Setting the Tone - Kavitha Iyer - Episode # 078

Today’s guest is a hospitality hero to many in the industry. She is highly skilled at architectural design and believes good design is good business. Kavitha Iyer is the Head Of Design Strategies for the Americas 14 out of the 17 global brands at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Kavitha joins the host Dan Ryan to share her journey through hospitality and what it all means to her. 

Takeaways: 

• Just because something has been done before doesn’t mean that it’s right. Different people can have different ideas and you can always improve upon something that has already been done. 
• It’s important to make your designs feel like they enrich the lives of those who come into the space and also find a way to give back to the community that is hosting your space.
• When you are living in a community, you are not just a guest but you are a part of the community and you welcome others in as well. 
• Hospitality is being generous with your time and sensibilities. Doing this will bring joy to those around you that you can notice in the little moments by their smile or by helping them discover something new. 
• You want to make people feel like they are wanted. It’s more than just making them feel relevant, you have to make them feel like they are special as they walk through the door.
• In the Indian culture, there is a phrase “Atithi Devo Bhava” which means “Guest is God”. This speaks to hospitality is built into the Indian culture and something that all hotels and restaurants can take note of. 
• You want to think about what you bring to the table in terms of design and how unique it is. The more unique your style is the more likely you are to find a place that will appreciate that.

Quote of the Show:

16:10  “I think that's what hospitality is, you are generous with your time and you're generous with your sensibilities.”

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kriyer1/
• Website: https://www.ihgplc.com/en/

Shout Outs:

3:50 University of Madras

22:17 Damon Lawrence

30:17 Frank Lloyd Wright

35:11 Plato’s Republic

52:19 David Bowie

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
• Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• YouTube : https://youtu.be/8mqzEwb0eJA