The Independent Hotel Show team caught up with Clare Anna, CCO, London Rock Partners, a previous speaker and attendee of the show. It was great to speak with Clare about her broad career within the hospitality industry, her experience visiting Independent Hotel Show and her thoughts around this years theme 'Beyond the Hustle and Bustle'.

Tell us about your experience in the hospitality industry and how it’s led you to your role today.

I started my career as a sales manager on a maternity cover contract, and I just loved it - I think hospitality is a bit like that. You either absolutely ‘get it’ and you are enthralled by it, or you don't understand it, I was enthralled.

I worked for a business called De Vere Venues  and stayed there for 10 years. I was surrounded by great leaders and good people who just pushed me further than I thought I could go. I had a few senior roles in my career, and four years ago I was working in a Hotel Management company in the UK and was running the commercial division, while my business partner Naveed Khan  was running the Operations Division – and as you do in the middle of a global pandemic, you start to think, ‘couldn’t we just do this by ourselves, why not?’.

London Rock Partners was born. We are now a team of 12 and we cover all disciplines you would expect a white label Hotel Management company to cover. We work with independent owners, be they high-net-worth individuals, family offices, funds, or banks.

We in essence operate their hospitality assets on behalf of them. We look after and support owners wherever they are in the cycle of having a hospitality asset - from acquisition, through trading, and through to exit. It's a young business, and it's a small business, but it is predominantly focused on independent owners who need support with operations and commercial.

What does a great customer experience look like to you?

When it comes to hospitality, it's all about making it easy; easy to book, easy to pay, easy to arrive, and easy to check in. I think the beauty that independent hotels have in particular is that there are no brand standards per se, so they can really customise the customer journey and kind of anticipate your needs depending on what they know about you.

Technology has a big part to play in that. But it can't be too in your face, it's got to be in the background. It must help make the customer journey as seamless as possible. without you realising that you're engaged in a tech-led solution rather than a people-led solution. A great customer experience for me is led by great people, and delivered by great tech.

How are you approaching the issue of sustainability?

We work with a business called Mission Net Zero, and they are helping the hospitality sector meet net zero and sustainability commitments because the hospitality sector is one of the highest users of energy and water, as well as contribution to landfills. We have a huge responsibility as a sector to do better, and I think that starts with managing your supply chain and working out whether or not the people that you engage with are all on the same page – that they working to reduce their carbon emissions.

It can be from huge items like utilities and waste, and it can be right down to the tiny things like reducing single use plastic or understanding the process that your linen goes through before it comes back to you. That’s a big piece of work, and it's a huge focus for the hospitality sector at the moment.

I think working with partners who really understand how to manage that supply chain is the key bit - so I would encourage people to work with those bodies that are accredited and can take you step-by-step through the process.

The Independent Hotel Show London theme this year is ‘Beyond the Hustle & Bustle’ which focuses on wellness, how do you view wellness in hotels? Have you got any examples or success stories around this?

I think there's a huge shift in hotels post-pandemic to be more wellness or wellbeing focused, it’s not just making sure the snacks are healthy or making sure there's enough water for anybody. It’s about taking it a step further.  

We are seeing how this impact has played out at the Winchester Royal hotel. A hotel steeped in history it features a  16th century walled garden which has recently undergone refurbishment.  Investing in this stunning and tranquil outside space is very much aligned to growing guest demand for alternative areas on site to retreat to and recharge in.  Nature and the outdoors is always restorative and this is a simple and effective way that guest experience is enhanced.  

For me, the interesting piece is when you take a business and look at how that's moved that into the corporate sector; lots of these retreats and wellness hotels will also do big corporate events. I think that's when it's clever, when you can move the wellness piece away from spa perhaps and into ‘what does that look like for a corporate activity’. That is about being tech free, being taken completely away from the everyday and really having time to think. And I think that really moves nicely from corporate, into individual traveller.

We're working on two new developments now, and both are very centred around wellness. Getting your mind working, getting your body working and kind of tuning back in a bit more to mother nature.

It is right in the heart of a lot of independent hoteliers’ minds, and I think that market will continue to grow because there's no signs of it slowing down. It doesn't need to be a spa; you don't need to have necessarily a ‘wellness piece’ or, you know, 100 acres. There are ways that you can work it into the services you’re already offering, and I think that’s the clever bit for me.

Last year you spoke at the Independent Hotel Show London, did you enjoy your experience at the show? What were some highlights from your visit?

I bloody loved it!

I'll tell you why – the panels were put together really well. On my panel the speakers were all opposites; I was there talking about a windowless hotel brand, Zedwell, and then next to me you had someone from Pan Pacific, who represents high end luxury. On the other side of me you had Lottie from The Pig who’s talking about farm to fork food.  We were three very separate opinions, but the heart of what we said was all very similar.

The questions were brilliant, the audience was really engaged, and I had more follow-ups from doing that panel than I have anything else I've done in the last four years. So yes, I loved it.

What is the greatest piece of business advice you’ve ever received? 

It's a super simple one, in hospitality, our world is all about people. It's all about team and customers – if you treat both groups well, success will follow.

You don't have to have the best of everything, but you need to have the best people, they drive great customer experience and they become your brand advocates, which in an independent hotel market is all that matters.

Hospitality is not easy, anyone who's working in this field has not picked an easy career choice, by any stretch. It is a career choice and a sector that is completely dependent on having great leadership. But if you get that right, then you’re made. Great leadership can change your business in the short and long term.

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We are looking forward to bringing the industry together again at Independent Hotel Show 2024 on 15-16 October, join us by securing your ticket here.