Historic Hotels Need to Flaunt Their Best Attributes
Photo Credit: Pictured is the entrance to the bomb shelter that was used by guests and staff at the historic Metropole Hanoi hotel during the Vietnam War. Hotels should emphasize their history; some do it well, others miss an opportunity. The Metropole Hanoi Hotel
Skift Take
Historic hotels should do a better job in playing up what has occurred behind their walls. The hard-earned patina can be unique in a world that emphasizes the sparkling and new.
When writing about travel and hospitality, a lot of time is spent dissecting the shiny and new. Much time is spent looking at concept brands, analyzing bleeding edge tech or shifting cultural trends, plus vetting the startups that are trying to redefine how we move from one place to the other.
But lately, I have been thinking about other hidden differentiators that hotels aren’t always playing up, as well: The timeless things under the hood, and the latent differentiators that can stand out to a certain audience.
History is one of them and it is critically underused. In contrast to the sparkling new, there’s something wonderful about a hotel that has stood the test of time, that has been a witness to historical events and makes guests feel like they are part of something bigger. There’s a magic feeling when it is done well.
These grand hotels have a sense of place, purpose, and feeling that imbue them with som
