Ep. 05: How to market your hotel now, with Frances & Ariela Kiradjian.
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On today’s episode, we dig deep into the present situation—the pandemic environment and how it has affected hospitality, by talking to two of the most influential women in the boutique hotel industry.
Frances and Ariela Kiradjian, the mother-daughter duo behind the Boutique & Lifestyle Leaders Association, and Stay Boutique, are here today to help me answer some of the many questions we face as hotel marketers, owners, and travelers.
We’ll discuss what hotels have done to respond to the pandemic, what hotels are doing now, and what stories are resonating. We’ll talk about marketing after the pandemic. We’ll dive into how the landscape may change, the types of stories we’re going to hear most, how hotels might pivot their offerings, what types of travel experiences will be more sought out, and how travelers will travel in the future.
So what happens when travelers are told to stay home? When hotels are forced to shut their doors, restaurants are relegated to take out, and millions of hospitality workers are unemployed? What’s the right message to send? What are the stories being told? And how will the story of the world’s most beloved hospitality brands change in the months ahead?
Before we jump in, let me share a little more about my guests.
Frances Kiradjian, a hospitality and travel industry leader for more than 25 years, created BLLA, the Boutique & Lifestyle Leaders Association, to give a voice to independent, upscale hotel properties as well as small brands around the world, offering them the opportunity and the means to compete on a level playing field with larger hotels. BLLA is the official association of boutique hotels and businesses worldwide, serving hundreds of members including hotels, restaurants and bars, as well as wellness and retail.
It’s not surprising that Frances’ daughter Ariela Kiradjian began traveling the world at six months old. After studying international business in London and Heidelberg, Ariela became a full-time partner in BLLA. In 2017, Ariela and Frances founded Stay Boutique, a discovery platform for daring travelers.
Stay Boutique represents the boutique hospitality community by bringing daring travelers together through events, media, membership, and travel guides.
Ariela has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Hospitality Business, Lodging Magazine, and more. Speaking engagements include taking the stage as a thought leader for organizations including the Wall Street Journal. In October, she was selected by Rebecca Minkoff—who I love—to be a part of her organization supporting women-owned companies, The Female Founder Collective.
Frances and Ariela have joined me to talk through the current climate. Although we don’t have all of the answers and we want to keep things real, I know we share some optimism about the future of hospitality.
Major takeaways from my conversation:
Brand identity has not been lost—this is especially true for independent and boutique hotels who already think outside of the guest room. Ariela shared some outstanding examples of hotels that are continuing to offer value to their guests by thinking creatively about what they do and how they can serve at home right now, and in their property in the future, while staying true to who they are.
Check out some of Ariela’s examples:
Heartfelt messages, and heartfelt offerings, are really getting through right now. Marketing works, and it’s so important right now to continue to share stories of positivity with your audience. If you haven’t listened yet, episode four tackles this new breed of storytelling.
Adventure travel/eco travel. Before the pandemic, Ariela talks about her team’s effort to effectively categorize boutique hotels. There were 12 categories, and amongst hundreds of hoteliers, the consensus was that adventure travel was the most sought after. Ecotourism will be that much more appealing following the travel restrictions and learning that has come out of this time. We talk about a few examples, including The Resort at Paw’s Up in Montana and Red Travel Mexico in La Paz.
The future of hotels as multi-use spaces. This makes so much sense. The idea that a hotel would offer co-working, apartment style rentals, real estate, fitness or dining memberships—this is a great way for hotels to really diversify what they’re doing while staying true to their brand. The Assemblage in New York is a great example.
Finally, I can’t wait to have Frances and Ariela back to chat more about the steps they’ve taken to represent not just boutique hotels in this industry, but also women executives in the hospitality space.
Learn more about Frances and Ariela Kiradjian and their organizations:
Boutique & Lifestyle Leaders Association
Travel Industry Executive Women’s Network
I hope this interview helps you think about how to continue to share stories right now—by being really heartfelt and putting a face to your brand. I hope you feel more positive about the future of travel and the ways in which your business might adapt to the changes ahead.
I encourage you to think creativity about how this crisis might allow you to connect more directly with your customers and diversify your offerings to continue to serve your customers. Yes, even now.
If you’d like to learn more about how to tell your story right now, be sure to listen to episode four about the new breed of storytelling during the pandemic.
As always, keep sharing your stories!
