“ Where I see the big opportunity is in trying to rationalise our labour costs . Luxury hotels have tended to hold on to heavy management organisation structures . With the loss of staff to other industries , luxury hotels need to take a harder look at their structures . I think a flatter management structure with well trained and empowered staff should assist to keep overall payroll cost lower , while at the same time allowing for you know , line staff to be paid at higher raise rates and to incentivise them to provide excellent service . So , this is where I see the bigger opportunity for luxury .”
On the Digital Deviance panel , David Orr , CEO , Resident Hotels , said : “ I have personally always believed in making sure there are people in and around the very first moment of crossing the threshold in the hotels , I think it would really take away from the experience if you were reducing that human interaction right at the outset . And of course , right at the point of departure . We have used technology to inform the staff to provide a more personal service , which creates a better connection .
“ As we reopened , the feedback was very much about the human interaction . We are also seeing good responses to our new TV system , which for example , puts the TV controller into the hands of the guest , in their mobile device . It ’ s closer to what they have at home , and it all goes to improve the experience .”
Alex Sogno , CEO , Global Asset Solutions and president of ILHA Europe , said : “ The owners often focus on the hardware - the building - but now our focus as owners is more and more on the software . You can have bad hardware ; we all know that . But if the software is good , if our people are good , then guests will come , and they will be happy .”
Driving the shift to technology was customer demand , ignored for many years but pushed to the fore as the pandemic forced the need for less human contact . Kevin Edwards , business development director , Alliants , said : “ Guests were growing more tech savvy before the pandemic and they want to be able to use technology at different points of the journey . Where we seem to have fallen behind from the hotel ' s point of view is , actually , are we enabling choice ? What you find is that guests vote with their feet and decide to do what they want with somebody else . We saw it with the OTAs and we are seeing it again .
“ It ' s quite interesting when you ask clients to show you their guest journey , and no one has that documented . Nobody says : ‘ Well , this is what they ' re going to do going from one stage to the next . So , my question is : ‘ how well do you understand what your own guest ’ s journey is that you ' re trying to deliver ? Before you can consider the technology around it , it ' s understanding how well you understand your business process . Right ?”
Another trend driven by guests was the importance of having a strong ESG protocol . In the case of the E element , in many areas of Europe this was being legislated in the coming years .
Speaking on Build back better ? Will returning demand want ESG ? Dexter Moren , Director , Dexter Moren Associates , said : “ It ’ s interesting with Covid . There ' s been a real return to the idea that you can open a window and you can get some fresh air . And that leads us to think that maybe in the luxury and five-star market adding balconies to hotel rooms is going to make a comeback . We ' re certainly designing a building at the moment where I would never have thought of doing that before . And we ' re now adding it because people want to be able to step out and get that fresh air .
“ ONE OF THE ISSUES IS THAT IN LUXURY MARKET GUESTS MAKING ESG IMPORTANT AND I THINK THAT ' S THE BIG DIFFERENCE , BECAUSE THEN PEOPLE LISTEN .
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