Hawaii Hospitality - May/June 2014 - (Page 18)

Out of Sight, Not out of Mind Connecting with guests before they arrive and after they've gone enhances their experience and earns loyalty BY STACY POPE W hat is it that draws visitors back to Hawaii? Our natural beauty and climate, sure-but it's also our aloha spirit, as overused a phrase as that may have become. And now Hawaii's cultural traditions of warmth, welcome and helpfulness have finally put us at the forefront of a hospitality trend. Hotels everywhere are discovering that it's not enough to create a stylish spa or cigar bar; if you're not cultivating aloha spirit with your guests, you might never see them again. "After guests leave your hotel, they will not remember the beds, breakfast or building-they will remember how you made them feel," says Scott Nadel, DMC Hotels and Dhillon Management Group Chief Operating Officer. Polish, 18 Hawaii Hospitality May/June 2014 ■ technology, amenities and upgrades may set the tone, but personal connections will be the heart of your operations. That's where the true guest experience happens. One of the biggest mistakes that a hotel staff can make, however, is thinking that the guest experience takes place only when guests are actually checked in at your property. Guests are judging you before, during and after a stay, and the connections you make with them at every stage will affect their impression as well as whether they'll be booking with you again. The opportunities to share your aloha with guests both before and after a stay are limitless, and they often present themselves in unexpected ways. The five-star Halekulani, on Waikiki Beach These can be as simple as finding out what kind of bedding someone will prefer or thanking a guest with a handwritten note to efforts that transform brief encounters into lifelong relationships. Read on for six out-of-the-box "before and after" guest experiences that will delight, astound and hopefully inspire you. Enter any Starwood-brand Aloft Hotel from Tucson to Turkey and you'll find a bit of home. Instead of a front desk, each now has an Aloha Desk-and "Aloha!" is the official greeting.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hawaii Hospitality - May/June 2014

News Briefs
Are You Inspection Ready?
Lanai: Small Island, Big Aloha
Great Restaurants: W Bistro
Talk Story with George Szigeti
Small-scale Sustainability
Out of Sight, Not out of Mind
Food & Beverage SuperStars
Taking the Lead: Sales & Marketing
Jaclyn Loo of Google Inc.
Clean Talk
Association News

Hawaii Hospitality - May/June 2014

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