D Magazine – April 2018

By Paula Gomprecht | April 23, 2018

Hospitality has expanded far beyond hotels to influence all sectors of North Texas real estate.

“Hospitality is so much more than providing a physical product,” says Paula Gomprecht, vice president of marketing for hospitality-focused co-working concept Serendipity Labs, which just opened its first North Texas location at the Uptown Arts building in Dallas. “People want to identify with something that will take care of them.”

Whereas creating an experience is focused on producing an enjoyable and memorable time, hospitality is the business of making people feel welcome to stay and return. Hospitality is more complex than offering services hotel guests love such as room service, maid service, and a concierge—though those are important. Making someone feel welcome is a combination of services and details, such as comfortable furniture, well-lit corridors, easy wayfinding, unexpected snacks or drinks, and a predictable arrival experience that mitigates inconvenience.

This recent upsurge in hospitality-focused real estate has gone far beyond hotels and has made its way into restaurants, retail stores, hospitals, schools, airports, and offices, says Lindsay Wilson, executive managing principal and interiors section leader at Corgan. Many types of spaces now have friendly, inviting reception areas that contrast the tall, fortress-style desks of the past. Waiters, receptionists, and check-out personnel have ramped up efforts to be more accommodating to guests and customers.

Source, Julia Bunch, What the Real Estate Industry Can Learn From the Hospitality Sector D Magazine.