Defining Hospitality

🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/ 

Today, host Dan Ryan sits down with Bonnie Campagnuolo, Brand Leader of Embassy Suites by Hilton. The discussion follows the intricacies of hospitality, brand strategy, and evolving customer needs. Bonnie shares her journey from advertising to hospitality, her insights on brand evolution, and the importance of creating a guest-centric experience. They explore Embassy Suites' recent design changes, the importance of model rooms, and integrating technology in hospitality.

Takeaways: 
  • Embrace the need for brand evolution or revolution based on market demands and guest needs.
  • Regularly gather and incorporate feedback from guests on room functionality and amenities.
  • Ensure key stakeholders, including housekeeping and operational teams, have input in the design process.
  • Conduct extensive research via surveys, focus groups, and in-room studies to understand guest behaviors and unmet needs. Ask guests how they use space and what features are most important to them.
  • Allow owners flexibility in design, while also ensuring brand consistency.
  • Experiment with new technologies to improve guest experience as well as operational efficiency.
  • Be open to career moves that might seem non-linear but can provide valuable experiences and insights. Avoid limiting beliefs in yourself and your abilities.
Quote of the Show:
“Make decisions that leave doors open, not ones that close doors. Be open, work on different clients, learn different types of business.” - Bonnie Campagnuolo

Links:
Shout Outs:
Ways to Tune In: 

Creators & Guests

Host
Dan Ryan
Host of Defining Hospitality
Producer
Rayanne Pruitt

What is Defining Hospitality?

Welcome to Defining Hospitality, the podcast focused on highlighting the most influential figures in the hospitality industry. In each episode we provide 1 on 1, in depth interviews with experts in the industry to learn what hospitality means to them. We feature expert advice on working in the industry, behind the scenes looks at some of your favorite brands, and in depth explorations of unique hospitality projects.

Defining Hospitality is hosted by Founder and CEO of Agency 967, Dan Ryan. With over 30 years of experience in hospitality, Dan brings his expertise and passion to each episode as he delves into the latest trends and challenges facing the industry.

Episodes are released every week on Wednesday mornings.

To listen to episodes, visit https://www.defininghospitality.live/ or subscribe to Defining Hospitality wherever you get your podcasts.

DH - Bonnie Campagnuolo
===

[00:00:00] What I do is inconsequential. Why I do what I do is I get to shorten people's journeys every day. What I love about our hospitality industry is that it's our mission to make people feel cared for while on their journeys. Together we'll explore what hospitality means in the built environment, in business, and in our daily lives.

I'm Dan Ryan and this is Defining Hospitality.

This podcast is sponsored by Berman Falk Hospitality Group, a design driven furniture manufacturer who specializes in custom case goods and seating for hotel guest rooms.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Today's guest is the brand leader of Embassy Suites by Hilton. She's the mastermind behind the brand's strategy and performance. She's all about driving growth, sustaining guest loyalty, fostering a vibrant brand culture, and keeping the brand fresh.

She caught the hospitality bug while marketing theme parks and resorts. And the rest is history. We're really excited to have on Bonnie Campagnolo. Today, welcome [00:01:00] Bonnie.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: How are you today? Thanks for having me.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: it's so great to have you on. And, um, I'm really excited for our conversation for a couple of different reasons. The reason why I'm most excited is because, you know, many architects and designers listen to this show. Um, and we're very intrigued by when a brand decides. It wants to freshen up or change or evolve, or, you know, there's a whole spectrum of how a brand can either revolt or revolution to evolution.

And there's like a whole spectrum within it. Um, so I'm excited to dig into that, but before we wind up getting there at some point in our conversation, um, what does hospitality mean to you? How, how do you define it?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: for me, hospitality is at its core about, um, how you prepare for somebody to enter your space, whether that's your house, [00:02:00] your restaurant, or your hotel and that person should feel like they've been considered, they've been thought about. And so on a personal level, it might be that I always have my sister's favorite coffee creamer in the fridge if she's coming. Uh, there's a framed picture on the The, the nightstand of us, of a, of a trip we took together or something and everything's ready for them, but beyond just being clean, right. And I've thought about what. She's going to need while she's there, where she's going to charge her phone. Is she going to have room for all of her things? And when it comes to hotels, it's the same thing. How is somebody really going to use this space? How's a business traveler going to use it? How's a leisure traveler going to use it? How's a Taylor Swift concert goer going to use the space? Where are they going to make their bracelets and get [00:03:00] glittered up? Um, so at the end of the day, The person walks away going, they thought about me. They thought about what, uh, what this was going to be like.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Hmm. Well, I'm traveling to Toronto with my wife. My daughter and the bracelets in a bag, and I'm sure we'll find somewhere to put it. I don't know where we're, I think we're, I don't remember where we're staying, but it is in the Hilton family. Um, but it's not in Embassy Suites, but I can walk to the stadium because apparently it's on lockdown.

So I'm very excited to go have that shared moment with her. Um, I appreciate how you started with your personal experience talking about, for instance, as an example of your sister coming in. And then from a brand perspective, When you consider all the different traveler types that you mentioned, um, it must be very difficult to make each of them feel considered, because they're all so different, right?

So, how what are whether [00:04:00] I think you said business, leisure, family. And I'm sure there's some other ones in there, but is there a Venn diagram for all of them that makes Embassy Suites special? And I know that you've only did a big brand renovation in, I guess about 12 years ago, and you tweaked it about two years ago.

But what are the ways that, you know, those, those circles in the Venn diagram keep moving because the marketplace and customer is always evolving, but how do you use Embassy Suites like focus in from a brand perspective on the center of those different circles?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: And you know, the brand was founded, uh, 40 years ago by Herbie Feldman and his goal was to give travelers more. And from the beginning, we've had strong business seven days a week. With leisure, adults, leisure families, business travelers, group and meeting clients. So, the generosity of the brand has [00:05:00] been, you know, well received by those audiences for decades now.

So, when we renovate, we don't goof with that. But, um, everybody likes a great breakfast. So that's one of the core things we're known for. free beverages in the evening to end your day or start your evening. Um, it's just a nice, a nice touch. You don't get that combination of things everywhere. And then everybody has a suite. So you have space to relax and space to sleep. As we have evolved how we work. That means now you can be on a call. Okay. without a bed in the background, you know, without your stuff strewn about. Core to the room is that door between the sleeping area and the parlor area.

So kids can be asleep on a pull out sofa, parents can be [00:06:00] on the other side watching TV after children have gone to bed. Um, or Today, if you've got two working adults traveling, one can be on a call in one area and one can be on a call in the other area before they go off for whatever their, their day entails. So that's the, the beauty of the room and the amenities, uh, works for all those folks.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: We have a couple of different audiences that listen to this. Um, we have designers and architects. We have people who are in hotel operations and brand. We also have a lot of entrepreneurs and I think. What's interesting in the seat that you're sitting in as like the, the conductor of, uh, of the brand experience and the champion of the brand experience for embassy suites for those types of stakeholders.

So I bring in the entrepreneur one because [00:07:00] oftentimes companies are reinventing or evolving their brands. So that's why I brought them into this conversation. The designers and architects, And they're the ones who are actually doing the built environment of that new embassy suites or whatever other hotel brand it might be.

So from your perspective, when you're kicking off a brand evolution or revolution, so I guess 12 years ago, you did a revolution, like it was a big, big change. And then two years ago, there were some, some tweaks. So maybe more of an evolution. How do you, as, As Bonnie and as Hilton at large say, okay, it's time to change this brand, evolve, or really a wholesale change.

What's the process between doing that and then taking in all of the different channels of business and experience that a hotel brings to the table.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: So I'll start with 12 years ago. [00:08:00] the way the brand was established in the early, builds have a large center atrium, the suites all around the center, pulling in light from the center, um, and then common space on the lower floors, meaning space varies, um, but the core of what people value involves a bar, um, Breakfast area with ample seating and then those suites. So, it became too expensive for new owners to build a large atrium like that and your air conditioning and taking care of that middle space isn't necessarily efficient from a build perspective in today's cost to build. scenario. Um, so the newer builds

[00:09:00] maintain,

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: just so I'm clear, because of that large atrium and larger footprint and the huge built environment, the consideration was because the cost to build. Was the main driving focus there.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: yeah, I mean, building a hotel like that is,

um, it's a spicy meatball.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Yes, it is a spicy meatball.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: So, um, when we did the prototype evolution in, uh, about 12 years ago, we needed to rethink that space, um, on the lower floors, maintain what we'd delivered and what the brand always delivers, and then capture that, the magic of those suites up above. Um, in that time, most of our classics have a linear suite. So you walk in, you have the parlor, [00:10:00] bathroom in the middle, and then a sleeping space closest to the exterior window. In the newer models, the rooms are side by side. So you walk into the parlor, but the bedroom is off to either the right or the left, but both those rooms have exterior light because you're not pulling in light from a center atrium. some of our properties will mix those room types to fit the space of the plot of land that we have. If it needs to be an L shape, then the linear suites help make that corner and then the, the wings end up the side by sides.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: So from the embassy suites perspective, 12 years ago, cost to build and building those big atrium, core and shell construction sites, that was really the driver, but if you were to talk to some of your [00:11:00] colleagues who are brand leaders and other brands, what are some considerations that they may have considered that it wasn't necessarily a cost to build.

That pushed them into doing a brand overhaul or refresh. Um, what are some other like buckets, if you will, other brands under the Hilton umbrella would consider.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: So cost to build is always going to be a factor, pretty big factor. And then guest use and how, how they actually use the space based on their travel needs or purpose, right? Um, for instance, Homewood Suites went through an evolution of their prototype, um, in 2021. And their guests are long stay guests, so that clientele has a very different need set. Um, it's really important [00:12:00] that guest laundry be well lit, clean, ample, because they're staying for 30 days. So that they need a, attractive place to, to get things done because they're living with it. same with the, the room needs to be someplace where they can feel at home.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And I guess for you to bring up that one for me, one of the craziest, like you always want to stay true to your heritage, if you will. When there's a brand evolution going on, um, less extreme to more extreme. But I was really shocked that they got rid of the duck. That was always such a core part of the branding of that, but logos play a big role in all this.

Um, so going back to, I use the, I use the metaphor of being a conductor, but you brought up the spicy meatball. So let's go to a chef. So, If you're the chef of the brand, right? And you're creating this new recipe, um, [00:13:00] you say, okay, it's time cost to build. In your case is the, is the main driver. There's a lot of other considerations.

How do you start implementing that from a design perspective and operations perspective and FNB perspective and whatever other channels that I'm not thinking about because you're dealing with so many more of them. I, I just really play in one of those in one of those buckets, but how do you, as the chef, Kind of assemble all of these ingredients and build the teams and then kind of create alignment and a path forward.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: When we get started on a project like that, and what we did when we approached Embassy Suites a couple years ago, is We looked at what was working, what people really like. We looked at what could change, what they wish they had. Sometimes a customer can't tell you what they wish they had because they don't know what the options are. So you have to [00:14:00] play with, um, you have to ask questions in a specific way so that they tell you what they're looking to be able to do. Or to have, they may not be able to tell you I want that kind of a faucet or I want. then we look at what are, are, there things we think we can't touch that maybe we should?

Are there unwritten rules? That we're working with here and which of, should we break any of them? And there definitely were some unwritten rules that, um, we thought we couldn't touch and might save us some money. Um, and then we tested, we did some research to say, is it worth breaking this? And we found out that it wasn't.

For instance, at every embassy suites, In each room, there's a wet bar. So there's a sink, a microwave, and a [00:15:00] refrigerator outside of the bathroom. So you always obviously have a sink in the bathroom, and then you have this wet bar area. I said, well, what if we got rid of the sink at the wet bar? That would save us a whole bunch of plumbing. What do we think about that? And customers did not like that. They said, no bueno. They like They like having that, um, they fill up their water bottles, um, they, if, if they're cooking something simple, they need water, it's right there. It gives you a little place to entertain, if you're gonna, not that you're gonna have a beverage with your daughter before you go to Taylor Swift, but

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: probably will. Come

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: I mean, okay, I don't know how old she is, that's,

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Well, she won't have it. I'll have it.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Okay. You definitely should. Um, but research told us don't play with that. People like that. it's

making sure we did not break it. I

tried to break it and customer said,

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Oh, because the driving goal was cost to build and all the plumbing and everything [00:16:00] else. Okay. Got it. Um, I'm curious when you say, when you do the research, so basically you're at this programmatic stage where you're like, okay, it's time cost to build is the driving factor. I I'm really intrigued by the research you do.

So. Are those in focus groups? Are they by email surveys? Like, do you bring in consultants to do that? Are you leading it? Like, how do you gather that data at first?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: There are a number of things that we do, so we will, um, in some cases we might build a model room and bring people into it and ask for their feedback. We will do studies where we ask people how they're using their room, we ask them if it's okay if we come in. and take a few pictures and kind of see where they've unpacked, if they've unpacked, um, and then we'll do surveys. But sometimes you have to get in the space. At things like a, uh, [00:17:00] pull out sofa, how do you use the pull out sofa? Who's sleeping on the pull out sofa? Adults or kids? If you use the pull out sofa, do you put it away every day? you

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And that, so that's an operational question.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: if they put it away every day, then the sofa is available as seating in the, in the parlor, and you don't need extra chairs.

So if you think, okay, it's a double queen, and there's a sleeper sofa, so you could have six people in the suite. If the bed gets put away, now you've got space for three on the sofa, and you've got at least three chairs at the dining slash desk. That's in that area. So now everybody place has a place to sit. The ottoman also is a movable place for somebody to sit without adding [00:18:00] another side chair, which adds to clutter and takes away from a place where somebody could put their suitcase.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: so I love model rooms because it's something that you can walk through, experience, touch, feel, you other, you can have guests, you can have all the stakeholders involved, walk through and give feedback. But I'm also from a, From your expertise as like the brand chef, I hope you don't mind me using the chef because I like the conductor, but the spicy meatball brought me in.

So, but as the brand chef before, I just know all that it takes to make a model room. It's a Herculean effort that's driven by crazy schedules, a lot of different inputs. Oftentimes I personally don't get to see Kind of all the recipe making that happens way before at the brand level. So for like, for your operational counterpart, your design and construction counterpart, your F& B counterpart, [00:19:00] all of this stuff has to get assembled, turned into drawings and boards and samples.

And how do you gather. All of that data from all those different stakeholders before you even get to putting the pen to the paper to make the model room

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: so they're involved in the front end where we're saying what could we change? What should we not change? What are things we think we can't change that we should consider? So they're all involved. And then for our embassy suites process, we did a cardboard room before we did design. When we were just in the construction phase, the

Hilton McLean, we did a In a,

ballroom, we did a cardboard room so that we could walk through and kind of feel it with a movable wall, because if it's a double queen, the wall is further out, and if it's a king, We scooch it in.

So we walk through, [00:20:00] uh, we had cardboard furniture in there. So it's not about design. It's about space. Um, and then we, for the other room types that build off that base, we had the floor plan printed in life size. So we rolled it out on the floor so you could walk through it and feel what that space might feel like.

Do we have room? for the pullout sofa. What does it feel like if you're, if you're in this space? So that was real, that was a really geeky fun day to be playing with. I've had my husband come and come and walk

through it too.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: that's okay. So the audience that you have there, is it everyone from Chris Nassetta to your husband that are going through and giving feedback?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Yes, yeah,

so so

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Wow. outside, at what point do you bring in the outside consultants too? Or are they doing it all at the same time? Like I'm very curious about this because then I want to get into the, We have the recipe now.

Let's go get the [00:21:00] ingredients.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: The partners were our core to all of that, so they were with us in the construction, because it had to make sense all the way through. So, we kind of build it, think about how it could all work, and then pull out a room and build it. in a hotel. Um, once we were kind of comfortable with where, where we were, the executive team came and walked through. Um, Chris likes to make sure the shower's big, get your elbows up, and that you're not going to get wet turning on the shower. Don't knock

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: But don't knock over the cardboard wall when you're doing that.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: It's pretty sturdy. It's a pretty, it's pretty amazing. And

technology has let us test more less expensively than 20 years ago. We have a model room in Memphis, in our office in Memphis, and it's more like a set, so it doesn't need to be as expensive as really building it.

But again, it lets you have that space, and that one [00:22:00] has all the design elements in it as well,

from FF& E and garbage cans and amenities. Bath amenities on the wall. It's all in

Speaker: Hey everybody. We've been doing this podcast for over three years now, and one of the themes that consistently comes up is sustainability. And I'm just really proud to announce that our sponsor Berman Falk Hospitality Group is the first within our hospitality industry to switch to sustainable and recyclable packaging, eliminating the use of styrofoam.

Please check out their impact page in the show notes for more info.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: It's amazing how useful even a cardboard mock up is. Versus like the fully done up model room. Because I I'm always thinking about how, where's the disruption coming from? How am I, how are robots going to take over the rendering capabilities that exist now, even from a 3d walkthrough. They're [00:23:00] so sophisticated and incredible, but I don't know.

I feel like with all the different. Trades and materials. And this could just be like boomer mindset that I have right now. I'm not a boomer, but just like, the actual walkthrough of a model room, whether it's cardboard or not the amount of data and tactile data for hotels in particular, I love all the renderings as a tool as well, but I don't, I don't really see the model room going away anytime soon because there's so many different stakeholders in a hotel that need to see if.

I don't know, the vacuum cleaner fits under the, the bed base, or where they can store extra pillow. I, I don't I don't know. I can't even consider all of the considerations, but it just seems to me that that's such a vital part of everything that we do. And I hope it doesn't go away.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: there. Yeah, absolutely. And housekeeping is a huge stakeholder. And even if it's not a prototype build, if a hotel is renovating, including the, the, your head of [00:24:00] housekeeping, to just take a look and look at what furniture is being spec'd, where's the, where's the vacuum gonna hit, if

we've

got a,

Where are all the plugs for the housekeepers and for the guests? How hard is it to get behind the the faucet in the bathroom if it's a teeny tiny little space? That's really tough to clean every time. Are

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Well, no, then you just have the screen for housekeepers with small hands.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Right. And then, how are they going to clean the top of that, um, of the mirror? how, how tall is the mirror? Um, in some hotels, they've been testing robot vacuums, so the vacuum can run itself in the parlor while they're working on the bathroom or the sleeping area, but if there are shears on the window, they're that [00:25:00] pool a little bit on the floor, those are going to get caught.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Oh yeah. And then you rip down all

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: about, yeah, um,

those those types of things.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Okay. So technology. It's all happening and it kind of bores me to talk about, but I do want to go there. Um, because I do have the fear of the robots taking over. But one of the things I want to go back to, which I think was really, really intriguing, is when you're Interviewing your guests, either in person or focus groups, or, how do you find out what they wish they had?

That's like the unknown unknown. Like, what's the framework and line of questioning that you ask them to kind of dig into their brain and look under the hood and say, you wish you had this, but you haven't even considered it? Do you have an example of that? Or like, I'm very intrigued by the asking those clarifying questions and, and kind of getting them to come [00:26:00] along with you and consider the things that they hadn't considered.

Cause I think that can really help in any brand or business or just with children, for instance.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: It's, it is hard to get at, and so there's a couple different ways. Um, you, we can ask what's most important to you, and then figure out if there's trade offs. If they'd be willing to give up this versus that, uh, some things that they may like, but it's not necessarily worth paying more to have, um, because sometimes it's a cost factor, right? So either because it's an operational cost or it costs more to build, if somebody's not willing to pay more for whatever that benefit is, then we have to think about, do we build it into every room or is that something that you do in some rooms? Um, Then we, in the [00:27:00] physical space, you can ask, how would you use that? Or when you see how somebody is using a current state room, that's when you ask, okay, so why is that over there? Well, I didn't have any place else to put it. Or, um, I have, you know, a sleep apnea machine that I need to have next to me and I need to have water for it or, or what have you.

So I moved that table to put it next to me.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: What are some of the most surprising what they wish they had? So the unknown unknowns that have kind of bubbled to the surface, whether you took action on them or not.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Early on, uh, when I say early on, I mean as everybody having 17 devices with them. So everybody in your travel party having 17 devices, regardless of age, right? the adults have computers, iPads, AirPods, [00:28:00] phones. So where are we going to charge all of that?

What needs to be next to the bed? What can be someplace else? and then what are the ancillary things that get plugged in someplace else, but they all are charging overnight? And then how many of them need to be on Wi Fi to work right? Um, I would say one of the things that we built into the new prototype is that even if you've got two people in the room, having a door between where the toilet is and where the sink and the shower is means that more people can be utilizing that space at the same time, right? Even if you're married, we like that door.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: The door is really interesting because, I'll let you finish your thought, but what, When I think of those original embassy suites, The big atrium spaces, There were the two different [00:29:00] areas, Like the living and the bed, but there was like a Threshold, not necessarily a door between The two, and I feel like in the New ones, there is a door Between the sleeping and the

bedroom.

And then obviously you're talking about the bathroom one, but that's, that was a very big change, I would think, too. And was that one of those unknown unknowns?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: That door, so you may have been in an anomaly, but there was, there's always been a door between the living space and the sleeping space. Because if you're a parent, that's priceless.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Yes.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Especially when they're little, and even if you could, now at Hilton you can confirm your connecting rooms, but even if you have a connecting room, there's an age before which you don't want your kids over there. You

want kids next

to you. So that door is priceless.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: so aside from, then aside from the bathroom door and the other devices and things like that, as you're reconsidering, what do you think [00:30:00] the biggest change in the Embassy Suites evolution has been that took you by surprise? Hmm. Hmm.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: The, when we went into it, we were going in as a tweak. And so we tweaked the rooms and that was an evolution. Our, our room product has always been strong. Um, but the revolution of the new prototype is in the, it's in the public space and the back of house. So we were able to make that more efficient by. You'd have to be deep into the, into the floor plans to understand, but, um, the back of house space was split into two sections, so team members would have to cross over public space to do certain things, and so we got all of it together, [00:31:00] which allowed us to shrink our, uh, square footage. of that common space. Also allowed us to shrink our footprint and frontage, um, because instead of being a long rectangular building, now it's an L shape, and so our frontage is less square feet and, um, or less linear feet. And then the, um, footprint,

And then that's the base, right? We are, we kind of play a kit of parts game. So if you've got breakfast, bar, and rooms fitting the prototype, then you can add, you know, an owner can add on a larger restaurant if they're in an area where they're going to be pulling in local business in addition to folks in house. [00:32:00] Meeting space can expand and contract based on What is in the area and some of our markets, our hotels are the convention space in the area. And so you've got hotels with, you know, 40, 50, 000 square feet of meeting space.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: So there's about 260 plus or minus embassy suites in the United States. Um, are most of those all purpose built embassy suites as you know, we're out of COVID we're looking to the future are there and. Brands are kind of trading flags, um, with ownership groups. And how many of those 264, or as you look forward in the pipeline are, are, are conversions, or is that something you typically don't do with embassy suites?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: It's rare, um, because the

room type

They're generally purpose built and I say that, um, but if I look back over the last five years, we've got three that are either [00:33:00] conversions or adaptive reuse. So Knoxville downtown is a historic building that we were able to do an adaptive reuse on. Rockford Riverfront in Illinois is a gorgeous adaptive reuse. So, it's not out of the question, but those bones don't exist, um, as frequently as you would find in some other hotel brands.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And then I know you mentioned in Memphis, you have the model room with all the, the that's all has the proper fit and finish that you expect of your brand standard of embassy suites. Um, But there are many embassy suites that are in a major metro that need to differentiate themselves, and the owner may say, like, I want this to not be that.

I want it to be something different. How do you as a brand, like, give them the freedom of the market that they're in, but also Make sure that they're, that the guest is having a similar experience,

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: So, we don't [00:34:00] dictate a package of, uh, furniture, for instance. So, it's a design thing. Design intent brand is, is what we call it. So we have a design narrative that, um, gives guidance on color schemes and where we absolutely want local flavor that fits within the brand. But it is, this is not a brand where you're purchasing A, B, or C, um, for your space.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: but, but there are some ownership groups that are just like, I want an embassy suite to tell me what to do.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Yes. And so we can make that. Easy for them and by providing, here's all, here's all the specs of what you see in the model room. Um, but we do have many owners who want to, who want to design

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: any experience from a brand perspective, whether it's a built one, a virtual one, a product one, how did you find your way [00:35:00] into hospitality? Cause I know you started off in advertising, you worked at some really big advertising firms, some of the biggest in the world. How did you find your way?

and kind of your home in hospitality.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: it. So oddly enough, I, I, I grew up in Orlando Florida and never thought I would work in, you know, the travel business. I was going to be in advertising. So I worked for ad agencies, but I had travel and tourism clients. I had interned at Universal Studios Orlando when I was in college and ended up working for Disney's in house agency at Walt Disney World and Um, then that, that kind of was it.

Travel's so much fun, um, and marketed their resorts in addition to theme parks and, and all the experiences there. Found my way to, [00:36:00] um, Marriott Vacation Club and then came to Hilton in McLean working on, uh, resorts marketing, which is a, you know, a great, a great world. So I have a soft spot, um, for, for resorts and great beaches.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And then how did you go from resorts marketing into being the head chef of Embassy Suites from a brand perspective?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: So Hilton's a great place to work. There are so many, um, opportunities here. And my, my resorts marketing role grew to be the Hilton Hotels and Resorts brand marketing. And, uh, from there moved on to the full service brand team was working on Hilton. The department name at the time was, um, customer experience and innovation. and so that, that was kind of part of the path in [00:37:00] playing with what, what can we do at our hotels? What should we do? What do we need to solve for owners and for guests, whether it's meeting space. Um, whether it's accenting what we've got, whether it's, uh, scent, bedding, um, so that took all, all types of different paths. And then, uh, sometime in 2020, I, I came into this role on Embassy Suites, and it has been just a blast and very rewarding. The

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Wait, was that like in the, in the midst of the pandemic or like before it really started in earnest?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: July of 2020. I

started this

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: crazy. Okay,

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: the team members and the hotel leaders at Embassy Suites, our owners are all great, great folks. Our guests are amazing. [00:38:00] So it's, it's a great, I have the best job

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: well, and Hilton, and by virtue of that, Hilton is constantly rated one of the best places to work

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: in the world.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: in the world and specific, and I know specifically amongst fortune 500 companies, which says a lot. So, um, there's a lot of people who also listen to this and I get a lot, I get so much feedback from so many different channels, but one channel is, um, Hey, I'm doing this one thing in our industry, but considering going to ownership or to brand or, um, into operations or development and, I think people really appreciate talking to guests or when I talk to guests such as yourself, cause they get a different experience.

So you came from advertising and then into marketing for resorts. And now you're on the brand side of Hilton. what would you say to let's say an architect or a designer who says, you know what, [00:39:00] I want, I want to get onto the brand side. Like what, what's some experience or, or a first step that you could give them to consider?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: The first thing I would say is that department names and titles are different at every company, and even the same job sometimes may involve more of one thing than another. Um, In marketing, we talk about the four P's, right? The old, the old world is the four P's, product, place, price, and promotion. at one point in marketing, we had a lot of input into the product side, not just the promotion side. And that part of branding is what I loved in college and really was excited about, um, got started in advertising.

And again, different clients [00:40:00] will pull in their ad agencies for help all across their customer experience. So that's the really exciting part of branding. And sometimes that's physical. So if you're an architect, how, how does that physicality come to life in the brand experience? And now you've got agencies doing, you know, all of that and specializing in that or retail experience, right?

Part of the retail experience is very physical. So, um, for me in this brand role, I do get to play in product place price, which is very interesting. Um, and a different day every day. So front, if, if an architect or designer looking to get into brand. There are multiple brands that are very architect, architecture and or design driven. And those are brands that are [00:41:00] perfect for somebody with that eye versus there are certain brands that are very service driven. So somebody who comes from a very, um, you know, high touch culture, um, background is going to work great on, say, a luxury brand where it is really all about the service and the, and the interaction with people.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Evolving or reinventing a brand from a Hilton perspective. I know that sometimes. You may do it internally with an internal design team. Sometimes you may bring in outside consultants. Um, in your experience, what's the split on doing it amongst all of your brands, doing it internally versus bringing in outside consultants to give you different perspective.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: We almost always bring in an outside consultant to help with us because [00:42:00] the internal team are experts at our brand and are also managing all of the hotels that exist today who are going through renovations and things like that. So, They have responsibilities to make sure we're getting approvals back to owners, um, doing model room walkthroughs, like keeping the process going there. Um, and then they're guiding our external partners in the work on, on the new product. And sometimes they have, um, Intel on products that are coming, um, technology that has evolved, um, You know, engineered flooring, for instance, or tile that we may not even know about, and we want to touch and feel and see if that fits with our design aesthetic that we're, that we're going for.

So, [00:43:00] um, we definitely are, are always bringing in external partners.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And then if you're an external architect or designer that is interested, maybe not in changing their career to go into, go into the brand side, wholeheartedly, but they're like, Oh, I could, I have some really good perspective and I'd love to get in front of Hilton to see if we could concept or be a part of re imagining a brand out there.

What's the best way for them to get involved, whether it's a, from a design or even a brand graphic perspective.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: So there's like two ends of the, of the business, right? There's the people who have hotels today. who need to renovate them on a pretty regular basis. And it might be minor at year seven and a bigger project at year 14, but [00:44:00] that work is constantly happening across the, the spectrum. Um, and then from a brand perspective, knowing each and all of the, big hospitality, Companies operate similarly in that they have a team who's focused on that and, um, builds and maintains relationships and sees what's, what's going on in the marketplace. Generally, the folks that we work with on brand projects are people or firms who have done hotel design before or hotel architecture before because You know, there's, there's just things about it.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Got it. And then I know we, I kind of pushed us past the technology component, but it's always evolving. Um, whether it's robots or New MEP systems that like people don't [00:45:00] necessarily see but can increase efficiency and make guest experience better Keyless entry. How do you how does Embassy Suites?

Evaluate that constantly changing landscape of things that Guests may not see or interact with makes their experience better, potentially, and the hotels more efficient.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: That is, that generally is coming from, um, the, the mothership, right? From Hilton to pull through all of the brands, right? Digital key is something that you can experience at all of our hotels, all of our brands, um, all around the world. And our honors members come to know and love those and expect. Right? I love being able to go straight to my room [00:46:00] and know that, oh, I just, my plane's about to take off, I have my key, perfect. We'll go straight to the hotel and that'll be great.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And what, what about like from an MEP's perspective? Like was that more of a design and construction type thing? Like whether it's, I don't know, those P TAC units or whatever they're using to cool or light or. Just what all those systems that make the building run. How are you always evaluating those from a brand and guest experience?

Or even those robots that you were mentioning?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: That depends on what it is and where it's coming from. And we may see an, uh, management company trying out the robots.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Oh, so it's,

so

they may try that and then it's like, This is working. Oh, okay. That's cool. And then you're just open minded and evaluating and be like, Oh, this is great. Let's bring it to all of our other stakeholders as well.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Yes. Yeah. Depending on what it is. And then it can be an option that we [00:47:00] offer. Hey, for certain hotels, this might make a ton of sense. Here's how you get more information or here's how to order. Um, but yeah. And some things, it's a standard, and everybody needs to change their locks so that we can deliver, um, digital key.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Got it. And then now, Bonnie, I want you to put your chef hat back on. as you, as Embassy Suites has done the big shift 12 years ago and tweaks two years ago with your chef hat on looking to the future, what's most exciting for you about what you see in Hilton or Embassy Suites future?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: I think we have a great product that people from around the world can use. will love. And we just opened a new property in Dubai. We have one in the pipeline for next year in Turkey. We opened a great resort in [00:48:00] Aruba. I think we have a lot of potential outside the U. S. really excited to see that start to come to life, and having a, you know, that kind of a jewel property in Dubai gives us a great example and something that folks from around the world see in a gateway city like Dubai.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And then with that chef hat still on with all of your experience. To where we are speaking right now. And then looking at the future, if the Bonnie I'm speaking to right now could appear in front of the advertising Bonnie, what advice would you have for

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Probably something that I, I kind of started doing early in my career, which was make decisions that leave doors open, not ones that close doors. So don't get yourself stuck in a [00:49:00] particular place early in your career. Be open, work on different clients, learn different types of business. I had an RV client.

I had. Pizza Hut as like just all over the place and then see where you want to go because at 23, what do you know?

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: And then that's actually really interesting from the advertising perspective and the clients you mentioned, because I use the example before, like if you had advice to architects and designers that wanted to get into the branding side. What would it be? And thank you for answering that. But how do you think starting in advertising helped you on your journey to where you are now?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: I've always been interested in the target audience. So whether it's a marketing message that's going to a target audience or an experience in hospitality, that's, you have to know who your target is. Even thinking about the [00:50:00] very first question, the core of hospitality is thinking about somebody else, thinking about the message recipient, thinking about The person who's coming into your home and that's the core of, of marketing and advertising is knowing your audience.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Yeah, I also, I think my big takeaway from here and what I appreciate so much is the, um, that idea of the four P's product, place, price, and promotion. And from a brand perspective, you could be an expert in or a specialist in any one of those, but still be a creative to the overall brand experience and brand evolution.

And the reason why I'm sharing that with you is I hear from so many people that, oh, I'm considering a change, but I'm not this, or I that's like these limiting beliefs. But I think my takeaway from the conversation with you is, and as you're considering a brand, there's like so many points of entry. And [00:51:00] from a brand perspective, all perspectives are really welcome because we're all, able to uncover those unknown unknowns or, or, or even sometimes those outside perspectives, they're also helpful in saying, Hey, could we take out the mini bar or, or the, or the wet bar that you mentioned?

Like we all come in with all of these life experiences and we all can be a creative to it. And I think it's also like, um, being able to work under that umbrella and know that you are just a part of this overall experience. Whether or not you're, you're coming up from one of the four P's, everyone can add to it.

And I just, if I, I think the takeaway here is if anyone is listening and had a limiting belief about wanting to get into brand. there's so many different avenues to get in there. And um, like a chef, you know, I don't know. I really appreciate you [00:52:00] sharing that.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Yeah. And the thing about when I talked, I talked to friends who are looking for jobs or thinking about their next, their next path. And I look around Hilton, uh, we have every, We have attorneys, we have tech people, we've got supply chain experts, and within our supply management team, experts in each of the verticals there. We have sales teams that are experts in sports, in association, in leisure and tour. So, there's so many. Jobs in Hospitality whether it's it's Hilton or another hospitality company It's such a great industry.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Yeah, and that's, it's interesting you say that, because like at the brand, at the corporate level, you have all of those different avenues. and seats, if you will, and specialists. But [00:53:00] also, I think one of the things I find so intriguing about hotels, and I think why a lot of entrepreneurs listen to this as well, each hotel has so many different channels of business, whether it is F& B or if it's at a resort, it could be equipment rental, or it could be, um, just going out and having all of these other experiences and, It's almost like a lab, each hotel, each property, and also at the corporate level, it's just a constant laboratory of innovation to, I don't know, to meet that guest or that challenge where they are, or to consider them, like you said.

And, um, I don't know, I think that's why I've been in hospitality for more than half my life. But it's, yes, I do this one thing of furniture, but. It's a platform and an entryway that really quenches my curiosity to learn so much about just people and businesses. And I don't know, I just, [00:54:00] I thank you for sharing because you're just basically reinforcing.

Well, I've chosen the path that I've been on. So thank you.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Sure.

Always fun to talk about.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: yeah, it's pretty cool. Bonnie, if people wanted to learn more about you or Embassy Suites, what's a good place for them to do that?

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: So I'd say LinkedIn, Embassy Suites has a page, a profile and Bonnie Campagnolo's profile. So that's where we are. All of my, you know, sordid history is all there.

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Perfect. Um, well, I just want to give you a heartfelt thank you for coming out here and talking about Embassy Suites and Hilton, um, as a brand and giving perspective and potentially inspiration to those who, uh, Maybe considering making a change. So I, I thank you wholeheartedly for your time.

bonnie_1_11-15-2024_094802: Thank you so much. It was fun

host_35_11-15-2024_094802: Yeah. And I'd be remiss without thanking all of the listeners and watchers, um, without you guys [00:55:00] and the growth every week, we wouldn't be here talking to incredible people like Bonnie and I just thank you.

So if this is impacted your perspective in any way, please share it. Please like it. Please leave feedback. It all helps get the word out and I appreciate you and thank you.