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Joie de Vivre's Chip Conley says those hospitality concepts have huge potential.
By Matthew Hall
You can count Chip Conley as one of the boutique sector’s true pioneers. Starting out in 1987 with virtually no hotel industry experience, Conley converted a seedy motel in San Francisco into The Phoenix, a renowned rock-and-roll hotel that catered to such celebrities as David Bowie and Linda Ronstadt.
These days, Conley’s company, Joie de Vivre Hospitality, is the largest California-based boutique hospitality company, with more than 40 hotels, restaurants and spas across the Golden State. His industry profile got a further boost last year, when Geolo Capital—a private equity fund run by Hyatt scion John Pritzker—acquired a majority stake in Joie de Vivre, with an eye toward putting the business through a major expansion.
So, when asked to conjure up hot hospitality concepts for the U.S. market during a panel discussion at the recent Americas Lodging Investment Summit in San Diego, it was no surprise that Conley came up with three thought-provoking ideas:
* Unplugged Resorts. “There’s a huge potential market for high-end destinations that allow their guests to disconnect from all the high-tech gadgets that have become part of our daily lives.”
* “Love Hotels”: “I’m referring to places that sell occupancy by the hour. Though this kind of arrangement is often called a ‘love hotel,’ what I’m talking about would be hotels people could go to just get away from it all and relax for a relatively short period of time.”
* Youth Hostels: “These places can offer obscenely high margins, if you do it right. Lots of young international travelers have experienced this kind of lodging in overseas markets, and would be very receptive to seeing more of it here.”
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