Defining luxury in the hospitality industry (part 2)
Donald J. Trump built the Trump Hotel Collection based on the concept of providing exceptional service for guests who value luxury and have the means to pay for it. His concept of "sensibility" resonates especially today despite the reality that our industry has fallen into the trap of one-upmanship and amenity creep, Trump has always believed and reinforced the simple concept that what people really want is great service provided by dedicated individuals who share his passion, drive and enthusiasm. Although there has been an ongoing focus in the luxury hotel sector on providing over-the-top amenities, DJT’s view - that having the right people in place matters most of all, was endorsed by Forbes Travel Guides (formerly Mobil Travel Guides) executives that the Five-Star criterion used by that recognised organisation for evaluating service is that "Staff are intuitive, engaging, passionate, and eagerly deliver service above and beyond the guest's expectations”. Likewise, we learn that in today's economy, guests want great service, first and foremost, and that the free newspaper or high-thread-count towels or the Italian marbled flooring is unlikely to compensate for the delivery of an experience that blurs between the normal and the average.
Luxury Hotels Fulfill the Self-Actualisation Needs of the Guest – Ask Maslow!
Larry Mogalonski once said that If you’re looking for a creative standard by which to evaluate your guest service priorities, or if you’re simply looking for inspiration, you need only apply Maslow’s 1943 groundbreaking ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ in the context of hotel guest expectations. Abraham Maslow identified five categories of human needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem and self actualization and proposed that basic needs like food and shelter must be met before others can be fulfilled. Start by reviewing the hierarchy diagram, which has five generalized levels (stratums) outlined in a pyramid with the base being basic and the most important, and hence the biggest in terms of area.
Let’s consider the base of the pyramid as representing the need for such rudimentary aspects of sustaining life such as food, breathing, water and sleep. In other words at this level the less demanding guest expectations are for a well ventilated noise/smell-free room, edible food, clean and free flowing water on tap and a comfortable bed for a good sleep at night.
The second stratum (layer), involves more cognitive aspects of one’s life dealing with personal health, shelter and security. How secure is your hotel? What about the surrounding area? How safe are the rooms? Is there a safe in the room? Are the elevators monitored, or the floors secured with key card access? Are there any safety hazards that should have properly flagged (cautionary signage)? Aside from food being edible, does it pose a health risk? Do you offer a menu with a full array of healthy/ vegan choices? Are any allergic concerns made explicit on the menu? Is your food prepared in a clean, germ-free environment? How do you source and store your ingredients? Do you enforce quality control methods?
As we cross the midway point (3rd layer) in the pyramid, we begin to deal less with the basic necessities and more with true emotional fulfillment. People need to feel as though they belong. We’re long past meeting the expectation of operating a clean, safe and economically priced hotel but are now challenged to satisfying a guest’s need for an enriching environment. At this level guests expect professionalism. Is the staff warm, welcoming and although friendly - attentive? It is here that consistent quality guest service comes into play. One now begins to care about the physical state of the hotel. Is the exterior looking attractive and inviting? Does the lobby pervade a feeling of warmth and beckon for an intimate relaxing atmosphere? Your F&B choices also bridge this territory, but reflect on your cuisine more in terms of the social experience. What is the ambiance in your restaurants? Do your staff members make people feel at home, or do they make patrons feel inferior? Do you offer any deals or host events to incentivize patrons and encourage a more crowded, vivacious mood?
The fourth layer (stratum) is where we transition from expectations to value-added features, although the line between the two is blurred and exceedingly subjective. Instead of merely fulfilling a guest’s need for belonging, esteem deals more with reputation and importance. We’re moving away from satisfaction towards indulgence. In terms of importance, how can you make your guests feel like VIPs? Do you attend to individual requests promptly and with care? How do you make people feel as though you value and appreciate them choosing you? In terms of reputation, are your guests proud to stay at your hotel? Is it something to brag about? How do you reward your loyal customers to demonstrate that this is a mutual feeling?
The expectations at the apex of the pyramid are the hardest to attain and also the most mercurial. Maslow delineated the summit as pertaining to the motivators for someone to achieve his or her personal best. So, how can your hotel facilitate this? Mogalonski further explains that self-actualization also comes from creating new experiences for the guest. An example: providing the guest with an opportunity to learn about the ecological environment of the property with complimentary guide books and binoculars. Even a bar with several hundred different scotch whiskeys and a knowledgeable bartender could form the basis of a self-actualizing activity. It is these types of ‘wow’ activities that a guest recalls years later as they continue to re-actualize their previous experiences within their own mind. Even on a subliminal level, every guest wants to be wowed. Self-actualization is the charm, the love, the unbridled happiness, the sense of harmony and the unique touch that only an experience at your hotel can supply. And only when all levels of your operations are functioning at their personal best can you deliver as such. Maslow advised that only a small percentage of people ever reach self-actualization. The same applies to hotels. There are only a very few hotels that enable guests to attain the self actualisation they seek. Hotels that do just that are truly luxurious – unlike the great majority of pretenders.
Ilzaf Keefahs – writes on hospitality related matters that he is passionate about, and likes to share his views with hoteliers and customers alike. |
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