Locking In On Local

Hotels are leveraging their local surroundings to drive new and regular business as guests increasingly look for personalised experiences.

- Vinita Bhatia

An interesting trend is underfoot in the hospitality business – no longer are hotels merely a boarding place where guests come to spend a night, or few. Instead, they have evolved into places that offer lifestyle experiences to their guests, giving them an opportunity to unwind and get a taste of the unique, with some personalised attention thrown in.

Wanting to capitalise on this trend, hotel chains globally are trying to find ways that will help their brands exude distinctive individuality and personality,  while staying in sync with native sentiments. While these brands continue to follow consistent practices across the breadth of the chain, they are devising ways to harness localised attributes and culture. The objective is simple – to create unique destination-oriented properties, that can leverage the opportunities of being part of a global powerhouse brand.

THE LOCAL CIRCLE 

In an increasingly crowded market, it can be challenging for international hotel chains to create a distinct recall – in terms of aesthetics and service – in the minds of guests. They have to go beyond just the logo design and brand name to imbibe unique elements in their décor and service to leave a lasting impression.

Talking about this, Ranju Alex, multi-property VP for Bengaluru and Kochi, and general manager at Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield said, “International companies are increasingly conscious of the local elements that each brand can imbibe. Each brand has a different positioning and target clientele.” According to her, the idea is to stay distinctive to the brand and she cited the examples of Renaissance, which is the lifestyle brand and Westin, which is the wellness brand in Marriott’s expansive hotel portfolio.