Face-to-Face: Andre Gomez, General Manager at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa
Today, Travel Daily Asia speaks to Andre Gomez, General Manager at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa…
Q) You’re resort recently underwent a major refurb; what did this entail?
A) As part of our ongoing efforts to bring a new and refreshed experience to our guests, our recent refurbishment involved one third of our all our guest rooms in the Andaman Wings A and B. These rooms provide not only a new fresh contemporary feel but the added element of openness and the addition of more natural light through our interior design.
Q) What is your main business/nationality mix, and do you see this changing as a result of the changes made to the resort?
A) Our primary business mix is driven by the distinct seasonal business that Phuket experiences. The changes to the resort thus far are only a part of our ongoing improvement plan of the resort. This plan includes reviewing our operation in the general delivery of our entire guest experience. We have seen some good response from various markets on our new room offerings already and expect this to grow throughout the year.
Q) Are you noticing any significant upturn in demand from Asia’s emerging markets, such as China?
A) As we now start to move into the off-peak season, we expect a significant shift from the European Market to Asian and Pacific Markets. However, the continued growth of travel from mainland China globally is also flowing through to Phuket. We expect this growth to continue as we move forward and have since implemented various initiatives to ensure that this market is well catered for. One of these initiatives is our participation in the “Hilton Huanying” program. This is a program that is tailored for Chinese travellers. From front desk Team Members fluent in Chinese to in-room amenities and traditional breakfast items, travellers will find familiar comforts throughout their stay.
Q) How did your resort perform in the recent high season, and what are you doing to boost revPAR during the coming summer months?
A) The high season which takes in the first Quarter of this year has seen us start 2012 with an improved performance. We expect to maintain our position well through 2012. With carefully developed strategies in the last year, our RevPar (revenue per available room) has shown good growth since the start of 2012 and we expect this to continue in the immediate future.
Q) Can we expect any further developments at the Hilton Arcadia Phuket in the remainder of the year?
A) Our primary improvement plans for the remainder of the year are more geared towards outlet concepts, themes and our service delivery. Any physical improvement will be kept to a minimum to ensure that we limit any inconvenience or interruptions to our guest experience through significant refurbishment works.
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