Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008 - (Page 48)

COVER STORY EXCLUSIVE: ROSEWOOD ELITE One could say that Bob Boulogne cut his teeth by servicing the travel agency market, so it’s no surprise that he is showing them a special commitment at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. The COO started his hospitality career as director of marketing and regional director of sales for Four Seasons Hotels in New York City, followed by seven years in various senior sales and marketing positions in Manhattan and Texas. Boulogne went on to co-found Sterling Hotels & Resorts, which provided sales, marketing and reservation services to independent luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. “Travel agents today still talk about the team that I had that called on them back then, says Boulogne. “We reset the bar ” for representation companies and their approach to the travel agent segment. ” New Program for Travel Advisors That’s all a lead up to the fact that Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has just launched Rosewood Elite, an exclusive program for its top travel agency partners. The program is a select group to which only 37 travel agencies worldwide have been invited, based on a set of performance criteria. Rosewood says it created the program to recognize and reward those travel agencies that have been its most productive partners. It was launched with the guidance of Rosewood’s Travel Agent Advisory Board, all of whom were grandfathered into the program. “Membership includes a series of recognition and service deliverables that go beyond Rosewood’s already high standards of service, says Ralph Aruzza, Rosewood’s vice president of ” sales, who was involved in setting the program’s deliverables and establishing the criteria. “We will re-evaluate each agency’s performance at year-end to determine its future status in the program and will bring on new agencies that meet our criteria. ” Ellen Gerchick (ellen.gerchick@rosewoodhotels.com), director of global agency sales, based in New York, is the direct contact for all Elite members. Rosewood has also established Global Elite contacts in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and London, says Aruzza. patient. But we’d rather have no project than something that is not spectacular.” Boulogne says that when Rosewood looks at existing hotels as possible portfolio-adds, his company examines the sponsorship behind a property—the attitude of its owners— to ensure that they will continue to invest in the asset. This is an issue that is not left to a handshake but is treated contractually in the management agreement. “It’s also vital that owners share the Rosewood vision of what ultra luxury is and what it takes to create it,” says Boulogne, adding that they must also understand the need to invest up front to drive high room and occupancy rates. In conversion plays, Rosewood also wants to be sure that it can move the hotel further along from its existing status. “For example, THE ROSEWOOD MAYAKOBA was built with floor-to-ceiling windows to bring the outdoors in. 48 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | March 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008

Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Dublin: We Tour the Irish Capital’s Top Offerings Puglia, Italy: Where to go for Complete Tranquility Small Meetings: Inspiring Settings for your Corporate Client The Thompson Beverly Hills: Bold New Style Arrives in Southern California US Grant: Unabashed Luxury in Downtown San Diego Sailing the Danube: Low-Key Luxury on River Cloud II Sin City Spas: The Latest From Some of our Favorite Las Vegas Retreats Bob Boulogne: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' COO Targets Elite Travel Advisors The Pulse Exotic Car Rental Jetset Report Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008

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