Boutique Design - September 2019 - 20

2 Designer/architect Ana
Maria Merino worked in
conjunction with Accor's
design team to turn a
hotel in the heart of the
financial, commerical and entertainmet
district in Lima from a
solid-but-not-special
four star into the home
away from home that's
Manto Hotel LimaMGallery.

3 Synergies such as a
mutual emphasis on
art and storytelling,
exemplified here in 21c
design/architecture
mastermind Deborah
Berke Partners' work
on 21c Museum Hotel
Kansas City, made that
flag a natural fit for
MGallery.

boutiquedesign.com SEPTEMBER 2019

YOHAN AMIOT
MGALLERY HOTEL
COLLECTION

C O U R T E S Y O F AC C O R ( M A N T O H O T E L L I M A ; A M I O T ) ; M I K E S C H WA R T Z C O U R T E S Y O F 2 1C M U S E U M H O T E L S
- M G A L L E R Y H O T E L C O L L E C T I O N ( 2 1C M U S E U M H O T E L K A N S A S C I T Y )

Accor rolled out MGallery, they were well aware that a "collection" would give
boutique hospitality owners the ability to keep not only the name of their hotel,
but the story that goes with it. At the same time, those hoteliers would have
the marketing power and infrastructure of a large, experienced and global hotel
group behind them. That's the best of both worlds.
How that's fueling MGallery's pipeline: We're adding 12 to 15 hotels a year.
That's quick growth, but it's not growth for growth's sake. Yes, there are places we
want to be-both in gateways and some key secondary markets. But we're not
pressured to take just any property to get a foothold in a given market. If a hotel
wants to join the network, it has to meet our standards. Not all do, of course.
However, we're seeing more applicants who are open to working with our development and design teams to upgrade/update their properties so that they meet
our system requirements before joining the collection. Keep in mind that our
standards incorporate flexibility because the physical plants differ so much. For
example, we might require a minimum guestroom size of 270 sq. ft., but how
that's laid out is up to the designer and owner. We encourage them to interpret
the standards within the context of their project, market and their local story.
Who's on their designer short list and why: We want to work with
designers who have a different vision. They can be established superstars-from
fashion designer Christian Lacroix to name-droppable hospitality designers such
as Bill Bensley (director of his eponymous studio) and Jean-Philippe Nuel
(founder of his namesake firm), or talented up-and-comers such as the Sundukovy Sisters (Boutique Design's 2018 Designer of the Year). Some owners already
have their go-to designers. If not, we share our short list of firms that have a track
record of being creative but also of listening to the owner and operator.
Why Accor broke MGallery's independent-minded programming to
invest in 21c Museum Hotels: MGallery was a collection of independent
hotels around the world. We hadn't considered looking at a brand before 21c.
But this was a perfect fit. It would have been challenging to grow organically in
the U.S. 21c had 11 hotels open or in the pipeline and a very visible, clearly
defined brand. We now have leads in New York, Miami, San Francisco and
other cities in the U.S. and Canada. MGallery and 21c shared the same development priorities: either to be the standout hotel in an interesting big-city neighborhood or to be the top boutique hotel in a secondary market. There were
other obvious synergies. They're boutique; we're boutique. They're about storytelling, and so are we. We also share a focus on art and wellbeing.
How the lifestyle sector is evolving: Some hotel companies forgot that
their guests live a variety of lifestyles. Two years ago, we did research on female
travelers. We wanted to make them feel at home. We launched our global
"Inspired by Her" initiative to help accomplish that. But, we also realized we
needed to make some practical change-such as having smaller sized robes
and slippers in the guestrooms, and stocking amenities such as makeup
remover at the front desk in case a woman forgot to pack it. Before, if a man
forgot his razor, he knew the hotel would have one. If a woman forgot toiletries,
she was out of luck. That mismatch created an opportunity for us.
What's next on the boutique hotel radar: Infusing storytelling into
meeting spaces. 21c does a great job with this. Basically, people are having
meetings in art galleries. We're incorporating those ideas into our MGallery
hotels to create a very appealing new offer. I think we'll be seeing public spaces
with more balance between social areas and private places. We rolled out our
wellness strategy to address travelers' demand for healthier stays. Also, big
groups such as Accor will be exploring more cross-over opportunities. The
company recently acquired the coworking firm Wojo. So, we'll be looking for
ways to work with them to provide ancillary services for guests and locals.

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - September 2019