72 July 2012 BTM The Holiday Inn Express is finally set to open during Ramadan. The 274-room property, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), will be the limited service brand’s debut in Bahrain. For general manager Luca De Stefano, the timing couldn’t be better. “As an ‘express’ hotel, our focus is on offering limited services at a reasonable price. Ever since the financial crisis erupted, companies have been looking to cut travel expenses and a no-frills corporate hotel makes more sense now than ever,” he says. With over 2,000 hotels worldwide, the Holiday Inn Express is the fastest growing brand in the IHG stable. Located off the bustling Exhibitions Avenue, a popular weekend leisure destination for GCC travellers, Luca does expect a fair spill-over of guests from other establishments nearby. However, it is the mid-level corporate executive towards whom the property is geared, with its ethos of good clean rooms, quality meals, fast check-in and standard amenities that are both convenient and practical. To cap it off, the hotel is launching with an aggressive corporate rate, with special discounts varying on the duration of stay. The campaign will offer rates that are 20 to 25 per cent lower than its daily rates. Start at the beginning At 34, Luca may well be the youngest general manager in the Bahrain hospitality space. The former resident manager at the Crowne Plaza, Milan, has worked his way up the ladder, starting off as a porter when he was 16. Having managed the front office for most part of his formative years, Luca believes it’s at the hotel reception that impressions are made and marred. “A good and speedy check-in signals a successful stay almost 90 per cent of the time. Any issues that arise later can be ironed out, provided the check-in has been smooth and satisfactory. First impressions really matter, especially for the frequent traveller,” he believes. At the Holiday Inn Express, travellers will get the best value for their money, he believes. With complimentary breakfast, free high-speed Internet connection, three meeting rooms, a gymnasium and free parking space, guests enjoy all the basic amenities that make a hotel stay comfortable without burning a hole in their wallets. He’s not worried about the prospect of a tariff war in the neighbourhood as hotels vie for footfalls. “In the leisure market, people decide on a destination and hotel based on the tariff offered. Corporate customers have different priorities. For them, the brand matters since it is a guarantee of service. Being a globally recognised brand, our standards are among the best,” he says. The hotel will soon have a substantial digital presence as the e-marketing promotions kick off on iPads, mobile phones as well as on social networking platforms. Luca believes that the Bahrain Grand Prix this year has been a good point of start, restoring the faith of international travellers to an extent. Competition gets fierce in the budget hospitality segment as Bahrain’s first branded “no-frills” hotel opens its doors this summer. businessspotlight New Generation Hospitality Luca De Stefano
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