Customization, wellness, and technology are must-haves for any luxury hotel brand that wants to remain relevant — regardless of the age of their customers.
Luxury hospitality is no longer defined by marble bathrooms and turndown service. To compete and appeal to today's luxury guest, hotels have to be a lot smarter and more thoughtful than ever before.
Everyone has different ideas and approaches for the next big thing in luxury hospitality, from digital innovation and more personalization to smarter, more intuitive service, and better dining experiences.
Taj Hotels has been around for more than a century but the company remains a smaller player. No doubt The Indian Hotels Company hopes Chhatwal can help the group become an even bigger global player by growing its portfolio and brand recognition worldwide.
Taj isn't afraid to do things differently, whether teaming up with a competitor on an innovative loyalty program strategy, or deciding to whittle down its number of brands to just one. It's certainly a hotel company worth keeping an eye on going forward thanks to its contrarian approaches.
Given increasing consolidation among hotel companies, we wonder if this is one of many such partnerships to come among smaller to mid-size players seeking to strengthen their direct relationships to customers.