Ivanka Trump, executive vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization and founder of her own fashion company, recently spoke in front of a group of meeting planners at the Trump Soho New York and talked about, well, golf driving ranges. She spoke specifically about the one at Trump National Doral Miami, the iconic south Florida property the Trumps bought in 2012 and have spent roughly $300 million in restoring to its original splendor. “We thought that guests who arrived late or had jet lag might want to drive some balls late at night,” Trump said. “It’s just part of the attention to detail.”
Lodging sat down with Ivanka to discuss the Doral, the Trump family approach to hospitality, and the outlook for the Trump Hotel Collection.
Trump has mostly city hotels. Does Doral mean a bigger move into resorts? We have been operating properties like Mar-a-Lago (a private club in Palm Beach, Fla.), which is sort of the ultimate resort. We also have golf resorts in Ireland and Scotland. And even our urban hotels have a resort feel, so we are very open to adding resorts to the collection.
How do you stand out in a crowded luxury field, including the classic resorts in Florida that compete with Doral? Our difference is that our standard is uncompromised luxury. Being a family business, we do not look at this as just something we manage. We do not boast about being asset light like so many of our competitors. Decisions are made differently when you have ownership so that even when we manage hotels for others, we understand their positions. We can advise them with greater credibility, and we’re better partners for the owners we do manage for. Many of the great hotel companies started as family businesses before they became public. We retain that feeling. And Doral stands on its own as far its size (800 acres, 640 rooms) and the fact that it has four great golf courses.
What else does it mean to be a family business? Our difference is that we care. People are shocked at how much time we personally spend on things like millwork and carpeting. We are borderline obsessive on those details. But we get it right. That’s especially important when we are converting an existing building like the Old Post Office in Washington.
What’s the status of that project? It will be an unbelievable hotel and will open in 2016. You couldn’t build something like that anymore. It has some walls that are 5 feet thick and a feeling of Federal tradition and heritage that are incomparable.
Your own portfolio includes design and the creative vision for the brand. How much are you actually involved in designing the properties? We’re all very hands-on. We work with in-house design teams as well as some of the world’s great architects and designers. We like to work with different people on different projects so we can remain contextual in every location.
Your company has filed a lawsuit involving the use of the Trump name by another company that has hotels in Atlantic City. You have also said you might try to take over the Trump Taj Mahal there. We would consider going back into Atlantic City. There are a number of factors to weigh. My father could bring an element of excitement and energy that the city really needs right now.
You take great pride in the attention to detail at all your properties. How will you be able to sustain that as the portfolio grows in number and becomes more global? We will continue to maintain the same standards of excellence and expect to surpass expectations as we grow globally and implement world-class teams from the corporate level to operations at each property. We are immensely proud of our reputation as a brand that has an eye for even the most minute detail, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure we continue to impress our valued guests in every respect.
