Hospitality Design - March/April 2016 - 86

perspectives

interview mark harmon
2. A one-bedroom lodge
at Calistoga Ranch offers
indoor-outdoor living
space.

4. The main house and
pool at Auberge du Soleil.

3. A rendered view of
a guest cottage at the
upcoming VieVage Napa
Valley.

Designers-the ones you really want to
work with-become more available and not
so busy. That's a good thing, for us. And when
there's change like that, it usually sparks a lot of
creativity. People go off on their own or start off
in a different direction. They look for something
new to get people excited. I think we're in for a bit
more stirring up in the next couple of years.

On expanding the company's wellness
offerings

There are many myths out there about what you
should eat, what you shouldn't eat. It turns out
that, by and large, [wellness] is very individual.
We've been working with the Aspen Club over
the years, and I want to integrate the idea that
you should have a crafted program that comes
with you, and that you can take with you. Either
we help you develop it, or you've brought it and
we accommodate it at the properties.

On trying resort living in Fort Lauderdale

comfortable. I like that sense of intimacy. I hate
long hallways. For a long time, we never had
any hotels that had guestroom hallways. I like
individual cottages. Short hallways are better if
you have to be inside.

There's an incredible spa, restaurant, fitness
center, and beach club-the core things that we
do-and 171 condominiums, but all set on five
acres, so it's really expansive. The idea was to live
life more fully in this resort environment, since
people in South Florida tend to live in these tall
glass boxes.
What we're seeing there, and it's a trend that
you could see in other markets, is a lot of the
residents are empty nesters wanting to move out
of the big house into a place that's got some life to
it. I think it's the way a lot of people want to live.

Outlook for 2016

Why he loves hotels

4
On launching VieVage

The brand is a little younger in spirit, although
we're not necessarily aiming at a younger
demographic. You feel younger when you're
there, because it's clean and it's contemporary
and it's fun-a little more approachable.
We were known for the romantic hideaway,
very couples-oriented. That's our DNA. But out
of personal experience, I wanted to bring the
kids along, or I wanted to go on a biking trip with
some buddies, or my wife, Kimberly, wanted
to take some girlfriends along. That romantic
hideaway with a king bed doesn't quite work. So I
said, 'What will we do?'

Hotel pet peeves

The most important thing to me is that sense of
scale in a place-that you come in and you feel

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March/April 2016 hospitalitydesign.com

It looks good because we're in that very highend, special niche. But financing is getting more
difficult as people are getting nervous-this is
one of the longest sustained recoveries since
World War II. So we are cautious. Yet I believe
going into these cycles is a healthy thing. It
tends to weed out the marginal projects, and it's
a good time for finding properties because they
will begin to get more reasonably priced. I don't
mind things quieting down a little bit so it's not as
frothy-but no bubbles, please.

They have personalities. They have soul if you
do them right-they become alive. One of the
most gratifying things is creating opportunities
for people in the hotels, creating rewarding work
and jobs.
I really like coming up with, hopefully,
some great ideas-collaborating with designers
to create very special places. I look at myself
as someone who's trying to contribute to
people's happiness, to their welfare, and to their
enjoyment. hd

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Hospitality Design - March/April 2016

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