At the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we spoke with Thierry Teyssier, Founder and CEO of Dar Ahlam and 700’000 heures Impact. Our conversation focused on the emotional essence of hospitality, why he sees privilege as more meaningful than luxury, and how impermanence can open the door to more human-centered guest experiences. Which technology or innovation do you think will reshape the industry the most over the next 5 to 10 years? You prefer to speak about privilege rather than luxury. Why is that? Earlier, you mentioned the word impermanence. Can you explain how that concept fits into hospitality? So would you say this is about creating a more human-centric approach to hospitality?
You can pick many technologies. They are accelerating and will keep growing faster and faster. But the deeper we go into technology, the more we need to find balance. That balance is the heart. It is your emotions. Look at the music industry, the publishing world. Despite all the technology, what makes it come alive is the human connection. It is about concepts and emotions. In hospitality, we need to remember what we chose to work with. Human connection. Emotion. I do not sell a room or a dinner. I create a tension that invites people to feel something. To get lost. To open their hearts. That is when something happens. That is when the magic begins. This is not about service. It is about connection. That is my philosophy. It is more important than any technology. And it should still be the core of hospitality.
To me, luxury is something you can buy. It is linked to service. It often places one person above another. You paid, so someone must serve you. I read an article recently about a concierge during the Cannes Festival who brought ten square meters of grass at two in the morning because the guest's dog needed it. That is not a privilege. That is just money talking. Privilege is different. It is when someone offers you minutes of their life. Not because you paid for it, but because they want to make you happy. It is about doing something for someone else, dedicated to them, in that moment. That is a real privilege. The problem is, we are too focused on our own organizations and not enough on our guests. We need to follow our guests. Their emotions. Their changing needs. And if I convince a local community to open their doors to a guest, that is not something you can buy. That is a privilege.
Impermanence is the opposite of utility. It is the opposite of standard hospitality. Today, everything is about rules. You land after an overnight flight. You are tired. You arrive at the hotel and want a shower. But the room is not ready because check-in is at three. Or you are on holiday, you finally sleep well, wake up full of energy, but breakfast is finished because it ended at ten. Why do we keep forcing people into our systems? If someone wants breakfast at noon or two in the afternoon, who are we to say no? We must stop thinking in terms of rigid operations. Human beings are not machines. Time should be flexible. Experiences should be created around people, not processes.
Exactly. That is my point. Hospitality must be about people. It must center on the human experience. On emotion. On being present. We have completely forgotten that. But that is what this industry is supposed to be about. Not rules. Not systems. Just people. And the fleeting, beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime moments we share.About the EHL Open Innovation Summit 2025
This interview was recorded during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, where Hospitality Net joined as official media partner.
The event brought together a global mix of thinkers and doers to explore the future of hospitality, food, and travel through open innovation. What made it special was the mix of ideas, formats, and people. It was not only about tech or talks. It was also about people showing up, working together, and sharing energy in real time.
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20-21 May 2025
 EHL Hospitality Business School Route de Berne Lausanne, 1000 Switzerland |
Organization
700’000 heures Impact
https://www.700000heuresimpact.com/
Paris, France
