This is very intriguing, for the stars of course but also as a brand extension. It’s always interesting to see when brands expand into things that aren’t quite their wheelhouses, then which work and which don’t. It seems to need to be done lightly, almost playfully, yet with absolute dedication to the bigger story.
Exactly Beth! I think this is why we see more and more luxury brands go into hospitality, because it’s one of the most impactful ways to create this more immersive experience of the brand world. Light and playful seems to work like you said!
Weighted bottles is such a subtle yet sustaining delight. One of my top-ranking hotel experiences among several in the last year was won solely by DND signs etched in metal. Their weight kept them on the door when I left - unlike the standard paper signs that are dramatically influenced by the light breeze of the door closing. I’m irrationally annoyed when I hang the DND as I’m leaving only to have it fly off the handle (literal), sometimes retreating *back into the room* that I’m trying to leave.
I’ve had the same experience with dnd signs, but they were reaaally good quality embossed leather with heavy tassels! And I so agree that hotels are doing more damage than they think when they choose the cheap paper ones that are annoying and quite often worn and ugly
Interesting reflection. It’s true that there’s nothing worse than staying at a 5-star hotel that feels more like a 4-star, whereas the opposite is obviously a much nicer surprise. But as you highlighted, this hotel is an exception, since it doesn’t really need to make a profit.
For most others, I imagine it would be quite difficult to offer 5-star service at 4-star rates. In your opinion, how much higher do you think the room rate at the Audemars hotel would have been if it had been classified as a 5-star?
I think they could have easily inflated the rates by at least 30%, if not more. But I think many of the things they are doing are completely replicable (such as the weighted shampoo and body wash bottles), as they don’t necessarily cost more to implement but just take an overall willingness to put that much more effort into the different touch points the guest has throughout their stay.
Soo interesting! 😵 In India, stars are awarded by a committee operating under the Ministry of Tourism rather than an independent global body, and fall in certain fee brackets. I think recently in Goa a few hotels self-downgraded from 5 to 4 stars because they didn’t want to pay additional govt fees 🙈
So interesting to hear how it works in India! And intricacies like this with governance and different treatment in fees are so interesting, and can have a huge impact on what the market looks like to the outside!!
This is so clever. The four-star label changes the guest’s reference point without changing the actual standard. So many luxury properties spend so much energy signaling five-star that the signal becomes a promise the experience has to spend the whole stay defending. AP gets to let the stay do the convincing.
This is very intriguing, for the stars of course but also as a brand extension. It’s always interesting to see when brands expand into things that aren’t quite their wheelhouses, then which work and which don’t. It seems to need to be done lightly, almost playfully, yet with absolute dedication to the bigger story.
Exactly Beth! I think this is why we see more and more luxury brands go into hospitality, because it’s one of the most impactful ways to create this more immersive experience of the brand world. Light and playful seems to work like you said!
Weighted bottles is such a subtle yet sustaining delight. One of my top-ranking hotel experiences among several in the last year was won solely by DND signs etched in metal. Their weight kept them on the door when I left - unlike the standard paper signs that are dramatically influenced by the light breeze of the door closing. I’m irrationally annoyed when I hang the DND as I’m leaving only to have it fly off the handle (literal), sometimes retreating *back into the room* that I’m trying to leave.
I’ve had the same experience with dnd signs, but they were reaaally good quality embossed leather with heavy tassels! And I so agree that hotels are doing more damage than they think when they choose the cheap paper ones that are annoying and quite often worn and ugly
Oooh love a tassel!
Interesting reflection. It’s true that there’s nothing worse than staying at a 5-star hotel that feels more like a 4-star, whereas the opposite is obviously a much nicer surprise. But as you highlighted, this hotel is an exception, since it doesn’t really need to make a profit.
For most others, I imagine it would be quite difficult to offer 5-star service at 4-star rates. In your opinion, how much higher do you think the room rate at the Audemars hotel would have been if it had been classified as a 5-star?
I think they could have easily inflated the rates by at least 30%, if not more. But I think many of the things they are doing are completely replicable (such as the weighted shampoo and body wash bottles), as they don’t necessarily cost more to implement but just take an overall willingness to put that much more effort into the different touch points the guest has throughout their stay.
Soo interesting! 😵 In India, stars are awarded by a committee operating under the Ministry of Tourism rather than an independent global body, and fall in certain fee brackets. I think recently in Goa a few hotels self-downgraded from 5 to 4 stars because they didn’t want to pay additional govt fees 🙈
So interesting to hear how it works in India! And intricacies like this with governance and different treatment in fees are so interesting, and can have a huge impact on what the market looks like to the outside!!
Not as an official category, but there are “6 star hotels” and they deliver ✨✨✨✨✨✨
Star rating inflation is real hahah!!
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This is so clever. The four-star label changes the guest’s reference point without changing the actual standard. So many luxury properties spend so much energy signaling five-star that the signal becomes a promise the experience has to spend the whole stay defending. AP gets to let the stay do the convincing.