David Malmberg, General Manager, JW Marriott Charlotte

David Malmberg, general manager of the JW Marriott Charlotte, talked with Invest: and provided a portrait of a business that is thriving: business travel is booming, the return to travel after the pandemic is still a vital force, and people continue to come to the Charlotte area. “You must have the right focus on the guest experience and create personalized hospitality that is in tune with individual guests’ needs,” he said.

What have been some of the biggest milestones for the hotel over the last 12-18 months?

We have been able to leverage our attentive service culture to create raving fans who return to stay with us week after week for corporate meetings as well as business and leisure travel. Creating individual connections and loyalty for our hotel and the JW Marriott brand is our mission and something our team is very proud to deliver.

What unique characteristics set you apart in a competitive market?

It all starts with our attention to service and is supported by having the amenities in the hotel that we have to boast, and our location – those three are certainly our competitive differentiators. We’re right in the heart of the central business district, on the edge of the booming South End and Uptown; Our location is just steps from the convention center, and our great sporting and cultural venues – from the arts to theater to museums – are an incredible location in which to sit. Then we have our amenities: We’re the only hotel in the city center that can boast three destination restaurants and a full-service spa. We have all the amenities for a memorable experience, whether it is for business travel, meetings, and events, or leisure travel.

How have you adapted your services and amenities to cater to your visitors?

Our business is all about personalization and making connections that give us the insights that allow us to get to know what our customers are looking to accomplish during their time in Charlotte. The more insight and ability we have to connect with our customers helps us create individual experiences that help our guests succeed. When you are staying at a great hotel, it’s the little details, those little touches of personalization, that make the difference in your stay.

How are you leveraging technology and how do you think it will impact your business in the next few years?

Technology is moving very, very fast everywhere, and hospitality is certainly part of that. Today all of our Marriott Bonvoy members have the ability to book reservations, check in, and receive their room keys digitally from the Marriott Bonvoy application on their phone. While we love to interact with our guests face to face, mobile chats allow us to engage with our customers in a way that is most convenient for each individual. Technology has also alleviated some things that used to be detractors. An example would be ‘smart’ elevators in high-rise buildings. Slow elevators are dissatisfying, but now, with modern dispatch elevators, we are able to provide a quick and seamless ride in our buildings while providing secure access to only our hotel guests. Technology is enabling us to do this, and with the power of AI coming and integrating into hospitality, I only see the future of technology improving to help us create unique experiences and customization of guest stays moving forward

Regarding sustainability, what are some of the initiatives that you’re particularly proud of?

Sustainability starts with the design and construction of our hotels, making sure that everything is done to reduce our carbon footprint and consumption of utilities. Then you have to lean into sustainability: it’s an education. To pull it through, you need everyone to be educated and knowledgeable about what the end goal is and what impact we can make in the community. We’re really proud, for instance, to be able to work with our local Carolina farmers, and utilize a cycle of sustainability with these farmers. We are purchasing oysters for Caroline’s Oyster Bar from coastal farms, serving these Carolina oysters to our guests, and then we take the oyster shells and recycle them for chicken feed. That chicken feed is then provided to another farmer to feed their chickens and we are able to buy eggs and chicken from that farmer for our other restaurants. It’s just a great 360-degree circle of sustainability, and it’s indicative of how we can support North Carolina farmers throughout the region. 

What is your assessment of the main challenges that the hospitality industry faces?

Over the past few years, the return of business travel has been very positive and leisure travel has also been strong. There have been some economic concerns, but the consumer is still traveling. Yes, inflation has families tighten thier belt at home, but travel has remained in demand. People have learned to prioritize their well-being, and that time away from work seems to make a lot of difference. 

Perhaps the biggest issue I can see at the present time, in our industry, is the slow down development of new hotels. Once the interest rates level I anticipate construction on new properties to begin to ramp up again.

We also spoke about technology earlier and being able to strike the right balance in leveraging technology with the right amount of person to person connections will be critical in ensuring great experiences.

How do you perceive the future of luxury hospitality evolving in Charlotte over the next few years, and what steps are you taking to stay ahead of evolving trends?

It always comes back to customization and personalization. You really have to know your customer and more and more people are looking for the fine, minute details in their hotelexperience. With a growing customer base I do see continuing strong demand in the luxury segment, and I anticipate an increase in luxury offerings being built in Charlotte in the near future.