An Interview with Luis Gallotti
The BLLA Events Team sits down with Luis Gallotti, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Amek Group as he prepares to speak & present the 2021 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 2.
How did you come to enter the hospitality industry?
Growing up in Argentina, I was always drawn to discovering new places and cultures. I aspired to be able to connect with and even help people, and I sensed that I had a global mindset. But when I went to university, I turned toward the practical, and spent three years studying electrical engineering. My true passion, however, was travel, and the concept of hospitality: being hospitable, being welcoming, being kind. I changed course, graduated with a degree in hotel management, and took a job in the United States. It was my first official role in the hospitality industry. I was an overnight bellman at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, in Florida. An incredible place to start. Since then, I’ve never looked back. Throughout my career, I have realized how complex the industry is, and I find that to be thrilling in all its diverse opportunities, like having my own company.
What does boutique mean to you?
There is no better driver for experimental travel than boutique. Each boutique hotel is completely unique, with its own, authentic story, from service to personalization to design to setting and more. Working in the boutique segment, my experiences with passionate owners gives me an opportunity to help them find success. It is particularly rewarding in boutique, because it’s completely tailored to each individual project. That allows for total personalization, whether working to increase profitability margins or deepen the guest and employee experience.
How would you define the word “luxury” in the hospitality industry?
Before the pandemic, my answer would have been “authentic, unscripted, personalized, rich in content, and flexible.” All powerful words, and all still true of luxury in hospitality today. But now, there’s another layer, as a result of the transition into a post-pandemic world. The word “luxury” itself has more meaning, such as “having the luxury of” enjoying good health, surrounding yourself with family and friends, and enjoying the simple things that make our lives richer and more meaningful. This is true personally and I believe in the industry, in the traveler and hotelier mindset alike.
Do you have any advice for new hoteliers in terms of securing investments?
Absolutely. Something that is absolutely critical before investing is to look at industry and consumer trends. Notice how the industry is always shifting, and how consumer behaviors translate into the need to develop projects that seek to fulfill a true purpose, not just presenting luxurious accommodations and delicious food. All investors seeking opportunities within the industry must do a due diligence in the asset but mostly important in the shifting towards the new industry paradigms.
What has the South American boutique hotel market been like the last 3 months, and where do you see it going in the future?
Taking a step even further back for a moment, to the past year, South America's boutique market has been quite challenging both because of travel restrictions and what seems to be a slower recovery from the pandemic compared to other countries in the world. But the positive aspect to this is that the South American boutique hotel market has room to grow. One of the fascinating aspects of the boutique sector under international travel restrictions, is the desire people have shown to discover domestic destinations. This has been a movement not only in South America but globally...the realization that one’s own country offers so many intriguing places to explore, particularly in the luxury segment.
We believe that South America is the next Mars on Planet Earth, meaning that there is a growing movement where everyone wants to go and explore. And it’s no wonder, because it’s a part of the world that is astoundingly diverse, geographically, culturally, from a culinary perspective, you name it. Luxury brands are focused on growing in South America, and travel is no exception.
What are some operational trends that you have seen come out of the pandemic?
As we all know, the pandemic has challenged the entire industry, and it’s remarkable to see how innovative people are in adapting not only professionally, but personally. The operational shifts that I believe will reshape many aspects of boutique hotels stem from more of the personal side of the experience. Guests will expect what they want when they want it, to highly personalized standards. Therefore, operations will need to adjust and become more fluid and less rigid than perhaps we’ve seen traditionally. The larger and more important shift, though, is in the combination of the fact that this is a shared experience -- we have all lived through a pandemic, all in it together, no matter where in the world we are -- and how that’s impacting mindsets. People appreciate other human beings more. People appreciate travel more. And people appreciate the opportunity to be with friends and family. I believe this will shift service to become more and more unscripted, more from the heart. And that’s a wonderful thing.
How was the transition from working in the Corporate bubble to the boutique/independent world?
From a young age, I had a spirit of freedom, of chasing something different. I didn’t necessarily realize it then, but I believe perhaps my heart has always pointed toward independence. That’s why I co-created Amek Group, and that’s what I see in all the boutique hotels we work with. It’s as if each hotel is its own corporation, where it sets its own standards, its own tone, its own culture. When someone asks me why someone should invest in boutique luxury, I think about the incredible experiences I have in corporate environments and how that spirit of freedom always pointed me to this. I think it’s the same for an investor who is drawn to boutique, or even just beginning to explore it. There’s a heart and soul in something that is unique and that is yours. It’s another intangible asset - far beyond ADR and profit margins - that brings long-lasting value to your structure, your building, and your brand.