Mr. Kevin Robinson, Chief Operating Officer, Langham Hospitality Group

BTN - You’ve rejoined Langham Hospitality Group after managing The Langham, Chicago through its pre-opening phase in 2011. How does that previous experience influence your strategy as COO today?

KR - Returning to Langham Hospitality Group as COO feels like a natural progression. Managing The Langham, Chicago through its pre-opening phase during my previous tenure with the company gave me a deep understanding of its flagship brand’s DNA, refined service culture and commitment to excellence. That foundation, together with my subsequent experience as a hotel owner, very much informs how I approach my current role.

BTN - With over 30 years of leadership-including roles at Westin and Four Seasons globally-how will you leverage that international expertise to accelerate LHG’s growth?

KR - My international experience has given me a strong sense of what resonates across different markets and cultures. It’s also instilled a healthy balance of operational discipline and adaptability in me. As we further our growth agenda, I’ll be drawing on these attributes to fine-tune how we evaluate development opportunities, open new hotels, and forge partnerships with owners.

BTN - You are aiming to manage 100 hotels by 2040. What operational frameworks are you putting in place to ensure scalability and consistency across such an expansion?

KR - We’re investing in systems and processes that allow us to scale without losing our edge – everything from streamlined pre-opening protocols to new data-driven approaches to drive performance. We’ll also continue to focus on leadership development, so our general managers are not just executing brand standards but cultivating individual properties that are adored by their guests, cared for by their staff, and treasured by their owners.

BTN - You’re known for cultivating strong relationships with hotel owners. How do you plan to strengthen and maintain these partnerships as the portfolio grows?

KR - As we grow, we’re not looking to become distant. Quite the opposite – we’re reinforcing our owner-first mindset. That means more transparent reporting, more accessible leadership, and a more proactive approach to ensuring long-term asset success. Every hotel we manage must be a source of pride and performance for its owner.

BTN - How do you intend to balance “corporate discipline” with “entrepreneurial agility”?

KR - It’s like tending to a garden – nurturing the roots while shaping the branches. On the one hand, we need consistent, cost-efficient operations – that’s the discipline. But we also need to stay creative, especially when it comes to designing guest experiences. I believe in empowering local teams to try new things within a clear framework.

BTN - You are renowned for your passion for “innovative guest offerings.” Can you share an example of a concept you’d like to scale across the group?

KR - I’m genuinely impressed by the breadth of innovation happening across the Group – from cutting-edge AI solutions to fresh culinary concepts and pioneering training initiatives. Our teams are constantly exploring new ways to elevate the guest experience while staying true to the values of our brands. I look forward to sharing additional details once these initiatives are ready to make their mark.

BTN - Given your background founding Aparium, how will your entrepreneurial mindset influence day to day operations at LHG?

KR - That mindset pushes me to question convention and encourage bold ideas from the ground up. It also ensures I never lose sight of aligning guest experience with asset performance.

BTN - As you oversee future property openings, what emerging trends or market signals are guiding your site selection and development strategy?

KR - Gateway cities remain a key focus for the Group. These hubs serve as major travel crossroads, offering excellent connectivity and ensuring long-term visibility for us. Alongside these urban centres, we are actively assessing resort destinations suited to our luxury and upscale offerings. Regardless of location, we carefully evaluate a broad range of factors for every project – from economic trends and traveller behaviours to talent availability, competitive dynamics, and how well each development aligns with our brands.

BTN - How will you ensure that increased occupancy and revenue don’t come at the expense of the long term asset value you’ve emphasized?

KR - By aligning our commercial strategy with owners’ investment horizons. We’re disciplined when it comes to rate integrity and brand positioning, and we take a lifecycle view of capital planning. The goal isn’t just high occupancy – it’s healthy margins and a reputation that sustains future performance.

BTN - What are your top three priorities as COO, and how will you measure success across operations and guest satisfaction?

KR - First, operational readiness for growth – so we open hotels well and support them sustainably. Second, deepening owner relationships. And third, enhancing guest satisfaction through innovation and consistency. We’ll track all of these through our Quality League programme, guest feedback platforms and owner engagement metrics.

BTN - How is LHG leveraging digital marketing to attract and retain today’s global traveller?

KR - Our ability to understand our guests has grown significantly in recent years, thanks in large part to the rollout of our new property management system and the introduction of Brilliant by Langham, our loyalty and experiences platform. These have allowed us to better connect the dots across the guest journey – from preferences and behaviours to booking and engagement patterns.
This deeper understanding has enabled us to greatly enhance our digital marketing – serving more relevant content, reaching the right audiences at the right time, and creating more meaningful interactions. The result is a more personalised approach that helps deepen guest relationships and drive long-term value.

BTN - Sustainability is an ever-growing priority for travellers. What steps is Langham taking to integrate sustainable practices into its operations and guest experience?

KR - Sustainability is deeply embedded in our operations through CONNECT, our Group-wide ESG programme, which places people, planet, and profit on an equal footing. Whether it’s the provenance of our spa products, the ingredients in our dishes, or how we manage energy and waste, every aspect of our business is evaluated through a sustainability lens.

We now have 19 properties EarthCheck certified, strong colleague and community engagement schemes, and a clear roadmap in place to halve our carbon footprint by 2030 and be Net-Zero by 2045.

BTN - What role does the travel trade play in your growth strategy, and how important are those relationships to Langham’s continued success?

KR - The travel trade remains a key part of our growth and guest engagement strategy. Through programmes like Couture by Langham, we work closely with luxury advisors and agencies to deliver highly personalised experiences tailored to each guest’s preferences and occasions. These partnerships amplify our reach to discerning travellers worldwide and help us maintain the highest standards of service and exclusivity.

BTN - How do you see AI transforming the guest experience, both operationally and from a personalisation standpoint, across Langham Hospitality Group’s properties?

KR - AI will play an integral role in shaping the future of hospitality, enabling us to better anticipate guest needs and deliver tailored experiences at scale. With this in mind, we are already exploring the use of AI-driven tools to help us further personalise interactions everywhere from the booking stage to in-person engagements.

Our long-term vision is to seamlessly blend AI ith the genuine, intuitive hospitality we’re known for to create more enriching and memorable guest journeys.