Wealth Blog | Wealth Blog: Will Hyatt’s service revolution work in Japan?

It’s worked in Los Angeles, London, New York and Amsterdam but it will be interesting to see how Hyatt’s Andaz concept goes down in Tokyo. Most global hotels still stick to: guest arrives, bellboy takes bags, guest checks in at reception desk, gets key, goes to room and is reunited with bags.

Then six years ago Hyatt launched their Andaz brand and broke that mould. Twelve properties later, Andaz is going strong, with the newest, Andaz Tokyo, opening this summer. Bali and Munich will be next.

Having never darkened the door of an Andaz – “personal style” in Hindi – I asked the general manager of Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, Arnaud de Saint-Exupery, what it’s all about. A Hyatt International heavyweight, he launched and ran the inaugural Andaz in London’s Liverpool Street six years ago.

Guests wanted something different: five star standards, but with more personal engagement and no formality, he explains.

“We wanted to remove the barriers between guest and team – such as the reception desk, uniforms and name tags,” he says. I want to ask how you tell staff apart from guests, but it’s wise not to interrupt a passionate Frenchman. “You go back to the essence of hospitality which is the relationship. You encourage the connection between the guest and the employees,” he continues.