Episode 018: Defying Logic with Rory Sutherland

Creating Hospitality Magic with the Author and TEDx Superstar

Feb 06, 2025

‘Alchemy’ in Hospitality

Happy Thursday everyone! This week, I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the wickedly smart and delightfully contrarian Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. He’s a TedX superstar who has been called “one of the leading minds in the world of branding” by NPR. It will be no surprise to anyone who’s read his books, particularly Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life, how witty and engaging this conversation is. (Shout out to the STR Book Club who had it on their reading list last year.) Rory manages to put his signature ‘magic’ on every aspect of hospitality, providing actionable tips and tricks for anyone building a hotel, company or brand.

Why should you listen?

In addition to being entertained, here are a few highlights from our chat that I hope you’ll find useful:

Why advertising is vital: According to Rory, customer experience comes down to Expectation minus Reality. I ask the advertising legend where hospitality leaders should invest in advertising in order to see the greatest ROI. His answer may surprise you.
The art of the arrival: Rory explains what behavioral scientists call ‘trivial signaling’—the tiny gestures that build customer loyalty. Implement these ideas today in order to trigger ‘confirmation bias’. If you’re like me, you might be wondering, what does that mean? According to Rory, when a guest has a great arrival experience, they’ll be on the lookout for more things they like in order to confirm their initial judgment was correct. (Be careful though, because the opposite is also true.)
Problem solving: According to Rory, a lot of problems that appear binary—meaning there seems to be a ‘right’ answer and a ‘wrong’ one—typically have a third, more creative solution available. Hear him cite examples to inspire your creative thinking today.
Two things can be true: In his book, Alchemy, Rory says: the opposite of a good idea could be a good idea. When I asked him about this sentiment in hospitality, he likened it to the check-in experience. It’s a good idea to personally escort each guest to their room, provide them with a beverage and allow them to complete the check-in process from the comfort of their suite. It can be an equally good idea to allow them to skip the front desk altogether, head straight to their room on their own, and unlock the door with their mobile phone, all without ever having to speak to someone.
Favorite Quote from the Episode: “I always say, the only… really healthy measure [of a business] isn't profit. It's not quarterly earnings. It's repeat business”

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On a side note, it’s not too late to grab your ticket to the STR Virtual Summit for Women (which begins today!). Use code MYGIFT2YOU for $150 off. Or join me in Arizona March 9 - 11 for the third annual Level Up Your Listing Summit. Use code SUITESUCCESS to get 10% off your ticket!

Thanks, as always, for listening. Until next week, here’s to your suite success.

xx Katie

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