Over the past few years, the major hotel
chains have made news introducing high-speed Internet access into
guest rooms and pulling the covers off new, comfy beds.
Big news for the
big chains, but oh, so very been there, done that to hoteliers like
Tom LaTour. Give me a break, he said. What took them so
long?
Every so often, I
like to chat with LaTour, who is president and CEO of Kimpton
Hotels, a collection of 38 cutting-edge boutique hotels.
Founded in 1981,
the San Francisco-based chain is slated to open its newest
property, the Hotel Solamar, this April in San Diego.
Kimpton may not
have the reach of major hotels, but being a relatively small,
privately held company gives it the flexibility to take advantage
of trends faster than its larger competitors.
Kimpton has had
misfires. For instance, the company is still trying to figure out
how to market itself as a lifestyle hotel brand. Still, it has
spurred a trend or two of its own along the way.
Rooms at certain
properties are geared specifically to tall guests (beds are extra
long and ceilings and bathroom showerheads are higher) and guests
staying at its Hotel Monaco properties can order a pet goldfish to
keep them company during their stays.
And as for comfy
beds, Kimpton Hotels has had them for more than 20
years.
We saw it as a
competitive advantage in our marketing [years ago], LaTour
said.
LaTour couldnt
resist taking a dig at Marriott, which recently rolled out an
extensive program to upgrade its bedding across all
brands.
Marriott finally
said their beds were lousy and we ought to modernize, LaTour said.
Isnt that amazing?
LaTour is a big fan
of Barry Sternlicht, head of Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Sternlicht spearheaded the introduction of Heavenly Beds at Westin
Hotels.
Barry is one of the
smartest guys in the hotel business, LaTour said. He took the most
mundane thing we all took for granted and transformed it into a
competitive advantage. He changed the paradigm.
Kimpton likes to
think it does, too.
With that in mind,
what does LaTour believe will be the next big thing in
hotels?
I think the latest
paradigm shift will be the entertainment component of the room, he
said.
For instance,
LaTour said, flat-screen plasma TVs have become all the rage, yet
there are only maybe 20 hotels in America that have plasma
TVs.
Hey, the
competition is reading this.
LaTours not
worried.
There are about
two-and-a-half million hotels in America, he said. They would have
a long way to go to retrofit.