So when you apply it to hospitality, do people go to a hotel just to sleep? No. We want to serve customers the way they want to be served when they come to our part of the world. We've transformed the hotel to be more interactive and engaging, both physically in how it looks and in how they experience it—the sounds and smells. They're not just coming in to check in and get a room. This is a value proposition people will seek more often. People like the way it looks, and the music is relevant and they like the scent. People say hello to them and it feels good. These things become memories and experiences so that you experience more than just the room.

We don't just want you to stay in your room to watch TV—come downstairs and watch it on the big screen, and stop in to the restaurant and bar. There's great WiFi connectivity in the room, but we also have complementary WiFi and power everywhere. In the bar, power plugs are built into the banquettes—everyone is seeking power all day long. People don't want to work in just their office; they want to be in an environment to socialize like Starbucks. Don't just call room service, come down to the marketplace and grab something to eat, hang out in the lounge and do all those things you want to do. It's not just the room—it's how all the things in the hotel work together and create an experience.

GlobeSt.com: What do you anticipate happening within the hotel sector over the next year?

Grippo: It may be possible for some hotels to do something similar to what we've done, but others won't be able to do it. I've watched others who have renovated and try to make it feel like I've just described, but it's not really that. If a shopping mall just has Christmas carolers, it's nice for a moment, but it's not enough to get people engaged and excited about being there. A hotel might try to do one thing, like putting in a fridge and calling it a grab-and-go, but it's really just a closet. It's like if you took the dining-room door off—it's not really an extension of your kitchen. The same with office communal space—if all we did was take the doors of the private offices, it's really not a transformation.

So it's not a trend as much as the way people are living. It's become a way of life, like the smartphone—if you lose or misplace it, you have a panic attack. The iPhone was a transformation. That's what we've done, and others will try. The difference for us is this is the part of the world we know very well. We know what people's behaviors are like here. We own this hotel and we brand it and operate it. We're all parts to bring it together. Some people pick a chain and somebody else owns it—maybe it's a franchise—and quite often they're conflicted; we're not.

GlobeSt.com: How do the changes to the Hotel Irvine reflect general trends in the hotel industry?

Grippo: The wind is clearly at our back. It's a great time for hospitality.