Latest / Brand Insiders / Charlotte Weatherall of Corinthia London on Leading From the Heart, the TMT Programme, and What It Really Takes to Run London's Most Central Luxury Hotel

Transcript

Charlotte Weatherall of Corinthia London on Leading From the Heart, the TMT Programme, and What It Really Takes to Run London's Most Central Luxury Hotel · Brand Insiders

• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to another exciting episode of Brand Insiders.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm joined by Charlotte Weatherall, General Manager of the Corinthia London.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Charlotte, how are you?
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm fantastic.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: Excited to be joining you on your birthday.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: What a treat.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're recording on our birthday, and this is uh, you know, my first meeting of the day.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and it's truly an honor to speak to uh somebody who is making London hospitality incredible amidst just a hallmark and a legacy of luxury that exists in London.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's truly an honor to speak with you.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: So to start off with, give us a brief summary of the Corinthia London.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: So Corinthia London is uh a luxury hotel uh located in in Whitehall, so um uh a great part of London, just on the banks of the Thames, um moments away from Trafalgar Square, so right in the centre, what's actually classified as the most central part of London.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: And uh the hotel, a very special place, very cleverly designed by its owners at the time, because there weren't any luxury hotels in this part of London.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: And they realized they needed to create a destination hotel to give people a reason to come to this part of town, maybe slightly differently than at that point.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: People were certainly more familiar with coming to to Mayfair or Knightsbridge or other parts of the city.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: So they created this most wonderful hotel um with with lots of different restaurants and bars, uh a huge spa, um, you know, and and beautiful rooms and suites, and and really put this part of town on the map for luxury hospitality.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh how many years ago was that when it first opened?
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh 15 years ago, just over 15 years ago, and and the company bought um bought the building uh about 18, 19 years ago now.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: So a little a little while, and not too long in in the sort of legacy of of luxury hotels in London.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but a lot has changed over the past 15 years uh in terms of just the expectations from guests, the number of hotels that are in London, and even um, you know, you being down the street now from the the Raffles uh Old War Office.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: So there's there's so much happening.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: But tell us uh now we know about the Corinthia London, tell us about the Corinthia brand overall.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh I mean what makes the brand special is is possibly a little bit what I touched upon.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: It it was founded, um it was founded now in in 1965 by um by a gentleman called Alfred Pizzani Um from Malta, which is where he he originates from.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: He had a restaurant um that was that he managed to stave up and and buy, and the restaurant was a success.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: He then uh got a loan, added some rooms, and that sort of became their first hotel.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: And um, he's just an incredible entrepreneur and a and a hard-working gentleman.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: And so that spirit that I sort of described as somebody who saw had a vision for this part of London and a vision for this building, um, is it's you can see where it came from in the in the roots of the company, um, from his first venture in Malta.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then as this is the flagship hotel and the first true luxury hotel for the for the company um in terms of what he's trying to create.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: And now a little bit about your background.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, this is your first year as general manager of the Corinthian London, correct?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: Correct.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly that.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: So um where were you before?
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: And uh how has that uh career path led you to your vision for this hotel?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: So um originally did a sports degree, no intention of going into hospitality as such, but um but to love to travel, found myself doing doing a uh management trainee program um with with Starwood hotels, and and that was really for me where I fell in love with hospitality.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, looking after people and creating memorable experiences was was fantastic and something that I I love doing.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: I I fell um or sort of moved into commercial in sales and marketing.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: That was where I found my passion.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think the the ability and and something that's really quite unique in hospitality is that through working in sales and marketing in hotels, you you travel the world um visiting clients and um and and other properties, you stay in really quite especially in luxury, you stay in in beautiful places, um, you dine in amazing restaurants, you know, you you get to experience some really quite wonderful things that ordinarily um I I otherwise wouldn't have been able to do, all under this banner of work, um, you know, of being able to call it work and forge these fantastic relationships.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: So that that for me was um was my pathway.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: I just loved sales and marketing.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: I loved, I found it incredibly um exciting and a privilege to be to be doing that.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um moved, spent a little bit of time out in the Middle East in Dubai, um, came back and um uh to Scotland and then moved down to London and um always had the thought I would love to be a general manager, but never was quite sure if I was you know going to be fortunate enough to be given the opportunity or how I would navigate my my way to that to the role.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then yes, you you're right.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: It was just over a year ago um I was given the opportunity with Corinthia, and it's been it's been a lot of what I expected it to be, and uh, and and a whole heap of things that I I maybe hadn't quite foreseen as well.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: So it's been a it's been a wonderful year of a journey.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, uh uh as we anything can anything can happen in hospitality, uh, as they say.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: So uh within your first year, you've obviously had your plan, your milestones leading this team, and now you've mentioned that there may have been some things that come up that are surprises.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: So um perhaps could you say what one of those surprises has been and how you've really used that to propel the hotel even further forward?
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, and maybe if I can sort of share with you, when when when I said that, one of the things that came to my mind was it's it's very easy when you're not ultimately in charge of the hotel to have a very clear view and an opinion on what's what is working well, what's not working so well, what should be done, what should be the vision for the hotel.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: And that's certainly something that for the last you know, at least 10 years of my career, I've I have had a relationship with the general manager where I I've had a very strong opinion of what I thought we were doing well and what what opportunities there were to maybe do things better.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um and and interestingly, uh when you know when I first stepped into the role, everybody kept asking me the question, so what will what will it look like now with Charlotte at the you know at least the hotel and um what's your vision for the hotel?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: And it's amazing how when you're actually given that responsibility, how much more challenging it is to articulate what what that becomes very easy to critique what somebody else is doing when it rests on your desk, it's it's a little bit more challenging.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I think to your what surprised me was how personally you take things.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and and that can be, you know, because all of a sudden there's nobody else that you can look to to say, well, only if he or she had been more focused on this, or it's because you know that we haven't invested enough in technology or we haven't invested enough in the culture of the uh of the organization.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: So it's very easy to to critique.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um and and then when you start to get reviews and feedback from guests and guest comments and colleagues who share their opinion, um at the beginning, you know, I found myself sort of taking things quite personally because ultimately there's nobody else I can deflect to that comment to.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's I it's ultimately my responsibility.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: So um I think I think positively I've I've I've very much listened um for and um and maybe having somebody who takes things quite personally and invests that time in listening to people at the beginning to help shape the direction you do want to move things in is uh is a good thing.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'd like to think.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: It it speaks to uh something I've found as observed from hearing it from many other hoteliers, this idea of personal responsibility.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: And it really goes back to the leading from the heart.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um I remember one instance I was walking the hall with a general manager, and he literally saw across the entire lobby a piece of garbage that was left there.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: And he walked across all the way because no one, everyone else was busy, to take that and and dispose of that.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, that little example and drawing back to what you said about leading from the heart, this personal responsibility, it really is something that drives all the best hotels around the world.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's a almost a universal truth of hospitality.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: I think you you have to care.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, in a in a people business, you have to, and and if you want to deliver great, great service and a great experience, I guess you at the heart of things, you have to care about what you're doing.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um and but but the responsibility for that care definitely becomes more when when you're the ultimate person in charge.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And um looking ahead now, you have your vision.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, hotels are innovative in so many different ways.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: So tell us, tell us about your vision.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: What's what's ahead for Corinthia London?
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: What's ahead for Corinthia the brand?
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I so I mean for for us here as a as a hotel, we're at a real uh a very exciting time where 15 years on, the company and and myself recognizes the necessity to to invest in the hotel.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um London, you you highlighted it.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: London's a very competitive market, lots of new luxury hotels are opening, and so there is a need for um evolution and investment.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so what's quite exciting about this time right now is that we're investing in in refurbishing and and areas and also bringing new concepts um to the hotel that perhaps well that weren't there before.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: So um so that's very exciting uh for us.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um but as well, we're really trying to hone in on culture and and how can we achieve um what we want to achieve at the hotel whilst also creating an environment for people that really excites them to come into work and where they feel um seen, valued, cared for, um, so that we can deliver commercial success, but also have a hotel full of happy and unengaged colleagues as well at the same time.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_01: So I'd say those those things for us feel like our priority at the moment.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think that um we all sort of tacitly understand the need for culture in a lot of ways.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but another observation I have about luxury hospitality is that the best experience always comes down to the relationship between the team, managers or associate, and the guests in terms of being personally looked after as a luxury guest.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm wondering how do you enact change at the cultural level, which is difficult to change, in order to then guide that that foundational principle of hospitality?
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think I think twofold.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: One one is by by recruiting people and by recruiting people with the values that you're hoping others um will demonstrate and demonstrating that behaviour yourself that you're hoping to see in others.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um so the sort of softer side of things, let me say, just you know, do you have the right people and are you are you demonstrating the values yourself and as a leadership team that you're hoping to encourage in others?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um actually on a tangible side, we've we've also brought um, you know, we have an initiative that we brought in called Thoughtful Magical Touches.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: So we refer to them as TMTs here.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: And um we created a program whereby any colleague, um, if they wish to deliver a TMT for a guest, can have up to 200 pounds that they can go and and either claim back or or um go and ask for petty cash to go and buy.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: And it can just be an on-the-spot gesture that they don't need to explain, they need to to give a receipt, but they don't need to explain what it is they want to do, they don't need to seek permission to do it.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um and the the expectation is though that they've engaged with a with a guest, um, they've had a conversation, they and they have identified something that they think would be a thoughtful, magical touch for that person, and a sort of moment of surprise and and delight, and then they can go buy it, activate it, and um, and do that and then and then claim the money back.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: So it's the how we're demonstrating the the values, but also how we're giving people the tools to be able to go and and create these special moments for people.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean that's that's an incredible program, the TMTs.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: I I love hearing that because it comes down to that on-the-spot personalization.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: You uh somebody may overhear something and or trying to create a special moment around a birthday anniversary business traveler who's a VIP, someone who's a VIP, and you them being empowered to go out of their way right on the spot as quickly as possible to make that happen.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's beautiful.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: And and you know, you often you you mention, you know, sometimes for VIPs.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think in hotels and in luxury hospitality, we're we're quite used to thinking about how do we do special, extra special things for VIPs and how do we do, you know, how do we give extra touches, let's say, and sort of and and special moments for guests staying in suites and penthouses.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: And but actually, uh one of the things that I love about this is that there that you can have a corporate client who's staying on what in essence is a discounted, a discounted rate.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so proportionately 200 pounds can actually be quite a significant amount of money, and it's it in relation to how much money that guest is paying.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it can be a one-night stay, it doesn't, and actually it's just about doing a gesture for somebody who's that's going to be appreciated.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I think to me, that's that's part of the beauty of it is that we're dispelling the math uh the myth that things can only be for VIPs or for sweet guests, or it's actually just do something wonderful for somebody, and how does that make you feel?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: But how does it make the guests feel?
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, you you mention uh corporate guests that, you know, uh maybe are negotiated uh, you know, through a bank.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a very reasonable rate.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: But those guests also tell their friends, they also come back as leisure guests with their family, with their with their spouses, and it creates this virtuous circle.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: Great point.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely great point.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: So um, we've touched on culture.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about the building itself uh and a lot of the programs you're running, because you've mentioned you're launching new concepts and there is a lot happening in the within these four walls.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um so the first point I want to touch on is this idea of stewardship.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: The hotel opened 15 years ago, but the building itself, uh, I believe it was 1885 is when it was first finished.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: You're innovating, but you have this responsibility to also preserve the heritage.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: So, how do you find that balance between preserving what was in the and the proud history of being in the center of London with trying out new concepts and and being experimental?
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, uh for for us, the really where that comes in is in preserving the architecture of the building itself.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um and um and actually we have quite a significant uh freedom within our four walls, but but what but what we are incredibly respectful of and and careful with is is the exterior.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um and and also actually from a from a purely um uh you know from our our council's perspective, we're we're also mandated to be very careful with with what we do to the building itself on the on the exterior.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: So um so for us with Inside, I if I'm if I'm being honest with you, it's not necessarily about retaining the heritage of a building that's you know incredibly old and and the history of of what's happened um over the course of that time.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_01: We're probably a little bit more focused on what is the experience that we want a guest to receive.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: What is it about uh coming to Corinthia London that you should feel and experience and see?
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: And and is what's on the inside of the building intrinsic to that rather than you know, the history and heritage and architecture of the building itself?
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: And putting that all together, uh now the hotel has two Michelin keys.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, what aside from everything we've talked about, what else do you think contributes to that that prestige, that honor?
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I mean, I think I think fundamentally in in luxury hospitality, the the product has to be great.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: And um and we we put a lot of thought and time and effort, you know, and and financial investment into making sure that the the product um stands up when you're visiting the hotel uh as one of the best hotels that you will stay in in the world.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um so that's that's everything from you know stunning.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: We have seven penthouses uh at the top of the hotel, which really are I I haven't been with anybody that hasn't walked into one of those penthouses and sort of been blown away by how well designed they are and and the views that you have over the rooftops of London, you know, they're spectacular.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but equally the rooms and the suites and what's offered in in those spaces, but then in the hotel itself, is it's it's been very, you know, we think very carefully about what concepts we have within the space to ensure a breadth of offering.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: So we have uh we have a partner chef called Francesco Mazzei, who's a um a wonderful chef from Calabria in the south of Italy, um, and we've created a restaurant called Mezzogiorno, and it's just got the most, it's it's beautiful as a restaurant to dine in, but it just has the most fantastic food, Italian food that again you go in and you sort of have an intention to have a light lunch, and before you know it, you've you've sort of eaten three different types of pasta and a whole load more.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: We have a great partner, a partnership with another chef called Tom Carrige, and that's but that's we have a very different energy in that space, very different music, very different decor, and his food is all about celebrating fantastic British ingredients and the flavours and the way it's cooked and the way it's presented, very different from the Italian space.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: So every space as you move around the hotel um has been curated to give people a very different experience.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I say, you know, there's no way you're going to come to London and not go and explore the city, but the reality is you don't need to.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: You you would be very happy for a for a three, four, five-night stay, never dining out anywhere else in the hotel and still having unique experiences in every in every meal period and having a great spa experience.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: So for us, I think that's that's something that really is is quite special about the hotel.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Well, uh, I I love that you mentioned the spa because that was my next question, because the spa is universally recognized as one of the best in the world, not just an urban luxury hotel best, but the best in the world.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe it's four stories, is it?
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: It is, yes.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh Do you do you want me to tell you a little bit?
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: So it and you're you're absolutely correct.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: The number of people who I I meet, and if I say, you know, I'm I I work at the Corinthia London, the first thing they'll say to me is, Oh, you've got an amazing spa.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so so again, I I always go back to our owners and the vision that they had when they when they built the hotel.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: Very clever that you know, you sort of gave so much space, which did feel like a luxury at that time to to dedicate so many square meters to a to a spa space.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: But actually, the the power that that gave the hotel in terms of attracting people and uh creating this brand was was very cleverly done.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um so over four floors, we we actually um launched our own spa concept in January this year.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: So it's called Biome, and Biome.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: For us, a little bit like a sort of gut biome, but biome in a sense of a place where um where where things can thrive.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: So what we're trying to do is to bring together uh a number of different pillars of well-being, all under one umbrella, which is biome, and it's a space where people can come and thrive.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's rooted back in in uh what we class as um creating primal luxury.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_01: So a lot of the sort of origins of well-being, so focusing on circadian rhythms, breath work, contrast therapies, nutrition, and and going back to Whole Foods and eating well and um uh slightly more plant-based.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: So for so for us, the philosophies are you know around movement, good sleep is what the spa embraces.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um and functionally, again, an amazing gym.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we we have lots of professional sports people who choose to stay with us because the fitness facilities are fantastic, but equally you can come for a quite transformational spa experience where it's not a massage.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're spoken to, you're held in a space which really gives you a very special experience.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what that's what we try and create there.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: Well, uh, I like that you mentioned not just a massage because we're seeing this very large shift from spa into wellness, longevity, recovery, leisure as a rebirth, and uh the amenities that you put into the spa really speak to this from a commercial level in terms of, as you said, drawing in a very particular customer segment.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: That is, athletes are choosing uh your hotel versus others when they come to London.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I also imagine it plays out in other commercial aspects, like it's a prominent reason for extending one's stay or uh booking longer because they can explore the city or they take meetings around town, but then they can stay another full day and just have a spa day within the city and not having to take a spa break out uh out to the countryside.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I th I think as well, the guest who has because you're absolutely right.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think I think if you look at wellness trends and the focus that there is at the moment on longevity and health span over lifespan, it's it's quite hard to ignore that.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think if you if you've got any interest in your own personal well-being and you you read and try and understand some of the uh some of what's written about about those subjects, it's hard not to almost buy into the validity of of what's been spoken about.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so we see that in our guests, you know, our guests are very sort of well-read people and interested in these subjects.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: And what we find is they have quite uh that they follow these uh routines and practices um and and habits at home.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: And what they don't want to do is when they're traveling, is to s completely sacrifice and lose the momentum that they've created by by coming into an environment which, you know, and again, historically in luxury, was all about opulence that didn't necessarily um align with a with a with a uh the the philosophies of longevity and health span.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: So for us, it's all of the things that you mentioned, but it's it's creating an environment where guests who come and stay with us can continue seamlessly their habits from home into their space with us.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um so and an example of how we put that into practice is we have coaches within our fitness space.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: And for example, your PT could send that you know their program to our coaches within the fitness facility and we'll help people, you know, remain on program.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, diets and nutrition, you know, we have some guests who will travel with their own chefs and will allow chefs to come into our kitchen spaces if they're if they're preparing food specifically for certain guests, um, or just work with their preferences in the room.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: Some people want all temptation removed, they want all sugar removed, they want all alcohol removed, and um, you know, and actually they want these replaced with other items that they're used to having.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_01: So it can show up in a number of different ways, but we definitely recognize that that's that's something now that people are wanting.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, I um there's a lot to pull out from what you said.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: I love that you said momentum about this whole idea of staying healthy while traveling and health is the new wealth, uh, all these buzz terms that are emerging that that you're observing day in, day out from guests coming in and wanting to have access to this amazing wellness center uh that can then allow them whichever modality they have at home, uh, fitness, personalized nutrition, et cetera.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um for all of these various personalized touch points, one of the key things is also that you remember it for the next time they visit and it they have momentum across multi-stay.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that way you really are building these relationships and customers for life.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, how do you how does your team make that happen between a mix of teams, uh, culture to remember and value what you remember about guests, and then of course the technology to power all this, whether it's a CRM or another piece.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_00: How do you make that happen?
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I guess the sort of future forward response is to is is to say that yes, we have a CRM system that captures guest guest preferences and profiles.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: But honestly, I think that's where lend of service comes in because um I one of the things that I I'm very proud of is that um, you know, we have 279 bedrooms, so so uh a significant number of people who pass through our doors um, you know, every day, especially when you consider in all the restaurants and the bars and everything else.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: The the level of conversation we have around guests in-house, yes, there's CRM systems and and so much information is recorded.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we have butlers logs and we have um, you know, guest profiling, and we have restaurant logs, and so lots of information is captured.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: But the reality is that so much comes from people's recollection of interactions with guests that cannot always be captured by um, you know, in in a system in a way that it's in intended.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then that's where the culture piece comes in that actually through colleagues feeling engaged but also very, very valued and seen, that they feel very comfortable to share the interactions that they've had with guests and what and what they might not always appreciate is a great nugget of information.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, somebody else can pick up and say, actually, I think we can do something with that that's that's worth retaining for a future time.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: So I I should, I feel like I should tell you we've got some amazing fancy technological AI-driven system.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_01: But the reality is we're we here on the ground, very people-oriented um still.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of it is is retained in in people's heads.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_00: And and that goes back to your earlier point about the culture and these magic moments where you have this 200-pound um discretionary uh fund where somebody can mix together a restaurant, wellness, see what can what can happen, then has this gut feel about uh how to act upon that golden nugget and create and build momentum within these magic moments.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: So um all this said is this is absolutely incredible what you're doing.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but now uh we have to take it into the context of London, where London itself is a highly competitive market for luxury.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I imagine that there are some hotels that are also trying to pull off what you're also pulling off.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: So tell us about how Corinthia works with the rest of the luxury market there in terms of comp set analysis, positioning, uh, distribution, um, sales negotiations, whatever you'd like to touch upon.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um you're you're right.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I you know, my job and our jobs here would would certainly be a lot easier if you know half the half the luxury London hotel was to close tomorrow.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: That would make things certainly a lot easier.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_01: And um not not so much that we uh we're obviously aware of what the other hotels are are doing and um and are very interested in that, um, but um, you know, we we we do talk about how we can innovate, be it more creatively um or in a more unique way, or um in in a way that will um engage our guests perhaps better.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's something that we're aware of, and when we're having conversations, creative innovative conversations here about new products we want to bring to the market, we we will always do that with a view of what is currently in in our competitor hotels um and and try in some ways and be smarter, quicker, more creative, you know, um and and do it in a different way.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think that uh here at the hotel um we typically out um uh outperform in in a couple of different segments from sort of what we would class as our primary comp set, which are the other luxury London hotels that I'm sure you can imagine, names like Claridges and Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons on Park Lane, the Dorchester.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: So if you take that sort of prime primary comp set for us, um we we typically will perform either better um in a lot of cases on on US Canadian uh leisure business for us.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: So that's sort of consortia leisure um and and also with entertainment.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's I think it's quite um good from a strategic point of view is that yes, everybody within the the actual product itself, how are you differentiating yourself and what are you offering guests that's maybe different than they're going to get somewhere somewhere else?
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_01: So that for for somebody selling the hotel, they can say, well, look, if you're a family, Corinthia's perfect because of X, Y, and Z.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_01: But but also it's it's quite good to try and own a couple of segments of the market.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we do that by having really great salespeople.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yes, having the product for them, but having really great salespeople, we spend a lot of time traveling to see those clients.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_01: We spend a lot of time trying to ensure that we're innovating what we're offering to those clients.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's I again sort of I'd say two prong.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: One, do we have, are we innovating from a product point of view and differentiating?
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_01: But also, are we choosing who we are targeting and looking after?
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_01: And rather than spreading ourselves and trying to go after everybody, who do we know we're really good for?
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_01: And where do we have that relationship and how can we um, you know, sort of almost double double down on those markets?
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and um, you know, it's it's always good to comp set and and now you're doubling, you're doubling down, you're reinforcing relationships.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but everything obviously is changing.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: There's things are moving fast, there's geopolitical whatever's happening, uh, and also this whole idea of moving from key segments, uh, whether it's consortia, leisure, uh, business travel, and so on, into these whole idea of micro-segments and travelers really being identified not just by demographic, but interest groups, behaviors, psychographics, all these various uh different techniques of finding those exact niches and filling it all out.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_00: So looking ahead to the future of travel, how are you anticipating future trends and then molding those into your vision for the property so that way you can meet the future trends of travelers uh wellness or otherwise?
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's a it's a very good question because it's um because you're you're you've hit exactly uh what we talk about and what we're doing, which is we set about diversification.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_01: So this is what we know we're doing well, but what's what's going to be the next segment or um geo source that maybe um you know is is going to become like for us, you know, North America and and Canada and um and entertainment.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's typically uh again a couple of different factors.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_01: We we'll consider more broadly um you know what what are travel, what are the travel trends?
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know what what are we reading about, what are we hearing in terms of markets that are starting to move and and travel more freely?
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but also, you know, yes, are there any um of our comp set hotels that where where I've just said to you, you know, uh this consortia business we do well in and entertainment we do well in, is there something that's that's already going into our comp set that we don't have our fair share of?
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_01: So actually, is that appropriate for us to sort of target?
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_01: So external, what's going into our comp set?
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: And then where are we starting to see movement and increases in numbers within our own guest demographic?
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, I I often I often think to talk of Asia, it's such a huge market that it's too broad.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: So for us specifically, um, you know, Singapore, um, Shanghai, and Beijing are destinations where we're seeing more travel from.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_01: So very, you know, to share very um transparently, they're new markets that we're starting to um go after.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: And that looks like for us, okay, how do we get a representation agency?
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_01: What more PR can we do?
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: How can we move our digital spend in that area?
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that you know, have we translated our websites appropriately?
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_01: Do we have translated sales materials and moving um from a guest relations point of view?
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_01: Do we have Mandarin Cantonese speakers?
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_01: Do we have the appropriate breakfast, you know, uh uh menu items, in-room dining items?
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: So there's again a whole holistic, and then and then we also travel to the to the market.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_01: So so that's that's how we um approach that.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_01: But you're absolutely right that alongside our established markets, we're also saying, okay, well, what what could the future be?
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_01: And how do we secure that if this doesn't come for any reason, what are who's going to replace it?
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, I I I I really like that you mentioned uh the combination of digital strategy and then also looking at the product to say, well, do we have the appropriate breakfast?
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_00: Because my follow-up to that pertains to AI search visibility.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_00: And somewhere in Singapore right now, somebody is searching, saying, uh, on Claude, on ChatGPT, wherever, searching saying, I have to go to London for business on these dates.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm looking for a luxury hotel, and I want to make sure that there's kanji downstairs to have a wholesome breakfast because I don't want to deal with those uh other breakfasts.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_00: What do you have for me?
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_00: And therein, with that as a preface, the question is um, what what are your thoughts on AI search visibility overall and helping to make sure that Corinthia is cited for all of these various, very narrow search search terms that are coming about?
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we we have we have um you know uh colleagues who work with us in digital marketing and and in CHL and we work with agencies and honestly we we sort of take their expertise and their guides.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_01: But what what they say to us is consistency of information, um, you know, because it because again, that conversation has evolved hugely from even even a year ago, two years ago, AI search was was not really something that we spoke about too much.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but now I don't really personally, I I feel like I don't get served up any other um, you know, uh information on my own searches other than AI search.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: And and it's certainly the way that I personally look for information now.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, I think consistency of information I'm um I believe is is something that's really important.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_01: So think uh and things that we might not necessarily even appreciate, consistency of and and how much this changes within hotels, um things like um, thank you, um, things like the uh opening times for restaurants, so opening and closing times for restaurants, especially in hotels, things things like that can vary as we change with business needs and seasonality, and but you you know, so so I've been led to believe if you have inconsistent information listed on opening and closing times, it won't pull through into AI searches for certain spaces because they'll go with something that's more consistent and and reliable.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really understanding how they are working, where are they pulling their information from?
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_01: That changes very frequently as well.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_01: And what is pulled through from chat forums the last month now can be, you know, a diff different search um criteria.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_01: This again, so it's so it's changing.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's understanding, it's knowledge of how are they working, how is our information listed, and and how can we try and and develop to keep up.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_01: But but again, we we had, you know, at right back at the beginning, it was a luxury to have one marketing executive within a hotel.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_01: And and now, you know, when I when I started from being a sales and marketing um director, and now when you look, you know, we are definitely investing and having more people within marketing, even in property, single properties, the expertise of those people is is greater.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um so now you have directors of marketing, directors of digital, um, you know, and subsequent levels underneath.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I think it's just how it's evolving.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh you you touch on just updating the hours of operation.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_00: And you update your website, then you have to update your Google business page and social media, uh, try and get the Reddit form scrubbed whichever way, then OTA's meta search, uh, travel agencies, it all has to be consistent.
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that comes down to yes, technology, yes, process, but underpinning processes, as you said, it's culture.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's wanting to make sure that that information is consistent to help the hotel so that way the best guests can find you.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_01: And and when you say about uh culture, you know, I are you recruiting people with uh with humble people willing to put their hands up to say, actually I don't know.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_01: When when something in the digital space is moving so quickly, it's impossible to know everything.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_01: So do you have you have humble enough people to accept actually I don't know everything, and who are curious enough to want to learn, um, you know, and I I really encourage people to sort of say, I I don't know something, I don't understand something.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: And because I think it's almost, it's really very I I would almost question somebody who who tells me they do know everything about digital strategy right now.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's moving so fast.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh it's moving almost too fast for humans.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, yeah.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_01: The the news at the moment, I think we're we're gonna be taken over by uh in 10 years' time.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, uh, I still believe that humans are the future, but uh that's just me.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we have these technologies to help us out, but hospitality at the very least always comes down to human-to-human relationships.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_00: Always is.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_01: Great.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_00: So with that, uh, to close out our time together, um, is there anything else that we haven't touched upon for Corinthia London, Corinthia the brand, or anything else that just gets you excited about the future?
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think maybe the only thing we haven't spoken about is the growth of the brand.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I think one of the things that excites colleagues here, but also at a brand level, is that um, you know, the brand is growing.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_01: So in in the last couple of years, we've we've opened up hotels in New York, there's the Surrey in New York, we've opened up in Brussels, um, we've we've opened in Rome, and we have a really exciting pipeline of growth moving forwards.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I think what it means for us is, of course, as we grow, it it allows that commercially we we're able to invest more on technology and commercially, which is exciting for people to get involved in that.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_01: It gives people career progression that actually they can see a future for themselves beyond sort of one or two hotels.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I think for for colleagues here coming from what is the flagship hotel, um, you know, their ability to be able to share, share their experience in in new openings is something that is is exciting, both for our colleagues here, but also for us as a as a company.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then for guests as well, who you know, they maybe loved their experience in London, but had to move to an alternative brand in an in another city like Rome.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's really exciting for us to be able to say, actually, you know, you can you can stay in in two of our hotels in two key cities.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_01: And as we open more hotels, even better we can grow these really brand loyal um clients and guests.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's just something that's that's very exciting for us that we've maybe not not touched upon.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it creates this synergy of all the hotels and people may come to discover new properties and want to go to those cities uh because the Corinthia is now there from the traveler side.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_00: From uh I love that you touched on the cultural side, which is that uh, you know, people like yourself, they may start in another city, then come to London, then go to Rome, go to Brussels, and it allows them this key advantage of the travel industry is it's global.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_00: You are not set in one city.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_00: You can explore, you can, you can uh sow your roots somewhere else.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_01: And that's ultimately what travel's all about and hospitality.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_00: Charlotte, it's been a fantastic conversation.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_00: I can't thank you enough for coming on the show to talk about uh your beautiful property in London as well as the Corinthia brand overall.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_01: I've loved the conversation, and again, thank you for your time on such a special day.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for uh the delightful birthday conversation.
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_01: All the best.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Charlotte.