Hotels, airport destinations and bathroom doors

Ready for some serious travel envy? You really aren’t ready. One conversation with Tori Simokov, founder of Window Seat, and you’ll be rebooking your summer.

This episode is about brand experience, worldbuilding, questioning whatluxury really is, and why the hospitality industry teaches some of the best brand lessons.

If you’re in hospitality, there’s a lot of validation and a few PSAs (especially for bathroom designers). If you’re not, there’s even more. Every hotel we talk about is a brand case study disguised as a vacation recommendation. And if you just want a great travel list, hold onto your seat.

Enjoy!

MEET TORI SIMOKOV

Tori Simokov is the founder of Window Seat, one of our fave travel and hospitality letters. Launched in late 2023, the Window Seat now averages 50,000 monthly views and reaches a highly engaged audience of high-income, frequent travelers and industry insiders across the US and key international markets. A former corporate brand strategist, Tori has been featured by CNBC, Travel & Leisure, and more.

She’s also one of the loveliest, most curious people in the space. And she overcame a horrific fear of flying to get here, which is a story worth hearing on its own.

Follow Tori on: Substack | IG | TikTok

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

PS. Somewhere in here, Kirsten’s internet goes out, but we get her back, don’t worry. Roll with it like we did.

02:17 — FEAR OF FLYING, A LOVE STORY // How Tori went from terrified flyer to travel obsessive. We love this story too much.

07:11 — RESIDENTIAL LUXURY // Why every Park Hyatt feels different on purpose. Tokyo, Kyoto, and the strategy of making a hotel feel like a home, not a palace.

10:25 — AMAN VS. PARK HYATT // Two approaches to luxury hotel branding. Consistency everywhere vs. locality everywhere.

13:00 — THE BATHROOM PETITION // Mirror placement. Doors that close. Lighting you can see in. These are fundamentals, not features. And most hotels are failing.

18:31 — THE COAT CONCIERGE // Park Hyatt Chicago’s partnership with Canada Goose. The kind of brand collab that actually converts.

21:10 — THE GIFT SHOP FLEX // Programming that brings guests together without forcing it. Merch people want. And why the gift shop is the ultimate test.

30:00 — WORLD BUILDING // Pressed vinyls, signature scent, and a brand world so strong it’s been an institution for decades.

31:18 — IDIOSYNCRASY AS MOAT // In a world where anything digital feels disposable, thoughtful human weirdness becomes the most valuable thing a brand can have.

33:27 — HAVEN’T BEEN YET // Tori’s wish list. Including Nintendo’s old headquarters turned luxury hotel in Kyoto.

35:28 — AIRPORTS AS DESTINATIONS // Changi, the new LaGuardia, omakase in a Japanese terminal, and why airports are becoming cultural hubs.

43:05 — MICRO VACATIONS // The average American vacation is three days. Hotels haven’t caught up.

46:12 — QUICK FIRE // The rapid hits on hospitality, trends, and brand instinct.

1. 3 things every travel and hospitality brand should do?

“Design an unforgettable anchor experience. Build a brand universe. And remove friction before you add features.”

2. What trend has you most excited?

“Romanticizing the journey. Luxury rail, luxury sailing. People are starting to care about the travel itself, not just the destination.”

3. What do most brands get wrong, and who gets it right?

“Confusing luxury for excess instead of restraint. Park Hyatt gets it right. It’s not marble and gold. It’s anticipatory service and feeling like you’re at home.”

Huge thanks to Tori for coming on. If you’re in hospitality and want us to come audit your property, depending on location, we’ll do that too. Hit us up.

ABOUT

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +16K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack

Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe