From a part-time job as a Marriott doorman in 1973 to the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Montage International, Alan Fuerstman is a true industry icon, with a hospitality journey spanning nearly half a century. Born and raised in New Milford, New Jersey, Fuerstman’s childhood was a far cry from the world of luxury he’s created. “Back then a treat for us would be Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge or Holiday Inn,” he says. “That was my exposure to hotels—until I started working in them.” Working his way through the industry from the ground up, Fuerstman learned the in-and-outs of hospitality and saw an opportunity to make his own mark in the luxury sphere. With 20 years of Montage International under his belt, we sat down to talk with the man himself about all things Alan – how he got his start in the industry, introducing a new kind of luxury to the hospitality world, and balancing his career while making time for family.
DM: We’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of Montage, but let’s start by going back in time; tell us about how Montage came to be.
Fuerstman: I’d been an operator of hotels for many years and saw a need in the luxury space for a different kind of brand. At the time, I perceived old-world luxury as too pretentious and stuffy. I believed the next generation of luxury travelers would be looking for a more humble and gracious approach to service. My thought was to create a luxury hotel brand with an incredible sense of place that would pay homage to the locale instead of a cookie-cutter approach to architecture and design. Having managed the Phoenician resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, arguably the number one resort in North America at the time, I had a firsthand understanding as to what most resonated with guests and what I could do differently to create a brand focused on a unique sense of spirit and place.
DM: How did Laguna Beach become the location to launch?
Fuerstman: My original thought was to raise capital to acquire an existing luxury asset and then create a brand around it. That would be the formula for growing my brand. But shortly after I started the company, I met The Athens Group, the developers of this project in Laguna Beach and was introduced to this amazing site. When I stepped onto the breathtaking coastline property, I knew this would be the ideal platform to create Montage. We were fortunate enough to be able to acquire the land and the project and quickly set about creating the footprint for what Montage would come to be.
DM: Tell me a little bit about what this property was before Montage.
Fuerstman: The site was previously the Treasure Island trailer park and its residents had exclusive access to the beach. The Athens Group was able to acquire the project and secure all the entitlements for Montage. Ultimately, one of the tremendous benefits to the community at large was that it opened the beach to the public and created a community park so that resort guests and locals alike could inclusively experience the natural beauty of Laguna Beach.
DM: From concept to opening, how long did the process take?
Fuerstman: The Laguna Beach development process took almost a decade. For Montage, it was a quick window. We acquired the property in June of 2002 and opened Montage Laguna Beach in February of 2003. The project was already underway and in that short period of time we were able to build the Montage brand and guest experience. Thankfully I had an amazing team to help me bring my vision to life.
DM: Looking back, what was the largest challenge opening this hotel?
Fuerstman: I think the compressed timeframe we had to open was the largest challenge. We were laser-focused on what we needed to do, and upon opening we were able to exceed expectations and win the hearts of the local residents. The sentiment of the local community was a primary concern because it is my firm belief that the foundation of an authentic world-renowned resort is the embracement of your own backyard.
DM: Tell me how the Montage name came to be.
Fuerstman: With this sense of authentic connection to destination in mind I was inspired by Laguna Beach’s history as an artist colony and decided to browse an A-Z art reference guide. At the letter ‘M,’ I came across the word “Montage.” It means an artful compilation or collection. [I thought] ‘wow, this will be a collection of hotels, a collection of people coming together to do extraordinary things.’ It also sounded good off the tongue. I had our lawyers lock it up, and that’s how Montage was named.
DM: Tell me how you felt when you first opened Montage Laguna. How did the public respond?
Fuerstman: It was magical. You worry that no one’s going to show up and then you worry too many people are going to show up. When we opened, the response to what we were offering and how people embraced the culture we had created was astounding. The resort quickly showed proof of concept and we were able to lead the market by a very wide margin shortly afterwards. We have remained focused on trying to make every guest’s stay extraordinary every day.
DM: An instant success, basically, as far as reception and people grasping your new concept of a luxury hotel?
Fuerstman: We were looking to strip out the pretentiousness of old-world luxury without sacrificing any of the quality or craftsmanship. That balance was incredibly important. You can be as comfortable in our lobby or our restaurants in jeans as you would be in a suit. With traditional luxury, you get dressed up for everything, while here you’re able to appreciate the incredible food and beverage offerings, the craftsmanship and design without other confining trappings. What really told me we were onto something was the older generation saying ‘oh we love this too, we never really wanted to be that fancy or formal.’ And it soon became apparent to me that this new concept would work virtually in any market.
DM: Walk me through the last 20 years since you opened the first Montage, were there any highlights?
Fuerstman: It’s been somewhat of an incredible journey these last 20 years. We’ve been super particular about how we grow the brand and where we situate our hotels. We now have seven Montage Resorts in remarkable locations around the world and created Pendry Hotels & Resorts, a sister brand that embraces a more contemporary and artful interpretation of luxury. We’ve seen growth in both of our brands in a very significant way, and the future is even brighter with expansion in the Bahamas, where we are building a private island, Montage Cay, and right here in Southern California with Pendry Newport Beach opening later this year.
DM: Was there a big lesson learned during the past 20 years, or was there a mistake you would go back and redo if you could go back in time?
Fuerstman: Lots of lessons learned. One of the most critical is being fanatical about hiring leaders that are extraordinarily talented and a great fit for the culture of our company.
DM: Looking back at your career, do you have a moment that stands out as your proudest accomplishment?
Fuerstman: It’s been a culmination of so many. Seeing what my son Michael has done with Pendry, his leadership and creative contributions, has certainly been a highlight as we continue to grow our company together.
DM: How do you balance work and family?
Fuerstman: For me, it’s been by combining the two of them and not creating those boundaries one might normally have between work and family. Having my family involved with the hotels and being part of what we do has given me the opportunity to focus on the two things I’m most passionate about. We all do it together. Not to say I don’t get out of balance from time to time, but I try to merge the two as best I can. I think that my entire family, my wife and four kids, have all played a key role in building the family feel at Montage.
DM: What do you hope Montage’s legacy is?
Fuerstman: I’m hoping that our legacy is that we built a company with compassionate leaders that enrich the lives of the guests that choose to stay with us, the associates that choose to work with us, and the investors that choose to invest with us. We have a huge responsibility to be stewards of the land and the communities in which we operate.
DM: Is there a person in your career that you’ve considered a mentor?
Fuerstman: I’ve had some great mentors throughout my career. I worked for Marriott early on and looked up to the Marriott family and what they were able to create as a multigenerational family that prioritized great values in their company. Seeing that up close was certainly something that influenced how I viewed what hospitality could be. I also had the opportunity to work for some great leaders as a young manager and they were very helpful in imparting to me what success could be and demonstrated behaviors I would model myself after.
DM: When you go on family vacations, do you have a property that you spend more time at than others?
Fuerstman: We try and spread it out amongst all our properties. We love visiting the hotels, they all make us feel so special when we’re there. It also gives me the opportunity to experience our hotels as a guest as well as a leader. Spending time with our associates, and seeing the effort that our teams put in, I’m in awe of just how passionate they are about making our guests feel cared for. I have so much admiration for what they do every day to make our brands so distinctive.
DM: The level that your service goes is above and beyond, it’s really incredible.
Fuerstman: That’s what makes it so unique. It’s not about the brick-and-mortar, it’s about how you’re made to feel and how our staff builds relationships with our guests. When you stay at a hotel where there’s real soul, where there’s a real commitment to exceeding your expectations, where staff listens and intuitively understands your needs, there’s a meaningful experience. I often hear feedback from our guests, and it is usually about an act of kindness or an act of service that our team provided that completely wowed them.
DM: What does the future look like for the next 20 years?
Fuerstman: We will continue to be defined by the quality of our hotels, not the quantity. We will steadily re-invest in our existing hotels and resorts, and we will remain highly disciplined and selective about our new properties to ensure we deliver a consistent brand experience.
Words by Emma Ungaro
