Guest experience is front and center in the hotel industry, and there's no better place to deliver an experience than on the roof.
As part of a series, Hotel News Now asked hoteliers how they have invested in rooftop spaces — including pools, gardens and bars — to drive revenue and wow guests.
The suspended rooftop pool at Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection, makes an impression with guests from the moment they enter the breezeway, as it is visible from beneath through its partly glass bottom.
"The developer was smart in that he didn't just make it a pool but he made it a destination," said Sandra Grisham, general manager of the Alaia Belize Autograph Collection. "When you're on our rooftop, you see things you would not normally see unless you were on an airplane."
Peter Banks, managing director at independent luxury hotel Rudding Park in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, said his rooftop spa garden has been designed as a series of “outside rooms,” with guest relaxation in mind. He added the garden is built to last and intended to help the property's revenue streams.
“We have 50% of the roof surface covered in beds, with soil up to 800 [millimeters] deep on them. This has enabled us to plant beech hedging around the entire rooftop edge as a privacy screen and windbreak, and has allowed us to plant trees such as silver birch, along with many large grasses and other attractive plants,” he said.
Andrew Jay, general manager of Mama Shelter Los Angeles, said the demand through the first months of 2022 have been at or above 2019 levels, and he expects the rest of the year will follow suit. While that popularity is great for revenue, it also creates an obligation for the rooftop bar staff.
“I think part of the challenge you have when you're on a roof is how do you give people an experience that really is worthy of the view,” he said. “A lot of proprietors think that the view itself is enough, and I've never felt that that was sufficient. You had to actually have drinks that were properly made.”
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