When it comes to hotels, Amber Rogers Woody is a bit of a Jill-of-all-trades. Choice Hotels International’s director of interior design, upscale brands, dabbled in many areas of the hotel business before settling into her trade. With a mother who was a general manager turned regional vice president for an upscale brand, Rogers Woody, now 36, spent ample time in hotels growing up. “I knew a lot about operations before I ever actually worked in a hotel,” says Rogers Woody, who went on to work at the front desk, in sales and in human resources.
After going back to school for interior design, Rogers Woody worked for a hotel developer — a role that added hotel building knowledge to her repertoire. Now, the interior designer responsible for the design strategy for Cambria Hotels and The Ascend Hotel Collection, credits her big picture perspective and the guidance of strong mentors to getting her where she is today, and she’s excited about where hotel design is headed.
HOTELS interviewed this emerging next-gen leader to get her opinions on design trends, what it takes to get ahead in her discipline and asks her to make a prediction.
HOTELS: What do you do differently as a designer? How are you disrupting your field?
Amber Rogers Woody: My [unique background] has made me a better hotel designer. When I’m designing, I’m thinking about multiple things. I’m a devil’s advocate, always asking, “Have we looked at the design from this perspective?” I consider how a guest interacts with it, but also how a hotel associate interacts with the design. From an owner’s perspective, I think, “What are the costs associated with this? How do I build it? How do I ship it? How do I install it so that it makes sense and is attractive to owners as well?” Because of my experience, I have a much larger view than many other designers on how to make a great design. I also really care about smart design. To me, smart design is looking at how people actually use and interact with a space, not just how creative it is.
HOTELS: What opportunities are there for designers in the hotel industry?
ARW: Twenty or 30 years ago, there were fewer brands, so there were probably less opportunities for a hotel designer. Now, with all the brands, I think there are a ton of opportunities. When we are recruiting, we look for people with hotel experience, which is a little rarer. If you want to be in hotel design, I would suggest getting out there, working in a hotel or working for a firm that dabbles in hotels because it’s its own animal; it’s very intricate.
HOTELS: What trends are you observing? What has “legs” and what is a passing fad?
ARW: Guests are looking for an experience and they want to post about it. I don’t see social media waning. Cambria has strategically invested in market intelligence, so we can identify the best locations and tailor the design to create a sense of place, creating a truly genuine experience.
What will fade is tailoring design around one generation. It’s a little too trendy and won’t stand the test of time. Cambria is focused on designing around a mindset — we cater to the modern traveler who is design literate and experience hungry — and that spans generations.
HOTELS: What are the changing needs and priorities for next-generation leaders?
ARW: This generation moves fast. We don’t want to be bogged down by processes and layers of approval. That said, we’re also looking for mentorship and the guidance of great leaders. We want some autonomy and trust so that we can make quick, but smart, decisions to keep the business moving forward.
HOTELS: How can companies retain creative professionals such as yourself?
ARW: A lot of companies have multiple processes, but creatives need a moment to step out of process and get the juices flowing. It’s really important when you’re talking about “brain drain” and keeping your creatives onboard instead of losing them to other companies. I’ve been given a lot of autonomy here and it’s been really nice because I can take those moments to myself to let creativity flow. That’s the way big companies are going to keep creative talent.
HOTELS: Can you talk about glass ceilings and the old boys’ network in the hotel industry? How prevalent is it? Has it changed?
ARW: As somebody with a very successful mother in the industry, I have heard lots of stories about battles on that front. My mother took golf lessons because she kept missing out on little impromptu meetings with the “boys.” It has changed, due to women like my mother and Janis Cannon (senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels International) who have paved the way and become renowned and respected women leaders. There still is, of course, work to be done. Choice is really committed to recruiting top female talent and they focus on professional development, mentorship and career planning for women. I do see progress.
HOTELS: What are some things that you try to do every day?
ARW: I try to appreciate today. There are people who live in the past and some who are always looking forward to the future. While it’s important to think about your future, it’s really important to take a moment and enjoy what you have today because tomorrow may not be here. That’s something I do well, I think — I try to live for today. And look at all the great things I have going on today. I have a 2-year-old daughter, so I try to put down my phone and be present. When I am at work, I think, “gosh, I miss her.” When I’m at home, I think, “why am I on my phone when I was missing her so much at work?”
HOTELS: What’s one prediction you’re willing to make?
ARW: The integration of technology in hotels will start mimicking the integration of technology in the home. It has to be done well and thoroughly tested, or it can be a risk to guest satisfaction, but if you can make the guestroom work the way your smart house works, I think that’s going to be such a differentiator for brands.