True New Yorkers know… cool can’t be manufactured (as much as people try).
So when you’re running one of New York City’s standout boutique hotels, you can’t just chase trends, hope something sticks and think people will want to keep coming back time after time. You have to build something people can feel.
Richard Tucker, general manager of Arlo SoHo, has built his leadership around that principle. Authenticity, he believes, starts with how you treat the people behind the scenes. It’s an approach that’s shaped both the hotel’s reputation and Tucker’s own career in luxury hospitality, where he’s one of the few Black executives running a property at this level.
Tucker’s spent more than a decade in hospitality, working his way through properties like Fairmont, Rosewood, Thompson Hotels, and Highgate. He’s seen both ends of the scale, from small 21-room boutiques to massive hotels with over 400 rooms. All of that gave him different perspectives on how hotels operate before he got to Arlo SoHo.
In fact, his journey to the GM role wasn’t particularly glamorous at all. It was a lot of saying yes to things that didn’t come with a promotion or a raise. “Early in my career, I raised my hand for the unglamorous work; fixing broken processes, stabilizing teams during transition and stepping into moments of discomfort,” he says. “Those experiences taught me how to listen deeply, lead through complexity and balance the needs of people with the realities of the business.”
Even though this career advice doesn’t sounds particularly exciting, Tucker was deliberate about learning how hotels actually function. He wanted to understand the financials as much as he understood the guest experience, and the compliance side as much as the culture side. That meant putting in years studying aspects of the business that didn’t directly relate to his job at the time. But it paid off. By the time he stepped into the GM role at Arlo SoHo, he had a full picture of how everything connected.
At Arlo SoHo, there’s a lot to keep track of. The hotel’s become known as one of the city’s “it” hotels, a reputation Tucker attributes to staying true to a specific vision. “What sets Arlo SoHo apart is that it has soul. It’s not trying to be everything to everyone; it knows exactly who it is,” he explains. “We’ve created a space where design, community and service intersect authentically.”
The key word there is “authentically.” Tucker’s not interested in the kind of boutique hotel experience that’s all aesthetics and no substance. Guests don’t just stay at Arlo SoHo, he says, they feel “connected to the neighborhood, the energy and the people who bring the hotel to life.” His job, as he sees it, is protecting what makes Arlo SoHo distinct while still evolving. That means giving his team permission to bring their whole selves to work, to be creative and to take ownership. “When the internal culture is strong, the guest experience follows naturally,” he notes. “Cool isn’t manufactured; it’s felt, and it starts with how people are treated behind the scenes.”
That philosophy extends beyond day-to-day operations. Tucker’s active on Arlo Hotels’ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, working on initiatives aimed at making the industry more accessible.
The hospitality industry has long struggled with diversity at the leadership level. While Black and Brown workers make up a significant portion of hotel staff nationwide, they remain vastly underrepresented in executive roles, particularly in luxury hospitality. General manager positions, which require years of cross-departmental experience and often depend on networks built over time, have been especially slow to diversify. For Tucker, being one of the few Black GMs in luxury hospitality is a responsibility he takes seriously.
“Being a Black leader in luxury hospitality has made me deeply aware of representation, access and the responsibility that comes with visibility,” Tucker says. “I don’t take lightly the fact that someone may see themselves in me for the first time and realize what’s possible.”
Tucker’s committed to building environments where different perspectives aren’t just tolerated but actively valued, where people don’t have to code-switch or diminish themselves to succeed. “I lead with empathy because I know what it feels like to navigate spaces where you’re often the only one,” he explains. “My perspective allows me to lead with both resilience and intention, ensuring that success isn’t just achieved, but shared.”
Over the course of a career that’s spanned everything from 21-key boutique properties to hotels with over 400 rooms, Tucker’s understanding of what leadership actually requires has shifted considerably. He used to think it meant having answers. Now he knows better. “Earlier in my career, I thought leadership meant having all the answers. Over time, I’ve learned it’s more powerful to ask the right questions and create space for others to shine,” he says.
For people trying to break into hospitality now, Tucker has thoughts on what actually matters when you’re building a career. Forget about climbing the ladder quickly or collecting impressive job titles, just focus on becoming genuinely good at what you do, find people who will push you to grow, and remember why you got into this work in the first place.
“Hospitality is demanding, but it’s also deeply rewarding,” Tucker says. “If you lead with purpose, remain adaptable and treat people well—guests, colleagues and yourself included—the career will follow.”