Both Sides of the Coin - Chris McDonough - Episode # 087

Today’s guest is accredited by the American Institute of Architects, LEED AP, and certified with the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards. He also has over 25 years of experience with award winning projects around the world. Chris McDonough is the Principal at The Gettys Group Companies. Chris joins the host Dan Ryan to share his journey through the hospitality industry and what it all means to him. 
 
Takeaways: 
  • Every design has a story behind it and it can transport you to a different mindset when you are there. That is part of the beauty of hospitality.
  • Hospitality can be a form of escape from the daily lives that everyone lives. Oftentimes a change in scenery or design can really change a person's perspective or outlook.
  • Interior Architecture is a marriage between interior design and architecture. Combining both of these creates a very successful process for designing a unique space. 
  • Not only does a space need to be beautiful, but it needs to function and work well. If it doesn’t meet both of these standards, then the space will remain empty and unused, leaving you frustrated.
  • When you are building a hotel, you have the freedom to test it against the market knowledge and see what works as a design aspect and what doesn’t work.
  • You want to create a space that makes guests want to come back and tell others about the amazing experience that they had and how much they loved it.
  • When it comes to building a brand or a soft branded hotel, you want to narrow what your demographic is and if you focus on catering to the small group of people who will always return, then you will have created raving fans.
 
Quote of the Show:
3:05 “My heart’s really in hospitality mostly because of the feeling you get or the feeling that we want to give to guests and people that are experiencing the spaces we design.”
 
Links:
 
Shout Outs:
0:42 Wilco
9:58 University of Illinois
10:07 Chicago Cubs
10:08 Chicago White Sox
10:46 Admirals Club
10:45 San Francisco International Airport
10:51 Joe DiMaggio
17:54 Hotel of Tomorrow
18:41 John Lasseter
24:41 The Farnham in Omaha
25:34 Curio
27:25 Roger
27:25 Andrew
27:26 Ron
34:34 Leveque Tower
34:57 Empire State Building
35:09 Roger Hill
35:32 Hotel Verdant
53:52 BDNY
 
Ways to Tune In: 

Creators and Guests

Both Sides of the Coin - Chris McDonough - Episode # 087
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