“ TODAY , [ THE GM ] IS SEEN AS AN IMPRESARIO WHO IS THE CARETAKER FOR THE EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE BORDERS OF THE HOTEL TO KEEP ENGAGEMENT WITH GUESTS AND LOYALTY AT A LEVEL THAT IS BOTH DIFFERENTIATED AND RELEVANT .”
SPECIAL REPORT : STATE OF LUXURY
Park Hotel Group , Singapore , argues that doing away with the daily linen change tops his list of easy eco-friendly service revamps . But , some touches aren ’ t worth their eco-impact . “ Few guests are going to mind reusing the bar of soap provided — and often changed twice a day for a fresh one — in some luxury hotels ,” says Russell Kett , chairman , HVS London .
GM ’ s orders More than ever , the hotel general manager is responsible for everything that goes on at the property level . “ Today , he or she is seen as an impresario who is the caretaker for the experience beyond the borders of the hotel to keep engagement with guests and loyalty at a level that is both differentiated and relevant ,” says Raymond Bickson , CEO and managing director , Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces , Mumbai .
Few of the best practices of years past have fallen off the radar , even as new areas of expertise are being required . “ While the GM ’ s role is becoming ever more desk-bound and financial results-oriented , a good GM has to remain deeply involved in the operation side of his or her hotel — from the bottom up , and always dealing with guests and staff in person and from the heart ,” Borer says .
Kasikci ’ s advice is for the GM to spend at least a minute or two talking to 10 to 15 guests to keep his or her finger on the pulse of what ’ s needed .
And , in addition to extensive face time , GMs need to add computer guru to the list of innkeeper , sommelier , profit engineer and host that is already appended to the job description . “ GMs need to understand the
“ TODAY , [ THE GM ] IS SEEN AS AN IMPRESARIO WHO IS THE CARETAKER FOR THE EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE BORDERS OF THE HOTEL TO KEEP ENGAGEMENT WITH GUESTS AND LOYALTY AT A LEVEL THAT IS BOTH DIFFERENTIATED AND RELEVANT .”
– Raymond Bickson , Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces
impact of IT on the business , what software or hardware will help operational efficiency , understand the importance of branding or marketing — be it e-marketing or social media — get up to date with revenue management and be a champion in learning , CSR and talent development ,” Marrenbach says .
In addition , the ability to apply the same hospitality to guests via all media is a must . “ It has also become essential that GMs have the ability to communicate with guests in whichever way best suits the guest , whether that is Twitter , Facebook , email , text , telephone , a personal visit or all of the above ,” Arora says . The only thing that might be coming off the to-do list is dealing with communication systems that have become outdated .
GMs also have to maintain a bird ’ s-eye view of what ’ s going on , as owners and operators increasingly look to the property
level for inspiration . “ Most of our initiatives have come from the GMs ,” Hunsberger says .
Although , as Schulze says , while the GM has plenty of hours in his or her day , there aren ’ t enough minutes in the hours . So , intelligent delegation has become part of the job as well .
While staff-cutting wasn ’ t as much of an issue in the luxury sector as in more mid-tier properties , the need to run an efficient ship means hoteliers must meet their employees halfway when it comes to training . “ For example , at Park Hotel Group , we have a multi-skilling job scheme — Hotel Operations Specialist Team ( H . O . S . T .) — that trains and cross-deploys specially recruited employees in the three divisions of front office , F & B and housekeeping ,” Rafin says .
There ’ s a lot of potential for the sector , but operators are going to have to continue to innovate in meaningful ways . “ Complacency is the biggest threat in 2013 ,” says HVS ’ s Kett . Guests continually want more from the whole experience of their stay , from “ edutainment ” like cooking classes to fitness-based vacations . But , contends MPS Puri , chief executive , Nira Hotels and Resorts , London , much of this new definition of luxury is less of a set of trends and more about a back-to-basics approach to hospitality .
24 HOTELS January / February 2013 www . hotelsmag . com