All
over the world there are very smart people sitting in very smart offices
trying very hard to find smart ways to make you happy.
That's a nice thought, isn't it? And they are doing it by refining and renewing and improving 'the guest experience' in the world's best hotels.
Tourism is now one of the world's mega industries with hundreds of billions of dollars of revenue each year and a traveling public that's growing smarter by the second aided by the power of the internet, the insight of the blogs and the critical eye of the media.
Guests can be turned on and off like tap water by media and internet reports and the establishment of a flawless reputation is essential so that hotels can weather the inevitable problems and criticisms. No-one is immune these days. First of all they have to start by defining who they are. Here's what The Luxury Collection says about themselves:
Extraordinary hotels offering the ultimate
in service
The Luxury Collection is a group of unique hotels and resorts offering
exceptional service to an elite clientele. All of these hotels, some
of them centuries old, are internationally, recognized as being among
the world's finest.
The world's most sought-after destinations
The Luxury Collection hotels and resorts are distinguished by magnificent
décor, spectacular settings, impeccable service and the latest
in modern conveniences and amenities. In bustling cities and spectacular
resorts around the world, The Luxury Collection provides the definitive
hospitality experience for people of superior taster and refinement.
So whether you want to lounge by the Mediterranean, tour the Hawaiian
Islands or explore any of over 60 cultural centres, you can experience
it all in sumptuous surroundings with The Luxury Collection."
Is this true? Well, that, of course, is for the discerning guest to determine, but what such a definition does is give a benchmark for performance to their management. This 'positioning statement' is crucial in three aspects. Firstly, it delivers a promise to intending customers of what they intend to deliver. Secondly, it sets the standards for their team to create that level of service and hospitality, and Thirdly, it tries to establish a unique personality for the hotel to develop. This is often referred to as branding—and this is now an area of intense competition between the hotel groups.
One Asian based group, Oberoi, has this to say about itself:
"Oberoi Hotels & Resorts are synonymous the world over for
providing the right blend of service, luxury and quiet efficiency.
Internationally recognized for all-round excellence unparalleled levels
of service, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts have received innumerable awards
and accolades.
"A distinctive feature of The Group's hotels is their highly-motivated and well-trained staff that provides the kind of attentive and sensitive service that is rare today. The Group's new luxury resorts have established a reputation for redefining the paradigm of luxury among leisure hotels around the world."
Notice it does not say 'India' anywhere nor even 'Asia', since its focus is on becoming a world player! What it does say a lot is 'luxury', which to many seems to be the key to being a great hotel. But what is 'luxury'?
Jeff Weinstein, Editor-in-Chief of hotelsmag.com, sees it like this: "For hoteliers trying to deliver the ultimate experience, luxury can be hard to define because it is constantly evolving in our fast-paced society. It is not always outwardly apparent, not just something guests easily see and feel, and it can mean something completely different to every guest who arrives at your hotel with his/her own distinct cultural background".
Perhaps some of the common denominators in determining luxury are "individual guest recognition", which can only be attained in smaller top level hotels; "unique experiences", which is something every hotel from one to six star tries to offer (but is very difficult to do); and a "willingness to provide real service", which is certainly true in Asia but I am not so certain of the European or American model now!
Certainly customers want to be appreciated, thanked and recognized for giving their business to the hotel. They know that they have a wide variety of choices in every city and every resort. Bali with 80 hotels in its Hotels Association shows just how keen that competition is. So anyone who wants a good flow of business now has to work hard to earn it with personal attention.
You will notice that I haven't even touched on the amenities and facilities that are necessary to make a great hotel. That's really a 'given' nowadays: hotels are offering fantastic'"copyrighted" beds, covering them with Egyptian linen, customizing bathrooms, improving lighting, providing Irish towels, Italian soaps, French fragrances, Thai spa experiences, French cuisine, American cocktail experiences, British teas and so many, many more customized and refined experiences your head begins to spin.
But despite all this the key element to being 'great' still is in service. Hotels have so many tools and techniques to deliver luxury to their guests, but is 'how' they do it that counts: you may have the state-of-the-art spa, the hottest restaurant in town, the smartest technology and the biggest rooms in the country but still fail to be 'great'.
A hotel which is able to say"we deliver exactly what our customers want every time without fail" may well be on its way to greatness.
However Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts sets itself an even higher standard
than just service alone.
Here's their philosophy: "Undisputably unique location, contemporary
design and superior service are the key elements destined to characterize
the collection of hotels which Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts will open
in some of the world's most important capital cities and resort locations."
Each detail is a tribute to absolute luxury: from the architecture that harmonizes urban surroundings with nature to the search of lavish materials, from delicacies to exclusive spa treatments, and personalized services".
A hard act to deliver but once it has been promised, that's what they have to do. Or face the ultimate penalty: empty rooms!
So what does luxury mean?
Simply put, it's the very best of the best. A staff that anticipates
your every need yet somehow manages never to be intrusive. The finest
locations: a private, pristine Hawaiian beach, the pinnacle of Park
Avenue addresses, and the glittering "Triangle D'or" in
Paris.
Amazing amenities: a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a well-appointed wine cellar, and a sumptuous spa. And, of course, silky linens, a thick, pillowy mattress, a jetted tub, and designer toiletries.
Luxury means knowing you'll be completely taken care of and knowing that anything you might want while you're there is possible.
So who is delivering this magical mixture of product and practice,
of bricks and brilliance, of comfort and convenience? Just about all
the major hotels are really good at it now.
It's hard to walk into an Accor, Hilton, Marriott, Six Continents,
Starwood hotel and find things badly wrong. They are, as their Asian
equivalents Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, Nikko, Oberoi, Dusit and
so on are, really professional. But there's always that X factor, that
subtle or not-so-subtle difference that delivers the killer punch.
Here's what one resort operator is doing: "There is already a mystique gathering around Bangkok-based Six Senses Hotels, Resorts & Spa. Its sensory message of "intelligent luxury" is striking a major chord with high-spending travelers to and within Asia. The near-term payoff for its design-conscious style and highly personalized service is pubic relations power disproportionate with its eight-hotel portfolio and such prestigious honors as Sovena Gili's "Best Leisure Resort in the World" and "Best of the Best" rating from Conde Nast Traveler.
"I often say that what a guest is looking for from a resort is totally different from what he or she requires in a city hotel", says Sonu Shivdasani, Six Senses' owner and executive chairman.
"Things that make big, 'recognized brands' so successful in the corporate markets might work against them in resort settings. Would you stay at a US$1,000 a night resort with a name such as the Sheraton Grand, the St. Regis or even Ritz-Carlton rather than Sovena Gili, which has been called the best of the best?"
Seeking to remain at the sharp end, Six Senses employs a five-person "creative team" to ensure that its concepts and operations continue to deliver beyond expectation."
Are they right?
Well, only time will tell but they and many others are now out there
seeking to create an aura of mystery and intrigue, and of uniqueness
that makes people reach for their wallet and say 'I want to stay
there, just once'.
The writer is Chairman PATA Indonesia Chapter and UNWTO Consultant to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
