The 17-year-old kid who started his hotel career some 44 years ago wearing a pillbox hat while carrying bags outside the Fairmont in San Francisco says he has likely found his last job, and he says it’s ideal.
The new CEO of The Trump Collection is the first non-family member holding this senior of a position at the company’s New York City 5th Avenue office. And with his many years of experience, big personality and strong will, Eric Danziger is likely a good fit to work with Donald Trump’s children (Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric), who today run the hotel business under the chairman. That chairman, at press time, was boldly running for president of the United States, which certainly creates interesting dynamics across the Trump organization, including a very publically facing hotel business.
What wasn’t ideal, unfortunately, was Danziger’s quick exit from Hampshire Hospitality Management in New York not much more than a year after coming in to reorganize the operation and launching the Début Hotel Group. Danziger boasted big plans at Hampshire as he was not much more than six months removed from the start of developing new global lifestyle brands for the Chatwal family. “The strategy was set, the team was put into place and I no longer control the execution. It is fully in their hands as to what they’ll do with it,” Danziger says, adding that regretfully he couldn’t control the timing of an offer too good to resist.
Danziger’s new mandate is to grow the Trump Collection of 14 hotels today with another four set to open next year. The long-time brand man, not surprisingly, adds that he and the family may add a brand — perhaps not using the bigger-than-life Trump name. The man who has also served as president and CEO of Starwood Hotels, and president and COO of Carlson Hotels Worldwide is no shrinking violet and will likely try to use his experience and global connections to pick up the pace of development.
HOTELS spoke to Danziger just as he was moving into his new office about his new job, his views on luxury hotelkeeping, how he will fit into the Trump family culture and more. Here is an excerpt from the feature. For the complete interview with Danziger, see the October issue of HOTELS.
HOTELS: What’s your take on luxury hotels today and how Trump is positioned within the segment?
Eric Danziger: There’s an excellent opportunity here. People will always strive to stay at the best places they can and have the best experiences they can. In my mind, and I think in the Trumps’ minds, luxury isn’t ostentatious or in your face. It’s comfortable, confident, in great locations with great people and everything you want.
The Trump Collection, and I’m not sure that will remain known as a collection, is a great brand and a family enterprise with deep passion for quality. As a result, I really am very excited about the growth opportunities. They do great development and I do brands and management. So, we’re going to put those two skill sets together and grow the company. My goal is to reach 30 Trump hotels by 2020.
The other discussion we’ll have is whether we should leverage the skills and the strengths of the company in other tiers. It may not mean using the Trump name, but there may be many owners and customers who would like to have the Trump style. I think the family started that conversation before they met me, and maybe something that was appealing to them to know about me was that I have developed hotels in 44 countries.
H: What’s your take on where we are in the cycle and how it relates to luxury?
ED: It’s going to be good until it’s not. Even in the down cycle, if you add up all the people staying at St. Regis, Peninsula, The Plaza or wherever, that is still a huge pie. You just have to provide the service and value, and have ability to attract a bigger share of the pie. Fewer people may travel if there is a downturn, but that doesn’t mean the pie isn’t large enough for a great hotel and a great operator to go get their fair share.
H: Whom have you admired and whom would you like to emulate in the luxury space?
ED: I have to go back to the roots of Ben Swig, who built the Fairmont in San Francisco. He lived in the hotel. He was a man I saw walking through the lobby every day and it was an incredible experience. Today, it’s more about a luxury experience. Caroline Hunt (founder of Rosewood Hotels) did a very nice job in a way that made you say, ‘I want to go to The Crescent in Dallas.’ Trump has done it right, as well. We are just going to do more of it.
H: What has best prepared you for this moment?
ED: My whole career has been a lesson about how to lead people and create culture, and export the culture to different parts of the world. My Wyndham experience for six years doing hotels all over the world was very key in learning how to do business with different people and cultures, and understanding that customers’ demands are no different all over the world.
Leading is ultimately what a CEO does, and if you’re a good leader that ?transfers to whatever you’re doing because you learn how to get people to ?advance, and do more than what they thought they could to help you achieve your vision. The success of a great company is great strategy, great people and great execution. I’m humbled by that every day.
The objective never changes, which is be better than everybody else. Provide a memorable experience that creates word-of-mouth because you cannot buy your way to a successful occupancy rate. You have to be the hotel of choice.