The Westin in Suzhou, China. Photo credit: Gensler
This blog post was originally published in HOTELS Magazine.
I recall a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that seems to resonate with me. He said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”
In other words, if we’re good at what we do (whether that’s designing buildings or operating hotels), we’re first and foremost in the business of knowing—really understanding—people. Or (as the case may be with a growing number of hoteliers thinking about global expansion), knowing people.
Those who reap success in taking their brand overseas realize you can’t simply clone your concept and drop it in a foreign land with the appropriate accommodations made to security (essential in India) and religion (particularly in the Middle East, where hotels must have prayer rooms and signage pointing to Mecca) and sitting/organization (a la feng shui in China). You have to know how to get along with the people there first. You have to understand the culture and weave that sensitivity into your brand, which is something we at Gensler are constantly aware of as we work with clients on their expansion programs in Asia, the Middle East, and South and Central America in particular.
The trick is also the goal: honoring people's unique place in this world and your brand at the same time. Here are five tips for making magic happen:
Make your spa experience feel Indian or Chinese or Peruvian or otherwise typical. Make the bar and restaurant experience offer at least one option for traditional cuisine done really, really well. Make your materials selection as local as possible, and if artisans are plentiful and labor is inexpensive (like in India), by all means infuse that local handiwork into the hotel’s design.
With the spread of social media (and sites like tripadvisor.com), it’s entirely possible for travelers to hop off the “brand wagon” and experience something new at an independent, local hotel with the relative peace of mind of previous guests’ recommendations—which is even more reason why global brands must find something special about the country/region they’re now serving and deliver it with exuberance.
Do they know you in Bangalore? Perhaps the better question is “How well do you know them?”
Tom Ito is a principal in Gensler’s Los Angeles office and a leader in the firm’s global hospitality practice. Tom launched that practice at Gensler with the renovation of The Beverly Hills Hotel in the early 1990s and has since developed it on an international scale with clients throughout Asia, the UK, Middle East and Americas. This is the first in a series of blogs that Tom is contributing on design—and its value. Contact him at tom_ito@gensler.com. |