The Awards Series 2022: Justin Grimes
The BLLA Team sits down with Justin Grimes, Regional Managing Director at Kennebunkport Resort Collection & Runner-Up for the Boutique Hotel General Manager of the Year Award! Hear what Justin has to say.
BLLA: How did you enter the hospitality industry?
JG: Growing up in Ogunquit, Maine – a hyper-seasonal, ‘fueled by tourism’ town – presented me with countless summer opportunities to try my hand at hospitality. My first job was as a baker, before eventually getting a taste of guest services while working at the front desk of a beachside hotel. In addition to everything that I encountered early on the job, my love for the world of hotels was further cemented during a family vacation in eastern Canada as a teen. These salient experiences were at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and The Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews By-The-Sea (then a Fairmont property), where I learned firsthand how novel, transportive, and magical a hotel can be. As to complete the full circle, I followed a job offer to conduct my Leadership Development Program with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts upon graduating from Cornell University.
BLLA: How do you stay authentic to the boutique essence?
JG: The essence of boutique hospitality is at the center of where selflessness and sense of self intersect. The journey to achieve this balance is my touchstone and why I am forever inspired by this industry. As such, I strive to create an environment of hospitality that is indulgent, genuine, and reflective of the locale in which we exist. It is important to me that a guest returns home from one of our properties knowing not only why they want to go back, but why they went in the first place.
BLLA: Why do you believe in the boutique movement?
JG: Independent hotels possess the unique ability to be true to self and march to the beat of their own drum while remaining threaded together by common tenants – innovation, creativity, curation, and consideration – to name a few. I love how fellow hotels within this movement can feel vastly disparate and familial at the same time. I believe this movement will be everlasting due to its propensity to evolve continuously.
BLLA: How does being a boutique hotelier provide fulfillment in your life?
JG: I am fulfilled by the opportunity to surround myself with teammates who are open-minded and mutually motivated by the world of boutique hospitality. I revel in the opportunity to work with a group of professionals who measure their impact by the moments they create for our guests, our community, and for one another. In a world filled with a lot of noise, being empowered and empowering others to focus on the details brings me a great sense of joy.
BLLA (Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association)
Established in 2009, the Boutique Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) is the world's most innovative and influential association for independent boutique hotels, brands, and suppliers. Dedicated to championing the unique essence of boutique hospitality, BLLA offers its global membership base unparalleled networking opportunities, industry insights, and advocacy initiatives. With a mission to elevate and empower independent hotel owners and operators, BLLA continues to shape the future of hospitality through innovation, collaboration, and excellence. The organization is a pioneer in forecasting the boutique movement. The corporate manifesto showcases BLLA as a catalyst for trends and the future of the boutique lifestyle, with a focus on hospitality. BLLA.org BLLA LinkedIn BLLA Events LinkedIn
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