Conrad Hotels & Resorts (hereinafter "Conrad") has announced its new brand message. The concept is "NEVER JUST STAY. STAY INSPIRED." With Nirou Motamed as its first Director of Inspiration, the brand launched a new concierge service called "Conrad 1/3/5" this fall.

In recent years, the travel industry has entered a new phase amid rapid changes such as the rise of online booking services and the rapidly expanding global sharing economy. In this context, what future is Conrad, the smart luxury brand of Hilton Worldwide, a major American hotel group, steering its services toward? How does Conrad perceive the needs of the "luxury traveler" of the future? We spoke to Nirou, a key figure in the new concierge service.


--What do you consider to be "smart luxury"? Nirou: "Smart luxury" is the level of sophistication that allows one to appreciate quality without relying on logos or other elements. It's also someone who enjoys combining high and low. This applies to both food and fashion. For example, coordinating Converse with Hermès, or having lunch at Shake Shack and dinner at a three-star Michelin restaurant. However, Michelin stars aren't the key. What's important is the people you surround yourself with and the richness of the experience. In short, those seeking "smart luxury" want to be positively impacted by their visits, seeking relationships that will have a lasting impact on their lives rather than just be temporary. --What does Conrad's "smart luxury" mean? Nirou: Conrad's "smart luxury" isn't luxury for luxury enthusiasts. Our guests are experienced travelers who value luxurious experiences, not simply a nice white tablecloth.

What's interesting about our new concept, "Stay Inspired," is that it's not just about providing services, but also about supporting guests in achieving those experiences. Through "Conrad 1/3/5," we place great importance on true engagement between the hotel team (staff) and guests.

--Please tell us about the background to the creation of "Conrad 1/3/5."

Nirou: As a traveler and travel editor, I personally found myself frustrated by too much information to process, not enough time to process it, or no information at all.

While we talk about one hour, three hours, or five hours, the idea really started when I was traveling and thought, "What should I do with a little or a few hours?" For example, the shops and restaurants recommended by a friend might be far away from each other, or even if you've spent time at a gallery you've been wanting to visit, you might wonder which nearby restaurant to choose. Wouldn't it be smart if guests could leave the hotel with everything they needed to know already, and simply absorb the culture? Until now, communication between concierges and guests has mostly consisted of simple requests like, "Can you call a car?" or "Can you arrange tickets?" Another appealing aspect of the "Stay Inspired" concept is that it allows hotel staff to become storytellers of the destination. For example, as you experienced during breakfast at sons & daughters (the interviewee participated in a tour to experience "Conrad 1/3/5"), you learned about the restaurant's history and origins. We hope that "Conrad 1/3/5" will serve as an opening for conversation between hotel staff and guests. Our goal is to generate concrete proposals and ideas through dialogue with guests. This opening will also be utilized in our digital platform. Or, if users don't want to talk to someone, they can simply launch the "Conrad 1/3/5" app on their mobile phone, allowing them to do the same thing on the go.

--How does "Conrad 1/3/5" respond to the diversity of travel styles?

Nirou: We've created various entry points to cater to a variety of customer interests, including culture, beauty, and shopping.

--How has your career influenced your work at Conrad?

Nirou: The idea for this program came from my background as an editor. An editor's job is to uncover and bring out what's appealing.

In my work with Conrad, I play two roles. One is that of an editor, responsible for planning and creating content for the app and website. My second, even more important, mission is to share the brand message, "Never Just Stay. Stay Inspired," or the concept, as part of the culture of our team members (hotel staff).

To expand on the second point, it's also my job to train my team members to think like editors.

--Did you also come up with the training program for your team members?

Nirou: Yes. It started after I became Director of Inspiration. I train my team members to acquire the ability to read guests' requests, even if they're vague, like "I want to do something different." This training program is implemented at Conrad hotels around the world.

--What does hospitality mean to you?

Nirou: My career up until now has been like pouring my passion for hospitality onto paper. My next step was to have everyone who visits Conrad come into contact with my ideas, and to have each guest's experience edited by the hospitality I create. It was an important change.

I love experiencing the same sensations as the locals when I travel, and I also love sharing my interests and the information I have with others, so it's a great honor to be able to offer high-quality travel experiences to people visiting the 23 Conrads around the world. Note: This has now been corrected to reflect the current 23.

--Nirou yourself has a warm, hospitable personality.

Nirou: You're very nice too (laughs). The Middle East, where I was born, has a culture of hospitality, so it was only natural that I would become interested in the world of hospitality.

I love Japan because of its wonderful hospitality. I also love Japanese "omotenashi" (hospitality).

At Conrad, we treat guests with respect, yet with a heartfelt warmth...I think the distinctive feature of "omotenashi" is that it's conceived with the same compassion as if we were brothers and sisters. Of course, it's also important to maintain the distance the other person desires.

The most important thing in hospitality today is how to provide hospitality that is different from others while still meeting a certain standard of luxury.

What is expected of hotels is something a notch above. I want to set myself apart by providing "genuine hospitality" that gives each guest a more interactive, personalized, and special experience.


■Profile
Nilou Motamed

Former Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast's digital food brand, Epicurious. Prior to joining Condé Nast, he was Features Director and Senior Correspondent for Travel + Leisure, a major US travel magazine, leading the magazine's restaurant coverage.
She is known for her diverse range of achievements, including a partnership with CNN to produce "T+L's Eat Like a Local" specials, a global food platform that combines print, digital, social media, and television. She is a leading global culinary authority and has served as a regional judge for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant & Chef Awards since 2007.
She also regularly appears on popular shows such as NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America," as well as on national network shows such as CNN. She is the host of the restaurant review television series "Reservation Required" and co-host of the travel show "Travel Spies."
She was born in Iran and grew up in Paris and New York. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is married to the renowned author Peter John Lindbergh.