Skift Take
Luxury hoteliers often face similar challenges as other high-end brands and should seize the opportunity to start a conversation about luxury training and employment that crosses several sectors.
Service is the most important part of any hospitality business, but an even more significant differentiator in the luxury sector. When every five-star hotel offers the same luxury amenities, it's the individual actions of staff that set a brand or even property apart from another.
The ideal attitude of a luxury staff is best captured by the head of concierge at Madrid's Hotel Ritz, Martin Guridi, who, profiled recently on Roads & Kingdoms, says he “achieves the impossible immediately, but takes a little longer with miracles.”
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It's an intention that is quickly noted by guests and often the most discussed part of their stay. In a Cornell Hospitality review of more than 95,000 reviews and ratings for 99 independent high-end hotels and resorts, half or 47,337 reviews included a rating for service, underlining the “importance of the hotel industry’s core product, namely, consistently excellent service.”
But how exactly do the accommodating, doting and discreet staff of the world's top luxury hotels get that way? Is it something that can be trained or something that one must possess?
We spoke with leaders directly involved in talent management or employment for luxury hos
