Four Questions For: Steve Pelzer, Kindred Resorts & Hotels
By Len Vermillion
In October, seven independent and iconic U.S.
properties announced the launch of Kindred Resorts & Hotels, a
collaboration dedicated to giving independent hotels one voice in a
cluttered hospitality marketplace with the ethos: “authentic in spirit,
distinctive in style.” The charter member properties of Kindred
Resorts & Hotels include The Breakers, Palm Beach, Fla.; The
Carneros Inn, Napa, Calif.; Colonial Williamsburg Resort Collection,
Williamsburg, Va.; Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Mich.; The Lodge at
Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Calif.; Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Fla.; and
Saddlebrook Resort, Tampa, Fla. Steve Pelzer, executive vice president
of sales and marketing for The Lodge at Torrey Pines and the appointed
spokesman for Kindred Resorts & Hotels, discussed the new entity
with Editor Len Vermillion.
1. Len Vermillion: Why did these properties create Kindred Resorts & Hotels? Steve Pelzer: Very
simply, these are properties that have a common thread in terms of
being independently owned. They all are in unique settings and have a
sense of history. They’ve been around a long time. When we started to
have some conversation the feeling was that there really is a huge
opportunity in the hotel industry right now to talk about the benefits
of independent hotels, operators, and properties like these. I think
that because the landscape is so confusing and cluttered, and because
there is so much going on, not necessarily in a positive way, between
the major brands and their ownership groups as they try to navigate
these difficult times, it’s unsettling. It has to be unsettling to
customers and clients. We thought there was a real message that here
are a bunch of properties that have been around for decades … that can
stay focused on the mission at hand, and that is to serve our guests by
way of our employees. We felt this group of hotels needs a voice to
speak of their benefits, and what better time than now.
2. LV: What is the advantage of having one voice for these properties? SP: I think by having one
voice we obviously can stay on point, stay on message. Clearly,
[guests] have a central point by way of the Web site (www.staykindred.com)
to get information about these properties. By having a voice that
speaks to these individually known properties, which have been
successful individually, can you imagine what we can do collectively?
3. LV: What is that message you are trying to get out? SP: The message is
accountability, viability, stability, long-term management teams doing
what they do best in a property that they are very familiar with. When
everything else around seems to be—and I take no joy in this, no one
does in our industry—in a state of disarray and your focus is being
pulled from anywhere other than where it should be, whether it’s the
employee or guest dealing with other issues that are happening around
us between ownerships and flags, the message is to me that it’s nice to
know there is some state of stability.
4. LV: Many of these properties have been fiercely independent over the years. Will they still remain as independent? SP: Oh yes, this is about
a booking engine. They are still going to have their relationships with
their important providers and vendors. This is about having a voice to
say that there are a group of hotels out there that having been doing
what they’ve been doing for decades. When you’re an independent you
really don’t have the wherewithal or the economies of scale to deliver
your message by way of corporate marketing involvement or
funding.
