According to STR’s September figures for Abu Dhabi, the city’s hotels experienced a drop in demand, while supply increased. Danks-Brown is conscious of the market conditions and is currently focusing on consolidating the hotel’s position in the market. “We are mindful that we have opened in challenging times. Our aim will be to solidify our position in line with our primary competition set. We do not believe in panic or knee-jerk reaction to the difficulties in the market by dropping rates and undermining the hotel positioning.”
Danks-Brown keeps her cards close to her chest and does not elaborate further on how exactly the hotel will combat the “challenging times”. “We have a few new offerings that cannot be shared but we believe they will become apparent as we blossom and become yet another reason to herald the sophistication and elegance that the city offers to the business, MICE and leisure guest. That, of course, will be coupled with good old fashion respect for our business partners and listening to their requirements.”
She gives a sneak peek into the strategy stating: “Speed to the market and pro-activity in partnerships with our leisure and business clients will go a long way to address some of the difficulties.”
Dekirmenzhian remains extremely respectful of his competitors and chooses to look at the larger picture. “Each of our competitor hotels, and many hotels in Abu Dhabi, are unique and special in their own right. These hotels give credibility to Abu Dhabi as a destination and we look forward to being one of them, as we possess our own unique positioning.”
The hotel has strong MICE potential with its dedicated facilities, as Dekirmenzhian shares the management’s plans. “Our MICE strategy will be rolled out in 2017. All the meeting rooms are furnished with the latest technologies and offer one of the largest potential for conference breakout space. Meeting rooms are set over the second and third floors and are accessible via a private elevator. Each meeting space is completely individual in design and décor,” he tells Hotelier Middle East.
Danks-Brown has returned to the GCC, having spent a few years in the Far East during which she was the general manager of the Sofitel Luang Prabang. With a strong background in business development, she opines how the industry has progressed from being “all talk over tea and coffee”, to teams that know the financial aspects of their accounts better than ever. “[Sales] teams need to know the operations of a hotel up close. They need to be involved and serve as true custodians of their accounts — offering concierge-level service to clients,” she says.
Danks-Brown also believes that a robust marketing strategy is pivotal to the hotel’s success. “Digital marketing is the main focus of our overall marketing strategy. But we also need to be aware of the volume of information available online. [To serve us better] We have engaged a number of well reputed companies to assist with strategies for rooms, residences, F&B and all the other services we provide.”
She says that the hotel will continue to leverage the support of online travel agents (OTAs). “They are an important part of our overall strategy, as they have been supportive during our opening days are extremely helpful to initiate opening campaigns and placement.” Danks-Brown also acknowledges the support of local agents in the endeavour.
On the food and beverage front, the six outlets in the hotel will serve the guests and surrounding community. “We have so many different concepts in the hotel,” Stadler says. “The main restaurant — Artisan Kitchen — will have the buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner,” he adds, stating the venue is suited for families and will “soon have a brunch on offer before the end of 2016”.
“The Limo Restaurant and Bar is a Peruvian and Latin American outlet and will introduce Abu Dhabi to a new concept,” Stadler says. He also adds that the pool bar — Loop — serves the “best pizza in town”. Finally, the hotel will also play host to a delicatessen shop. “Fresh Basil will serve individually created sandwiches and salads.”
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