Fresh thinking

November 29, 2013

At only 26, Chris Gothong, owner and general manager, Best Western Sand Bar Resort, Cebu, Philippines is blazing a path in hotels for a family that has been synonymous with shipping

How did your family branch out into the hospitality industry?
For all our lives my family has been involved in shipping, logistics, forwarding and pier operations (Chris is a fourth-generation Gothong; originally from China, the Gothongs are a big clan in the Philippines). Rather than put all our eggs in one basket, my dad, Ben, wanted to do something different.

We had a small beach house in Danao, Cebu that was converted into a seven-room resort. Market response was so good, so the rooms were increased to 28 (this is now run by Chris’ cousin).

An avid motorcycle rider, my dad has been all over the country. He really loves the Philippines. He noticed that there are many beautiful areas but not enough hotels. Domestic and inbound travel are growing, but there’s a lack of good, functional rooms, and hotels are not standardised.

How involved are your family members in Best Western Sand Bar Resort, which opened in March?
We had an architect who designed the building, but I did the rest on my own. For the interior design, my mum helped in things like choosing colours and furniture.

My aunt wanted to adhere to feng shui principles but I was vocal against it. I don’t want a restroom in the centre of the room. Who will want to stay in a place where the restroom is in the centre? In the end, they gave me leeway since I said I’m also accountable for the resort.

Why did your father pick you to lead the hotel business?
Trust. He saw my potential, and my eagerness showed. I wanted to learn. Modesty aside, I was a Dean’s Lister. I have a degree in management information systems, with a minor in business administration.

How did you prepare for the job?
My first taste of hospitality was a three-month on-the-job training at Cebu City Marriott Hotel. I trained in every department including housekeeping and laundry. I also read a lot. When I started, I had to buy five books from Amazon.com.

Did you know that you’ll end up running a hotel?
No. After graduation, I was thinking of going abroad to study. I went to China to study Mandarin and South Korea to study Korean because I noticed no one was studying it. Little did I know that learning the language will come in handy in building rapport with Korean guests. The Koreans are the Philippines’ largest market and Cebu has a Koreatown.

Is your age a handicap?
Initially. The contractors I had to deal with in building the resort were older. The first manager and supervisor I hired were also more experienced and older. It was a bit intimidating. I wanted to prove myself yet not to be too cocky. I had to take a balanced approach. When I started pitching the idea of doing things in a new way, they’d tell me: “You’re still young, it’s not going to be easy as 1-2-3.”

At first, I was asking lots of questions. Best Western’s Glenn de Souza (vice president of international operations for Asia and the Middle East) has a good line: Hospitality is a very simple industry. It’s all about service. At the end of the day as a general manager, you have to go beyond your emails. Talk to people, meet the people, invite them to your resort. It’s about common sense. Why make things complicated?

I admit I still have a lot to learn, but being 26, I can afford to take the risk. I make a lot of mistakes and I also learn a lot from them so that the next mistakes I make are smaller ones.

I also want to walk the talk. How fast I can clean the room would also be how fast I can ask people to do it.

Why did you choose Best Western for your first project?
It was purely coincidental. We were travelling in Europe at that time, and my uncle was afraid that if we moved from one hotel to another, we might not know what to expect. So we booked with Best Western throughout because it has a standard in place.

When it came to choosing the brand for our hotel, we contacted several hotel management companies. In some, you cannot have your own management. In others, you have to buy their products like pillows, which doesn’t make sense.

When I went to Best Western and I saw the phrase ‘independently owned and operated’, it stuck. That’s what we wanted from the start: the flexibility of managing the hotel on our own and also having the franchise that can bring people in.

How is your resort different from others?
I wanted something different from other Cebu hotels, which have the tropical and native look. I wanted a hotel that gives people an instant notion of unfinished yet finished, i.e. an industrial look. I’ve always admired The Waterhouse at South Bund in Shanghai. When you enter the lobby, it’s like a warehouse but the rooms are magnificent.

There are comments that the resort’s semicircle shape makes it look like a coliseum or university. I sacrificed some efficiency in the use of space so that all rooms have ocean views. It’s what all guests want. It has a modern look, and is clean, spacious and uncluttered.

I have to admit that the older generation’s concept of doing business is tried and tested, but I wanted to do something different such as hiring staff based on attitude and values, not past performance and experience.

The Gothongs are big on corporate social responsibility. How is this reflected in your hotel?
Before the resort came in, this was a sleepy community. We need to have the strong support of the community and we also need to support the community, so most of our employees are from this area. We focus on value-oriented people as some of them are not used to the hotel industry. They’re not used to dealing with foreigners, so we really have to encourage them otherwise it will affect our service.

What are the challenges of being both owner and manager?
The hard part is always the development side. The hospitality business is a big investment and there are no guaranteed returns. Basically it’s calculated risk. Like all shareholders, we want lots of people to come and have a good ROI.

Sixty per cent of hotel costs is actually structural. Some owners try to save on cost so that a hotel looks nice but uses window-type air conditioners. I didn’t want to pinch on structural areas. You’ll save a lot if you design the hotel well. I go for quality. All the products should last for seven years because you have to renovate after seven years. If you don’t, the hotel gets dated.

What’s your management style?
I’m hands on. We’re trying to build a culture of not blaming. It’s part of the risk to make mistakes. When you encourage the staff to make limited, calculated failure, they learn from it. Every failure is a learning experience otherwise they’ll get scared.

Are you in for the longhaul?
I want to build a good business model. If we’re putting a lot of energy in building this resort, we cannot say we’re going to have only 58 rooms and one hotel. Best Western Sand Bar is performing beyond expectations, so we’re advancing our expansion plans. We’re building 160 to 200 more rooms in 18 months instead of the original plan to expand after two years.

We want to have hotels that offer good value for money in Cebu (the Gothongs’ second Best Western is slated to open in 2015 in Cebu City with 200 rooms) and outside of Cebu.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 29 – December 12, 2013 issue, on page 8. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

Soap opera

By Raini Hamdi

November 29, 2013

Your clients love them and they do sway bookings, say hoteliers. As we get into the festive mood, here’s a lighter side of luxury travel – bathroom amenities – which are pretty serious stuff for hotel chains

From top left: Sofitel So Bangkok, where amenities include a Mac mini and YTSARA bathroom products; Alila’s goodness in bottles; Asprey for Ritz-Carlton guests and Hermès for Sofitel’s

In the world of luxury hotels, the fight for guest loyalty goes down to the minutest thing like bathroom amenities. For hoteliers though, it’s not something small, rather, a soap opera worthy of revisiting over and over again.

“Amenities are an absolutely serious matter for us,” said Michelle Caporicci, regional vice president sales & marketing Asia-Pacific, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “We make sure we test our own amenities out on ourselves and always keep an eye on the competitors’ court to know what’s happening there.”

The correct line of amenities is part and parcel of the pampering of top dollar paying clients. It also seals the hotel’s image and brand. This is why chains are careful when it comes to who they go to bed with for amenities.

Ritz-Carlton, for example, has tied up with Asprey, one of the world’s oldest and most revered luxury goods houses, saying the alliance brings “a shared dedication to craftsmanship and delivery of the utmost luxury experiences, and legendary commitment to excellence and rich heritage”.

The Asprey bath and body range features its signature scent, Purple Water, a fresh citrus fragrance blended with spicy undertones. The purple jacquard print tubes have been specially designed for Ritz-Carlton bathrooms across the globe.

The Sofitel brand, on the other hand, ties up with Hermès and Lanvin, luxury French brands that similarly reflect Sofitel’s DNA as “a classic brand of contemporary hotels and resorts inspired by the French art of hospitality”, said Markland Blaiklock, Sofitel Asia-Pacific’s senior vice president.

For the designy, boutique Sofitel So, it gets more fun. Each hotel team is given the flexibility to define the amenities’ brand, design and overall service delivery, with emphasis on “expressing the essence of the destination”.

Thus, at Sofitel So Bangkok, for instance, YTSARA luxury bathroom products with a personalised ‘So His’ and ‘So Her’ grooming kit with travel-sized spa products are offered. But a Sofitel So can also choose to work with a range of different partners; it can choose to offer a combination of Sofitel signature brand products under Hermès and Lanvin with products from the hotel’s signature designer, or a local partner to deliver the “most genuine” spa and in-room experience blending French touches with local styles.

Over at Alila Hotels & Resorts, a focus on local products for its amenities is in keeping with its president and CEO Mark Edleson’s vision of sustainability.

The ‘Pandora Box’ (His and Hers) at all Alila Villas properties, with neat, thoughtful necessities for resort living – hand soap, massage oil, sunscreen, suntan oil, after-sun care, lip balm, facial mist (all replenished generously) – is a coveted amenity, guaranteed to bring oohs and ahhs even if it is not affiliated with any classic world-renowned brands like Hermès .

The ‘Box’ was originally designed in an A4 format by Huihuy from Duet, its graphics design firm, as part of collaterals for residential villa owners when Alila first launched Alila Villas. It was then used in press events, as a gift pack for villa stay vouchers, as gifts or auctions, before evolving into its current, about A5 size, as a gift box for guest amenities in all villas.

Said Doris Goh, Alila Hotels & Resorts’ vice president sales & marketing: “The design of the room fittings and amenities conform to a design brief: must have local flavour and must be environment-friendly. From the start, we’ve produced our own product line for Spa Alila and for our guests’ use. The first products were the hand soaps, massage oils, sunscreen, suntan oils and after-sun care, and the range expanded into body scrubs, facial scrubs and cleansers, bath salts, body milk, body spritz, lip balm, pillow mists as well as scented candles and natural insect repellent. Now there is almost everything available for you to recreate your unique Spa Alila experience at home.”

Chains are also selling their amenities. Shop Alila (www.shopalila.com) came online recently, so guests can order products, which are delivered to their doorstep. Sofitel also has an online shop, SoBoutique (na.soboutique.com) where guests can purchase everything from the SoBed to home amenities designed by Kenzo Takada.

Sofitel’s Blaiklock believes amenities “definitely have a degree of influence” on choice of accommodation, particularly with female guests.

“Travellers choose a specific holiday or hotel because they are yearning for something exquisite and unique. It’s not just about the overall experience but down to every little detail, such as having luxe amenities that can make a certain hotel special and different from the rest,” he said.

Men apparently are not immune to pretty amenities. In fact, men have become “increasingly interested” in amenities, according to Ritz-Carlton’s Caporicci. “Sometimes, they go beyond to seek concierge recommendations for a really good barbershop or to request for a barber’s visit for a shave in the comfort of their suite,” she said.

But beyond soaps and suds, chains are clearly rethinking the whole concept of ‘amenities’.

Caporicci envisions “an army of facial therapists, masseurs, perfumers, hair stylists and make-up artists for the full works”, while Goh thinks of “head to toe pampering with natural products that really work, including fragrances to suit each personality type; a flotation bed for relaxation; a state-of-the-art body massage bed”.

And, for men like Blaiklock, the ultimate amenities are “always about simplicity and seamless service”. He said: “User-friendly, intuitive in-room technology such as an Apple Mac mini with integrated functions can enhance comfort and the overall hotel experience for lifestyle and business travellers. I also appreciate the indulgence of having luxurious bath amenities as long as the scent is not overpowering!”

This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 29 – December 12, 2013 issue, on page 12. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

TAITRA to focus 2014 efforts on congresses, incentives

By Karen Yue

November 28, 2013

TAIWAN External Trade Development Council’s (TAITRA) Meet Taiwan project will continue to invest in marketing communications with industry players to grow the destination’s MICE business in the new year, with international association congresses and corporate incentives being the key segments of focus.

Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly in an interview, Walter Yeh, TAITRA executive vice president, said Meet Taiwan’s efforts will centre on building an extensive database of rotating congresses for industry players and providing assistance to incentive buyers.

“Data on rotating congresses is crucial for bidding success and we have been analysing ICCA’s database for market intelligence. These information will be shared with PCOs to help them identify events they can bid for and boost their bidding success rate,” said Yeh.

To grow Taiwan’s incentive business, Meet Taiwan will continue to provide support such as the provision of official invites to facilitate travel visa approvals and destination marketing assistance to local city governments.

“Although China is today a big market for Taiwan’s incentive segment, contributing 90 per cent of the 100 incentive groups we welcomed this year, we will continue to court South-east Asian and other North Asian markets such as Malaysia and Japan. We will conduct several familiarisation trips for event houses and end-user clients in these markets,” he added.

According to Yeh, the 100 incentive groups to Taiwan involved almost 40,000 delegates. He aims to attract 150 incentive groups in 2014.

He pointed out that incentive clients are becoming more discerning and requests for unique activities are rising, so Meet Taiwan will have to respond to such needs.

“Taiwan can offer plenty of creative activities and ideas for corporate events, such as surfing and mountain climbing to bond teams. Meet Taiwan will therefore seek to provide such ideas through our future familiarisation trips and roadshows,” he said.

Muslim MICE groups to benefit from Crescentrating, Kuoni tie-up

By TTG Asia

November 28, 2013

KUONI Group Travel Experts and Crescentrating, which promotes Muslim travel through its rating system, have announced a partnership in which the travel provider will market halal-friendly group travel arrangements and packages for Muslim families, leisure and MICE groups.

Kuoni and Crescentrating will launch their first brochure in Asia next month, and will co-develop new group travel products and enhanced travel booking and management services for the Muslim travel market.

Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh have the largest Muslim populations, according to the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project.

Reto Kaufmann, Kuoni Group Travel Experts head of MICE sales Asia, said: “Last year, we saw room nights booked by group travellers from these four countries rise, particularly Indonesia and India which enjoyed double-digit increases, while Bangladesh quadrupled.

“And it’s not just leisure travel, more and more of Asia’s businesses…have large numbers of Muslim delegates with specific halal or religious requirements.”

In Asia, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand also offer significant numbers of potential Muslim travellers. For example China, with a Muslim population numbering 23 million, saw room nights booked with Kuoni rise six per cent last year.

STB rolls out green MICE guidelines

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

November 28, 2013

IN A bid to encourage sustainable MICE practices, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a set of guidelines to encourage local players to meet global sustainability requirements.

STB executive director for business tourism development, Chew Tiong Heng, said: “With corporate clients and delegates becoming increasingly concerned about the environment, business event organisers and meeting planners are turning to destinations and venues with strong sustainability policies in place.

“Green initiatives are therefore gaining traction among MICE event organisers, who recognise that such endeavours significantly enhance the overall visitor experience.”

The guidelines cover seven industry categories from across the business events ecosystem, including hotels, venues, event organisers, meeting planners, transportation, F&B as well as audio-visual set-up. Areas covered include advice on waste management and the efficient use of water and energy.

Welcoming the guidelines, Tour East Group senior vice president for sales and marketing, Judy Lum, said: “Many just talk about sustainability but they do not practise it because they are not sure where to start. Now they do not have an excuse. Interest in sustainable practices is a common prerequisite for responsible organisations.”

East West Planners chief executive and SACEOS president, Janet Tan-Collis, said CSR programmes are becoming “ever more important as a competitive factor for the Singapore MICE industry”, adding that the new guidelines can be easily adopted by local MICE-related companies.

Asian Detours deputy director for marketing, Florence Cheong, said 20-30 per cent of her corporates will ensure their events are environmentally friendly such as through minimising paper usage and utilising solar energy wherever possible.

However, Cheong also pointed out that corporates’ understanding of green practices is very basic like saving paper and reusing materials, hence this new official reference guide will be a useful tool.

According to STB, the guidelines are referenced from international standards such as ISO 20121 and APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards.

Chew said while adoption of the guidelines is voluntary, STB will work with relevant associations like SACEOS, Singapore Hotel Association and Singapore Green Building Council to monitor the adoption rate and gather feedback.

Capella introduces conference package

By TTG Asia

November 28, 2013

CAPELLA Singapore is offering a new package for meetings and events planners.

From S$499 (US$398) per person per room night, the Conference Package includes the following:

• accommodation in a Premier Garden Room with complimentary non-alcoholic drinks from the minibar and breakfast;
• complimentary Wi-Fi in guestrooms and function rooms;
• two seminar coffee breaks with refreshments;
• one seminar lunch customised in consultation with the executive chef;
• a designated conference service manager and personalised butler; and
• a complimentary room for the event organiser during the event period (subject to minimum booking of 45 guestrooms for two consecutive nights’ stay).

The offer is valid for minimum bookings of 10 guestrooms with at least two consecutive nights’ stay, from Sundays to Thursdays from now till December 20, 2013.

Email johnny@gatewaygp.com for enquiries.

Marriott refreshes meeting experiences

By TTG Asia

November 28, 2013

MARRIOTT Hotels will introduce a number of initiatives across its properties worldwide to refresh the experience for meeting attendees.

New meeting spaces with stylish design, natural light, flexible seating and wireless or web-enabled technology enable planners and attendees to focus on the meeting objectives.

Marriott properties in Munich and Amsterdam already feature the new design, with London Kensington Marriott and Paris Marriott Rive Gauche following early next year.

Meanwhile, the Red Coat Direct app enables meeting organisers to adjust and edit their meeting requests and preferences with a touch of a button and without having to leave the meeting room.

Currently available in 35 Marriott hotels in Europe, the service will roll out globally in early 2014 to more Marriott Hotels in Asia-Pacific.

Thanyapura Phuket tests endurance with new teambuilding course

By Greg Lowe

November 28, 2013

INTEGRATED resort Thanyapura Phuket has recently launched a boot camp and assault course that can be used to test the limits of mental and physical endurance, and be modified for groups of all ages and abilities.

“We’ve just developed the Project Xtreme Boot Camp and Assault Course designed by one of our staff, a former British special forces soldier,” said the company’s president Robert Hauck.

“It’s all about teamwork and giving groups a sense of achievement…We don’t think there’s anything else like it in Thailand and it’s ideal for groups and planners looking for something unique.

“Really it’s about having fun; the main concept is ‘no one will be left behind’,” he added.

Project Xtreme adds to the resort’s existing MICE facilities, which include a conference hall for 150 pax, a boardroom for 12 to 15 pax and the Wine Cellar for high-end dinner events.

The 23-hectare property comprises Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Thanyapura Integrative Health Centre, the 77-room Thanyapura Sports Hotel and the 38-room Thanyapura Retreat Hotel.

Hauck said more enquiries are pouring in from overseas hotel developers interested in incorporating high-concept sports facilities into their products, but it will take some time for such developments to materialise.

He revealed the company will also be introducing a new MICE strategy in the coming months targeting groups focused on sports, health, mind and teambuilding.

While an emerging trend is that of Korean honeymooners coming to the resort for a few hours of muay thai training followed by yoga and lunch, he said the new MICE strategy will target both international and regional incentive and teambuilding groups.

Meanwhile, the company is bolstering its management team as part of its move to internationalise its sports and health-focused brand.

Multiple world champion triathlete Chris McCormack will join the company as executive chairman of Thanyapura Phuket on December 1, the same time Australian professional sports coach Michael Gilliam will join as CEO for domestic operations.

Hauck will become CEO of the newly formed Thanyapura International, which will focus on developing the brand’s international presence.

Alain Guernier passes away

By Raini Hamdi

November 28, 2013

VETERAN hotelier Alain Guernier passed away last Saturday (November 23, 2013) in China after a nine-month fight with bladder cancer.

“I was at his bedside and it all happened so unexpectedly fast,” his wife Eve wrote to friends.

The news came as a shock to his friends and peers in the industry, who expressed deep sadness in emails that started making the rounds. Guernier was also thought to be on the mend just weeks ago, according to a few of his friends.

Guernier spent most of his hotel career in Hong Kong. He was regional director, sales & marketing of Holiday Inn Asia, senior vice president marketing of Omni Hotels Asia, general manager of Renaissance Hotel Hong Kong and director of Allson International Hotels & Resorts, Hong Kong. In 1995, he set up a hotel management group, Byron International Hotels, to provide independent owners an alternative to larger hotel chains.

In 2001, he joined Training Services Asia as executive director. He also served as CEO of Tamani Hotels & Resorts and was last executive director of Abelint International, an independent hospitality management group based in Shanghai.

A handsome man whose smile could light up a room, Guernier had a big heart to match, while his easy manners belied his candour.

Said See Foon Chan-Koppen, then with Holiday Inn Asia: “Alain Guernier worked with me in the regional marketing department of Holiday Inn for some years. I brought him out from operations to learn sales and marketing which he took to in a flash and was most successful at it.

“He was generous to a fault, giving of his time and happy to share whatever he had to offer materially. He never minced words either, telling it like it is to anyone within earshot. He was a bon vivant who loved the good life and a great raconteur to sip the grape with.

“He was a caring father and a protective husband who took charge of the family both in and out of the home. I stayed with him a few times in Hong Kong and he was the perfect host.

“Alain is a good friend and I will miss him.”

Added Patrick Fiat, general manager of the Royal Plaza on Scotts, Singapore: “Alain was Mr Hotelier Asia. He was a great professional and a pioneer in marketing. A great mentor to many.”

“A good man, gone too soon, RIP,” said Kevin Murphy, president & CEO, Asiawide Hospitality Solutions.

Lufthansa returns to Jakarta

By Mimi Hudoyo

November 28, 2013

LUFTHANSA will reopen its Jakarta route and offer five weekly flights from Frankfurt starting March 30, 2014, marking a comeback for the German air carrier since it suspended this service in October 2012.

Using Airbus A340-600 aircraft that can accommodate eight first class seats, 48 business class seats and 270 economy class seats, flights will connect through Kuala Lumpur, which will also see new non-stop services from Frankfurt next year.

The return of the service is part of the airline’s restructuring of its South-east Asia network (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 11, 2013).

Leandro Tonidandel, general manager Indonesia of Lufthansa, said: “We had served Indonesia for 45 years (before the suspension)…However, the company went through a big network restructuring process last year. This saw Singapore-Frankfurt getting an Airbus A380, which could not land in Jakarta.”

With the absence of a Jakarta service, Lufthansa had been feeding traffic to Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong, resulting in a higher-than-targeted performance this year, Tonidandel pointed out.

“This is also part of the reason why we came back,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa’s partnerships with Garuda Indonesia, Jetstar and Singapore Airlines are also helping to link the airline’s gateways in Asia with different regions in Indonesia.

Said Tonidandel: “Customers in Medan can reach Kuala Lumpur and Singapore very easily; those from Surabaya can link through Jakarta and Singapore; and those from Central Java can easily reach Jakarta or Singapore.”