Christophe Le Chatton, General Manager, The Ballantyne Hotel
Christophe Le Chatton, General manager of The Ballantyne Hotel, sat down with Invest: to discuss the modern guest experience, the state of tourism and hospitality in Charlotte, the city’s place on the international stage, and how the Charlotte of the future could look.
What does your status as a luxury hotel say about the work your team is doing and your guests’ experience?
The Forbes Travel Guide’s recognition is a great accomplishment for our team. It is an acknowledgment of the work that we do in the luxury sector. Our business has gone through some tough times in the past few years. To be able to rebound from a difficult time and be recognized as one of the most luxurious hotels in the country, especially in a world-class city like Charlotte, is exceptional. It is exactly what we needed to reinforce what we do from a positioning standpoint, and recognition for our employees to know that their work is making a difference. It is, of course, important for our guests, but I want our employees to know that their work is extremely valued, too.
What is the state of business travel in Charlotte?
In 2019, we had over 13,000 business travelers coming in on a regular basis. Suddenly, that stopped. It is on the rebound now. We also have other hotels throughout the country, and we have seen a lot of our previous customers coming back while welcoming new ones. We are located in The Ballantyne area where Northwood manages various properties. Not everyone has returned to the office. Zooming is still the norm, and many are still working remotely, but more and more, we are seeing a lot of business travelers coming back. Usually, when they stay, they stay for two to three nights. That is great for us as it covers most of the week, and we can take good care of them. Because we have many new Business Travelers, our challenge is to figuring out how to give them all the benefits they expect to receive. We are at 80% of where things used to be. It is not yet what we would like it to be, but it is encouraging. This is not necessarily the case with our portfolio around the country.
What Charlotte tourism traffic are you seeing today, and what would you like to see more of going forward?
Interestingly enough, one of the things we examine in tourism trends is how the airport is performing. It is important to understand where people come from and why. It is vital to have an airport that operates seamlessly. I recently learned that there is now a direct flight to Quebec city, for example. I would like to see more direct international flights. We have destinations in England and Germany, but insufficient inbound international direct flights. Some of our customers visit from other parts of the world. Overall, though, our airport demand is very healthy and is growing tremendously. From a leisure standpoint, Charlotte has always been a hub. We have to ensure we remain appealing to that leisure traffic.
Could Charlotte become an international city, and does it want to?
I have been here for five years now. When I arrived, I had already lived in Paris, London, Manhattan and Toronto – all exciting cities. Charlotte will never be Manhattan, and I do not think that is the goal. Charlotte’s goal should be aiming at becoming a city where there is a great quality of life, and where people want to establish themselves and raise their families. I believe that people moving in are looking for better professional opportunities, with a variety of outdoor activities, and more diverse entertainment such as sports, music, and arts. That is how it has been built, and it makes things exciting for the future of the city. I don’t believe that the intention is to be a mega city like New York or San Francisco, but rather a cosmopolitan city with quality of life, great weather, multi-cultural and safe.
What do you hope Charlotte looks like five years from now?
There are a few elements that come to mind. If you have a safe city, with access to excellent healthcare, renowned educational institutions, and with great prospects for businesses to get established, people will want to visit and stay. Safety is paramount. Transportation is another area that the city has to be very strategic about. If you do not have an affordable and accessible public transportation system that works rather than relying solely on highways and automobiles, we might find ourselves in a city like Atlanta or Los Angeles. These are great cities that offer amazing experiences, but they struggle with traffic congestion. It is just a matter of time until residents will say that the city may be nice, but it’s too time-consuming for them to navigate.
Additionally, from a hospitality perspective, I would personally like to see more luxury property brands enter our market to attract an upscale clientele and to attract top hospitality talent.
