Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009 - (Page 31)

ADVISOR INSIGHT: Kimberly Wilson Wetty of Valerie Wilson Travel calls Flannery a “can-do” and “go-the-extra-mile” type of leader. Wilson’s mother, Valerie, who is chairman of Valerie Wilson Travel, says: “It is a treat to see someone mature and move up the ranks in the luxury industry. He uses his business insight and balances it with the human aspect of providing the highest level of customer service.” Both Kimberly and sister Jennifer WilsonButtigieg agree that he is the kind of person who can distinguish himself with a new client over a glass of wine, or just by stopping by to say “hello.” the progenitor of the boutique concept and behind such hotels as the Delano in Miami and Gramercy Park in New York? While Flannery’s name doesn’t carry the same notoriety as Marriott and Schrager, he will be as integral to the overall success of the Edition brand as the two. Marriott is relying on Flannery to act the conduit role, which means working with and grasping Ian Schrager’s group. Once the hotels begin opening—“It’s safe to say you’ll see our first Editions in 2010,” Flannery says—he’ll be responsible for operations. Prior to that, Flannery will be working as a liaison between Schrager’s development team—who are still concepting—and the Marriott team to, in his words, “kind of take the best of both worlds and development practices and standards and evaluate potential locations.” Flannery won’t have to trek far to gain insight on how Schrager ticks. Marriott will operate Edition similarly to Ritz-Carlton, as a separate business unit apart from its corporate offices in Maryland. Edition’s operations will be housed in downtown Manhattan, as it just so happens, in a Schrager-owned building. Edition’s New York base should spur initial attention for the brand. Many travel agencies, as Flannery attests to, are located in New York, which helps to garner strong attendance at promotional events. Flannery’s biggest contribution to Edition might, indeed, be his keen focus on service, which is not often the primary focus in the boutique segment, and he recalls how a conversation he had with the president of Mobil ratings services drove the point home. “I asked him how they looked at the boutique segment,” Flannery says. “He laughed and said, ‘Well, our evaluators have dubbed that whole segment as self-service luxury.’” The reason being that guests are paying exorbitant rates, but not receiving the same experience that they enjoy at luxury hotels. This is where Edition has a chance to shine. “The service has been consistently bad in those products,” Flannery says of many boutique properties. “They put so much emphasis on product innovation. Look at Mobil, there is not one four-star boutique hotel. There is an opportunity for us to create that four-star level if we execute our brand of service.” To some, the coupling of Marriott and Schrager is the quintessential “Odd Couple,” especially when you compare Schrager’s flash and dash to Marriott’s staid button-down demeanor. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. “There are a lot of similarities between them,” Flannery says. “They both are very competitive, very driven and results oriented. When you take two companies that have very strong cultures and mix them, you never know if it will work out. So far, it has, and I think Ian would tell you the relationship’s been based on mutual respect—respecting what each party brings to the table.” Details of the brand are still rough, but expectations are for each hotel to have between 150 and 300 rooms, to be built for transient business (group space will be at a minimal), to have a high level of product innovation and great nightlife and public spaces (think chic bar scene and name restaurants). And while traditionally, most designers craft a hotel’s public spaces for how they will look during the day, Schrager is known for staging his hotels optimally for how they will look at night. Flannery says Schrager and his team will take at least a month to stage each Edition hotel, and they’ll play with furniture and placement after the sun goes down to give it that right look. “Ultimately, we’d like to create a hotel where if you didn’t have to you STRONG SHOULDERS: When Flannery’s not busy being a hotelier, daughter Lauren calls him coach. wouldn’t want to leave,” Flannery says. Flannery is hesitant to identify specific projects, but Paris and Chicago have been whispered as cities where the first Editions will appear. The company line officially says otherwise: “There have been press reports (mostly inaccurate) speculating which will be the first to open. We have not confirmed yet.” Expectations are to build in major gateway cities, including the aforementioned and others such as Washington, D.C., Miami and Madrid. Once the hotels are in the ground, Flannery’s years of acuminating a service philosophy will be as important to the brand as the chef ’s name attached to the restaurant. As Flannery settles into his new job, he will determine which Ritz-Carlton practices to carry over into Edition. His transition, however, has left him with little time for another type of “practice” he enjoys—basketball practice. Flannery coaches his daughter’s team in New Jersey, but his upcoming duties have kept him off the court for now. Ever the teacher, he says similar lessons can be found in coaching and being a hotelier. “If you and I are coaching against each other, and you pick five better players than I have, you are going to win,” he says. “The key in our business is hiring the right talent and putting them in the right system. We are very employee focused and I will bring that to Edition. That’s our sweet spot.” www.luxuryta.com January 2009 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 31 http://www.luxuryta.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Lucca Egypt Provence Great Honeymoons Cover Story: Dan Flannery Girlfriend Getaways Croatia The Pulse Jetset Report Sightings Meetings & Incentives Supplement Aruba Turks and Caicos Los Angeles Laguna Beach, CA

Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009

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