16 Gen 2020

The sum of the elements is greater than the total

Many hotels like to define themselves as Luxury: but what is the true meaning of this adjective referring to the world of hospitality?

In the luxury market, it is the single, apparently insignificant details that make the difference.
It goes without saying that the room should be beautiful and comfortable, of course. It is also a given that the staff should be competent and efficient (in all categories).
What is by no means a given, however, is a luxury service worthy of the name.
And, as it often happens, an interesting and intense work session lasting several days becomes the inspiration for a new article in which to share the enthusiasm of important bets.
This is a structure that has been followed by us for two years. And two years, on the scale of time represented by the speed with which hotels (and hoteliers) transpose major changes, can be very few.
But here I surprisingly found an extra gear: the property, made up of exceptional, far-sighted and enthusiastic people. People who, with humility and dedication, are traveling (quoting De Andrè) in a stubborn and contrary direction.
We also have a fascinating location, an innovative and equally ambitious project of the structure and a team of special people who make it their mission to take care of their guests.
And so, together, we set out on the new challenge of creating a luxury service with nuances a little different from the usual. Better yet: different from what our guests "expect" to find.
The first objective we have set ourselves is to eliminate everything that takes up time: that is, to physically move the bureaucratic activities away from the moments that the front office staff dedicate to welcoming our guests. In order to realize this vision, we need many professionals willing to share it. And, as usual, time is short.
We need a team of designers with their minds clear of the limits imposed by custom. Of course the aesthetic result comes first! But the daily use of the spaces must also be carefully reinterpreted. 

We also need good systems engineers (not the technician who fixes your PC - no offense intended) who can adapt the technology we need to our new way of working.
And again. 
We really want to go for the big stuff: a beverage professional who will pass on his passion to the staff who will be the first to deal with reception
At the front office? Yes, at the reception.
We're only two days away from opening, but we're still a long way from being ready. 
And there are so many new things that will come onto the scene from check in no. 1 of the year.
But we have decided: we want our guests to feel as if they have arrived in the best place possible for their vacation. We want to surprise him from the first to the last moment of his stay, always with discretion and, above all, with a high level of personalization. And we also want our staff to become the point of reference for the success of your stay.

And so we begin to discuss with the front office staff the true nature of the luxury concept and how to apply its declinations in a manner that is always elegant and professional.
You read the enthusiasm of those who may be at their first reception experience and the shared skepticism of those who are not
But, above all, you feel the pressure of those who, this time too, have given you their trust. The responsibility is great but you can't have any hesitation: by now the direction is taken and you must go all the way.A few days go by and the verdict of the guests finally calms you down: thanks to everyone's hard work, it seems that the idea wasn't so crazy after all....
The feedback is incredibly unexpected: the new concept is very much liked and does not create any problems in the working procedures. On the contrary, it seems to speed them up and, under a few smiles, you sense that even the last skepticism is gone.
Now you're crossing your fingers and wishing you could stay there and peek at who knows how much longer. You walk away turning back and fear, as always, that you have forgotten something.

By now a new page is written and you're sure the story will continue.

P.S. Due to my latency in the particular working period, I am writing this article several months after that first check in.
This circumstance allowed me to measure on a numerically reliable sample of reviews the goodness of the project: it is precisely the staff with its fantastic reception to determine a visible increase in the reputation of the structure.

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