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Phil Keb is a senior luxury hospitality executive who supports upper luxury brand growth at IHG Hotels & Resorts. With a foundation in engineering, development, and finance, he has shaped and delivered major projects for Capella, Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and other global brands. His career reflects a blend of creativity and operational rigor, with a particular emphasis on sustainability initiatives and the development of branded residences.
In an exclusive interview with Hospitality Business Review, he shared invaluable insights on why cultural fluency, emotional hospitality, and a deep understanding of guest aspirations are essential to building enduring connections and sustaining brand relevance in a competitive global landscape.
Shaping the Future of Luxury Hospitality
I built my career from the ground up, exploring every dimension of hospitality before shaping luxury brands across continents. My journey in the hospitality business began in engineering, where I led energy conservation, maintenance, and renovation projects, work that gave me a lasting respect for the operational heartbeat of hotels. Luxury hotels are hard to operate, don’t make it harder by not building them right. From there, I moved into technical services, overseeing design and construction, before stepping into development roles with Ritz-Carlton, Capella, Langham and now supporting Regent and Six Senses growth. Each chapter taught me how to translate vision into reality, shaping places and spaces that deliver comfort and creating meaningful connections for guests.
In the mid-1990s after Marriott purchased Ritz-Carlton, I helped expand the luxury brand across the Americas and pioneered the new evolution of branded residences with Millennium Partners, creating lifestyle-driven projects in New York, Washington, D.C, and Boston. At the time, a few global players such as Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Regent dominated the luxury hotel market. People forget that in the early 1990’s these three brands dominated the global luxury hotel business.
In 2001, Horst Schulze, Bob Warman and I co-founded the Capella Hotel Group. We built Capella and Solis Hotels from scratch, with Capella becoming the flagship. Our vision was emotional hospitality and curated experiences that resonated deeply with guests. Before “experiential travel” became a buzzword, Bob and Horst designed hotels connecting travelers to place, people, and purpose. Purpose was the principal factor in having people “join Capella” and not just be an employee. Today, that approach is still the most effective way to have employee’s that deliver exceptional personalized service. They become part of something with a purpose.
Luxury hospitality thrives when brands clearly define their ethos and cultural, have a strong vision and deliver highly personalized service that connects guests deeply with place, people, and a purpose
Later, at Kiawah Partners, I led development projects in South Carolina, the Caribbean, and Ireland. One of the most rewarding was the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, financed through a unique citizenship-by-investment model. Complex in structure yet powerful in impact, it proved how creative financing and strategic branding could unlock new financing techniques when no other capital was available. Since then, several other hotels in the Caribbean have been financed with a similar structure.
Defining Luxury in a Crowded Landscape
Today as a Senior Advisor with IHG, my focus is on expanding Six Senses and Regent in high-impact strategic destinations such as New York, Miami and Hawaii, places IHG guests already frequent. Regent’s Americas flagship in Santa Monica has done an excellent job of setting the tone for future growth with its expansive guestrooms, great ocean front setting and world class dining. Six Senses is a global leader and pioneer focused on emotional hospitality, sustainable design and supporting the communities where they operate.
In the competitive world of luxury brands, authenticity and emotional connection remain the true markers of excellence. AI and analytics, I believe, will allow us to enhance personalization, but must never replace the human touch. When used effectively, technology enables seamless personalization by predicting preferences through social insights and behavioral data, creating intuitive and meaningful experiences. The bond between hotel staff and guests, a warm welcome, attentive service, and a gracious farewell, is timeless.
Today, securing capital is often the most significant challenge. High construction costs, limited sites, and complex entitlement processes shape every deal. Branded residences have become essential for luxury projects, bridging the financial gap while adding lifestyle value for the residents. Whether amenities and lifestyle are shared between hotel and residences or kept separate, both models elevate the overall experience.
Hospitality That Transcends Geography
To future hospitality leaders, my advice is to embrace unfamiliar cultures, understand global consumer behavior, and never compromise on quality, both in the built environment and service. Artistic expressions of luxury may differ, opulence in the Middle East, understated elegance in parts of Asia, or traditional refinement in Europe, but service expectations are still universal as luxury grows and transforms with the people who experience it. My hope is to further guide that evolution with clarity, integrity, and vision. Through every brand, every market, and every experience, I aim to shape a future where luxury feels personal, unforgettable and purposeful.
One of the most important lessons I have learned is that service transcends geography. Whether in Hong Kong, Dubai, Rome or Santa Monica, guests expect warmth, attentiveness, and respect. I firmly uphold the highest service standards because they create loyalty, build trust, and drive lasting impact, which in turn improves profitability.
Hospitality is all about crafting welcoming spaces where every guest feels seen, valued, and inspired. It is a passion that fuels my journey, one new hotel and one new experience at a time.
