The notion of the ‘third place’ captures something essential—hospitality at its highest level is not about where you stay, but how you feel. Neither home nor work, but a space where one can simply belong.
The hotels that truly succeed are those that create this sense of ease, recognition, and quiet connection—for guests and locals alike. That is where service becomes something more enduring: an experience that stays with you.
Love this! The third place framing changes how I think about what I'm actually selling. When a client tells me they want "a nice hotel," what they're really describing is this, somewhere that holds a different version of them for a few days. The question I find myself sitting with: are travel advisors thinking about this dimension at all when we recommend properties, or are we still mostly optimizing for amenities and price per night?
I'm not sure if it was a TikTok or a YouTube short, but I did see a segment on literally something titled under third spaces and how specifically if you're thinking about New York
, is what the video suggested to do a deep dive in and the feeling of run clubs becoming more of a thing or like bathhouse or um they didn't mention this in the video that I watched, but specifically remedy place is probably what feels closest to our aesthetic, myself and
what you kind of worldbuild with your publication, and I feel like having a party or a dance club in a sauna that is supposed to be the reward system for after you've worked out, I don't know if that's kind of sustainable long-term because I can just see how people kind of will drop out of that if they have, like, you know, families or
you know, like
there's just a situation where people are beginning to start families and the lineage of where we are as a generation, and um I think that this is interesting, um, but I also think that there is a
continuation in trying
to figure out what can be serviced because this economy and specifically how, like, the third space can serve as wellness, um, or the third space in general is projected to increase from $6 trillion to $9 or $10 trillion by 2030, and
I think that
that was what I remembered from watching haha
Gonna comment my experience from the treat everyone like a VIP
That’s such a good point and I’ve heard from my NYC friend that’s remedy place is the thing right now and I DO want to pay a visit, but you’re right. I do think that those run club and whatever else wellness related third places do require a certain level of commitment that may not be sustainable in the day-to-day. And I think what’s so great about hotels is that you can literally be on your bullshit and it doesn’t require you or… rather the space doesn’t require you to be anyone in particular, and I actually think that would also be an important signifier of a third place to add to the list
I don't know if I'm reading too deep into this, but I feel like the treat everyone like a VIP for me felt a bit just under and lackluster because when you see somebody read a pamphlet and say your name right after,
then try to hide the fact that they put the paper where they read your name back in their pocket
It just kind of is over the top for me, personally. But that's just personally me.
I'm sure that a lot of people prefer that, and a lot of people might find it hysterically funny as well, but I felt like the whole thing kind of almost turned into some kind of vibe it was a bit reminiscent of a cult-ish.
I think some things turn into the result of research that isn't fully scoped in the understanding aspect where you have to live something to fully get the picture. And I think that sometimes bad experiences are still good because they help you prepare for the future, but...
Long story short, for me, the whole kind of wearing gloves and a whole top hat, it just felt like too comedic and maybe regalness is something I personally don't feel aligned to.
So, I don't know if that kind of experience was the best for me. And I was in Tokyo for this.
kind of just wanna be left alone. You know, privacy is more my speed.
Hand me the keys and let me jet out about my life versus the feeling of 24-hour surveillance as soon as you leave the room. Do you need an Uber? Do you need me to call you a taxi? Do you need me to help with your bags?
I can get it myself.
but you know, I get it.
There's a service duty kind of responsibility that is tied to all these things 🤣
Oh, I totally see your point. For me it’s not necessarily about the theatrics, like it’s of course, part of the appeal and can make you feel important. But that said without the actual good treatment, the funny costumes don’t mean anything in themselves, like for instance I was staying at the Newbury in Boston and there the staff had their uniforms with their little pillbox hats, but they were totally not in the hospitality mindset… like the doorman wouldn’t keep the door open for you. And I think also being treated like a VIP is not having someone be fussy around you, because like you said that can be extremely offputting. I think it’s just about not having anyone look down at you for anything and treat you the same, even if you order the cheapest thing on the menu or the most expensive thing on the menu if you see what I mean. But I totally get your point!!!
Great blog. The idea that true hospitality blends belonging, immersion, and a bit of magic is what makes a place unforgettable.
Thank you so much Carl! I’m glad you enjoyed it
Emma, this resonates deeply.
The notion of the ‘third place’ captures something essential—hospitality at its highest level is not about where you stay, but how you feel. Neither home nor work, but a space where one can simply belong.
The hotels that truly succeed are those that create this sense of ease, recognition, and quiet connection—for guests and locals alike. That is where service becomes something more enduring: an experience that stays with you.
Beautifully expressed.
Thank you Pierre! I’m so happy it resonated with you
Loved this. A proper hotel bar is one of the most magical places on earth.
Thank you for reading Greg! I could NOT agree more, it’s like a pocket of infinite possibility haha
Love this! The third place framing changes how I think about what I'm actually selling. When a client tells me they want "a nice hotel," what they're really describing is this, somewhere that holds a different version of them for a few days. The question I find myself sitting with: are travel advisors thinking about this dimension at all when we recommend properties, or are we still mostly optimizing for amenities and price per night?
Yes, totally agree! I’ve been saying this for a while. More people need to hangout at hotels:)
Glad we agree Yael!!! :)
I'm not sure if it was a TikTok or a YouTube short, but I did see a segment on literally something titled under third spaces and how specifically if you're thinking about New York
, is what the video suggested to do a deep dive in and the feeling of run clubs becoming more of a thing or like bathhouse or um they didn't mention this in the video that I watched, but specifically remedy place is probably what feels closest to our aesthetic, myself and
what you kind of worldbuild with your publication, and I feel like having a party or a dance club in a sauna that is supposed to be the reward system for after you've worked out, I don't know if that's kind of sustainable long-term because I can just see how people kind of will drop out of that if they have, like, you know, families or
you know, like
there's just a situation where people are beginning to start families and the lineage of where we are as a generation, and um I think that this is interesting, um, but I also think that there is a
continuation in trying
to figure out what can be serviced because this economy and specifically how, like, the third space can serve as wellness, um, or the third space in general is projected to increase from $6 trillion to $9 or $10 trillion by 2030, and
I think that
that was what I remembered from watching haha
Gonna comment my experience from the treat everyone like a VIP
That’s such a good point and I’ve heard from my NYC friend that’s remedy place is the thing right now and I DO want to pay a visit, but you’re right. I do think that those run club and whatever else wellness related third places do require a certain level of commitment that may not be sustainable in the day-to-day. And I think what’s so great about hotels is that you can literally be on your bullshit and it doesn’t require you or… rather the space doesn’t require you to be anyone in particular, and I actually think that would also be an important signifier of a third place to add to the list
Yea exactly ! The whole mile !
I don't know if I'm reading too deep into this, but I feel like the treat everyone like a VIP for me felt a bit just under and lackluster because when you see somebody read a pamphlet and say your name right after,
then try to hide the fact that they put the paper where they read your name back in their pocket
It just kind of is over the top for me, personally. But that's just personally me.
I'm sure that a lot of people prefer that, and a lot of people might find it hysterically funny as well, but I felt like the whole thing kind of almost turned into some kind of vibe it was a bit reminiscent of a cult-ish.
I think some things turn into the result of research that isn't fully scoped in the understanding aspect where you have to live something to fully get the picture. And I think that sometimes bad experiences are still good because they help you prepare for the future, but...
Long story short, for me, the whole kind of wearing gloves and a whole top hat, it just felt like too comedic and maybe regalness is something I personally don't feel aligned to.
So, I don't know if that kind of experience was the best for me. And I was in Tokyo for this.
kind of just wanna be left alone. You know, privacy is more my speed.
Hand me the keys and let me jet out about my life versus the feeling of 24-hour surveillance as soon as you leave the room. Do you need an Uber? Do you need me to call you a taxi? Do you need me to help with your bags?
I can get it myself.
but you know, I get it.
There's a service duty kind of responsibility that is tied to all these things 🤣
Oh, I totally see your point. For me it’s not necessarily about the theatrics, like it’s of course, part of the appeal and can make you feel important. But that said without the actual good treatment, the funny costumes don’t mean anything in themselves, like for instance I was staying at the Newbury in Boston and there the staff had their uniforms with their little pillbox hats, but they were totally not in the hospitality mindset… like the doorman wouldn’t keep the door open for you. And I think also being treated like a VIP is not having someone be fussy around you, because like you said that can be extremely offputting. I think it’s just about not having anyone look down at you for anything and treat you the same, even if you order the cheapest thing on the menu or the most expensive thing on the menu if you see what I mean. But I totally get your point!!!
Dito! It’s all about a quaint and balanced on when to engage and how to best communicate your hospitality