Have a seat, and we'll check you in

You’ve replaced the traditional front desk with a glass of rosé and a seat in the living room. From an operations standpoint, how do you handle the essential data capture and credit card security without breaking the spell of a residential arrival?

Our team operates on mobile Microsoft Surface tablets in the living room, where we welcome our guests. These allow us to complete the check-in process seamlessly from wherever the guest is seated in our living room. For most reservations, we secure payment in advance through a compliant pre-arrival authorization link, so by the time the guest arrives, we're just asking for a quick glimpse of an ID while they enjoy some crisp rosé. 

For bookings that require a physical card, like an OTA reservation that didn't share an email, our team uses discreet mobile payment devices, allowing us to complete everything without ever interrupting the flow of the arrival. The intent is simple: all of the necessary steps still happen, they’re just designed to feel invisible. When we're done with the arrival process, we say ‘welcome home.’ 

Given your background in high-level operations, what is the one system you’ve implemented at The Bower that guests will never see, but is entirely responsible for the effortless, elevated energy of the living room?

While guests will never see it, the one backend system that fundamentally shapes how we show up for our guests is Mercana. It gives our team a real understanding of who is walking through the door before they arrive. Context, interests, preferences, even subtle cues that help us anticipate how someone wants to feel during their stay. From there, it quietly powers everything behind the scenes, like our personalized guest profiles and thoughtful prompts for handwritten notes. The system can even create custom itineraries that are tailored to the individual rather than pulled from a standard list. 

What that allows us to do is remove the transactional layer entirely. Our team isn’t asking basic questions or reacting in the moment. They’re already prepared, already aligned and able to focus fully on the human interaction in front of them. That’s where the energy in the living room comes from. It feels natural, but it’s actually the result of being deeply prepared. For the independent space, it's also a great way to curate a seamless stay without a five-person pre-arrival team working behind the scenes. 

In a residential-scale hotel, there's nowhere for a bad hire to hide. When you're interviewing for The Bower, what is the one non-negotiable trait you look for that tells you a candidate can handle the intimacy of a 39-room property?

I’m very honest about what this really is. A 39-room hotel sounds small, but it’s not. It’s intense. If someone hears that and doesn’t flinch, that’s usually a good sign. At this level, you can teach someone how to do the job, but you can’t teach how they show up when things get chaotic. I'm a big believer that we all radiate a specific frequency and that energy is felt. I'm intentional about which individuals are in this building and what type of energy they bring!

With only 39 keys, you have a level of agility that legacy resorts can’t match. What is one specific, high-touch guest preference your team can track and execute that would be a logistical impossibility for a 300-room property?

I heard once that luxury is to know someone's name and how they like their coffee in the morning. That one resonates with me! In a larger hotel, that level of detail is typically reserved for a handful of VIPs. With 39 rooms and a team that’s paying attention, we can know that for everyone. It’s a small thing, but it changes the entire feel of a stay. When a guest doesn’t have to explain themselves...even once...it stops feeling like a hotel and starts feeling personal.

The word "intentional" is often used in design, but it’s harder to quantify in service. How do you define an intentional service recovery versus a standard one, and where do you give your staff the most autonomy to deviate from the SOP?

Intentional recovery is different. It requires context (and that's where Mercana comes in). Who is the guest, why are they here, what actually matters to them in that moment? The response should reflect that, not follow a script. 

I’ll be honest, some SOPs become handcuffs. They try to turn everything into a black-and-white decision when, in reality, hospitality rarely works that way. You can’t solve for every situation in a document. Where we give our team the most autonomy is in those moments. If something goes wrong, I want them thinking, not referencing a playbook. We hire people we trust, and then we trust them to make the call. I took that $2K per team member motto from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, where I spent the formative years of my career. That associate empowerment is everything to me and the way I see service culture.

Anything else you'd like to share?

If I had to leave one thought, it’s that we’re not trying to build just another hotel here. There are plenty of beautiful spaces with great products, but what’s rare is a place that actually makes you feel something. That comes down to people, and the way they choose to show up every day. At this scale, every interaction matters. There’s no script to fall back on, no volume to hide behind. It’s personal. My whole hospitality mantra comes down to the fact that people can feel genuine care. They know when you’re fully present, and they know when you’re not taking it seriously.