Community-First Hospitality: Moving Beyond “Give Back” Models

Erik Warner, Co-founder of Eagle Point Hotel Partners, challenges the conventional “give back” model and makes the case for designing hotels with community at the core. Drawing from real experiences at the Anvil Hotel in Jackson Hole, Sound View in Long Island, and Turpin Meadow Ranch in Wyoming, he shares how integrating local artists, businesses, and voices into every stage of hospitality—design, operations, and guest experience—builds not only stronger communities, but more resilient and beloved hotels.