Luxury Hotelier - November 2007 - (Page 66)

66| Connect Sales-and-marketing clusters offer cohesive approach T he pros easily outweigh the cons when it comes to forming salesand-marketing clusters in the luxury hotel market, says Bruce Seigel, area vice president, sales and marketing for The RitzCarlton Hotels Caribbean and Mexico. “From an operations standpoint, it’s the best way to consolidate your resources,” says Mr. Seigel, who oversees five resorts with three more on the way. “We have created a cluster sales organization Bruce Seigel that meets the needs of the customer; it’s one-stop shopping. It’s as much a function of efficiency it is meeting the needs of planners and wholesale buyers.” The Caribbean is a hot spot for RitzCarlton; it’s the brand’s fastest-growing region outside of Asia, Mr. Seigel says. In addition to having resorts in Cancun, Mexico; Rose Hall, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, three more properties are planned for West Caicos, Turks and Caicos; Rose Island, Bahamas; and Cap Cana, Dominican Republic. “Even though the islands are different, it still is a Caribbean buy,” says Mr. Seigel, who has been with Ritz-Carlton for eight years and took over the Caribbean salesand-marketing cluster in July. “There are passport regulations, transportation issues and different taxes involved, so all of our people have to be well-versed about the entire region. That is the key element because everything has to stay customer focused.” Sales people within the cluster must know when all properties are fully booked and when they have openings. “There are times St. Thomas may not be available for whatever reason and we can move the business to Cayman,” says Mr. Seigel. “Price points vary from resort to resort, so that comes into play as well.” The biggest effect—good and bad—on sales-and-marketing efforts comes in the form of weather. “No one told me about the hurricanes,” Mr. Seigel says with a laugh. “Hurricane Dean was focused on Jamaica, Cayman and Cancun at one time, but it went south. We as a team were on conference calls and collectively could lift groups from those sites and relocate them into St. Thomas and San Juan while at the same time working with new groups. We will honor the rate of a group regardless of where they end up. “The cluster organization serves the organization in crisis as well as finding the best opportunity,” he says. Ritz-Carlton adopted the sales-andmarketing cluster concept about three years ago. The cluster encompasses group sales, transient leisure sales, revenue management, marketing and public relations. There are three other clusters in addition to the one Mr. Seigel leads. He says there can be challenges to having a team that is spread over such a wide area. “From the leadership standpoint, it’s a challenge to get your arms around your team, to be able to connect with your people on a daily basis,” Mr. Seigel says. “But, it’s a different world, and the right employees flourish in such a system. THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTELS & RESORTS We find the employee satisfaction in our cluster is among the highest in our company.” The cluster promotes cross-selling among the properties, as well as eliminating the awkward situation of RitzCarlton resorts in the region competing against each other for business. “The employees love it because they are enriched by having more than one product to sell,” he adds. Mr. Seigel began his Ritz-Carlton career in St. Louis, Missouri, in November 1999. He has served the company in Orlando, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Naples, Florida. He started his career in a family hotel in Catskill Mountains. An office in Miami, Florida, is the cluster’s “home”—at least that’s where brochures and information are housed. But Mr. Seigel says his travels keep him at the various properties in the region most of the year. “The good news is I get to stay in RitzCarlton hotels along the way,” Mr. Seigel says. “That’s not too shabby, as my mother always reminds me.” » BY JEFF HIGLEY Luxury Hotelier | November 2007 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Hotelier - November 2007

Luxury Hotelier - November 2007 Contents Editor's Letter Publisher's Letter Inform: News and Notes Network: People Personalities: Traditional Innovator Insight: Smith Travel Research / The Bench Insight: Ypartnership Properties: A Front-Row Seat to Moscow Properties: Northern Star Inspire: Outdoor Showers Deliver: Wellness and Fitness Protocols: The Real Deal Insight: Cornell University Innovate: In-Room Technology Development: Global Project Pipeline Indulge: Coffee and Tea Insight: Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne Connect: Regional Marketing Update: IH/M&RS Luxury Product Collection Dossier: Davide Bertilaccio of The Rocco Forte Collection’s Le Richemond

Luxury Hotelier - November 2007

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