Search

×

How prepared are we to deliver the exceptional?

Last Thanksgiving, after a devastating nine-month lockdown, the U.S. consumer started to take baby steps and experimented with short stays in open sky and resort locations across the country and, in time, to much longer bookings. They also tentatively ventured to the Caribbean and Mexico. Then came the vaccines and the flood gates opened, as restless Americans got their second dose and took that as permission to travel with gusto.

Now occupancies and ADRs are high and in some cases hitting and surpassing 2019 levels. Admittedly, corporate and group travel still waits in the wings, but as the vice president of luxury sales for a major global hotel company told me recently, “there is an invisible line and on September 1, this business will be back.”

Contributed by Peter Bates, Strategic Vision, Tarrytown, New York

So, as the leisure market recovers, and luxury hotels achieve acceptable occupancy and rate, are we ready and able to deliver in every aspect of the operation? “The customer journey is very different in 2021. Guests require significantly more counsel and support to book,” says Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president and owner, Valerie Wilson Travel, New York City. “Their service expectations are high and their needs are different.”

Alan Fuerstman, founder, chairman and CEO Montage International, Irvine, California, described it this way: “In several of our resort communities – for example, at our Montage Palmetto Bluff resort in South Carolina – we have seen numerous part-time residents quick to return to the property for extended periods during the pandemic, placing unique and unprecedented demands on resources, staff and amenities. In certain instances, we made a strategic decision to impose non-required occupancy restrictions on the hotel to relieve compression in our food & beverage outlets and other key facilities, and deliver on the promise of a safe and comfortable experience to our guests, homeowners, and, most importantly, our associates.”

Wilson Wetty explains some of the concerns she is experiencing: “Hotels are not fully staffed for a variety of reasons, including staff either not wanting to come back because of unemployment income or issues concerning childcare and home schooling.”

She wonders if there should be a new “operations playbook” and suggests hoteliers should not expect to run a hotel the same way as pre-pandemic. Staff must be re-trained to meet the expectations of a whole new world of hospitality, and many are out of practice, due to the extended furloughs. 

This is a time for much stronger internal communication and leadership inspiration. So, I would suggest hoteliers take a long hard look at their hotels or resorts culture and pride. This has been an exceptionally trying time and it is not over yet. Staff need inspiration to deliver the exceptional. 

Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner, Embark Beyond Travel, New York, is more forthright about how prepared the hotel industry has been in meeting the demands of the recovery. He told me, “Service levels in many destinations have been compromised, especially in domestic resorts where market compression has catapulted occupancy to create a perfect storm for luxury service.”  

Like Wilson Wetty, Ezon is concerned about staff levels. “Domestic resorts didn’t see the wave coming and all suffer from reduced staffing… with some hotels operating with 50% less staff because of generous stimulus and other difficulties in recruiting staff. This, coupled with elevated client expectations resulting from inflated rates, has caused great disappointment.” 

Ezon added, “Many hotels, like Acqualina in Miami’s Sunny Isles Beach and the Ocean House in historic Rhode Island, have committed to overcompensating in service and setting clear expectations. Others have cut services such as turndown and daily housekeeping.” Finally, he commented, “The biggest problem is that most hotels and resorts don’t set expectations in advance, nor warn clients what to expect and what not to expect. They need to be told during the booking process, not after they check-in.”

Looking at retailers in Manhattan over the past few weeks, I have noticed a new sense of pride and willingness to serve. It has been striking how attitudes have changed and going that extra mile to close a sale has become the norm.

Managing expectations is vital. Alan Fuerstman said proactive communication has been essential during these past several months. “Our guests are pre-called by a resort experience planner that clearly explains what is available at each property and helps curate a custom experience that aims to meet the incoming guests’ needs, depending on where they are in terms of COVID sensitivity,” he says. “While our standards are never wavering, we find that communication is critical to ensuring guest expectations are met and exceeded.”

Shannon Knapp, president and CEO, The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), reminded, “As business demand at our properties has grown, our hoteliers have carefully balanced local food and beverage demand, in-house guest expectations and government protocol.” 

Throughout the pandemic. LHW fast-tracked several new products and services focused on empowering independent hotels with information and industry leading platforms. This included a COVID-19 Resource Center, the LHW Virtual Learning Platform and a hotelier community discussion board. Knapp added, “The conversation and collaboration we have witnessed between hoteliers sharing challenges and best practices has been critically important for our members. For example, Mr. C Miami, Coconut Grove, recently shared unique challenges and successes they have been facing as travel has returned to the Miami market. On our discussion board, they highlighted staffing challenges as demand returned, benefits of a strong health and safety plan, ideas to help cost control, tips for pivoting to a drive-market strategy, and much more.”

Domestic travel in the United States, particularly to secondary cities and resort locations, is recovering rapidly. Airline statistics are showing week on week growth and STR numbers are improving. By June/July, Europe will be re-open to vaccinated travelers. At the time of reporting first quarter results in late April 2021, Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of Accor, said, “Today, all our efforts are focused on the strong recovery expected this summer.”

We must be more than adequately prepared for such an immediate rebound; clients are excited and expectations are high. This is an unprecedented opportunity for the hospitality industry to shine. How prepared are we?

Comment