viabledesign

Katrin Herz: When I took over my new role in Abu Dhabi it was all about managing the pandemic situation. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Abu Dhabi has been working hard to keep its residents and locals safe: vaccination rates are one of the highest in the world, testing is being done frequently and access for foreign visitors is limited. Therefore, we had to focus on local guests and had to align our cost structure accordingly. The good thing I take away from this situation is my new team’s commitment. We instantly became an amazing team in jointly managing this extraordinary situation.

Katrin Herz: Our biggest challenge these days is about restaffing and finding the skilled personnel needed, since our booking situation has improved. Prior to the pandemic, we hired a lot of talents from India, Pakistan, and Asia. Hiring has become very difficult because COVID- 19 and still has a huge impact on the cross-border mobility of citizens. Therefore, we have to find new solutions to attract talents to guarantee guests our promised service levels.

Katrin Herz: I am currently seeing an increase in leisure travel and a decrease in business travel. I am convinced that this trend will last. Especially the luxury segment will be a driver for this change. Locations like Dubai and the Maldives are currently benefiting from this trend because they have been handling the pandemic with a sense of proportion and have adapted their service offerings adequately. Giving demanding guests the opportunity to book extended stays ‘home-away-from-home’ or in a ‘work anywhere’-style will be a boost for providers of villa rentals and serviced apartments. I see a big advantage for established hotel brands in this space because they have more experience in providing and curating premium services to guests than competitors of online marketplaces for lodging and vacation rentals. Another bonus for established hotel brands is to differentiate themselves from their competitors by providing a shared infrastructure to guests, including swimming pools, spa facilities, beach clubs, bars, and restaurants.

Katrin Herz: Since we are mainly able to welcome local guests, we noticed an increase in longer term rentals. We also noticed more guests coming to spend their weekend with us, including their families. Therefore, we decided to adapt our service offerings. We put a bigger focus on improving the child friendliness of our properties, like offering special kids’ menus. We also expanded recreation opportunities for our guests.

Katrin Herz: Let me go back again to the trend towards more leisure travels. Nowadays, a lot of hotels want to position themselves as resort hotels. However, before implementing radical changes, it is wise to monitor the customer behavior and market potential to create a fit for your current and future guests. Starting small and making use of unused facilities at the beginning can be a smart measure. Pedal sports, for example, is very popular in the U.A.E.. Adding new courts in unused spaces can be an option for offering more leisure opportunities to guests. In general, my advice is to better listen to clients to learn about their changing needs, especially in current times. Guest surveys and engaging directly with guests to learn from them, are powerful resources helping you to take the right customer centric decisions.

Katrin Herz: The Marriott brand is an orientation for both our guests and our staff. Especially in times of the pandemic, a hotel stay is about trust. Whom to trust more in hospitality than Marriott’s expertise, gained from having been in business for more than 90 years? For example, Marriott supports us with state-of-the-art cleaning standards and technologies, adapted to the demands that have come up during the pandemic. This know-how helps us to guarantee guests a healthier and more secure environment during their stay. Also, Marriott’s loyalty program “Bonvoy” supports us to maintain customer relationship on a very professional level. By the help of the program’s app or website, guests can inform themselves, can book online, can check in and check out online, can communicate with the hotel, and can request additional services. Bottom line: The loyalty program is not only a benefit for our guests but also for us as we can better focus on the non-standard requests and needs of our guests.

Katrin Herz: I agree, innovation is a lot about listening and understanding different stakeholders of a hotel like guests and partners, and for sure the own team plays a crucial role. For me, developing innovation also means empowering the team and encouraging each team member to do things differently. So it’s a lot about creating an innovation-friendly culture. Let me also mention our huge benefit of being a part of Marriott. We are able to leverage the experience of other brands and properties of Marriott in implementing new products and services.

Katrin Herz: It has been a pleasure to exchange views, so I have to thank you as well.