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Ace’s Wilson: Find the good in every cycle

Ace Hotel Group President Brad Wilson expressed how the pandemic has changed him as a leader in HOTELS Tuesday feature story. In Part 2 of this Q&A, Wilson talks more about the future and opines on what the lifestyle hotel segment needs to do to come back even stronger, including accommodating “bleisure” travelers.

Read on for more about Wilson’s take on the way forward, Ace’s pipeline and his message for hoteliers, quoting the brand’s founder, Alex Calderwood.

HOTELS: How are you drawing on previous experiences to serve you at the moment?

Brad Wilson: I was in Los Angeles for the Rodney King riots, and for the Northridge earthquake. I was in New York for September 11th. I definitely think prior experience has given me an ability to stay focused and balanced in crisis, to plan on really positive moves, and how to use those things to structure and build. That has certainly been something through this whole thing that I’ve been going back to – how to center and stay calm, and focus on what the right paths are.

“My experience has always been, if you understand your customer and those needs, whether it’s during COVID or post-COVID, and make sure that you’re focusing your decisions on what they need, then you’re going to be successful.” – Brad Wilson
“My experience has always been, if you understand your customer and those needs, whether it’s during COVID or post-COVID, and make sure that you’re focusing your decisions on what they need, then you’re going to be successful.” – Brad Wilson

H: What innovations need to take place so that the industry can come back stronger?

BW: One of the most important things that will come out will be a guest expectation of their comfort and safety that will be very strongly reinforced. I am a big believer that travel will come back and will come back relatively quickly. But I think a lot of people think that travel has changed significantly. I actually think we’re going to be faced with almost pent up demand…

If nothing else, COVID has taught people that you can work from home, you can have a much more portable lifestyle. Because of that, a lot of people forecast less travel. To me, I actually forecast an interesting twist on perhaps less corporate travel, but perhaps more leisure/work travel…

We’re looking at things like cube offices in our more resort spaces where you could sit by the pool and then run in to something that looks like a very business-like backdrop while you have your quick conferences, and then get back out to your leisure activities. Balance that kind of work and still be able to live. I think a lot of us did realize that you can do all of that today…

We also have an extended-stay program that has been hugely successful, with 14 days or longer stays. We’ve done office conversions with rooms that you can check-in and use it as an office during the day. Then we give you a free drink coupon for the end of the day… A lot of people will go hang out in Palm Springs for a couple weeks and work from there, and they love it.

H: Ace is a brand that’s really been known for its lobby social experience. You’re a community brand, but the idea of community is a bit daunting. How are you managing?

BW: We’ve been playing a lot with how you can do community during COVID, not necessarily turn your back on it. We’ve done everything from outdoor dining with opera singers singing out of the hotel windows that still connect to that type of energy. So, in the neighborhood, people still feel like Ace is a place, has a lot of that energy and community.

Community has significantly changed for us. Obviously, much stronger interaction on social media because we watch how our customers, that creative class, has completely turned to their Instagram and all the other stuff. They’re on there, they’re active. They like to see what we’re doing and thinking. So, we like to share that.

Ace’s Loveage takeaway counter at the Ace in New Orleans
Ace’s Loveage takeaway counter at the Ace in New Orleans

H: What changes in guest behaviors are here to stay?

BW: We’ll keep cleanliness a very, very significant concern for guests for a long time… Those ways that we’re making sure we’re protecting the health of our guests will be more important in the future. But in the end, I truly believe it’s that hierarchy of needs, and our emotional needs are probably more important than any of the others. So, brands that make emotional connections to their customer and fulfill their promise are always going to be the winners.

H: Can you update us on your pipeline?

BW: Our pipeline has been pretty consistent, in the range of opening probably two hotels a year…

Our international growth has been really promising as we get into Asia and the Pacific. It’s been really positive and it hasn’t really slowed down a lot from the COVID side within that realm.

We’ve got a couple other North American cities where we have a couple projects. We’ll do other cities in Canada. We’re going to into Sydney, but we’ll do other cities there. We’re in Kyoto, but we’re planning other cities there. With our hotel in London (Shoreditch) leaving, which was actually one of the most successful properties in Shoreditch, we’re looking for a new home in London – ideally in Shoreditch…

The property in London was conversion of a not great heavy branded hotel that was just rundown over the years. It gave us an opportunity to renovate and reposition, and we nearly doubled the RevPAR. Those kinds of opportunities are great, and I think that’s what you’ll see coming back.

H: What kind of new goals are you setting for yourself as we kind of all reset?

BW: We’ve been very focused on technology and what that means in our sector. We are looking at this process of what I’ll call balanced-service hotels… Maybe you don’t need in a market a full-blown restaurant. Maybe it’s a great breakfast room and some coffee service type support. We’re experimenting with that a bit, and I think you’ll see a couple of our new projects not branded Ace Hotels, but more playing within that realm…

Then, in New Orleans, Maison de la Luz, we’ve had great success stepping into this idea of what new luxury is. That hotel has had the highest RevPAR in New Orleans… We’ve always seen luxury as something that’s rare and individual and unique. We feel those projects, in a way, stand for itself and can be very, very special.

What’s your message at the moment?

BW: There’s good hope in every cycle – you just have to find it. My experience has always been, if you understand your customer and those needs, whether it’s during COVID or post-COVID, and make sure that you’re focusing your decisions on what they need, then you’re going to be successful… Our founder, Alex, would say, “It’s going to be different, but it’s going to be great.” And that’s all we have to really focus on, and just find our path there.

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