Brand launch: Autograph Collection

Dubai’s Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa recently joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, a group of independently run and operated hotels. Hotelier meets the team to discuss the strategy and how the new flag will drive operations.

Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa became the first Middle Eastern property to join Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, a portfolio of independent hotels launched in January 2010, and comprised of 60 hotels worldwide.

With the property officially flagged under the collection in February, Hotelier Middle East caught up with Al Habtoor Group director of operations and development Sundaresh Iyer, and Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa consulting general manager Rick Zeolla to find out how the new flag changes things at the independently owned and operated hotel.

Commenting on the group’s decision to join the Autograph Collection, Iyer says: “The obvious answer is to enhance our global reach. Habtoor is a well-known brand in the region and within the UAE. Being part of the Autograph Collection gives us the global reach that we as a standalone weren’t able to achieve.”

The global reach Iyer refers to includes Marriott International’s global sales teams and the group’s 48 million Marriott Rewards members.

“Marriott has 48 million members, which is already a huge reach; there’s a global sales office, there’s a cluster sales office over here, so we get the brand support and it also lets us retain our identity,” he reiterates.

“We are able to expose this property to a much broader range of potential customers. If someone’s looking for an independent experience, they can trust that it’s in Marriott’s system and because of that, there is a certain level of quality that we are expected to meet.

“Our target customer is that person looking for something a little bit off the beaten trail. They are confident that because it’s under Marriott, there’s a certain quality level.

“They are also looking for something more unique to the destination, and that’s where this property really stands out. It’s got great heritage, it’s been here for a long time, it’s got great bones.”

Zeolla says the hotel has already noticed a favourable response from Marriott Rewards members as a result.

“We’ve been in contact with all our global sales organisations around the world and the response has been great because we offer something we haven’t had in this market before, a beachfront resort,” he says.

“Guests have been wanting this, so I think we will fill a very specific niche in Marriott’s portfolio and that’s going to bring benefits to us.”

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Both Iyer and Zeolla are keen to assert that despite joining the Marriott International umbrella, the hotel, which will continue to be operated by the Habtoor Group’s hospitality division, will retain its USPs.

“We did quite well as an independent brand,” explains Iyer, who admits, however that the Habtoor Group was looking for a “more strategic partner ”.

“This is not a management agreement. Things continue the way they were, the staffing, the management, etc. We have the Marriott GM presence in the hotel and the sales force; that’s an add-on. In terms of operations it will be seamless… what will happen is enhancements to value, in terms of products or services,” he asserts.

“We are not trying to replace one culture with the other,” Zeolla chimes in. “Habtoor is a family business, they have got a very strong regional presence.

“We are not trying to replace that with the Autograph flag on the roof. We added one flag in the entrance; we have put one sign on the front door.

“The logo changed so subtly you might not even notice. So it intends to take the strengths of the brands and blend them together; amplify what’s good and make it better.”

Re-flagging the property also meant the hotel had to meet some basic standards as pre-requisites.

Various in-depth surveys were carried out to look at pre-existing marketing plans, the hotel’s structure, its safety guidelines, and to ensure it is aligned with Marriott’s quality guidelines.

Some of the enhancements in the run up to the flagging of the property included the renovation of the resort’s lobby, the guest rooms, the launch of new restaurant Al Diyafa, as well as the introduction of a brand new club lounge.

“We had to make some IT upgrades so we could adapt to their systems,” Iyer explains.

“There were a few other minor issues. We didn’t really have too many guest-facing or front office changes, but we did improve our service levels” And with Zeolla now on board to lead the team during this new phase, the resort will look at how it’s going to attract a more diverse clientele from outside of its key GCC feeder markets, while maintaining its Arabian identity.

It’s a process Zeolla seems to be enjoying, having been with Marriott International for more than 30 years, most recently at The Cairo Marriott Hotel.

“I am very familiar with the Marriott structure,” he says.

“The big difference with Autograph is by default [the hotels] don’t need to have that structure. They are very much encouraged to be different. The lines around the box are not as strict; they are dotted and blurry.

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“Things that guests might find quirky and unusual, or that give them a more defined sense of place are highly
encouraged. It’s really, for me, a very freeing experience, because now I get to do all the things that in the old days I might have thought were a good idea but the brand standards kept me from doing them. So it’s very exciting.”

Zeolla adds that already the hotel is performing positively due to a few things “put in place behind the scenes”.

“We are already seeing an uptick in our TripAdvisor scores and our own internal customer feedback form, which went over to the Marriott system,” he says.

While the property will continue to operate on its own terms, Zeolla maintains that meeting the Autograph Collection’s expectations will be a priority.

All Autograph Collection hotels are subject to two surprise quality audits a year, the first of which will be due within the first six months of operation.

Marriott will organise a mystery shop, as well as a back-of-house survey to ensure training records are correct, hygiene records are maintained, and everything is as it’s meant to be.

“They will check life safety, the arrival experience, all the way from making the reservation in the beginning. Am I engaged on the telephone, does it ring properly, are they selling me the right thing? So it’s very in-depth and it’s a high standard.

“You can lose your flag if you don’t perform against that,” Zeolla cautions.

Going forward, Zeolla is also eyeing new markets and considering new sales strategies for the hotel.

“There definitely will be changes to what we’ve traditionally focused on. We feel like we have a great opportunity in small meetings and we’re ideally set up for that. I think our family market we can expand on, but geographically, I think we’ll still retain a focus on the Gulf,” he adds.

“We’ll also expand into traditional markets where we haven’t necessarily been a strong player, so I think we have a lot of opportunities using our Marriott reach. With our friends in the market, I think we can find new customers and expose them to this property,” Zeolla explains.

“We are really looking forward in the next years to continue to develop our essence and build on that, and build on the guest experience, and get the name out there.

“So with more exposure comes more trials, more feedback, and the ability to really fine tune what it is we are really offering to our customers.”

Zeolla is also quick to dismiss any suggestion of the hotel increasing its rates after joining the Autograph Collection, insisting instead that rates will always be driven by the market itself.

“Will prices change because of branding? No. Will prices change because of market dynamics? Absolutely. We are not independent of market moves. We need to be attractive in the marketplace, just as Dubai needs to be attractive in the global market. Locally we need to make sure that we are marketing ourselves properly — proper publications, using the proper tools,” he asserts.

While neither of them talk about any set targets, Zeolla comments: “People like myself and the sales and marketing team are not free. So owners like Habtoor bring us on board with an expectation that they are going to get more than they are paying out for our expertise. The maths has to work.”

However, while Zeolla will continue to focus on making enhancements and marketing the property, Iyer is clear the partnership also serves a strategic purpose. “As owners, obviously the sky is the limit [for us]. We will always want more from any partnership. The whole idea of joining up with Marriott is to expand our horizons,” he concludes.

Stat attack
- 446 Rooms and keys
- 14 Room types
- 14 F&B outlets
- 900m2 Meeting facilities
- 7 Meeting rooms
- 1200 Guests can fit in the outdoor function areas