something we implement more broadly across the brand .” Why Charlotte ? “ It ’ s a really dynamic market right now , with a great buzz and a vibrant community that got us excited ,” Carroll says . The property , which is owned by the Marriott Hotels brand , has brought in local chefs and bartenders and created a training partnership with a local university . “ It ’ s a hotel that ’ s been around for some time , and we wanted to show that we could take a |
A rendering of Coco and the Director , a coffee and co-working space that is part of Marriott International ’ s M Beta “ innovation ” hotel in Charlotte , North Carolina
hotel and completely reinvent it .”
The reinvention of the 422-room hotel , which has been operating throughout its renovation but makes its formal debut in October , is part of what Carroll calls a larger transformation of the Marriott brand . However , he doesn ’ t use another word beginning with “ m ” when describing the strategy behind the changes being tested .
“ We ’ re as focused on millennials as any other brand , but the
|
way we look at it is really about a mindset . It ’ s really about the lifestyle that that hotel creates and the environment that ’ s more appealing to a mindset than an age group .” The guestrooms , some of which have more traditional “ work surfaces ” – er , desks – and others with more moveable surfaces , have been tested with multiple age groups .
The transformation of the physical spaces has been matched by changes behind the scenes . Because the hotel ’ s public spaces blend into each other , and people are using the spaces in different ways , employee training has to include how to multitask , Carroll says . “ It ’ s much less transactional and much more about responding to cues and being dynamic in how we provide service ,” he says .
That response has also included the use of social media , which the hotel used to tell the story of its renovation and generate buzz .
All the back and forth has supported what Carroll calls an iterative process . “ We don ’ t do it in a vacuum .”
|
TAKING IT PERSONALLY By BARBARA BOHN , MANAGING EDITOR
Robert Cross , the guru of revenue management , is standing at the intersection of big data , predictive analytics and customer insights , and it ’ s a lonely place . “ One of the big gaps in revenue management systems is linking the ( hotel ) loyalty program with that system ,” the chairman of Revenue Analytics says . Revenue managers have access to millions of data points that provide a “ mind-numbing ” amount of information , says Cross , a pioneer in the field of RM since his days at Delta Air Lines . Managers need to take the perspective of the guest , whose own well-informed decision-making process doesn ’ t necessarily end at room rate . With loyalty member ranks ballooning , can hotel companies multiply that process hundreds of thousands of times ? “ They have to ,” he says — and it could be the difference between short-term revenue maximization and long-term customers . “ It gets back to linking the rewards program with the revenue management system so you understand who the guest is and what they really want . That ’ s the ultimate goal .”
|
October 2016 hotelsmag . com 11 |