Satisfying the Savvy Guest
The harder the guest is to please, the harder it is to exceed their expectations
by Glenn Haussman – Hotel Interactive.com
Creating an indelible luxury experience for the discriminating consumer is much more than developing an unforgettable hotel. Sure having a winning infrastructure is critical to success, but these days that's the price of entry. Lodging executives and suppliers have become so sophisticated at building excellence at the same time the traveling public has increased its expectations for their hotel stay. The end result means it's a zero sum game since the harder the guest is to please, the harder it is to exceed their expectations.
At the luxury level this paradox is actually creating opportunity for hotel operators and designers to build in mechanisms to personalize and customize the stay experience. Those that do this the best will be the ones that capture both mindshare and wallet share.
At the first ever Buyer Interactive Trade Alliance and Council (BITAC) International Luxury event held here at the El Conquistador in Puerto Rico, a panel discussion focused on how to elevate the luxury experience to include the intangibles such as intuitive service and stay customization.
"This is a real challenge," said Meg Prendergast , SVP with The Gettys Group, a design firm. "Luxury has become a bit of a commodity. What we're looking for is what is going to give that extra touch. That could be something we call bespoke privatization. What can give that person a really unique story to take back with them after they leave."
Paul Underhill of Paul Underhill Associates and the American developer for Corinthia Hotels International agrees; adding that technology is the key to making customization a reality. "We need some help with the use of technology for information. Being able to check-in yourself isn't the answer. Being able to utilize information about the guest is what is important. It is the customization."
But customization is not the only answer; it is also having a well trained staff who is able to deliver on service. According to Jay Schwartz, VP of Procurement with LXR Luxury Resorts, it's the secret weapon many hotels struggle with. "The key is to know your guest and be responsive to what they want. The quicker you can deliver service the better. Know your market and your market segment. It's very different, city by city, and sometimes hotel by hotel. Many times you have to communicate with the guest in multiple ways [to make sure you are satisfying all their needs]," Schwartz said.
Though that sounds simple enough, finding the right people to staff a hotel who then can create a culture of exceptional service continues to be the Achilles heel of most hotel operations. It's a problem Peter Wirth, President of TWT Hospitality grapples with constantly.
"It's difficult to get good quality people," said Wirth. "Sometimes it has to do with a culture, education, and training. To train the staff, such as the bellmen, to recognize what the guest really needs is very important. They talk to the customer when they come in and when they leave. They can tell you what the guest wants or complains about. Guests don't put it on the comment card."
Another challenge, said Anne Hanch, VP of Purchasing with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, is keeping ahead of what guests have in their home. "The one thing that we've done a lot of work with is doing guest surveys. We've learned [guests] expect more than they are at home. They want residential style guestrooms and we've worked with design as well as product. We want our rooms bulletproof from high end linens to high technology," Hanch said.
Susan Bruce, Senior Associate/Senior Project Manager with the design firm Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, added the guest expects more because they are savvier and aware of what's going on in the world around them. And at the luxury level that has to be considered constantly. Especially at older hotels that have an outdated infrastructure compared to properties built during the last decade.
"We do a lot of renovation work and that is always a challenge. You have to be thoughtful about knowing the marketplace, and what the expectations are in that market. You can actually accommodate a lot of things in a small space. Get the input from the people who have been running that property because they know all the little anomalies of the property. It is really a collaborative process but there are a lot of tricks like curved shower rods. You can create an experience that something special is going on. You don't notice the bathroom is so small if it is well lit, for example. It's not the smallness that is going to bother you so much, it is functionality," said Bruce.
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