Congratulations on your recent appointment at Thompson Denver. What initiatives are you working on to enhance the guest experience and distinguish the hotel within the Denver hospitality landscape?
Thank you for having me and giving me this platform to share. At Thompson Denver, it’s all about the customer touch points and offering layered, refined, unconventional, pioneering experiences. Being a Culture Shifter within the Denver Luxury Lifestyle Hotel space, simply letting you be more yourself is what we aim to do.
You have been involved in community outreach, particularly with the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, focusing on bringing more Black business opportunities to the area. How do you integrate social responsibility and community engagement into the overall guest experience at your properties?
Customers and Guests want an experience immersed in diversity. Working with the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, we were able to connect with local Black-owned businesses, artists, and Curators from the local community and invite them to the Andaz West Hollywood, not only providing them with opportunities but also giving our guests a sense of community.
Can you tell us about a recent project you were involved in that focused on creating a positive social impact within the hospitality industry?
At Hyatt we are laser focused on growing black and brown representation amongst our leadership particularly women of color. As part of our Black Leaders Group, we discuss ways and tactics to cultivate talent and identify future GM’s. I am also involved in the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality Association as a frequent contributor to their conferences workshops.
Given your role as General Manager, how do you prioritize and foster positive leadership and culture within your team at Thompson Denver, and what impact do you believe this has on the overall performance and satisfaction of your team members?
Embedded in our Leadership expectations is fostering a spirit of experimentation and letting the creative in all of our colleagues be seen and heard. Leading from a place of care is at the center of everything. This directly impacts how our colleagues take care of our guests, allowing them to be their authentic selves and providing an experience they can be proud of and excited about.
What overarching trends do you foresee shaping the future of the luxury hotel space, and how do you plan to adapt to ensure continued success for Thompson Denver?
Like many other industries, guests and customers are looking for more ways to connect in their own way, whether it is being able to have a live chat and get recommendations to a great restaurant or being able to completely automate their arrival experience via digital key or remote check-in and out.
AI is playing a huge role in how we communicate with our guests. The key to success is to ensure that the human touches are still there when and where the guests want it.
Tags: International Luxury Hotel Association Julian Tucker, Thompson Denver
