“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.
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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
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