How FirstService is amplifying hospitality in residential living

FirstService Residential's collaboration with Forbes Travel Guide and ATELIER CX

For decades, luxury residential buildings have been defined by impressive architecture, exceptional amenities, and coveted locations. Today, however, residents increasingly evaluate their communities through a different lens: the quality and consistency of the service they receive every day.

From the first greeting in the lobby to the way maintenance requests are handled, resident expectations continue to evolve. As a result, some of the most forward-thinking residential communities are looking beyond traditional property management practices and borrowing lessons from an industry that has spent decades perfecting service excellence: luxury hospitality.

That evolution recently reached an important milestone when seven luxury residential communities managed by FirstService Residential earned the inaugural VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences designation from Forbes Travel Guide^™, the global authority on luxury hospitality. Developed by ATELIER CX^™, Forbes Travel Guide's consulting division, the designation recognizes residential communities that demonstrate a commitment to delivering exceptional resident experiences inspired by the world's finest hospitality brands.

The inaugural group includes:

• 53 West 53 | New York City, New York
   
• ALINA Residences | Boca Raton, Florida
   
• Jade Signature | Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
   
• PIER 4 | Boston, Massachusetts
   
• Residences at the Stoneleigh | Dallas, Texas
   
• Residences by Armani/Casa Miami | Miami, Florida
   
• The Sun Rose Residences | West Hollywood, California

For the participating communities, the designation represents a significant achievement. But the broader significance extends far beyond seven properties.

The recognition illustrates how residential property management is changing and why hospitality-inspired service frameworks are becoming increasingly relevant for high-rise communities across North America.
 

The resident experience has become a defining differentiator

In the past, many residential communities competed primarily on location, amenities, and physical assets. While those factors remain important, they are no longer enough on their own.

Residents interact with their building staff and amenities every day. They notice how quickly requests are addressed, how effectively teams communicate, and whether service feels thoughtful, consistent, and personalized.

"At the core, it comes down to the resident experience. In a high-rise, every interaction, from arriving home to requesting service or using amenities, shapes how residents experience the community."

Robert Smith, president of the South Region at FirstService Residential

That reality is changing how residential property management organizations think about service delivery. Rather than viewing service as simply an operational function, leading organizations are treating it as an intentional experience that can be designed, measured, trained, and continuously improved.
 

Bringing hospitality principles into residential living

Luxury hotels have long understood that memorable experiences do not happen by accident. They are the result of clear standards, defined service behaviors, extensive training, coaching, and accountability.

The same principles are increasingly being applied in residential communities.

Through its collaboration with Forbes Travel Guide and ATELIER CX, FirstService Residential developed a hospitality-driven framework designed specifically for residential high-rises. The initiative includes customized service standards, structured training, operational assessments, ongoing coaching, and independent evaluation.

Smith explains,

"We collaborated with Forbes Travel Guide and ATELIER CX to bring global hospitality standards into residential living through a purpose-built framework. The program defines service behaviors, delivers structured training for onsite teams, and reinforces those standards through ongoing coaching."

Importantly, the framework was designed specifically for residential communities rather than simply adapting hotel standards.

Smith says,

"We didn't retrofit hospitality into residential. We built something new, from the ground up. Side by side with ATELIER CX and Forbes Travel Guide, we created a framework designed specifically for the complexity of modern residential living."

The inaugural collection of VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences

The inaugural collection of VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences reflects the diversity and sophistication of today's luxury residential market. Spanning some of North America's most sought-after destinations, the seven communities range from iconic urban towers overlooking the skylines of New York City, Boston, Dallas, and West Hollywood to oceanfront residences along South Florida's coastline.

While each property has its own distinct identity, architecture, and lifestyle offering, all share a commitment to hospitality-inspired service and an elevated resident experience. Together, they represent a new benchmark for how luxury residential communities can deliver thoughtful, consistent service at the highest level.
 

Why training matters for every high-rise

While the VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences designation is intended for a select group of exceptional luxury properties, many of the underlying principles apply to any building with an onsite property manager and staff looking to enhance service to residents.

The reason is simple: residents experience property management through people.

Whether a community is pursuing luxury positioning or focusing on operational efficiency, frontline interactions shape resident perceptions, satisfaction, trust, and ultimately the reputation and marketability of the building itself.

Training creates consistency. It supports that service expectations are clearly defined, team members understand desired behaviors, and residents receive a predictable level of care regardless of who they interact with or when they need assistance.

The result is often felt in small but meaningful ways: clearer communication, stronger responsiveness, improved professionalism, and greater confidence in the property management team.
  As David Diestel, chief executive officer of FirstService Residential, explains, residential property management is increasingly focused on delivering meaningful experiences, not simply managing assets.

"At FirstService Residential, our goal is not simply to manage properties, but to create experiences that make a meaningful difference in the lives of residents. We are grateful to Forbes Travel Guide and ATELIER CX for collaborating with us to innovate and bring world-class hospitality to residential living.

Together, we are elevating the resident experience and helping exceptional communities deliver the thoughtful, personalized service that defines true luxury."

Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the VERIFIED^™ program is its emphasis on independent verification.

Residential communities never had a way to universally measure or benchmark service quality against recognized industry standards. Communities could invest in service improvements, but objective validation was limited.

The Luxury Residences designation introduces a new level of transparency, credibility, and accountability.

Diestel says,

"This is a meaningful evolution for our industry. We are bringing the rigor and credibility that Forbes Travel Guide has long applied to the world's best hospitality brands into residential living. It's about raising the bar. We are defining what excellence looks like."

The designation evaluates communities on factors extending beyond architecture, design, and property value. Service culture, operational practices, and the resident experience all become part of the assessment.

That focus on measurable standards helps create stronger alignment between boards, management teams, onsite staff, and residents.
 

What this means for boards

For boards, hospitality-inspired service frameworks provide something increasingly valuable: consistency.

Board members are responsible for preserving property values, overseeing budgets, supporting residents, and maintaining the reputation of their community. Yet resident expectations continue to evolve, and service quality can vary over time as teams, leadership, and circumstances change.

A structured service framework helps create continuity. Clear standards, documented service expectations, training programs, coaching, and ongoing assessments establish a foundation that supports the board's long-term vision for the community.

The VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences program also introduces a new level of accountability. Service excellence is no longer defined solely by good intentions or anecdotal feedback. Communities can measure their performance against a recognized external standard and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Diestel adds,

"Boards and developers care about long-term value, and consistency is a big part of that. By introducing structured training, clear standards, and a path to a prestigious verification, we are helping protect and elevate asset value over time. This is about durability, not just differentiation."

For boards, that consistency translates into something residents can feel every day: a community that operates smoothly, responds thoughtfully, and delivers a high-quality experience across every interaction.
 

What this means for developers

For developers, the opportunity begins long before the first resident moves in.

The most successful luxury communities do not treat service as an afterthought. Increasingly, developers are considering how residents will experience the property from the earliest stages of design, amenity planning, staffing, technology integration, operations, and programming.

This is where hospitality principles can have the greatest impact.

FirstService Residential works alongside developers before a building opens to help shape how service will be delivered once residents arrive. By establishing service standards, identifying staffing models, defining key resident touchpoints, and designing operational workflows early in the process, developers can create a stronger foundation for long-term success.

Smith says,

"We engage early with developers to align service delivery with the building's design and vision. The result is a consistent and elevated experience grounded in proven hospitality expertise."

This early collaboration helps support that the physical building and the resident experience are designed together. Amenities, arrival experiences, concierge services, staffing strategies, technology platforms, and operating procedures can all be aligned around a common vision before the building opens its doors.

For luxury residential communities in particular, service has become an increasingly important differentiator. Buyers may initially be drawn by architecture, design, and location, but the long-term reputation of a property is often shaped by what happens after they move in.

Communities that design the resident experience from the start are better positioned to deliver consistency, strengthen reputation, support absorption and sales efforts, and create lasting value for residents and owners alike.
 

The future of residential property management and high-rise living

The seven inaugural VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences represent an important milestone, but they may also offer a glimpse of where the broader industry is heading.

Residents increasingly expect the professionalism, responsiveness, and personalization they experience in other parts of their lives. Boards are seeking new ways to protect property values and strengthen community reputation. Developers are exploring how service can become a lasting competitive advantage.

Smith says,

"This level of achievement is reserved for a truly exceptional group of high-rises. These communities are recognized not only for their architecture, amenities, and locations, but for the quality and consistency of the service residents receive every day.

Earning the VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences designation reflects a commitment by boards and onsite teams to creating experiences that rival the world's finest luxury destinations while delivering lasting value for residents and their communities."

As Hermann Elger, chief executive officer of Forbes Travel Guide, explains, service has become one of the defining elements of luxury itself.

"Luxury today is defined not only by beautiful residences and exceptional amenities, but by how people feel every day in the place they call home. The VERIFIED^™ Luxury Residences designation recognizes communities that have embraced the service philosophy of the world's finest hotels, creating resident experiences that are thoughtful and consistently exceptional."

Whether a community chooses to pursue VERIFIED^™ designation or simply adopt hospitality-inspired service practices, the message is clear: the future of luxury residential property management is increasingly focused on creating exceptional experiences, not just maintaining exceptional buildings.

And for residents, that may be the most meaningful innovation of all.

Contact us today to learn more.

This information is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal, regulatory, financial, or operational advice, or as a representation or guarantee of any specific services, capabilities, or outcomes. Property management needs, regulatory requirements, market conditions, and available services vary by jurisdiction, property type, and community. FirstService Residential provides services through locally based affiliates and associates, and services and results may vary by community, region, contractual terms, and applicable law.