Catching Up with Arlo Hotels President Jimmy Suh

Three years into his time at Arlo Hotels, Jimmy Suh became the boutique lifestyle hotel company’s president last month. 

He was hired as Arlo’s chief commercial officer in 2021 after a string of leadership roles at Loews, Kimpton, and The Standard, as well as founding a spontaneous booking app called One Night. His timely promotion at Arlo is a testament to the meritocracy that the company runs on, he told TMR.  

“I didn’t come in aspiring to be the president, but obviously we were able to make some great strides in the last three years,” he said.

Suh takes the reins of a relatively new brand – Arlo’s first hotels opened in New York in 2016 – trying to shake things up in an oversaturated lifestyle hotel space. Founded by Oleg Pavlov, Arlo now has seven hotels – four in New York City, one in D.C., one in Miami, and one in Chicago. 

The popularity of lifestyle hotels is evident in recent acquisitions by Hilton, which acquired the NoMad and Graduate Hotels brands this year; Marriott, which just acquired Postcard Cabins and Trailborn; and Hyatt, which is finalizing its acquisition of The Standard. 

Though Suh is not kidding himself – he knows Arlo can’t compete with the world’s Hiltons in footprint – he sees these major players entering the arena as a sign Arlo has been onto something from the start.  

“I don’t think they would be investing in the lifestyle brands if they didn’t recognize what the travelers are looking for during their experience,” he said. 

On top of that, Arlo has rapidly dug into its niche – catering to a young demographic through lively events and social media – and can move quickly on new trends and open in new markets. The brand just debuted in the nation’s capital and has been eyeing places like Seattle, Nashville, and Los Angeles, as it looks to expand. 

“We own and operate all of our hotels, so that allows us to move things along,” Suh said. “We can implement programs; we can course correct. It just allows us to be far more nimble than companies who are owned and operated by different entities.” 

Arlo especially found its footing when opening Arlo Wynwood, the very-first hotel in the blossoming Miami neighborhood. The hotel group’s pillars of community, discovery, and approachability are pulling in locals, guests, business owners, and travel advisors to be part of Arlo’s forward movement in several U.S. cities. 

Incorporating Community

Arlo’s goal is to collaborate closely with the communities its hotels reside in. When entering a new city, Arlo colleagues join the local development board “so that we understand and appreciate how they wish to grow the markets in their communities,” Suh said. 

Once a hotel opens, some ideas for events and programming are community driven. Arlo aims to amplify and enhance the district’s culture, as it has done in Wynwood, a mecca for street art that Arlo has helped to put on the map. 

“Our approach to all our hotels is to say that commercial and culture can coexist,” Suh said. “Our hotels have created a cultural hub for the communities in which we operate. 

“Frankly a lot of new travelers do come for that reason. It’s what you long for,” he added. “When [New York City’s Meatpacking District] wasn’t in its prime and nobody wanted to go there, but the Standard popped up, there was a unique experience and then the rest of the hotels came calling.  

“That’s a good example of a hotel that hyper boosted the district and, to some degree, we’re doing the same.” 

Centering Experiential Stays

What attracts locals and travelers alike are Arlo’s four event series that feature comedy, art, wellness, and nightlife. Arlo believes that the best experiences happen when guests and locals interact, Suh noted. 

Some hotels host rotating art exhibitions each quarter. Others have rooftop and studio wellness classes. Yet another is the ArLOL comedy show series that started at one hotel and then expanded to others.  

And finally, a big one that Suh wants to grow upon in the new year, is Arlo After Dark, which has a dedicated website featuring the ticketed events. These can be DJ sets, other musical entertainment, or even recent RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties that have caught on in popularity in New York. 

Attracting Younger Demos

Arlo’s appeal to Gen Z and millennials is intentional; the hotel group’s offerings attract their heightened senses and desire to try new things. Sixty percent of Arlo’s guests are between 25 and 44 years old. Within that age range, 40% are between ages 25 and 34. 

To further include this base, Suh helped launch the If You Arlo program, an affiliate program incentivizing social media influencers to promote the hotels, which has seen 2000% growth in two and a half years. 

“We’re not just talking about the macro influencers; we’re talking about anyone who is passionate about travel and wants to spread the gospel about their favorite hotel,” Suh said, noting that the program is just one of the building blocks of what’s to come in Arlo’s future. 

“We still have ways to go in terms of the potential that we could reach with our brand, and in the last year we’ve taken a great stride in building out some of the foundations,” he said. 

Involving Advisors in New Ways

Travel advisor bookings represent about 10 to 20% of Arlo’s business, depending on the individual hotel. Suh said he recognizes the influence that travel advisors have and hopes to include them in the larger community Arlo is building. 

While not exclusively for travel advisors, the If You Arlo program could be a great opportunity for travel advisors because of their strong network of clients.  

Travel agency owners are also good candidates for the Arlo Means Business program, which gives small-to-medium-size business owners exclusive perks when visiting the hotels. Advisors can also offer this to their clients who own businesses. 

“We can offer that customization and to get to know the travel advisors more intimately,” Suh said. “That feeds well to the travel advisor’s world. If they can service their clients more on an individual, customized basis, that greatly aligns with our philosophy.”