Disruption From Inside Out Is Key to Hospitality Innovation, Says Two Roads CEO Niki Leondakis
Photo Credit: Two Roads Hospitality CEO, Hotels and Resorts, Niki Leondakis, speaks to the Skift Global Forum audience in New York City about how hotels can truly disrupt themselves and create the next generation of boutique hotels. Skift
Skift Take
It’s genuinely not enough for a boutique or lifestyle hotel to just look good anymore. Looks can only go so far, but real, genuine hospitality and customer service are what will convince customers to book, and to return, for years to come.
During a recent boutique hotel stay, Niki Leondakis, CEO of Two Roads Hospitality's Hotels and Resorts unit, had a travel experience that's all too common these days.
Wanting to grab a quick cup of coffee before she squeezed in a quick visit to the gym early in the morning, Leondakis stopped by the front desk to see if there was any way she could get that coffee, 10 minutes before the hotel restaurant opened. Instead, she was simply reminded by the front desk staff member that she'd need to wait until the restaurant opened in exactly nine minutes.
"It was pleasantly unhelpful," she said. It should also be noted, Leondakis said, that this was not one of her hotels.
It's those kinds of experiences — ones where customer service follows a strict brand standard playbook — that are stymying the hospitality industry overall.
Leondakis was speaking to the Skift Global Forum audience Tuesday in New Yor
