All Guests Are Guests - Nicky Unkles - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 115

In the world of design, you run the risk of losing focus on the end goal, creating great experiences for guests. Here to offer clarity is a development and planning specialist who excels at creating multi faceted luxury experiences. Projects that were completed under his vision include Faena Miami Beach, and Public NYC. Joining the show is Senior Vice President at Cumming Corporation, Nicky Unkles! Nicky shares his insights with Host Dan Ryan as they explore what it means to create luxury, and ultra luxury, experiences. 

Takeaways: 

• True hospitality is a friendly reception of your guests. It means being authentic and sincere in your treatment of guests, anticipating their needs, and offering all guests the same experience, regardless if they are a CEO or an intern.
• When it comes to balancing the needs of the stakeholders, and keeping your project on time, it starts with having a defined process. It’s important to stick to the process, but when it’s necessary to deviate, ensure all parties know the impact on the timeline. 
• One of the biggest challenges for new hospitality projects during the pandemic was supply shortages. As budgets, timelines, and vendors had been set months in advance, it required a collaboration with procurement agents to find new options.
• A typical project lives or dies within the first few days. When you first sit down with a client, your job is to help put their vision onto paper. Creating a layout and budget that reflect that vision, and your ability to sell it, will decide success for your project,
• When you start a project, it’s crucial to see it to completion. While potentially grueling, you’ll quickly discover areas of improvement for the next iteration. Additionally, seeing a project from vision to closeout is invaluable experience as a designer.
• Covid changed both the hospitality industry, and what guests want from their stays. Today’s guests want more service, and better experiences, with consistency as the keystone that holds the experience together.
• The core of your design needs to revolve around the guest’s experiences. Certain design elements may seem like important additions, but if they won’t impact the guest experience, those additions are an unnecessary use of time, money, and effort. 

Quote of the Show:

• “The world of hospitality is forever changed. People aren't going to accept substandard anymore.” - Nicky Unkles

Links:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cumming_Group 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicky-unkles-9035b028/ 
• Website: https://cumming-group.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 12:48 - Aman Giri: https://www.aman.com/resorts/amangiri 
• 12:51 - Canyon Equity: https://canyonequity.com/ 
• 16:22 - Faena Miami Beach: https://www.faena.com/miami-beach 
• 16:24 - Public NYC: https://www.publichotels.com/ 
• 19:50 - Finlay Cumming
• 20:01 - Glasgow Caledonian University: https://www.gcu.ac.uk/ 
• 21:05 - Leher LLC
• 31:36 - Stan Bromley
• 37:08 - Zion National Park
• 41:10 - Six Senses: https://www.sixsenses.com/en 
• 41:14 - Starwood Hotels
• 41:15 - 1Hotels: https://www.1hotels.com/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/