Did you know at least 83% of customers expect relevant and personalized products and services to be offered to them? That means the future of hotel businesses hinges on hoteliers being innovative and creative enough to match these new demands. In this mini report, my guest contributors and I share insights that can help you take positive forward momentum.

1. Expert Round-up:
Insights On Creating
Personalized and
Unique Experiences
For Our Guests In
2019
By Franck Droin
Franck is a luxury hotelier passionate about integrating sustainable measures into luxury properties
to give guests unforgettable experiences while making a positive environmental impact. Franck
believes we must think globally and act locally, doing the best we can to promote company
culture, and support local communities. Responsible luxury is something we can all aspire to
create with the right vision and education. Connect with Franck on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/franck-droin/

2. How can we create unique experiences for our guests
in 2019?
That, to me, is the big question every smart luxury hotelier should be contemplating. We know our
guests have shifted in behavior and perspective. Their expectations have increased, and they expect
us to match their desires if we wish to win their business.
Did you know at least 83% of customers expect relevant and personalized products and services to
be offered to them?

3. According to a report shared by ​Sabre​, customers want convenience, connection, and context. That
means we need to level up when it comes to the experience we offer our guests. The more
customer-centric our approach is, the better results we will produce for everyone concerned.
Sounds simple enough, but where does one even begin with this?
By the end of this report, you will have more clarity on the mindset shift and the adjustments you
can start making in your hotel regardless of size.
Here's the current nature of things. Today’s luxury travelers expect and demand personalized
services and unforgettable experiences. The digital age has created somewhat of a revolution when
it comes to personalization. And while many people have reduced it to a buzzword, I take it to
heart as the future of luxury.
The modern luxury traveler feels more empowered, and with the advent of smartphones and other
mobile devices, our guests can accomplish tasks (that used to be impossible) with just a few taps.
They expect that same level of ease (if not more) when it comes to the luxury brands they interact
with. Luxury travelers want to feel like their interests and preferences are taken into account. They
want us to demonstrate that we genuinely care about them; not just the booking.
So what exactly does personalization mean for those of us offering luxury travel services?
When I started contemplating what luxury in 2019 and beyond ought to be, I realized a lot has
changed in our industry, but the fundamentals remain intact. The more I looked back at the history
of luxury hotels and the standards set, as well as the attention to detail in service delivery, the more
it became evident that the best way to stand out from the crowd and create experiences that keep
our guests wanting more is by understanding the fundamentals of luxury and leveraging that with
the current digital opportunities that are now before us. In other words, it’s about taking the best of
the best from the old world and building a new and improved model customized explicitly for this
new world.
In this short report, I share more than just personal insights. I also share insights from other
professionals in our industry who make up part of the new generation of hospitality professionals.
Individuals that I am proud to mentor and whose opinion I greatly admire.
Having graduated from the same school of hospitality (Les Roches Switzerland) about 2 decades
before these rising stars, it’s refreshing to see the shift in mindset and the diversity in approach
from this younger generation.

4. With all the changes we’ve experienced in consumer behavior and technological advancements,
they are gaining their mastery in a world that many of us never considered possible. A world
where guests are more interested in experience, transformation, and greater meaning even as they
choose luxury services. We live in an era where guests want to know that as their needs are being
met, the environment is also being preserved and protected.
In many ways, I believe the future of luxury has never been brighter as we strive to find harmony
between luxury and sustainability. But that brilliant future can only fall on those who are willing to
shift in mindset, company culture, and in the way they lead others.
Personally, the shift is well underway, and as I step into my role as a mentor, leader, and
experienced luxury hotelier, I intend to combine my vast cultural exposure and the insights the
younger generations bring to produce the best and most unique experiences to my guests. Which
leads me back to the big question:
How can we create unique experiences that are personalized for our guests in 2019 and beyond?

5. To understand the future of luxury, we must recall its roots.
(Hotel Aldon In 1928 Image from:​ ​cruiselinehistory.com​)
Let’s stop and rewind to where luxury started. Ritz and Escoffier are two big names in the luxury
hospitality space. In 1888, the two became the first manager and chef (respectively) of the Savoy
Hotel. In the late 19th century, European hotels, which generally offered no more than an
overnight accommodation, evolved to become a social place.
In 1873 the Hotel Imperial opened in Vienna, followed by the Hôtel Ritz Paris in 1898, and the
London Ritz in 1906. In 1905 Lorenz Adlon, built a hotel on Pariser Platz, at the heart of the
German capital. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel opened in 1897 and became world renowned for its
fundraising dinners and balls. Lorenz Adlon, Cezar Ritz, and a few others were the managers and

6. the “Hosts” at these hotels. This gave the hotels that extra “personal touch” that others did not
offer.
Today, things have changed. The general manager needs to handle a variety of tasks and develop
skills which comply with hotel owners’ financial expectations. The concierges in the past were
assisting guests by performing various tasks such as making restaurant reservations, opera
arrangement, and so on. Those tasks have been slowly disappearing as everyone opts to use a
smartphone nowadays.
The concierge is no longer needed, it seems. But I think his role is merely evolving. Since he
knows everyone and is well versed with the ins and outs of the hotel, he is becoming “the face” of
the hotel and is the new “ambassador” like Lorenz Adlon and Cezar Ritz used to be in the 19th
century.
Another interesting aspect of luxury is the hotel classification. The more common classification
systems include “star” ratings. The Swiss hotel rating was the first non-government formal hotel
classification that began in 1979. In France, the rating is defined by the public tourist board using a
five-star system from 2009. Here are the most common criteria for rating a five-star hotel that I
found, although I strongly encourage you to dive deeper into the new changes taking place with the
Star-Rating system in general:
● Reception open 24 hours, multilingual staff.
● Doorman-service or valet parking.
● Concierge, page boy.
● Spacious reception hall with several seats and beverage service.
● Personalized greeting for each guest with fresh flowers or a present in the room.
● Minibar and food and beverage offers via room service for 24 hours.
● Personal care products in flacons.
● Internet-PC in the room.
● Safe in the room.
● Ironing service (returned within 1 hour), shoe polish service.
● Turndown service in the evening.
I think it’s safe to say that that list of criteria is pretty outdated in today’s modern world. Travelers
and guests are neither looking for a spacious reception hall with several seats and beverage
services or a page boy.
What they care about is self-identity, transformation, a sense of belonging, and a knowing that the
brand they associate with has a positive environmental and social impact. This is something we are

7. starting to see more and more, even with OTA’s. In other words, the need to emphasize
eco-friendly practices and build strong, direct connections with the guest is on the rise. It is, in fact,
what smart hotels are focused on amplifying.

8. Technology, when it comes to personalization and creating meaningful
experiences:
Although technology is playing a massive role for us it can never beat meaningful, thoughtful, and
kind human interaction. Reputation has become everything, and this is why people choose their
booking depending on what is rated on Trip Advisor or by word of mouth. Even though
personalization is being married off to technology, as luxury hoteliers, we know there's more to
providing unique and personalized experience than merely adding technological gadgets into the
room. So if we are going to find meaningful and practical solutions that drive more business and
keep guests loyal, we need to think more creatively.
As mentioned at the start of this mini-report, I want to share not just my personal insights around
this topic but as well those of my mentees currently working with me at Mandarin Oriental
Bangkok.
When I presented the big question to each one, their varied answers helped pierce through the veil
of traditional thinking and created an opportunity for us to think outside the box as we strive to
deliver unique experiences to our guests.

9. Here's what some of them had to say.
David Bordes Arenas - Executive Office Management Trainee.
“​Creating unique experiences is a must for the Luxury industry. It's no
longer about buying the best products. It's about how the products make you feel.
The intangible values are what sets the price of products and services in today's
marketplace. Moreover, our knowledge about health and the environment
surrounding us is much higher than it was 20 years ago. Information moves faster,
and all companies must be flexible enough to adapt their procedures and services to
a more demanding society.
Reducing plastic, waste, energy consumption, and respecting the local
communities is not an option but a requirement. We also need to pay special
attention to what is becoming essential when it comes to technological needs and
ensure our available technology meets the needs of a more and more dependent
consumer.​”
Koenraad Paesmans - Rooms Division Management Trainee.
“​I genuinely believe the future of luxury will be about personalization and
sustainability. We have reached a level where the hardware of hotels has reached
their highest point. A large number of hotels have fantastic F&B outlets, fancy
rooms, and incredible facilities. To appear different from the global market, the two
fields where hotels will have to focus on are personalization and sustainability.
The modern way of personalization finds itself at its early developmental stage, but
sooner rather than later, guests will expect the hotel industry to master it.
Personalization can be applied to any department, and this is where technology
plays a vital role. By using the right technology, guest preferences can be gathered,
kept, and shared around the hotel. Hotels can now tailor their offer to every single
customer.

10. In days where climate change is in the center of our ecological concerns, the
global market faces a rapid growth of awareness towards sustainability. Potential
customers will go for the green eco-friendly companies over other ones not
implementing eco-friendly actions. The outcomes are all beneficial to the hotel. It
will experience an increase in the number of guests, sustainability often creates
positive financial effects, and last but not least, it reduces the industry’s ecological
footprint on our planet.​”
Sarah Lok WahChung - Project Management Leader.
“​How can we create unique experiences? What categorizes as unique? This
concept means different things to different people. Some say an experience is
unique when everything goes above and beyond their expectations. Others define it
as a ‘one of a kind’ experience, where if it touches upon that individual’s emotion,
no matter at what scale, is unique.
The first quarter of 2019 has already passed and sometimes I feel that time
is moving so quickly, and the world is developing at such a rapid pace. From
incredible innovative ideas to the extensive research & development, subsequently
evolving the way we hoteliers need to create unique experiences for guests at a
luxury level today.
Tangibility and intangibility are one of the very first things I feel have
shifted over the years. Luxury today isn’t necessarily all about the tangible aspects
within a guest’s stay. It’s not just the marble floor, silk bathrobes, or even whether
you’re served caviar with your egg’s Benedict in the morning.
Of course, your hardware and quality are required to be top notch, but guests
today, specifically millennials who are soon to become the major clientele in the
next few decades, are looking for experiences when spending. It’s inevitable that
the search for ‘intangible experiences’ isn’t a short term fab but a trend. Although
the Bank of America this year observed a lower percentage of increase in spending
compared to last year, most of the expenditure is used to purchase experiences.

11. People today are seen to be buying more with their emotions. Items purchased are
expected to satisfy the individual's emotional needs more than ever before. Hence,
the ratio between the importance placed on non-tangible experience compared to
purchasing tangible products has shifted over the years. Why do we see many
returning guests, continually coming back and paying a high rate when new hotels
are opening left and right, offering the latest of every item? It is because of the soft
assets a luxury hotel brings. It is the people, the smiles, the knowledge of each
guest’s likes and dislikes which makes them return… In other words, it’s the
experience they felt, fully customized to their personality, which brings them back.
Touching upon millennials more circulates around their attention placed on
sustainability. More than ever, the emphasis on sustainability has created
observable pressure on businesses to adapt to not only the environmental side but
also social and economic practices of sustainability. On a Global Survey of
Corporate Social Responsibility, it was found that more than “9 in 10 millennials
switches brand to one associated with a cause”, their willingness to “make personal
sacrifices to make an impact on issues they care about” and lastly “87% would be
more loyal to a company that contributes to social and environmental issues”.
Hence, with the growing purchasing power amongst this generation, it is inevitable
that sustainability takes up a slice of pie in whether a unique experience is delivered
when catering to the majority of millennials.
As a millennial myself, information comes at a click of a button, and
ignorance is not bliss anymore. With that being said, it is up to the company to
invest and take advantage of all these different platforms to reach millennials.
Building trust, transparency of product specification, and personalization possibility
ultimately can lead up to not only a unique experience delivered but a loyal guest in
return.
To wrap up on the two questions: How can we create unique experiences in
2019? And what is unique? No matter if we’ve answered it today or tomorrow, it
will resurface down the years as the world continues to develop through
globalization. For this reason, I believe service-based companies need to focus on
the dependent variable who are ultimately the guest. The independent variable is the
unique experience and not the other way around, no matter if it's in 5 years or a
decade in the future.​”

12. When it comes to creating unique and personalized experiences for our guests in 2019 and
beyond, I wanted to leave you with some practical examples that you can test out. Some of
the best ideas I have actually came from one of my talented management trainees, David.
He he did a presentation a few weeks ago to my team, and came up with these suggestions,
which I encourage you to test as well.
1. Give your guests greater flexibility and more “wow” experiences.
Here are some luxury brands that are doing just that - in their own unique way.
Plaza Athénée,​ Paris, said “innovation helps us to surprise people and make them dream”,
which, given how people live nowadays, is becoming more and more difficult. This was the
reason behind their creation of an iconic Barbie room, totally transforming a junior suite for the
month of August (2010).
Marriott​ invested in PlacePass, an activity booking service which provides “behind-the-scenes”
tours and classes with local crafters and artists.
Hilton​ announced a partnership with Foursquare to create a new feature on it’s existing app
which will show you recommendations from local Hilton employees.
Petit H is a new line by ​Hermes​ with a business model that is based on recycling - reusing and
redesigning leftovers into fun, innovative luxurious products.
Our clients are looking for more and more ‘wow!’ experiences that start right upon check in.
Having your bathrobes or pillow covers monogramed is already a ‘wow!’ factor but being creative
goes the extra mile and makes the client feel even more special. The attention and thoughtfulness
of having created something very personalized, leaves someone with a feeling of being at the right
place and feeling understood.

13. 2. Bring together a committee for the creation of an ongoing discussion
that will focus on innovating guest experiences.
Here’s how to create something that works...
The Committee should discuss and develop new methods, ideas, and products, to create new
customer experiences that will drive differentiation and will increase long-term value. Use your
Main Guiding Principle to guide you.
(a) Set a positive example to allow other colleagues to suggest new ideas.
(b) Support and actively participate in any projects suggested by the Committee.
(c) Assist in identifying needs and solutions to improve the Guest Experience.
(d) Ensure that relevant suggestions from colleagues and related comments from Guests are
evaluated by the Committee.
(e) Conduct awareness programmes, competitions, and other activities to engage all colleagues.
(f) Assist in developing targets and objectives of this Committee.
(g) Work as a team to develop practices and achieve the objectives set by the Committee.
The Committee may also choose to include alternate members who are invited when specific
subjects are being discussed. This may include Department Heads that are not permanent
members, as well as business partners, consultants, or external organisations with the objective of
increasing the environmental awareness of the Committee. The Guest Experience Meeting should
follow the recommendations below:
(a) Review new trends on guest experience innovation. For this purpose, the Committee will
subscribe to Academic Reports to ensure that the Committee has all the resources to understand a
constantly changing society.
(b) Supervise compliance and consolidate enforcement of the Group Policies, Mission, Vision, and
Guiding principles.
(c) Identify, evaluate and, if applicable, participate in local cultural community activities that could
be of interest to the Guests.
(d) Establish, monitor, and act to achieve targets and objectives.

14. (e) Identify, evaluate, and provide recommendations to the General Manager on improvement
opportunities in the operations performance of the hotel.
(f) Identify Guest Experience areas of improvement in the operation and seek solutions to ensure
that service standards are not affected.
(g) Inform, engage, support and motivate all colleagues to present ideas to the Committee.
The Guest Experience Committee can meet monthly and each meeting will be documented by
means of minutes. Minutes will be distributed to the General Manager and Committee members.
The following topics should form the core of the agenda (however, the Committee can include
other topics):
(a) Review and analyze the possible un-meet needs of guest in these areas:
1) Concierge Activities
2) Rooms Experience
3) Social/Cultural Activities (in the hotel)
4) F&B
5) SPA & Wellness
(b) Review and analyze what is happening in the hospitality environment. For this, every member
of the Committee should bring some Academic Article, News, or any other supportive idea that
they want to share with the team.
(c) Discuss possible solutions, and ideas to improve our guest experience. The areas to be covered
are the following:
1) Concierge Activities
2) Rooms Service Experience
3) Social/Cultural Activities
4) F&B
5) SPA & Wellness

15. Get to know our contributors:
Franck Droin
Franck Droin is the hotel manager at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, and his 19
years of hospitality industry experience includes working with big brand hotel
chains across various destinations in Europe, The Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Franck is passionate about promoting the concept of responsible luxury and has fueled
ground-breaking conversations and initiatives. Some of the successful projects he is leading with
his team include giving back to local communities, and ending the plastic waste catastrophe that
the country is facing.
Franck believes education, technology, and the right mentorship is what luxury brands need to
reduce waste, become eco-friendly, and to empower employees to create a more sustainable future.
David Bordes
David Bordes is the executive management office trainee at the Mandarin
Oriental Bangkok. Born in Spain, he studied and practiced law for a few years before realizing his
true passion was in the hospitality industry. He studied a PGD at Les Roches in Switzerland and
afterwards joined the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok family as a MIT project coordinator.

16. Koenraad Paesmans
Koenraad Paesmans is the rooms division management trainee at Mandarin
Oriental Bangkok. Born in Belgium, he graduated from Les Roches Global Hospitality
Switzerland and is currently completing a management training program with the Mandarin
Oriental Bangkok family under the mentorship of Franck Droin.
Sarah Lok WahChung
Sarah is the project manager overlooking the operational side of the River Wing
Renovation alongside other optimization and feasibility projects at the Mandarin Oriental
Bangkok. Sarah Graduated from Les Roches Global Hospitality in Switzerland and already
completed her first year within the Food and Beverage department as well as two other
international work opportunities.
References:
https://www.sabre.com/locations/apac/why-personalization-in-travel-is-a-big-deal/
https://skift.com/2019/01/17/personalization-in-travel-marketing-moving-beyond-the-buzzword/
https://skift.com/megatrends-2019/