In this episode of Bricks & More, Adrian Strittmatter sits down with Tareq Fontane, SVP Investment Management at Kingdom Hotel Investments, to unpack what it really takes to generate long-term value in luxury hospitality.

From stewarding icons like The Savoy in London and Hôtel George V in Paris, Tareq offers a rare owner–operator perspective on how brand legacy, financial performance, governance, and guest experience must work in lockstep.

The conversation goes beyond design and prestige to explore the hard decisions behind renovations, pricing strategy, service culture, ESG, and why short-term cost cutting can quietly destroy long-term asset value. At its core, this is a masterclass in treating landmark hotels not as static assets, but as living brands that demand constant discipline, investment, and care.

Key talking points:

🏛️ Why landmark hotels require stewardship, not just asset management

📊 The delicate balance between short-term returns and long-term value creation

🛎️ How service culture and employee investment directly protect brand equity

💸 Why cutting costs in luxury hospitality can be far more expensive than it looks

🧭 What post-COVID demand shifts reveal about pricing power, experience, and time as the ultimate luxury

If you think luxury hotels are about marble, Michelin stars, and Instagram moments, this episode will challenge you to see them for what they really are: complex, high-stakes businesses where value is earned every single day.

Tareq’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tareqfontane 

Kingdom Hotel Investments: https://kingdomhotels.com/ 

Adrian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianstrittmatter 

Saentys: https://saentys.com/