, 'Hello, there was a guest comment and I just wanted to congratulate you for that.'
After all, guests remember a hotel for its memorable service, and staff also want to be remembered for their great service too.
"They might be surprised to receive a call from me, but in a positive way!"