As the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and adapt to these unprecedented times, HD is checking in with members of the hospitality industry around the globe to find out how their businesses are being impacted and what they anticipate will change down the line.
Adam D. Tihany, Tihany Design
What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?
The thought of transitioning from working together side by side to working from home was a bit scary at first. However, very soon it became apparent that we all had vast experience working and communicating from a distance. Our projects are all over the planet, and we communicate regularly with our colleagues via chatrooms, GoTo meetings, FaceTime, etc. Technical challenges aside, this transition was much smoother than anticipated.
What is your current work situation?
We have been working from home since March 13th and have settled into a new daily routine. My managing partner, Alessia Genova, conducts morning and evening Zoom meetings with the entire team, which has created a sense of normalcy and studio-wide connection. I review the design work and share my comments, sketches, and images on an ongoing basis. We are all connected in real time.
What are some of the positive effects of working in these new ways?
Smart working has given us a fresh perspective on how we communicate within the studio, which has led to a more cohesive and open dialogue. We live in an age that glorifies the tools and opportunities found in digital form, but this time apart has everyone looking forward to returning to the studio and sharing the same space again. One thing we’ve all benefited from is daily inspirational quotes contributed by a different person each day—thoughtful sentiments to keep our minds sharp and spirits bright.
What is your pulse on the industry?
Many of our projects were put on hold, while some move ahead despite the challenges at hand. Some owners are taking advantage of this slow down to fast-track projects to be ready with new offerings when the rebound does happen. The hospitality business was one of the first to be affected by the pandemic and hopefully it will also be one of the first to bounce back.
We are corresponding with clients on a daily basis, and what has changed is the nature of the communication. Many of our working relationships are also close friendships, and across the board the focus of connection is more personal now—the wellbeing of everyone’s families and colleagues, the daily morale—and all with a steady eye to the future.
What does this mean for the future of hospitality?
There is a good reason the tourism industry accounts for 11 percent of the world’s GDP. Traveling, socializing, sharing, spending time with each other, holding hands, hugging, and kissing are things people may agree to suspend temporarily but never to live without.
Lastly, share some good news. Have you done anything to stay busy in these crazy times?
It is amazing to see how quickly people respond and how eager they are to stay in touch, share information, and collaborate. The good news is that creativity is thriving and the world is focused on positive thinking.
Lauren Rottet, Rottet Studio
What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?
The hardest part of this pandemic is knowing how to truly lead in a time like this. I realize that many people and their families depend on the wisdom of my decisions and with things changing daily in the news, it is difficult to give definitive, solid direction. Things are moving fast and the normal business needs a lot of attention, so free time is between 1 and 5 a.m. these days.
As with any business owner right now, you have to think about layoffs, furloughs, and salary cuts, as you simply do not know where a pandemic such as this can lead. We have been fortunate to have won some new work during all of this, which softens the blow. So, now we can focus on who is pitching in at this time. One thing is for sure—times like this can weed out those who do not really care, leaving room for those who do to be shining stars and future leaders.
What is your current work situation?
The work situation is a rollercoaster, or you might say a seesaw, as one morning I think we are going to need to furlough and the next we get a call about a new opportunity. There is no secret that the hospitality business has been hit hard. It is so sad to hear the stories as all of us who work in the hospitality world—whether it is design, operations, or ownership—have a deep love of the industry and do it out of passion.
We’re not out of the woods yet, but so far we have not had to lay off. We have sent out a very strict memo noting no expenditures, we have suspended all transportation reimbursements (as no one is to be traveling), we have temporarily suspended the 401K match, and we have become much more stringent on monitoring the way certain staff spend their time. We basically have just tidied up.
What are some of the positive effects of working in these new ways?
It has made us more efficient in some ways. We have become more focused on the end result and how to get there effectively. We have beefed up our internal financial reporting so we see live how we are doing each day. A lesson made clear, though I always suspected it, is that time is not always used effectively by all. There are days when a team member may not have enough to do, but their supervisor does not put them on other teams for fear of losing them. With all of us on chat groups, it is clear to see who has enough work and who does not. It has been great to hear people volunteer their time and enjoy getting to work on a new project with a new team not in their own physical office. So, it has been an excellent lesson on how to work better across offices in Los Angeles, Houston, and New York. For that, I am thankful.
What is your pulse on the industry?
Again, it is a rollercoaster/seesaw. The hotel industry and F&B have obviously been hit hard. It is inspiring to see them do what they can by opening up their hotels and venues to help out first [responders], but we know they are suffering. It will turn back around, but unfortunately some will not be able to weather it and some will be able to take advantage of that. I only hope those who can take advantage realize this world is about more than just money; it is about kindness and doing the right thing for the long haul.
We do have projects that have gone on hold—mostly East Coast work. On the other hand, we have projects that we expected to go on hold that are moving forward, such as the Viking Ships. One of our current hotel clients in Texas was given the opportunity to buy the adjacent land, so now the hotel will be expanded and [that is another] new project for us.
What does this mean for the future of hospitality?
This will educate those who have never been through a downtime to know that work/life balance does not mean you do not have to do your part at work. It will let true leaders and hard workers shine and be recognized. It will hopefully show people that the world is about more than just money, as that can disappear in a second. It will make people rethink all aspects of a healthy environment—clean air, surface materials, hand washing, etc. We will see new devices in public areas, as well as new inventions and systems in the HVAC world to purify the air and not circulate impure air.
Lastly, share some good news! Have you done anything to stay busy in these crazy times?
The good news is I have been able to stay in my Houston home for a month now, and that is really grounded for a three million-plus mile United flyer. I have been able to see my kids, Kyle and Evan, more as they come over to remote work. We each have our preferred office location in the light-filled environment. It has also given me time to focus on things the house has needed for a while. As soon as the pool is warm enough, it will be a treat to swim daily. Plus, my dogs are super happy.
Jun Aizaki, Crème
What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?
Our work is so much about physicality. We make corrections and we share thoughts on projects side by side and we work with our materials hands-on. Thus, being out of the office and not being able to meet in person is the most challenging part, but we have a great team who were able to adapt quickly to working remotely. Our IT guy even had a baby while we were rushing to set up work from home, so it has all been very exciting.
What is your current work situation?
We were able to keep the entire staff, luckily. Our offices have been closed for over three weeks. We were prepared for this; having close relationships with Italy when the virus hit hard in Europe urged me to make all the necessary changes and decisions. We are lucky to be able to continue working, and we are especially grateful for technology during this time. We’re doing a lot of conference calls and even company virtual happy hour on Fridays.
What are some of the positive effects of working in these new ways?
In a certain sense, now we feel even closer as a team—We have more check-ins and virtual meetings, and we’re all supporting each other as we deal with this crisis. I feel we are being given the opportunity to see things from a different vantage point.
What is your pulse on the industry?
The restaurant and hospitality industry has been hit pretty hard, but we are grateful to continue to work on a lot of exciting projects at the moment. There is a rising awareness that something will need to change. Our work is generally about getting people together so it makes us rethink everything from the fundamentals. I’m curious to see where things will lead.
What does this mean for the future of hospitality?
Delayed timelines are to be expected. As for the big picture, I wonder if there will be a fundamental change—the realization that we can live without going to restaurants or the realization of how much we miss them and how we take it for granted usually.
Lastly, share some good news! Have you done anything to stay busy in these crazy times?
The good news is that we are saving a lot of time on the commute. I’m spending a lot more time with my 3 year old, who keeps me pretty busy.
Nina Grondin, Curioso
What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?
Not knowing what is next, or what to expect. There are updates and new news every day. That’s the hardest part—we see this thing coming, we know it will severely impact our clients, our business, our team, our loved ones, and our industry, but there’s no way of knowing to what extent, and there’s very little we can do about it. Plus, there’s no one to look to for answers. Everyone is in the same boat of trying to navigate this tornado, and for the most part all we’ve experienced are slight breezes in comparison. We have to toe a fine line between nimble and quick to act without under or overreacting. In short, it’s been hard to know what to do.
What is your current work situation?
Our whole team is working remotely,and we’re staying constantly connected by utilizing every tool you can think of—Zoom, GoToMeeting, Jamboard, Gchat, WhatsApp, etc. We have so many video calls that I swear I see our team members as much as my family. In a way, we’re lucky that our company has been used to collaborating with team members from afar—our Chicago and Merida, Mexico studios were already working closely together daily—so from an adaptation to technology standpoint that was easy. The hard part is not having someone physically next to you. To alleviate some of that, we meet as a whole company three times a week—once socially on Friday just to make sure everyone is doing alright and feeling supported by one another. Many of our team members live alone, so their Curioso family is their support system in many ways, and we want to make sure we continue to provide that even in times of physical distancing.
From a project standpoint, we’ve had a few projects go on hold, but most of our larger longterm projects continue to move forward. Some timelines have shifted and some clients have asked to defer portions of their invoices, and we’re working through those issues on a case by case basis.
From a team standpoint, we have decided not to make any changes, which was actually a hard decision—to find ways not to let this impact our team members, but one that we felt was right for our company. That’s not to say we won’t have to make some changes down the road if this lasts for longer than expected, but our aim is to keep our team intact, and be flexible in our ability to shift course as needed.
What are some of the positive effects of working in these new ways?
One huge positive is we’re getting to know each other and our clients better. We’re insisting on video calls, and there are moments when kids, dogs, and spouses pop up in a meeting unexpectedly, which is a nice reminder of the more personal and intimate side of everyone we work with. In many ways, we are communicating more—and more effectively—because we’re apart.
We’ve also created groups with other firm owners to check in on each other, help with sharing resources and tips, or even just to be a sounding board. It’s kind of like group therapy. We actually started this prior to COVID-19, but have found the groups to be so helpful during this time. We have one group of hospitality design firm owners and leaders around the country—maybe 20 people—and another with local firm owners in Chicago. It’s a really wonderful community.
What is your pulse on the industry?
Clearly, some things will be forever changed on the other side of this, and I don’t think anyone can say for sure what those things are right now. We also know this is temporary, and that hospitality is strong and will bounce back. The fact that this virus has had such a global impact is proof that we’ve become citizens of the world. That won’t change. We’ll need to be more careful, but people are going to travel, we’re going to meet with each other and seek out great hotels, restaurants, and bars all over the globe.
What does this mean for the future of hospitality?
The recovery may be slow as people get comfortable venturing out again. Testing is key, especially if you are able to test for those who have already had the virus and thus have the antibodies for immunity for some time. If we can figure out who is safe from contracting the virus, those people can get back out there, get back to work, and get the economy moving again. I do feel like that may be a little ways down the road, and until we have an effective vaccine, things may be slow or running at partial capacity for some time. But again, this is temporary.
Lastly, share some good news! Have you done anything to stay busy in these crazy times?
We’ve been doing a lot of cooking and baking, which is really nice. It’s something that I love, but have not made much time for in the last five years. We have a 4-year-old daughter who wants to help with everything, so that’s been really fun—albeit messy.
We also set up a table for jigsaw puzzles. It’s a great way to get away from the screen and hangout as a family. Our daughter has been sharpening her ability to sort through information and recognize patterns, and is making a huge dent in a 1,000-piece puzzle right now. It’s pretty amazing to see her mind working and the evolution of her strategy to find connecting pieces.
Lastly, this has been a time for reflection. All in all, we are incredibly lucky. I worry about how developing countries or impoverished communities will deal with this. I’m hoping we can find a way to help protect those who are at high risk of being permanently impacted by this crisis. There are people and groups out there doing incredible things—both big and small—to help those in need. A time like this helps to remind us that every little bit and every little gesture is meaningful.
Related stories:
3 Industry Leaders on Today’s New Normal
3 Design Duos on Making the Most of Trying Times
6 Designers, Architects, and Entrepreneurs on Staying Connected
For more COVID-19-related news and stories from HD, click here.
