skift take
Viceroy, a collection of hotels and resorts, has rebranded. The company is now committed to curating a consistently top-notch, locally immersive and luxurious experience, from beekeeping in Portugal to glassblowing in Los Cabos.
sean o’neil
Mark Kaiser has a problem with luxury hotels. He thinks there are too many things that look and feel the same.
“You walk into a walled resort and you’re served Mexican food in a country that’s not Mexico. Everyone calls it luxury,” said Kaiser, president of development for Viceroy Hotels & Resorts.
Kaiser said “experiential luxury” is at the heart of Viceroy’s rebrand, which debuted Wednesday.
“Today’s luxury should instead be about the destination. It’s about coming back from an experience and saying, ‘This is a great local immersion experience that I did.'”
Viceroy, a brand with 10 hotels, vets experiences before recommending a hotel, a practice Kaiser said is unusual among luxury hotel brands.
“Other luxury resorts may hand you over to an outside group, but they may not have as much quality control,” Kaiser says. “You might be a little puzzled as to why they handed you over to, say, a boat charter.”
Viceroy’s signature luxury experience is Viceroy at Ombria Algarve, a hotel that opened in October. Its program includes a guided beekeeping experience in Portugal’s Algarve region, a hive-to-table beekeeping experience, a pottery workshop with local artisans, and a trail ride in the Caldeiran Mountains.
Viceroy’s focus on experience reflects trends recently highlighted by Skift. For example, in Skift Research’s Luxury Traveler Survey, nearly half of affluent travelers say immersion in authentic culture is their primary motivation for traveling.
viceregal experience
In Florida, Viceroy is exploring partnerships to capitalize on growing traveler interest in “live tourism” such as sporting events and musical performances. Activities may offer behind-the-scenes access or themed activities related to sports teams or cultural institutions.
For example, hotels in the Tampa area often host athletes and sports fans staying nearby for spring baseball training.
“How great would it be if we could introduce our guests to nutritionists that athletes in the area use and show them how athletes train?” Kaiser said.
Activities are subject to additional charges. At Viceroy Los Cabos, you can pay to learn how to make glass at a nearby glassblowers’ workshop.
unified hotel brand
Viceroy’s rebrand, with a new logo, website and digital marketing campaign, was supported by Highgate, the second largest hotel management company in the United States after Marriott. An affiliate of Highgate’s president and others acquired the brand in 2023.
The restart marks a shift in strategy.
“For the past 10 years, all of the marketing money has gone to individual facilities,” Kaiser said. For example, guests who stayed at the Viceroy Hotel in Chicago didn’t know much about Viceroy Resorts in the Caribbean.
The brand is now organizing a more consistent narrative while maintaining the distinct character of each property. This requires a delicate balance.
Exhibit A: We debuted custom emblems for each location. For example, one Washington, D.C.-based hotel included the “o” in the word Viceregal in its branding, with a silhouette of the city’s iconic Washington Monument.
3-step restart
Viceroy’s rebranding comes after more than a year of behind-the-scenes work. Phase 1 focused on operations.
The current phase focuses on brand positioning and demonstrating results to owners.
The final stage involves selective capital improvements, but only after proving the success of the model to owners.
Owners with older properties may need to invest in recommended upgrades to meet Viceroy’s vision of consistent quality levels, which they may or may not want to do. there is. Two facilities have left the system since Highgate took over.
Branded homes too
Another aspect of Viceroy’s strategy is to provide a luxury experience to owners of privately branded residential properties.
Viceroy executives aim to develop a unique value proposition that goes beyond traditional benefits for owners of privately branded residences.
“Every brand owner program has some level of benefit, and we look forward to providing experiences for our top-tier members that give them the opportunity to start thinking about travel and the region in ways they might not have thought of on their own. ” Kaiser said.
Luxury hotel brand details
updated October 7, 2024
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