The best hotels don't feel like hotels

Travelers want authentic, destination-driven experiences instead of standardized stays. As both a developer and operator, how has that shift changed the way Mainsail approaches new hotel projects—from the earliest planning stages through day-to-day operations?

We’ve always believed that a hotel should reflect where it is, rather than simply being dropped into a location. That starts well before design. We look at the character of the community, its history, culture, people and what makes the destination unique, and then ask how a hotel can add something meaningful to that story.

Because we are both developers and operators, we can carry that thinking all the way through operations. We don’t just build a beautiful hotel and hand it off. We think about the guest experience, food and beverage, programming, staffing and community relationships from the beginning. The goal is to create a property that feels authentic on opening day and continues to evolve with its market.

A strong sense of place often comes from local artists, makers, chefs and community partners. How does Mainsail identify those partnerships during development, and how do you ensure they remain authentic as the property evolves over time?

It starts with listening. We spend a lot of time getting to know the community and the people who are already contributing to its identity. We want local artists, chefs, makers and businesses to have a genuine role, not simply to check a “local” box. We also believe authenticity requires relationships, not transactions. Those relationships have to continue after opening. As the community changes, the hotel should change with it.

The idea of building hotels that belong to their neighborhoods is central to Mainsail's approach. What does that philosophy mean in practice?

A hotel should be a place the community wants to visit even when they don’t have a room reservation. That influences everything from the location and architecture to the restaurant, bar, coffee shop, public spaces and programming. We try to create gathering places that are useful and relevant to locals. When residents see the hotel as their place, not just a place for visitors, you know you’ve done something right.

How do you design amenities, dining and programming that encourage locals to embrace a hotel as part of their neighborhood, and what impact does that have on long-term performance?

We think about the hotel as a neighborhood asset rather than simply a place to stay. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, meeting spaces, events and programming all need to have a reason for a local to come through the door. One example is the culinary theatres we’ve built into several of our hotels, where guests and locals alike have a front row seat to chefs and local makers at work. It turns dining into an experience rather than just a transaction, and gives locals a genuine reason to make the hotel’s event calendar part of their regular routine rather than a once-a-year special occasion spot.

That creates a much broader customer base and helps the hotel perform across more than just guestrooms. More importantly, it builds loyalty and relevance. When locals become regular customers, ambassadors and advocates for the property, that has tremendous long-term value.

Properties like Epicurean, Luminary, Trilith and Hotel Forty Five each have a distinct identity rooted in their location. Looking across those projects, what lessons has Mainsail learned about balancing brand standards, operational efficiency and local authenticity, and what advice would you share with other owners and developers pursuing the same goal?

The biggest lesson is that brand standards and authenticity don’t have to be competing ideas. The brand should provide a strong operational and service foundation, but the property itself should have its own personality. As both an owner and operator, we’re constantly balancing creativity with discipline. You can create a highly differentiated hotel and still operate it efficiently. The key is knowing which things are essential to the guest experience and protecting those, while being disciplined about everything else.

My advice to other developers is simple: start with the place, not the brand. Understand what the community needs and what story the property can tell. Then find the right brand and operating model to support that vision. 

Anything else you’d like to share?

For us, hospitality has always been about creating places people want to be. The best hotels don’t feel like hotels; they feel like part of the fabric of the destination. When you get that right, the guests notice it; the community embraces it and the business benefits from it.