- Hospitality Daily
- Posts
- How We Created An Award-Winning Boutique Hotel Management and Development Company
How We Created An Award-Winning Boutique Hotel Management and Development Company
with Meg Kennedy & Rob Blood, Lark Hotels
Josiah Mackenzie
October 12, 2023
Together with
Today we’re learning about:
Creating an award-winning boutique hotel management and development company
An overlooked element of guest experience design
Takeaways from hertelier’s event yesterday
Inspiration from #WellnessWednesday
…and much more
👋 First time reading? Subscribe here
TOGETHER WITH ACTABL
A GPS for the Hotel Industry: Actionable Insights to Drive Profits Up and to the Right
Hotel owners and operators face the daunting task of balancing multiple facets of business, from labor management to guest experience and cost control. While most technology offers data collection, Actabl focuses on transforming that data into actionable insights.
Actabl's suite of business intelligence, labor management, and hotel operations management software is designed to deliver real-time, meaningful insights to both on-property managers and above-property leaders. By seamlessly integrating technologies such as Hotel Effectiveness, Profit Sword, Alice, and Transcendent, Actabl streamlines workflows, optimizes labor forecasting, and enhances the guest experience, ultimately driving profits up and to the right.
FEATURE STORY
How We Created An Award-Winning Boutique Hotel Management and Development Company
with Meg Kennedy & Rob Blood, Lark Hotels
Meg Kennedy & Rob Blood, Lark Hotels // Credit: Lark Hotels
Lark Hotels is an award-winning boutique hotel management and development company, and today, we get to learn from their founders - partners in life and in business - Meg Kennedy and Rob Blood - about their fascinating story of getting started in hospitality, the career opportunities this industry provides, expressing creativity through hospitality - and much more.
The Path to Hospitality
Rob's passion for hospitality began in his mid-20s when he entered a contest to win an inn. Although the contest didn’t end up working out, it sparked his interest in the industry. Rob eventually found himself working as an innkeeper on Nantucket, where he learned the business from a couple there.
An MBA from Harvard, consumate hospitality souls…they were the first people I saw who turned innkeeping into a viable, successful lifestyle.
This experience fueled his desire to create unique hospitality ventures that went beyond the traditional bed and breakfast model.
Meg, on the other hand, stumbled into hospitality “a lot more randomly” - in her words. After working in education, she wanted a change and hospitality looked appealing. Leveraging her experience in sales and managing people, she applied and began her career as a general manager. Over time, she gravitated towards design and curating the experience, incorporating her love for art and aesthetics into the guest's journey.
The Origin of Lark Hotels
Lark Hotels initially began as a marketing group for the four properties they had ownership in.
I have an insatiable drive to create, grow, and do new things.
Their success with Captain Fairfield Inn and Veranda House on Nantucket led to an expansion of their services. They started receiving requests from other property owners to help operate and conceptualize their hotels. This demand prompted the evolution of Lark Hotels into a full-service hotel operating company.
Credit: Lark Hotels
Differentiating Factors
What sets Lark Hotels apart is their emphasis on location, design, and what they call “unpretentious hospitality.”
We want to make sure that we're meeting our guests eye to eye. And that means I'm Rob, this is Meg, you're John, you're Susan. We want to make sure we are doing it without our own pretense. There's no sirs, there are no madams, there's no starched collars. We feel like when people are on vacation, they're there to relax and we want to be able to meet their expectations without pushing our agenda on top of theirs.
Rob and Meg believe this and a genuine connection with guests are the keys to success in the industry. They aim to create experiences that are unique to each property and reflect the local culture and community.
Credit: Lark Hotels
Designing with Purpose
There are so many great places to stay in New England. But a lot of them were pretty tired - full of porcelain and doilies.
Meg's role as the creative director involves curating the visual aspects of the hotels. She approaches each project as an art project, collecting unique pieces from various sources to create a one-of-a-kind experience for guests.
I like art in a lot of different forms. I like to paint. I like to take photos. Properties like our Blind Tiger brand are just a huge work of art for me. The art project begins with a collection phase. We collect things. We love to go to Hudson, New York, and look for antiques - and incorporate this hunting phase into our own travels.
The goal is to design spaces that feel lived-in and comfortable, rather than the perfect hotel. Meg believes that common spaces should be inviting, with elements like books, blankets, and wood-burning fires that encourage guests to relax and connect with their surroundings.
We’re creating place where you feel comfortable kicking off your shoes and you feel like if you break something, you're not going to be in trouble. Or if you spill something on the rug, it's not going to be the end of the world. We talk about designing spaces that people live in rather than the perfect hotel.
Credit: Lark Hotels
The “Right-Sized” Approach
Lark Hotels takes a bespoke approach to each property, considering its economic viability and market demand. They analyze market data to determine the optimal size and scope of a project. The team understands that what works in one location may not work in another, and they tailor their approach accordingly. By bringing all aspects of hotel development and operation in-house, Lark Hotels ensures a cohesive and seamless experience for owners, investors, and guests.
Listen to our full conversation here now to hear all the details.
Who do you know that would appreciate this today? Click here to forward this email.
From our community
Hospitality Daily is a community of creators and doers. Some things for today:
💡 Want to be featured here? Join our community on LinkedIn, and tag Hospitality Daily in your LinkedIn post
What did you think of today's email? |