Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009 - (Page 30)

COVER STORY has long been known for its daily lineups; each morning managers hold meetings with employees before their shifts start. Flannery installed his own procedure at Ritz-Carlton, Central Park; what he calls the Employee Council. The program is ingenious for its simplicity and the resulting uptick in service and quality. Every month, Flannery meets with about 33 staff members from every department—no managers are involved. There, the gloves come off and subsequent discussion covers all topics, good and bad. Employees, from lowest to highest, are free to speak their mind without any threat of repercussion. It’s no wonder, then, that businesspeople pay Ritz-Carlton top dollar to learn their “legendary service” secrets. As a general manager, notching top service is just one part of the job. Flannery’s concerns are diverse. In fact, he likens himself to a juggler of sorts. “It’s easy to keep one ball in the air,” he likes to say, “but when you have to keep financial results, guest satisfaction and employee morale, all in the air at the same time, it’s tough and requires more skill and concentration. Understanding what drives profitability is really about more than just a bed and shower.” It’s no surprise that Flannery has always gone above and beyond to maximize the reach of Ritz-Carlton. Although he is favored by the visibility that comes with working at hotels in New York (“The caliber of this hotel generates a lot of interests from travel agents, and we have an advantage being based in New York, where we get to know many agencies and build relationships with them,” he says), it’s the work he does outside the area that has brought success. Flannery isn’t one to lie in the weeds. “Get out there” is more his mantra. He globetrots with Ritz-Carlton sales managers, meeting both with agents and clients. In London and L.A., he’s meeting with entertainment folk; in the Middle East it’s all about growing the hotels’ diplomat business. “It comes down to building relationships and trust,” Flannery says. Ironically, confidence in his skills is what is leading Flannery into the next phase of his career. This month, Flannery transitions into the new post of managing director of Edition Hotels, Marriott’s boutique/lifestyle brand that is being developed in partnership with legendary hotelier Ian Schrager. The genesis of Edition is a popular story of Flannery’s. Late one night, two years ago, in New York City, he and his boss, Bill Marriott, chairman and CEO of Marriott International, went for a walk. The mission: Sweep the city and scout its mix of boutique properties. The reason: A global company with more than 3,000 hotels, representing 15 brands, Marriott still did not have a brand in the nascent, but already popular, boutique segment. The result: Shortly after the latenight expedition, Marriott, in June 2007, announced a partnership with Schrager to design and operate a boutique/lifestyle hotel brand, subsequently to be called “Edition.” The news created buzz. What better bed partner than Schrager, widely regarded as FLANNERY accepting his top GM award in Las Vegas, flanked by Ruthanne Terrero and John McMahon to his right and, on his left, Fugazi Travel’s Robert Romano, who presented the award. 30 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | January 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009

Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Lucca Egypt Provence Great Honeymoons Cover Story: Dan Flannery Girlfriend Getaways Croatia The Pulse Jetset Report Sightings Meetings & Incentives Supplement Aruba Turks and Caicos Los Angeles Laguna Beach, CA

Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009

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