Luxury Evolves: Three Questions With Salvatore Imposimato From The Hollywood Roosevelt
by Jessica Montevago /
The Hollywood Roosevelt, a hip, upscale hotel in Los Angeles, has been a part of the scene since 1927. The hotel’s vice president of brand experience, Salvatore Imposimato, talked to Travel Market Report about the evolving concept of luxury and how the hotel stays relevant after all these years.
TMR: What do you see as the “next era of luxury” in the hotel industry?
SI: I think travel in and of itself is a luxury. It’s a freedom to explore, and that takes time. The modern guest is really looking for new experiences and places to visit and experiment with. Travel has changed so much in the past few years, it’s far less thought out and much more spontaneous. More and more travelers are looking for what seems like the opposite of what hotels were built for years ago, reliability and consistency. The modern traveler looks to get lost and not found, and wants to visit places off the beaten path.
There will always be a stigma attached to the true meaning of luxury, that will never change, it will always mean and stand for expensive, and quality. But now luxury denotes the ability to spend your valuable time achieving moments and experiences that have meaning and purpose. It’s the act of living like a local in an indigenous environment and gaining a spiritual sense to something larger than you. There’s now much more of an overall sense of community and nomadic wanderers wanting to learn about different cultures; it’s not just about lying at a pool anymore.
TMR: How did you incorporate these trends into the refurbishment of the Hollywood Roosevelt?
SI: The hotel has 90 years of real history that cannot be cast aside. We aimed to construct localized experiences, with smaller, more intimate venues for like-minded thinkers. We love providing a sense of modern thinking in an old historic environment, the juxtaposition is really sensational. We also provide an attitude for places where people can get lost and wander, both physically and mentally. It’s important that we take you out of your reality, and transport you into ours. We want you to feel a little sad when you are leaving.
TMR: The Hollywood Roosevelt is popular among younger travelers. How do you stay relevant to Millennials and Generation Z? How would you extend that to agents?
SI: The terms Millennials and Generation Z get thrown around a lot. For us, we think in terms of psychographic vs. demographic. We feel strongly that there are 40, 50, 60 and 70 year olds that think and relate to the same things as a “Millennial” would. We like to focus a lot of our activations around art, music, culture, design, provocative food and beverage offerings, etc. There is nothing better than having a room or hotel full of people with the same appreciation for those things. Some of the older folks have lived through all the things the younger generation is now totally consumed by and with, making for really cool camaraderie and a sense of community. We feel that finding the right combination of contrasts—a blend of sexy and comfortable with debauchery and reliability—we can create the ultimate experience.