Originally Posted by
gengar
The US in general is hurt in the luxury segment by the big chains (MR/HH/Hyatt) seeming not to have the same standards as their international properties, but there are still many world-class luxury properties throughout the US. I mention NYC specifically because I've found even the luxury offerings from the smaller chains / boutiques to be mediocre. Also, even properties that are well-regarded on FT also seem wildly inconsistent.
It'll be interesting to see how the Aman does.
NYC is interesting because there is (/was) such a huge business travel market AND a huge tourist market. You could get away with a lot (tiny rooms, infrequent renovations, charging “destination fees”, having brands like Hyatt Place and Hyatt House charging basically the same rates as full service brands, etc) and still have strong demand. After COVID it’ll be even more interesting - there’ll be a significant drop in demand and you’d think properties would then try to compete more, but there’ll probably be a huge cash crunch that limits their abilities to make any significant improvements.
So, to keep on topic, I think many NYC hotels won’t be very “aspirational” in the short / medium term.