PERSONALITIES
affair
FAMILY
CHITRA AND ROMAN STERN HAVE CARVED AN AFFORDABLE LUXURY NICHE IN PORTUGAL , GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR TRAVELING FAMILIES .
By HOTELS EDITORS
Entrepreneurs , MBAs , real estate developers and welltraveled parents of four , Chitra and Roman Stern create hotels and residences in Portugal based on their own experiences . They understand customizing stays for traveling families can create differentiation and that is what they have been doing since 2010 with Martinhal Resorts .
Today , there are four affordable luxury hotels ( 684 rooms ) and soon a residence / hotel coming to the emerging family-friendly Park of Nations neighborhood in Lisbon .
Personalized service is what drives loyalty , not points , Chitra said . For example , among many services focused on kids is Martinhal ’ s Baby Concierge service , pre-arranging anything that ’ s needed for a family coming with their infant or toddler , from baby gates , cribs , potties , thermometers , special food , formula , bottle sterilizers and more . It has “ screen-free ” kids programming , as well as services that give the parents a break , too .
“ In this world of brands , having a niche is important ,” Chitra said . “ Being business strategy buffs , we understand the need to find unique positioning … Mass products are about cost efficiencies and a niche is about creating a set of unique differentiators .”
So far , Martinhal ’ s differentiators are proving successful and profitable , according to Chitra , who was born in Singapore , is of Indian heritage and lived and studied in London before marrying Swiss-born Roman and relocating to Portugal in 2001 . The last few COVID years weren ’ t easy , but 2022 has been a very good year for business , she said . “ People pay more to have that level of service . And we have a reservations team that actually speaks to you , answers emails , which a lot of places don ’ t have anymore .”
The family market is more than a niche positioning for Martinhal , Chitra said . “ We ’ re not paying lip service to that segment . We go that extra mile in this niche and I think that ’ s what makes a difference in profitability . It ’ s getting people to love your product because you ’ re providing good service , not because you have loyalty points … It ’ s giving excellent service year in and year out and building on those service levels . We keep adding layers based on the experience of the past year .”
The four owned Martinhal properties in Portugal that make
Jan / Feb 2023 hotelsmag . com 35