We are launcing an Awards Series to congratulate the winners of the 2021 StayBoutique Awards by BLLA!
To kick it off, the BLLA Team sits down with Michelle Barnet, President of Pineapple Hospitality Company & Winner of the Iconic Boutique Hotelier of 2021 Award!
Take a look at Michelle’s feature here!
BLLA: How did you enter the hospitality industry?
MB: “As a woman in a liberal arts college in the mid-1980’s, I knew my single focus needed to be an exploration of my skills and passions, and once found, I needed to find my critical path toward manifestation in the big world. I knew that if I was solid in my blending of hard work and continued assessment of personal talents, it would lead to success.
“My passions were and still are creative visioning, strategic planning, and exploration of what’s possible. Blending these with math and metrics forces us to continually assess whether the plan is working! Being willing to be wrong in time to course-correct can be more prescient than being right!
“This led me to hospitality. I love the mix of the art of people with the science of business. I arrived on the campus of The University of Nevada at Las Vegas Hotel School, found a great environment to learn and grow, and loved it. I have been grateful for the amazing path those professors and peers set me on so long ago. After graduation, I was hired into the Westin Hotels Management training program which truly refined my hospitality education as it added daily practical lessons on top of my hospitality degree.
“I founded Pineapple Hospitality to create a disruptive platform that would focus on guest experience and anticipating guests’ needs. In our culture, we strive to answer before being asked, provide before request, and constantly intuit peer and guests needs before they even appear. We love what we do.“
BLLA: How is creating boutique hotels the work of an artisan?
MB: “Boutique and unique hotels are theater sets. They should be crafted as extraordinary places where amazing one-of-a-kind experiences can be curated daily for each and every traveler. The artisanal aspect of hospitality is paramount to small boutique properties, as creativity and flexibility are essential in crafting remarkable memorable experiences. Everyone in our organization is an artisan, as defined by a significant blend of emotional and intellectual capabilities displayed daily in our care for others. It constantly shows in our problem-solving, creativity, and pride in our brand.
“As the word artisan comes from ART, I must define it as the creation of great energy and feelings in a space, an endeavor I believe Staypineapple does in every moment.“
BLLA: How does being a boutique hotelier provide fulfillment in your life?
MB: “I love to design, I love to vision, and I love to disrupt in a continual effort to make the seemingly impossible not only possible but amazing for those around me as well as our guests. It is so fulfilling to see our collective ideas, our authentic conflicts, and our enduring hard work bring not only daily growth and learning to our team, but to see it all translate into outstanding experiences for our guests, that is truly success and it fills my heart daily.“
BLLA: Why do you believe in the boutique movement?
MB: “Staypineapple sees every guest individually, no two have the same needs or desire the same experience. The boutique movement truly allows us the time to hear each guest, and then deliver a specially crafted experience and that is the essence of boutique hotels.“
