What Hotels Want From Innovation Today | Independent Hotels | Independent Hotel Show | Stuart Wraith
Exclusive interview with Stuart Wraith, National Account Manager at Stephensons, at the Independent Hotel Show. Stuart Wraith from Stephensons talks about how independent hotels and hotel chains look for new ideas, and how adaptable spaces and products help them serve every guest. Key Highlights: 1. He says the Independent Hotel Show is a key date in their diary. They have been coming for numerous years, and he says the visitors are “of a different caliber”. He enjoys meeting new faces and seeing returning visitors and existing customers. 2. He says they work with independent hotels and hotel chains. He says the company has been around for 157 years and has built a large client base. 3. He says speed of change is the main difference between the two. Independents can move quicker because they know what guests want. Groups have more levels of decisions and larger investments. 4. He says demand has changed, and hotels want to keep the same level of service. He says they look for more innovation to give guests the same service “without the price tag”, and that it is their job to put products in front of hotel operators so they can make an informed decision. 5. He says an independent hotel treats all guests the same, whether they stay overnight, come for a business meeting or just pop in for a drink. He calls adaptability a key theme at the show, and gives examples such as turning a meeting room into a drinks room, or a breakfast room into a lunch room, quickly, easily and cheaply. 6. He says a product that makes a passing guest say “oh wow” may bring them back to stay. He says guests who share pictures on Instagram or TikTok are doing the marketing for the hotel, and he mentions branding through crockery and glassware. About Travel And Tour World: Travel And Tour World is a global travel media platform covering travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, MICE, cruise, and luxury travel, with readership across 195 countries. [Stephensons, Stephensons interview, Stuart Wraith, Stuart Wraith interview, independent hotels, hotel chains, independent hotels vs hotel chains, why independent hotels make decisions faster, working with independent hotels and hotel chains, hotel innovation, hotel innovation without the price tag, new products for independent hotels, new hotel products at the Independent Hotel Show, hotel spaces, flexible hotel spaces, adaptable hotel spaces, multi-use hotel spaces, turn a meeting room into a drinks room, turn a breakfast room into a lunch room, non-staying guests, how hotels attract non-staying guests, treat all hotel guests the same, hotel tableware, hotel glassware, branded crockery for hotels, branded glassware for hotels, guests share hotel photos on social media, hotel marketing through guest photos, Independent Hotel Show, Independent Hotel Show interview, Travel And Tour World] #Stephensons #StuartWraith #IndependentHotelShow #IndependentHotels #HotelInnovation #HotelChains #HotelSpaces #NonStayingGuests #HotelTableware #TravelAndTourWorld