Humanity matters more than any material luxuries or perks that you provide your guests. Because we are people first, hoteliers second. If you can connect with your guests, you will always win.

A hotel is just a building. It can’t run itself. That’s what Bashar Wali does. For more than 20 years, Wali has been driving innovation in all facets of the hospitality industry at companies like Wyndham International, Starwood and Grand Heritage Hotels. As President of Provenance Hotels, he has crafted an assertive growth plan and developed strategic partnerships that have led to marquee collaborations with James Beard Award-winning chefs and alliances with preeminent developers like Woodbine Development Corporation, Bolour and Associates, GB Lodging and Thayer Lodging to expand the company’s national presence and grow its portfolio of owned and managed hotels.
Wali artfully balances this active focus on growth with maximizing the financial performance and market prominence of Provenance Hotels’ award-winning lifestyle properties in the Western United States. He is widely recognized for developing playful guest amenities like the company’s industry-leading spiritual menu and for inspiring the company’s partnerships with companies like Sub Pop Records and Salt & Straw. Based on the philosophy that it is personality, passion, sense of humor and sense of drama that differentiates Provenance Hotels from its competitors, Wali has perfected an approach to the art of hospitality that is as successful at creating memorable guest experiences as it is at putting heads in beds. Bashar Wali graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a B.S. in Hotel Restaurant Institutional Management. Officially he resides with his family in Portland, Ore. but can often be found jetting to new markets and kicking the tires on potential Provenance Hotels.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx


    11 replies to "A Hotel is Just a Building | Bashar Wali | TEDxWilmingtonSalon"

    • NNN

      So meaningful video!!! Lv uuu! I learned a lot things related my major, i’m going to a hotel in VN, now i know how I should do for the guest!!! Thanks for this video

    • Tanguanikia Mayes

      I really enjoyed this talk. I would like to hear Mr. Wali speak again now after Covid-19. My managers state that humanity has changed, they have extreme unrealistic expectations that we can not fulfill.

    • tommy chin

      Why did I finish listening to this and all I can think about is this talk is pretentious. I couldn’t connect with the hotel boasting stories😂😩 i guess I need to stay at different hotels haha.

    • J Sid

      He is so right. The staff and owners make the stay enjoyable. We are considering buying a lovelyGeorgian B&B in the Regency Devon coastal town of Sidmouth (which is beautiful with Triassic cliffs along the Jurassic Coadt). We have just stayed there (incognito) and the owners are amazing. We’d love to buy it but how do we follow their standard of hospitality as we’ve no experience. They had no experience either and we know they’ll give us advice. Would love to give up our our our our our current jobs long hours and long-distance travelling to take on this wonderful lifestyle. Help!

    • Nivi From Mauritius

      If we do this to every single guest we aint finishing lol

    • Andrew Heath

      not sure the ice hotel is built on bricks/glass or steel lol

    • KR

      If the building is amazing with tasty food and nice employees the success will follow…

    • Khan Nasir

      Great speak

    • William Rafter

      You talk about this amazing human conection and I know that's what we have been taught. I have been in the hotel industry for 15 years. But you don't talk about the other end of if the team make so much sacrifice so you feel special you have no idea how much we go though so you feel that havne that conection. The industry is in a pre industrial stop. No rewards no extras no thanks no nothing. I am about to leave the industry becouse of the system that was experience over multiple hotels. I chalange you to make your stay better by helping the staff that you expect so much from.

    • MMSTM MMSTM

      Never forget,people get such services as they proved that they hv paid for…..

    • Community Farming TV

      Why cant government own a Hotel but businessman affiliate to politicians do.
      Why cant government own a Airline company but businessman affiliate to politicians do.

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