Regardless of where you are building your new hotel, knowing the local culture and accepting the depth and breadth that culture offers is imperative for a successful and sustainable hotel. Embracing the culture can be difficult however, and you want to ensure you are considering it from the very (absolute) beginning.  In fact, the idea of engaging a cultural ambassador from the area (as a consultant or concierge-type employee) might be a plausible method of ensuring authenticity.  At all costs, culture must be real and not be “Disneyfied”.  If not done correctly, it can become a falsely induced caricature of reality. Authenticity is the main key, and real people will come.

What does all this culture and authenticity mean? It means that you need to understand the market to which you are trying to attract your hotel and then learn what that culture expects or wants in a hotel. You want to offer what they can’t find at just any hotel. You want to understand your area, what they expect, what they demand and what they embrace as “something extra” that will have them coming back from more.

So what is culture? The culture of the area around your hotel is defined by the commonalities of those that live in or frequent the area. For instance, if you are in a high tech area of a city, then the culture would cater to techie’s and those in the technology industry. Therefore, you have to be aware of the culture of the area in which you are developing and then ensure you are catering to the nuances of those in the industry. This will help ensure you hotel’s success.

Ensuring the local culture is encompassed into the design increases the overall sustainability of a hotel simply due to the local appeal of the hotel and potential guests thirst for cultural experiences in the areas to which they travel. Local context must be considered with regard to the development and design.

If you research the culture of your development area and then make certain your area considering this culture in the design, development, and incentives offered, you are sure to have a successful hotel with a truly sustainable plan. Embracing the culture is key to safeguard sustainability.

 

Until Next Time,

Robert Colin Bryant - Founder, TBG Innovative Ltd.

TBG Innovative specializes in the planning & development of international 5 star hotels, blending real estate, branding, master planning, and construction to create “great destinations”.  To learn more about TBG Innovative visit us at www.tbginnovative.com