Enhance customer service and management for Travel Industry

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[Music] welcome to Professor ETV and today I'm very excited to talk to someone who is based in London and is the managing director of two hotels so you're obviously looking after the amber Sands Hotel and the venturi and Mercer Hotel in London so Anton thank you very much for taking time out and and coming and talking to us today thank you very much excellent so if you wouldn't mind telling us a little bit of background of yourself please I've been in UK for 15 years and I always wanted to in hospitality in fact my dream job as a child was to be a Hotel inspector so all my classmates they wanted to be surgeons and patients and doctors and I thought what I want to do is I want to travel the world stay in different hotels so they just sounded like an amazing an amazing thing to do it so what my family started to get him off the hotel business I decided that this is definitely a direction which I would like to take amazing UK have studied management University of sorry and that was to started management in both in Australia and I working for mr. mr. foot souse Wow so we're very good pedigree so there was great and and you're obviously you're running two hotels and London which must be incredibly challenging yet exciting at the same time yes eight years ago back then it was you know a failing freestyle and Darney the garbagemen I've invested a lot of money into it - where are just over here to complete and then we opened the is a brand new food supercell but within this beautiful mature and building which dates back from 1880 eight and that it was actually always saying what's out there so we've managed to retain a lot of original creatures but also edit more in design suite I don't think the guests will appreciate what have you done with the place amazing it's been seven years since the opening but I think was still absolutely looking quite fresh and they diem for the ampersand was well connecting you to the best of South Kensington so the all the inspiration for the hotel the property came from South Kensington every rooms I was inspired by places are passing them such as behind Park designs Museum the V&A museum incredible you can see this this little passion of reference everywhere from from different room types to the spaces in the hotel to the wallpapers in the corridors I think it's very original design I think this is what put the guests one Monday when they travel they want to be part of the place where they birthday incredible and when we found that the hotels online we were obviously drawn to them and from the images we seen so incredible but what you've done and I'm just wondering even the names themselves heard the names come from people so I walk with Frank consultants who have this come up with a brand and to create each name then I worked with people like music and sadhus who create music for the hotel and concentration works with the ultimate library who helped us like books for the guest vacuums but more for the library the property so yeah a lot of design is sort of I can be consultants all created a big team who really have to trade and interesting strong concept and who have really thought of you know little fine details which make the property different incredible Alice this attention to fine detail I guess as part of what sets you apart from other hotels and other experiences you want something different they want some technique because we're an independent property not part of any big change but have to follow any set script of rules we can create our own story our own concept and I think it also very important that this little details which reach the guest and so I can appreciate and will also provide them certain extra special Adak bigger hotels don't provide for example a free mini barrage of drinks obviously free Wi-Fi and then wha even free mobile phones in the rooms Wow yes because you know a lot of hotels they tend to charge for on on each rational course well Norah's we will actually provide free phones in rooms which is a guest can can call anywhere in the world absolutely free they can even take it out to all around the city and make goes from there and it has free Wi-Fi as well incredible I don't actually think in all my time on the road in staying in from debate Australia that San Francisco I've ever come across a hotel at offer that facility incredible incredible so so when your guests compute then they really are expecting something out of this world much everywhere and you know it's not about trying to make something short some profit for certain yes I think it's about building relationship and they aren't person who have a lot of guests who are resorting to stay last year after year and obviously we all feel the same with the new corporate said they're insured or Sur incredible and I'm I was gonna ask you you know what what do you think is help the business grow over the last couple of years but I can see you're you're obviously you've got a very different mindset to other hotels so what would you attribute to your success I think it's getting the right people we spend a lot of time on improvement to make sure that people are the right people for the job they're well-trained they have the right experience they they know what the guests want and expect it's about attention to detail such as I mentioned before and in terms of growing business dams when is growing by well what are we open but very very affordable room rate I'd say more like three or four star hotels but we did that on purpose to make sure people are aware of us they know us and then they'll come to stay and crowd managed to grow the room rate significantly over the years F&B has has grown as well a lot so a pair which is the the restroom the day ampersand it's been a challenging space because it's located in the basement there isn't that much natural light so we always the concern would work but the find a very good chef who's actually still with us you know what will provincial Mercer and nothing pretty very good food concept very good design so you know people don't generally like puts on restaurants they tend to be quite dull so we tried to create something different so if the whole space space stamps and inspired by South Kensington in the restaurant we try to do something differently we try to have more sort of sovereign shortage field so it exposed brick walls and candles and blogs and some vintage pieces and I think I managed to do that and one of the old buddy was was quiet but now have a lot of regulars coming in most of people actually eat the pair are not hotel guests they come from local area and one of them company to us every week leashes which is great and the other thing is we're quite proud of is our science subtlety obviously science of tonight see is inspired by the Science Museum five minutes walk from us it's a very fun experience it's it's very different from other traditional currencies and it's it's really popular so again when we started very few people knew about it but now science opportunities group amongst most advanced and we get really with incredible what what the smart marketing techniques I'm very impressed so so have we seen a change in the market trends in in hospitality and tourism over the last couple years original experience so this is exactly what this is even more what we do at the dreamers reach university is obviously inspired by by the City of London it's different from the Ambridge Sun because it's much more geared towards corporate travelers but there is I think a myth that corporate travel was born standard born equal sized I think the car and track is actually corporate travelers I'm not that different from Latin travelers they want something fun and the one an experience rather than just hotel stayed so that's why we're crazy venturi more so we try to make it again original and fun so have we have free dining destinations within the hotel for the rooftop waves incredible views over the city of ovens balls straw aren't they modern and it's more in British cuisine you can go outside on its Ernest and I stay well hopefully you will because we just open a month but has been raining a lot but hopefully when the summer comes our guests will be able to fully enjoy an experience little turns and then you go down to the ground floor of the kitchen which is the Asian tapas restaurant more an Asian cuisine our chef he has experience in top Asian places like the nobusuma so it's it's it's very it's very unusual very good hood then when you go down to the basement it's easy to have a secret space do not disturb and it's inspired by the places from the Prohibition era American and Mexican food there as well so I think that more travelers the trend is that they don't just want to tell room you want a whole package do not experience and that's what we try to do also another trend which is which is relatively modern which is started seeing more and more last few years is Charla so much more conscious about the environmental impact so victim versus a sustainable hotel run 100% renewable energy lab selected the ASA system which causes minimal incremental import and installing solar panels on the roof stop so we'll have will be very eco-friendly incredible things like here at the cutting edge of telling that to be honest it's it's amazing you're so close the environment as well as providing such a unique experience which as a business traveler I to degree enough of the tiny box rooms with its white walls and a small TV you actually do want experience no matter where you are on the road minimal environmental impact from the other hand we have so many plants and greenery in all space surrounding itself especially on the roofs of well well the garden there so yeah I think I think I think we'll see that very different and like it incredible and you see that these boutique hotels are going to become more popular it it's as you say the the clients are demanding it they expecting it done themselves with secret sauce when they're not really for me boutique hotel is an independent without she's not part of some big corporate structure and also basic not just in size but in terms of level of service and attention to details so you have a lot of like being you know bed-and-breakfast places to control themselves but super class but really you know they're just B&B you brother there were super cells on the other hand you have large corporate brands creating sub brands we should call would seek but again you go to them and I don't really think it is much good think about them ok they try to do bit more in the rooms and design to you know to be a bit more perky but again there they all look more or less the same and it is it just doesn't feel personal something real boutique hotels there aren't that many of them yet but I think that's what the market points I definitely think that would be more and more of them this time goes by although to be fair I think I think there is a market for both I think some people they just want to get good value for money and exactly know exactly what they get you know wherever they trial it to your Co bungle or nurses you know some people just want to get the same and the like consistency but um I think as time goes by and it with tools like TripAdvisor we you know you can you can see their actual photos and read gets feedback I think people will be more and more comfortable with put secret cells and I think that that's why I think there'll be more of them but what would put guests would put a lot of people now is sort of you know books you could selfish but really they are amazing I'm glad you made that distinction I actually I wouldn't have as a consumer a client I wouldn't have naturally seen the distinction but when you describe but it's it's very clear so I'm glad you pointed that out so what color are some of the biggest achievements then that the business has accomplished over the last couple years from strength to strength will grow the room rate I managed to find a market for Preston for that peril that we've created designs afternoon TV she's very popular and that's a hotel also won a lot of awards architecture design any good at any con denies traveler or at least when you open certificate of excellence from from TripAdvisor so I'm very proud of that and I hope that means rumors which is just all the mountain-fold will be able to emulate the success from from down percent and find our niche market as well and I'm free all super happy that to manage to find another side in London you know obviously finding the right so I think a lot of it is really difficult I think you don't get anything nice or implication as a writer or you know the seller is just requesting crazy money for it so it's been really difficult to find on your side and then it's been again a really difficult role attraction about the new property took us four years which is a bit longer than expected to be honest but that's the way the fraction industry is but um you know despite what actually quite a few challenges during construction you add or subtract or administration and add to source I live in tractors protect their job and you know finish it and I'm very proud that despite the numerous challenges we tried it managed to to open venture murmurs and I'm very happy that this is consistent with the quality which we expected so yes it took a bit longer than expected it was a bit more expensive than expected but at least the quality's there yeah yeah I'm sure it will follow in the footsteps of amber sound and get a lot of awards and accolades as it grows and builds the years behind it as well do you see money challenges them in the hospitality industry as a whole I think the biggest the way customers are starting to Lucas house we have to rely more and more on a business from their own tribe on my travel agents and the commission we should say is it's very high and it's getting getting even higher and the other thing is they're so powerful they are you know hundreds and hundreds of hotels in London alone and in order to abuse anywhere near they the front page of the search got to pay them even hiring commission so I think the Commission we trying to pay to run on my travel agencies is the biggest biggest challenge I can see incredible very interesting and we'll see how that develops over the couple of years because next couple years because it's a it is a challenge for everyone and there's only so much commission any hotel can afford appear so yeah I guess because how much more about experiential travel the restaurants you have to achieve in all these facilities but I think for small exhaustive especially something Airbnb is also recharge very interesting and how do you think that hotels can continue to ensure future growth and future success what what do you think hotels to be considering and thinking of well the dangerous thing to do is just to assume that you will always have my office you always have Demond laser I think you have to carry on you have to carry more the people to make sure you recruit the right people to make sure the people what best people work in your chance that they stay on their fully motivated to to carry on I think spring for its no the trends in the market how the customers book what the customers expect what they what he wants to see you know what what they won't have in there with table rooms damson for example had to make some small changes for example I USB charge you said I for charge because this is what the guests expect and I think in order to have sustainable growth you need to be very well aware or what's happening in the market and what the customers expect route and there's no accident and what's what's next for yourselves for you young and for the two hotels the next year so is to make sure that we trimmers who performs as good as we hope that we we can copy the success of the ampersand that we get good feedback from the gas so again who reviews the process who likes it that we open the immediate their corporate clients and I think a very big hunch was while in this new property is absent evolve free restaurants and there's just so much competition in terms of good rations in the city but I think what we have brand is is different and I think will attract people already see a lot of a lot of people from local area coming to see the rooftop coming to see the secret bar downstairs and I think yeah I think the next priority is to make sure the restreamers is performing as well as we hope for and that the restaurants as well as rooms generating the right ribbing in the right interest and good feedback from from our clients and incredible accent so if anyone's watching this and would like to know more about the hotels or even connect with yourself what's the best way for them to do that excellent so and what we do is we put a link on the NEETs run even watch this video look underneath in the description of you're reading this on our site you'll find a link for a LinkedIn and the link obviously to the two hotels as well and make sure you go and check them out because they're very impressive and I look forward to someday someday I will find the time and I'll head over and we see the secret part of is an accident no appreciate that thank you very much for your time to the Anton and and you're educating us on what's happening and and how hotels can really stand out if if you have a plan and strategy and a vision so really interesting to see how your note has developed over the next couple years very exciting thank you very much excellent and thank you for watching today I hopefully enjoyed the video do click on the links below and check out and reach out downtown on LinkedIn and do visit the hotels and the websites and check out what they offer and if you're in London be sure to pass by and I look forward to hearing anyone's feedback and hopefully enjoyed this video do share it on your social networks and we'll see you tomorrow thank you again you