Langham Hospitality Group is proving that heritage brands can innovate without losing their soul, transforming historic buildings into contemporary luxury destinations while maintaining the personal service that defines true hospitality.

In this ILTM⁠ (International Luxury Travel Market), recorded live in Cannes, Bob van den Oord, CEO of Langham Hospitality Group, joins Afar editor-in-chief Julia Cosgrove to share how he's guided the 160-year-old brand through thoughtful expansion that honors its British legacy while embracing modern wellness, design, and guest expectations.

Bob discusses Langham's journey from opening Europe's first grand hotel with elevators in 1865 to current projects converting iconic buildings—from Chicago's former IBM building to Bangkok's historic Custom House—into luxury properties that tell compelling local stories. The brand now operates with what Bob calls "a British heart, an Asian soul, and a global mindset," creating spaces where posh pubs coexist with traditional Chinese medicine spas and cooking schools share space with world-class bars.

Bob also explores the challenge of attracting Gen Z talent to hospitality through specialized academies and how the "Langham Way" of unscripted, authentic service remains the brand's non-negotiable standard across all properties.

What You'll Learn

• The "Langham Way" emphasizes unscripted, authentic service where staff have freedom to engage personally with guests and tell their own stories
• Modern luxury travelers seek "freedom of time and freedom of space," driving Langham to expand room sizes to 50 square meters and invest millions in garden landscapes
• Langham selects properties with compelling stories—from Venice's glass factory to Boston's Federal Reserve bank—that help connect guests to local heritage
• The brand operates four specialized academies (Chinese cuisine, traditional Chinese medicine, pastry, and bar) to attract and develop young talent in hospitality

Key Moments [2:30] Bob reveals why he decided to add a "posh pub" to the London property, proving luxury can embrace unexpected elements [3:37] Discussion of a guest's "love letter" describing how staff remember his martini preference and cappuccino style, embodying the Langham Way [9:53] Bob explains Langham's wellness expansion, from traditional Chinese medicine spas to pickleball courts and partnership with Sleep Matters for comprehensive sleep programs [13:27] The talent challenge: How Langham's academy system aims to make hospitality "sexy again" for Gen Z workers

Resources

• Visit the Langham Hospitality Group website for property information and bookings
• Read our coverage of Langham on afar.com, including a conversation between Bob and Afar senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers.
• Discover ILTM Cannes where this conversation was recorded

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This ILTM special series was recorded live in Cannes, France. View From Afar is a production of Afar. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland.

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