The Fulfilling New Way to be a Boutique Hotelier

The artists and creators of hospitality discuss their stories and their take on the future of the industry.

Hear from Damon Lawrence of Homage Hospitality, Carolyn Schneider of Casetta Group and Marco Cilia of Chapters Hotels, speakers at The Boutique Lifestyle Digital Summit by BLLA.

As part of the Leadership Track of BLLA’s Boutique Lifestyle Digital Summit, “Meet the New Generation of Hoteliers” introduced Carolyn Schnieder: Partner and President at Casetta Group, Damon Lawrence: CEO of Homage Hospitality, and Marco Cilia: Owner and Founder of the Chapter Hotel Brand. These three entrepreneurs have entered the hospitality industry in bold ways with their unique concepts for boutique hotels. The creators spared no time nor passion in opening up about their journeys, motivations, and pro tips for bringing boutique hotels to life.

Each of the rising hoteliers had a unique story to tell. While Carolyn was in New York working in galleries, she fell in love with the notion of creating a space and ultimately an experience. When she discovered that calling, she hustled and made every connection possible, until she encountered her eventual partners and Casetta Group fell into place. Damon caught his own case while working at a handful of hotels. He described it as the culmination of all of his artistic endeavors. After finding this space in which he could merge his many interests, there was no turning back. And upon observing a lack of black representation among hotel owners, it became Damon’s determination and Homage Hospitality’s purpose to pay homage to black culture through hotels. Marco was a year deep in investment banking when a path to hospitality opened up for him. He took a chance on a hotel managerial role in Tuscany, and it wasn’t long before he was cultivating a vision for his own brand of hotels. After accumulating a few years more of experience and knowledge, Marco moved back to Italy and Chapter Hotel Brand was born, closely followed by the Hotel Chapter Roma.

All three hoteliers discovered their calling in the industry unintentionally and unexpectedly. Out of the years of growth and lessons learned, they offered some advice for aspiring hoteliers. Carolyn instructed, “Make connections, always. I was not afraid, even when I was a waiter to just talk to people and ask them out for coffee and see if I could pick their brain…I formed some great friendships and mentors that way.” Marco shared a key rule to follow: “Don’t go and choose a brand to work for, don’t choose a salary to work for. Go look for the people that are going to help you improve, the people that are going to help you grow, the people that you like, that you think you can work with. That really makes a difference.”

Host Ariela led the hoteliers to reflect on themselves as artists and creators in the midst of building and bringing things to life. Carolyn shared about how the Casetta properties’ identities are not separate from their history. As an artist, Carolyn is intentional about maintaining that connection. Each property has a unique story which inspires and guides the quest of collecting pieces at flea markets, commissioning others, and gathering the exact mélange to not only compliment, but complete the character of each property. When asked about the role of art in Homage Hospitality’s mission, Damon explained that paying homage to black culture “is a culmination of all those things: the art, the music, the vibe that you create in a space.” He expressed, “We have a role and responsibility to highlight new and emerging artists that might not get the same exposure from other brands. I’m very passionate about the new generation of talented creators and what they can do in the hospitality industry.” Marco spoke to the artistry of boutique hotels saying, “Boutique Lifestyle Hotels are about telling a story, narrating a story, creating an experience – something that’s unique, something that’s different to each property. I think that’s where the world of hospitality is going more and more, the only way to really tell that story is through the art, the design, the architecture, through all those things that really make your property stand out. [Art] is instrumental in telling the story you really want to tell your guests.”

The panelists were asked about the moment when they each took the leap to make their hotel dreams a reality. The three hoteliers all expressed inspirational notions which are sure to continue resonating with all who heard them for years to come. Damon shared how he came to a point where he knew, “Failure is not an option. It was by any means necessary it’s going to happen, regardless of whatever hate or vitriol came our way, I was going to figure it out.” Marco revealed to those contemplating the leap: “The answer is inside you. What are you going to make this hotel brand, what really drives you in here. Where are you going to carry this? Once you have that lined up, once you know exactly what YOU want to do. Then go have a look at the market, see where your niche is, see where you can fit in and be successful.”

Article written by Alicia Bernal of BLLA

BLLA members can watch the full session in the BLLA Collective member portal here