THE THIRD ASPECT
TO DEALING WITH
HIGH CAPACITY
FALLS TO THE
STAFF.
In the case of Barcelona, the city has
created a new law to limit new hotels
being built in an attempt to reduce
numbers of people visiting. With over
30 million visitors in 2016, this new
law will put an additional strain on the
current hotels, especially in case of the
luxury hotels, as creating a memorable
guest experience is paramount to
providing quality service. Venice has
created new initiatives like ‘people
counters’ at popular spots, a website
showing busy areas of the city and is
actively promoting tourism in the less
visited areas of the city in an attempt
to spread out the density of people
during high seasons.
The San Clemente Palace Kempinski
5 star hotel is located in Venice and is
one property dealing with the crowds
of seasonal tourists. San Clemente
Palace is lucky thanks to its location
- a private island minutes away by
speedboat from the Piazza San Marco.
Even though it can keep the crowds
away from its doorstep, the hotel still
needs to deal with an influx of summer
and winter customers. Their Director
of Sales & Marketing, Greta Zanella,
says that even when they operate at
100% capacity (190 rooms) they hire
extra staff members, particularly in the
Food & Beverage and housekeeping
departments. “The resort is set on a
7-hectare private island, so the hotel’s
86 ILHA
large rooms and hallways, as well as
the lavish gardens and parks, provide
a peaceful atmosphere even on peak
days. With three restaurants and three
bars, we are able to offer more than
one alternative to our guests willing
to dine at the resort. We already
ensure extended breakfast hours, with
different areas, that can be opened to
welcome all the guests, even when the
hotel runs at 100% capacity”.
In other places, hotels face influxes
from cultural events, festivals or even
conferences that are arranged in their
cities, and so it is important to be aware
of what events are occurring in the
near future and plan accordingly. One
such city is Austin, Texas, which deals
with the annual South by SouthWest
(SXSW) festival, as well as the October
Austin City Limits music festival
that’s expected to bring in close to
half a million people. Mark Bedford,
Director of Operations at the classy
The Driskill offers some insights into
how The Driskill maintains excellent
customer service during the busy times.
Bedford says it all hinges on advanced
preparation, good communication, and
fostering strong teamwork.