Chantell Walsh

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen: Hi, I am here with Chantell Walsh of Strategic. Hi, Chantell, thanks so much for joining us today. How are you?

Chantell Walsh: I’m good. Good morning, thanks for having me.

SSR: Yeah, excited to chat. So, we always start at the beginning, where did you grow up?

CW: I grew up in a pretty small town in central Minnesota, didn’t have a lot of things to do, so we spent most of the time running outside and basically creating our own fun. I think we’re one of the last generations that grew up without any distraction, so we had to design our own adventures.

SSR: Yeah. Was there any inkling that design would be in your future? Were you a creative kid, or surrounded by creativity by anyone?

CW: I spent a lot of time hoarding graph paper, and I would sit in my room and draw floor plans. And each time I’d make minor modifications to them. But I also just played a lot of team sports. I wouldn’t say that there was a strong inkling towards design, but I think I had… it created a foundation that was kind of going in that direction, and I think the shared goals of a bigger picture, working as a team, on team sports, definitely gravitated towards my career path.

SSR: Yeah. What did you play?

CW: I played softball, volleyball, and basketball. I was only good at one of the three.

SSR: Which one was that?

CW: Softball.

SSR: Oh okay. That’s a good one to be good at.

CW: Yeah. I was not tall. I had no career in basketball.

SSR: But you tried. 

CW: I tried. That’s the point, I tried.

SSR: Yeah. Okay. So, you went to school for architecture though, so what drove you to pursue that route? How did you end up with going to school for that?

CW: So, I spent most of high school taking all the architectural and art classes that they offered, and I pretty much sealed my fate in that. I would say one of my drafting instructors in architecture set me up with a job shadow with a firm in Minneapolis, called KKE Architects, and they basically did a lot of institution work and followed the educational sector. So, he set me up with a job shadow, and I went there one day, and they sat me in a room with their whole studio, and they were working on a new construction school, and they started asking me these questions like, “What do you like… Is daylight important to you when you’re in the classroom, and how about the sound, and what do you do in-between classes?” It kind of sparked this interest that, it made me realize that design can evoke feelings and emotions, and I feel like that really sealed the deal of going to college and pursuing architecture as a career path.

SSR: Did college foster that?

CW: I wouldn’t say it was hospitality focused, but my college degree was in architecture, so it was all design-based.

SSR: So, what were some of your first jobs out of college, and what were some of the biggest takeaways before you got to Strategic?

CW: So, I wouldn’t say my first job was life-changing, I would say my second job was, and that was an architecture firm that I worked at here in Chicago, that was based on Miesian modernism. Mies was obviously big here in Chicago. And I had the privilege of working really closely with one of the principals of the firm, Greg Coble, and he was one of those principals that let you struggle, and he would never give you the answer, so I’d have to go through and sift through drawing sets, try to find the details, and then I’d finally come to his office and be like, “I’m failing, I can’t figure this out.” And he would roll out this giant piece of trace paper and sit down and draw through the details with me, and say, “This is where you went right, this is where you went wrong.”

And I think that mentorship was pretty much everything. That taught me how to think critically, and it taught me that design is as much about the process as it is the product. And I think that guidance is something that’s really rare these days, that you can’t find in a lot of firms, that one-on-one attention. So, I’ll never take that for granted, he was an awesome mentor to have.

SSR: That’s amazing. And then, how did you get introduced to Strategic?

CW: I was introduced by my manager at the time that I knew as an acquaintance, and it was right after the ’08 crash when nobody was really doing new construction, and architecture firms weren’t doing anything, and he mentioned that he worked at Strategic, he mentioned that they were looking for in-house design support, and it was kind of a time where everyone was just doing very small interior renovations, and they were just doing it in-house. So, they brought me in. I was actually, it was like 2010, so I started as a consultant before I actually was hired at Strategic, and that was the pivot that changed everything. It wasn’t the path I planned, but ultimately it’s where it landed.

SSR: And you’ve been there now 14 years. Congratulations.

CW: Yeah, 15 if you include the consultant phase, but yeah.

SSR: Oh, okay. And so, how has your role there changed, and how has the company evolved from where you began to where you are now?

CW: It’s been a rollercoaster to say the least. There’s been a lot of executive change over the years, we were publicly traded when I started working, we’re now private, we’ve had different ownerships, I’m sure that will continue. I’ve had I think three different bosses since I’ve been here, maybe four. Three. But it’s been awesome just because each one of them has their own special role, and I feel like their own background of expertise. And I think it’s a small team, it’s really just Tim Taylor and I, and we kind of oversee everything, from concept, scope, all the way through execution. So, it’s small and mighty, but it’s an adventure at the least.

SSR: So, how many projects are you working on at a time with this small and mighty team? And talk a little bit about your process and how you do that with only three of you.

CW: Yeah, I know. I’m like, how do we do that?

SSR: It’s a good time to reflect, figure it out.

CW: At any point in time it can be… I think right now I probably have probably 20 projects. But they vary in scale, and that can go up to, there’s times where we may have 60 projects between the two of us, but we’ve got teams on every project. Some of the smaller projects I’ll do in-house, if they just need a furniture refresh or a suite, I may just do it myself, and make the specs, hire a purchasing agent, things like that. So, it kind of varies, but we have to really trust the people we hire, basically.

SSR: Yeah. So, talk to me about that. How do you pick a collaborator? What do you look for in a collaborator? And then what do you think defines a successful collaboration?

CW: I think, like we said, it starts with trust, and I think you have to really have a clear vision, not only for yourselves, but also for your consultants on what the project scope is. But I think the best outcomes are really when both sides have respect for that vision, and ultimately the creativity needs to meet the business logic. So, we try to hire people that we’ve worked with, it’s hard to hire people you haven’t worked with, and if I do, it’s going to be on a smaller project first and foremost, just until we get that trust level. Because we don’t really approach the relationship of, we trust everything you do, it’s earned. So, it takes a while.

SSR: And then, what type of projects are you working on? Do you guys mostly live in upscale luxury, or do you have a broader scale of projects?

CW: We’ve sold a couple of our assets over the last few years that were probably our three top luxury properties. So, historically, we’ve always been a luxury resort company, we’ve sold the three top luxury resorts. We still have luxury assets, but we have a little bit more urban properties right now. So, the projects are typically always renovations, rehabilitations, we rarely do new construction ground up. There’s a couple things that we will do, that we have actual real estate, [inaudible 00:08:36], probably Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, and Ritz Laguna, I would actually have real estate where we could do some new construction, but for the most part it’s mostly renovation projects. Anything from guest room renovation, to restaurant, to an exciting parking garage… I don’t know. It can go all over the place.

SSR: Exciting parking garage.

CW: Yeah, I was like, I don’t want that one.

SSR: Is a parking garage ever exciting? But maybe.

CW: It’s been going on, and the most exciting thing I think has been the paint color of it right now, so.

SSR: Yeah. Well, you can get creative. So, you kind of fell into hospitality, what do you love most about it? What’s kept you there, kept you in this business?

CW: Yeah. I think I love that we get to craft this stage for the guest experiences, and it can be elegant and immersive, but I think to be truly honest, it’s honestly the people that we work with behind the scenes. And it’s a global industry, but it’s actually a close knit family. And you’re kind of collaborating with passionate, creative minds, and that’s what makes it such a rewarding process. I think we all know everything that we all go to, it’s a small industry, and it’s special, it’s fun to have these relationships.

SSR: I do think I’ve attended other industries, other events and other design industries, and there is just something about hospitality, I don’t know if it’s like you’ve been through the wringer together, or what it is, but there is that camaraderie, and for lack of a better too it’s incestuous. Everyone’s worked together at some point.

CW: Oh yeah. I’m sure that the accounting and tax conventions are thrilling, but I don’t think they can hold a candle to us.

SSR: Yeah, exactly. Okay, so we kind of talked big picture, your projects, but has there been a recent project that you’re really proud of, or that really you think sums up what type of work you’re doing at Strategic?

CW: I think the two biggest projects that we’ve had right now that I think we’re still coming up from air on, one is opening the Regent Santa Monica, converting the flag from a Loews to a Regent, and reducing the key count, that was a big renovation. And then obviously opening the Waldorf New York this week was a huge undertake, it’s been closed for nearly eight years. I’ve been on it since I think ’21… None of us can actually remember when we started working on this project. We can’t figure out what year it was. But those are big undertakings, and I think, I said the other day, it’s rare… The Waldorf New York really defines an era, and it’s been an honor to be part of that project, and be involved in unveiling it, and kind of giving it back to the city to endure. Those are both really special projects that they sort of take the life out of you, but they also are so rewarding, and the learning process of those projects is never over, there’s always new challenges.

SSR: Let’s dive into the Waldorf a little bit because such an iconic property, and like you said, been closed for eight years, everyone’s been waiting with bated breath for this to open. No pressure.

CW: The one question I can’t wait to never have to answer again is, when is it going to open?

SSR: You’re like, it’s open, it’s done.

CW: It’s over.

SSR: It’s done. But just give some context, how many… And you don’t have to know all the exact numbers. But there was so many different people that worked on it and actually preserving it was such a huge undertaking, right?

CW: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, the historic preservation and then making the decision to landmark certain areas and restore it back to its original glory, I think that was such a special move, albeit costly. No one is ever going to do what we did to that property ever again, at least not in our lifetime. Maybe in 75 years something happens. But it is what it is, no one’s ever going to kind of take that undertaking again. But the meticulous detail that went into preserving it, and giving it its story back is really special. I hope that when people go there, it kind of evokes nostalgia… I hope it evokes a positive feeling when they get there, and they realize how much work actually went into it.

SSR: Yeah. And you said you had hundreds of artisans just doing the ceiling work, and the unearthing, and cool thing that I found too, you guys used the old photos, the documentation of what it was and now comparing to is pretty impressive.

CW: Yeah. Even down to the drapery in the ballroom. Luckily, we had all these great archival photos, but they really relied on those photos to replicate, in a slightly modern way, a lot of the history and exploring those details. But having the scaffolding set up in every single ballroom, and Jade and Aster and Basildon, and seeing the workers hand paint the murals, and getting them back to their original layer of actual paint, and then they had a plaster shop set up on one area, where they’re hand making all the plaster moldings and the motifs on site. So, there’s a lot that, hopefully we’ll be able to unveil some of the photos of that process at some point because I think people would really appreciate the detail that went into that.

SSR: And you said too, in that big ballroom, it’s, what, can fit like 1500 people, and it’s three tiers of seating, but having the scaffolding all the way up to that ceiling must have been really impressive.

CW: Yeah, before they took it down. I went up there and just touched the ceiling with a finger because I was like, I’m never going to touch a ceiling again.

SSR: Yeah. Especially that ceiling.

CW: Yeah. I think they did a great job of actually, what you don’t actually see is the modernization that went into all those rooms. So, they still look historic and traditional and have that grandeur, but they now have lights that can automatically drop down and make it a modern event. So, merging those two worlds together will give it some advancement.

SSR: Yeah. Okay. And then, the Regent Santa Monica. Very different.

CW: That one was a lightning speed renovation. I think we did that in less than two years I think. We closed it, started the design process… We started the design process without even having a brand on board yet. So, I knew it was going to be a luxury hotel, but we still had the RFP out, so we didn’t know if it was going to be a Four Seasons, a Park Hyatt, Regent, what it was going to be, I just knew I had to design a luxury model room and everything else. And we knew to do that you had to increase your square footage for a hotel room. So, we dropped key count basically by half, and started that renovation and design process, and then eventually brought IHG in, but it was mostly designed, I think at the tail end we started doing the specialty suites with them.

But it’s a beautiful property, they’ve had a little bit of struggle with some of the stuff that’s going on, and fires and everything else that’s gone on in LA, but it was a fun project. It was probably the first project where I think it was truly our vision at Strategic to execute that, from aesthetics to scope to the deliverable, and it’s pretty rare you get that opportunity in the career.

SSR: Yeah. And it was also the first Regent here in the States too, so then you added that layer.

CW: Yeah. Well, the original one was Regent Beverly Hills, from the movie Pretty Women, and so they brought it back kind of. I was like, wait, does it have to look like that? I know, we kind of in the beginning, we were like, do we need a suite named something related to the movie? I don’t think actually people realize that the brand is the same brand as that.

SSR: Yeah, that’s kind of fun, it’d be a fun marketing campaign. Is there other projects on the boards that you’re looking forward to?

CW: We’ve got all of our big heavy projects done, we’re kind of back in design phase right now, I’ve got some specialty suite projects that I’m pretty excited about, we’re doing a very fast Four Seasons project in Silicon Valley, that I’m usually all up for a challenge, but this one actually gives me anxiety. So, I brought my A-team on every avenue, and somehow we’ll hopefully get this done before Super Bowl. But a lot of sweet projects, we just closed out Ritz Laguna, we just did a full rooms, corridor, suite, club lounge, spa, and pool renovation there. So, we’ve kind of gotten to the point where a lot of our properties, we’re like, we’ve just renovated, you guys got to fly now. So, it’s a lot of smaller projects we’re coming back to in design phase.

SSR: Oh, that’s kind of nice after all you’ve been working on.

CW: I know, I need some self-care at some point.

SSR: And then, talk to me too, you just mentioned suites, I feel like there’s been a resurgence. feel like the industry went all public spaces, and guestrooms were not forgotten, but they weren’t pushed. Does that make sense? And now, I feel like everyone is like, oh, everyone wants that residential, home away from home, there’s more group travel, multigenerational travel, all these different things that are now putting a focus back on suites and guest rooms. Would you agree? And how are you guys approaching them?

CW: Yeah, I think that definitely the specialty suites kind of took a backseat for a while, and they were like the forgotten child a little bit, and we’re trying to reposition some of those suites too, because to be honest, the money that people will pay for some of those suites per night is kind of insane. And so, we’ve got quite a few projects actually where we really pushed capital into renovating suites. I just did all of our suites at Four Seasons D.C. with Forest Perkins, and then obviously we did a lot at Ritz Laguna, Regent Santa Monica, Half Moon Bay, I’m about to do Silicon Valley, and then I’ve got a spectacular one at Essex, JW, that we’re going to do, that has a panoramic view of Central Park South. And we’re trying to make them a little bit more functional too, not just from an aesthetic standpoint, but there’s not a lot of product out there anywhere that has the ability to be a four-bedroom suite, unless you’re in a resort Caribbean area, where you can get a villa or something like that.

But we’re trying to create the flexibility, where if a family wants to come and create a four bedroom walk-off, or a delegation wants to come and they want to have their private security in one room adjacent to them, or things like that. So, I think there’s a lot more attention on how those are configured, which is sparking some interest. But it’s also, like you said, we’re trying to make them feel more residential, evoke kind of a feeling when you walk into them that it feels comfortable. I feel like we all kind of went through that bland phase of a color palette, and then it went bold maximalism, and then I feel like we’re now trying to balance the two a little bit, and have a blended old with new. And maybe it’s not all the furniture is new, maybe you find an antique chest and you put it in the corner, or something like that. So, it’s something that starts to feel a little bit more nostalgic.

SSR: Yeah, 100%. And also, where do you spend the money on these? I think that’s really important, especially as budgets are typed, and as you’re mentioning, lead times are short. So, how do you look at that as well?

CW: I don’t know that I have solved that answer yet.

SSR: Someday.

CW: I think we’ve got to choose our battles, I think the construction is killing us a little bit, but it’s been hard right now. I think we’re all kind of navigating the challenges together, and especially with FF&E, finding, partnering with the right vendors right now is really key. I was just talking to someone the other day, that said, we need to start doing some factory tours of new vendors, and find out who else is out there right now. But it’s trying to be mindful of the design too, you want to have it impactful, but it needs to be cost-effective too because everything’s 2X what we plan for.

SSR: Yeah. Making budgeting a challenge, I’m sure. What do you think, I guess this is a good segue, what is your take on the industry today? With all the different challenges out there, from where you sit, what are your thoughts?

CW: Yeah. I feel like we’re all kind of navigating this moment that demands more nuanced thinking, and it’s kind of a departure from our usual approach to projects. But I think the upside to that is I’m optimistic that the challenges will spark a meaningful shift in the industry, both from design aesthetics, but also how we attract and cultivate creative talents, I think it’s kind of the shift we need right now. And I don’t think we’re quite through it, but I’m hopeful that we’re all… It feels like we’re in this transition right now, and we haven’t made it all the way through, but I’m hopeful that it’s going to be a positive change, but we’re still struggling.

SSR: Still trying to get through it.

CW: Still treading water.

SSR: Yeah, exactly. Yes, we will… I think that’s the interesting thing though about hospitality, is we are… It is a resilience. Who would’ve thought five years ago hotels would come to a halt, and now the industry has seen a reboot, and now I think every challenge offers a new opportunity.

CW: Definitely. I think it’s going to demand people to think differently, and they’re going to survive it or they’re going to not. And I think that’s what’s going to help us a little bit, actually, is maybe getting some fresh talent in the pool.

SSR: Yeah. And I think too, we touched on suites and rooms, how are you also looking at wellness? And you just mentioned you need some self-care, now, rethinking too, the changing traveler and their needs, and looking at different experiences, because you can only say experiential stays so many times. But how are you looking at all these elements that really create a stay? And I guess my other question too is, how much are you using of guest feedback too to help guide what you all do?

CW: Yeah. Yeah. Well, it’s kind of interesting too because I think from a luxury standpoint, they don’t really follow trends, because the luxury guest has the same expectation, and those don’t really pivot a little bit too much. And they’re not necessarily what someone in their early 20s, early 30s is not going to have the same demands of someone who’s in their 60s staying in a luxury hotel. So, I feel like you got to separate the two conversations sometimes when you talk about luxury. But I think all of them do regardless, wellness is not really a trend anymore, it’s inherent to the design that we all have to incorporate. I think what we’re trying to do is really just anticipate the guests’ need in every situation. And I treat whether it’s a three or four star property, I treat it the same aesthetically from a scope and guest perspective as I would a luxury, even if my budget’s going to be different.

Because I think it’s about what are those little touches and those moments that change a guest perspective and feeling when they’re in a room? And it might just be having a Dyson hairdryer, or having makeup wipes, or something at the vanity that a typical hotel room’s not going to have, it’s a very small touch that can change your perspective in it. And just having flexibility. I don’t know that it’s necessarily create… A little bit more creating efficiency, but the wellness part of it I think can only go so far, because I’m probably not going to be putting saunas in every guest room anytime soon, but I can enhance the spa, for sure, and the fitness center. But I think we’re trying to approach the experiences, and being offered personal training in the fitness center, little things like that, the experiences. But it’s not necessarily a trend, it’s just what we need to do from now on, unfortunately. Not unfortunately, but it’s a good thing, I guess.

SSR: I think you brought up an interesting point too, the age difference, and there is this new, there’s a bunch of different research that shows younger generations will actually pay more, and they’re looking for that luxury experience. So, has that changed a lot too in your tenure, and how you look at, it’s not just for the more wealthy, older generation, it is, wealth has kind of dispersed, I guess, across generations. So, is that something new and challenging and exciting too, because you get to look at it from different lenses?

CW: Yeah. I think it comes down to a little bit more, the product is probably still going to be the same, but I think from a service standpoint, that’s maybe where it pivots a little bit, as to catering to maybe someone who’s later in age, that maybe needs a little bit more handholding, versus a younger generation that’s going to come into a hotel and just like you better anticipate the need, you better have everything in their phone, and maybe don’t talk to them.

SSR: They don’t like phone calls or conversation.

CW: Hand them the key and let them go. So, I think from that standpoint, that’s why it comes down to a service, and we try to push Forbes training in a lot of our properties. But I think how the operation teams handles those guests is changing a little bit. But from a product standpoint, it’s a little bit more of the same.

SSR: Okay. And do you work with your operations team to… Because I do think it’s also letting them know the story of this space, and making sure that design thread continues as a conversation to the training, is that something of importance to you all?

CW: Definitely. It probably depends on whether it’s a bigger change, so if we’ve… I would say Ritz Laguna right now, we really tried to reposition the property just because the design over the years had been a bit of a bandaid, and a patchwork process, and I think even Ritz-Carlton as a brand has been modifying their approach and who they are, and it’s a bit a sliding scale. So, I think we’re trying to back into that a little bit more, but also be cognizant of who our guests are, and what they want. But we were trying to get it to be a little bit more authentic. Sorry, I kind of forgot what the question was for a second.

SSR; Talking about how operations and design-

CW: So, I think in that sense, we were really trying to talk to the property about who those guests are, what are the complaints, but also really looking at the comp set, and seeing what does Montage have? What does Waldorf have? What does everyone in the vicinity offer that we don’t, and what do we need to do differently to steal their guests a little bit, but…

SSR: Take them over.

CW: Yeah. So, I think it always depends, you always have to work closely with them, and get their feedback, and talk about… Especially from a room’s perspective or a restaurant, what’s working, what’s not working, what do we need to fix? That should be always in our goals and our scope to begin with. And design team needs to be cognizant of that.

SSR:

SSR: Yeah. So, you travel a lot, you see to a lot of different hotels, do you have a travel pet peeve or something you hate in model rooms or design presentations?

CW: How much time do we have?

SSR: Yes, tell us all.

CW: Yeah. I think I’ve been resilient at this point because you’ve seen it all, and nothing can upset you at any point. I’ve been through every travel delay possible, somehow I’m still loyal to American Airlines, and even though it’s a one-way relationship. But I would say my pet peeve is probably just the fellow passengers on the airplane. You can’t unsee certain things, and it just amazes me how the lack of etiquette people have.

SSR: Yeah. It’s amazing.  I tell my children all the time, I’m like, just be aware of your surroundings. Just know there’s other people in the space, don’t take up too much of it, unless you need to. 

CW: I got on the plane the other day, and it was like the amount of bags that should have been under the seats that were up, I was so close of just having a speech for everyone on the plane, but I was just like, I’m just going to find a spot and move on with my day. But so self-centered, it’s crazy to me.

SSR: Yeah, 100%. Okay. And then what would you tell somebody not to put in a design presentation? Because now I want to know that angle.

CW: Well, my biggest pet peeve, I would say it’s not necessarily a specific thing, but if you have a pixelated image that goes into a design presentation, it kind of kills the vibe first and foremost, you better have high-res photos before you PDF that. Or a misspelling, probably. But I also do that because I’m going 100 miles an hour.

SSR: Yeah. Okay. So, what’s one thing most people don’t know about you?

CW: So, I love to collect perfumes, I would say I’m an untrained perfume sommelier.

SSR: I love that. Is there one type of smell you go for, or do you like to have a mix?

CW: I usually something that it has a cedar with jasmine kind of… I could easily lose myself a day going to perfume stores and just kind of venture… If I can capture one salesperson, and be like, let’s go smell every single perfume in this store, I would do that. I’m always on the hunt for something that’s rare, complex, something that nobody else has. So, I feel like in my collection, I feel like there’s the seasonal perfumes, and then there’s your daytime ones, and your nighttime… I’ll never be wearing the same one. And then, there’s ones where I’m like, I should sell that, I’m never going to use that again.

SSR: That’s amazing. How many do you think you have?

CW: Maybe 50 to 60.

SSR: Oh my God, seriously?

CW: Is that a lot?

SSR: Yeah. I’ve worn one perfume that my mom bought me in college and I’ve worn it forever.

CW: Oh really? Oh, wow.

SSR: Yeah, it’s crazy.

CW: No, I change probably every day.

SSR: That’s amazing. I love that. So, you don’t smell the same every day.

CW: I never smell the same.

SSR: Okay. Love that. All right, what do you love most about your job?

CW: I think no two days are the same. There’s never a dull moment, every day has new challenges, and I’m constantly challenged to learn something new, and I think if you feel like you know everything in your job, then you’re probably not doing a good job at it anymore. So, I think just the challenges of it, and just the people that I get to work with.

SSR: What advice would you tell your younger self?

CW: The importance of the relationships that you build in this industry, I think they’re invaluable, and you don’t realize that people will come back into your orbit at some point in your career, so be mindful of how you treat and speak to people, because you will meet them again.

SSR: Yeah, you might be on the other side.

CW: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. You just don’t know where things are going to land.

SSR: Yeah. All right. Well, we always end the podcast with the title that is the podcast, so different from your advice, what has been your greatest lesson or lessons learned along the way?

CW: I think this industry is built on trust and collaboration, and I would never underestimate the power of storytelling, but again, the design resonates emotionally, and making the space unforgettable is something we should all be lucky to do in our careers.

SSR: Yeah. And pushing forward, right?

CW: Yes.

SSR: Wonderful. Well, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me.