The GM Is the Last Line of Defense Against a Hotel Feeling Like Anywhere Else

As luxury hotel brands expand into more cities and standardize more of what a stay is supposed to feel like, the property's general manager carries more weight than ever before. Their real job isn't the day-to-day operations anymore — it's holding onto the specific reason that hotel belongs exactly where it sits, whether that's a slopeside lodge in Aspen or a beach house address on Palm Beach. That distinction, more than any amenity, is what keeps a great American hotel from reading like a well-run version of the one down the road.

With reporting from Skift.