Successful Opening in Uruguay: Playa VIK (Member of Vik Hotels)

A sister property to the ranch-like Estancia Vik, Playa Vik opened in 2010 in the oceanfront resort town of José Ignacio, Uruguay, a calmer alternative to the nearby city of Punta del Este, which is about 15 minutes away by car.

A strikingly contemporary property that incorporates natural elements, Playa Vik José Ignacio is instantly recognizable from a distance, thanks to its so-called “living roof” planted with Uruguayan wild flowers, setting a unique architectural tone created by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, who has also worked on the Paris Opera House, the National Bank of Dubai and the Carlos Curbelo airport in Punta del Este.

Unlike its sister property, Playa Vik sits in a village, providing a relaxed, small-town ambiance where it’s easy to go for strolls through the neighborhood and along the beach. With its distinctive style, Playa Vik is ideal for travelers who appreciate contemporary architecture and art, in the form of a quiet, relaxed oceanfront getaway with casas that feel something like chic urban apartments.

Contemporary artwork from Uruguay and beyond (by artists including Zaha Hadid, Anselm Kiefer and James Turrell) graces the walls of the central building, which has a dramatic, 55-foot inclined façade, a giant, sculpted bronze door, and wide expanses of glass that maximize the ocean view. Indeed, the architectural style appears to be designed as a work of art in its own right, complementing the original pieces that hang inside (the central building, in fact, has been dubbed “the Sculpture”).

The Sculpture building is divided into several public areas, including a living room furnished with sofas, semi-precious stone tables and offbeat sculptural pieces, a formal dining room, and a library furnished with a small selection of books.

The property’s six casas are divided into several sizes, ranging from two to three bedrooms in size. Each casa is distinct in layout and design, but the décor is consistently contemporary, and they all have a fireplace, original artwork and hand-painted floors. The largest, the Valentina Suite, is located within the Sculpture building, with eye-catching red, black and white theme, while original photography and interesting paintings characterize the other casas.

You may swim in the ocean at Playa Mansa, a beach with gentle waves that lies just in front of the property, or make use of the 75-foot cantilevered swimming pool, a strikingly minimalist structure made of Uruguayan black granite that juts out toward the ocean, giving you the impression you just might make it all the way to the Atlantic if you make it to the very end of the pool. A fiber optic celestial map of the southern hemisphere on the pool’s floor brings additional drama to the setting.


Cuisine is similar to that served at the sister Estancia Vik property, with a heavy focus on expertly prepared, freshly caught seafood, locally grown vegetables, and plenty of Uruguayan beef. The property’s indoor dining room has large glass windows that look out on the beach, as well as a bold painting called “The Secret Life of Plants” that envelops one entire wall. The parillero dining room, which is designed for meals centered around Uruguay’s famed beef dishes, features an attractive stone wall made of shiny Agatha stones, and Lapacho wood floors that run outside to the adjacent outdoor terrace. In this outdoor area is plenty of barbecue space, a 14-foot dining table and a fire pit surrounded by comfortable seating, ideal for warming up on chilly evenings. A 40-foot wine cellar that stretches beneath the casas, housing some 5,000 bottles, provides liquid refreshment.

The staff recruitment process, training and trial actions; and on site HR consultancy, are conducted by The Seventh Star Group for both properties (Playa VIK and Estancia VIK).

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How to give the perfect telephone interview

You may be a whizz at the stove, or fabulous front of house, but if you have a terrible telephone manner you might never even get to interview stage never mind get the chance to show off your skills. That’s because at some point in your job-hunt you will probably be invited to give a telephone interview.

Why? Well, as you know, there’s a lot of competition for hospitality jobs abroad, particularly in tourist hotspots such as Dubai or growth areas such as China. On top of that, there’s the logistical difficulty of arranging interviews across the globe. It’s no wonder, then, that many employers abroad now view phone interviews as a practical method of screening UK applicants before investing in one-on-one interviews.

The first thing to remember is that telephone interviews can work in your favour. For a start, they can speed up the hiring cycle. They’re also your chance to show you’re worth inviting to a face-to-face interview.
That said, there’s evidence that 80% of jobs are won or lost during the first five minutes of the conversation, so you need to prepare thoroughly. Keep reading for advice on how to polish up your telephone skills, organise your ideas, deal with tricky questions and practise useful techniques to raise your chances of success.

Preparation

Rule number one is to make sure you’ve put the correct contact details on your CV. Needless to say, employers won’t waste time trying to contact you if you’ve changed your phone number or moved house.

In fact, you need to be on the ball from the moment you start applying for your job abroad, because a recruiter might call at any point to ask if you have a few minutes to talk. The key is to stay cool. If it isn't convenient, ask if you could talk at another time - and suggest some alternatives.
For this reason, it’s also important that you make sure your answer phone greeting is professional. An HR manager is unlikely to be inspired to leave a message regarding that high-powered executive chef role if they hear “I’m either out fishing, playing golf or at the bar… so leave a message”...

Last but not least, prepare for a phone interview just as you would for a regular interview. Compile a list of your strengths and weaknesses, skills and achievements. Another smart move is to draw up a list of answers to typical interview questions and rehearse them…read on for examples...

Typical interview questions

· "What can you offer this company?" Use this as a chance to tell the employer about your relevant skills - but remember to keep your answer short and succinct. If you are applying for a general manager role at a new hotel in India, you might tell them: "I have strong financial acumen, previous experience in opening hotels and am keen to be involved in the new markets you are developing in Asia."
· What do you know about this hotel/restaurant? Make sure you have done your research using the internet and by flicking through industry publications such as Caterer & Hotelkeeper. Find out about the hotel or restaurant’s size, type of customer, style of cuisine and so on.

· Tell me a bit about yourself Don’t wax lyrical about your love-life, stay professional. They are assessing your communication skills and ability to think fast as much as your personality, so impress them by preparing a list of your responsibilities in your most recent job, your skills, and a summary of your career and how your experience will benefit the job you’ve applied for.
· Why have you applied for this job? They really want to hear why you want to work for the company, so do some research on the internet and re-emphasise your suitability for the position.
· What do you enjoy about your current job? The knack is to link what you enjoy with the key skills needed for the role you are applying for. Go one better and mention that you want to expand your experience in these areas.
· Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? This time-honoured question requires a well-thought-out answer. Demonstrate that your long term goals are a natural progression from the position they are offering – and underline your commitment to them.

Watch out for tricky questions
· Why did you leave your last job? Always respond positively along the lines of: “I wanted to advance my career,” or I am looking for better opportunities for promotion,” or “I want more responsibility and variety in my job."

· What would you say were your weaknesses? Everyone knows that this is an opportunity to turn the question into a positive. Think of something that relates to your experience of work that is plausible as a weakness but is not really a negative point. For instance, "Some people think I am too obsessed about giving perfect service", or "I get too absorbed in sourcing seasonal produce for new menus".

· A request for confidential information about your previous employer Never get drawn into this as your discretion and professionalism will then be under question. You can always lightly point out that they would expect you to be equally discreet about them.

· Describe how you have dealt with conflict in the workplace This type of question aims to find out how you behave under pressure. Describe a difficult experience from a past job, but keep it professional and positive – try to illustrate how you learned from the experience

· Were you forced to leave your last job? If you’ve had a bad experience such as redundancy, sexual harassment, or clashes with colleagues, you will be asked about them either at the telephone interview stage or later in the formal interview. Always be honest, positive, and avoid criticising former employers or expressing grudges.

Prepare your own questions
Remember, the interview is a two-way process so you are entitled to ask a few questions at the end. It also underlines your interest in the job and gives you a chance to demonstrate that you’ve done some research on the position and the company. To this end, you could ask them to confirm your understanding of a particular operation at the hotel or restaurant.

Other questions could include:

•Could you confirm what is the main focus of this role? •Will the position also involve liaising with the kitchen brigade/front of house team/sales team? •What level of budget is allocated to the department and how is it controlled?

Practise your telephone skills



It doesn’t matter whether you work back-of-house or front-of-house, employers in the hospitality industry want staff with personality who can communicate confidently and comfortably. So, you can bet they are going to be assessing your interpersonal skills. It’s crucial, therefore, to assess your telephone style and correct bad speech habits. Either get a friend to ring and ask mock interview questions or tape yourself giving answers.



So what to watch out for? Well, don’t fall into the trap of thinking a telephone interview is casual. It’s important that you sound professional and confident throughout the call. It’s also crucial that you don’t start waffling; neither should you just give yes or no answers. And watch out for those dreaded ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’. You don’t have to speak like the Queen, but you do need to enunciate clearly and avoid using slang or fillers such as ‘like’ and ‘you know’.
What you do need to do is to project a positive attitude - which admittedly is a bit difficult as the interviewer can’t see your body language. Ironically, a foolproof technique is to smile while you talk as it helps to convey enthusiasm.



The interview

For the interview itself, you need to be comfortable. Research shows that people often sound more professional when standing up, but if you feel less stressed sitting down then go with that. Either way, you need to sort it out before the interview itself.

Strange as it sounds, it’s also a good idea to dress smartly. Obviously the telephone interviewer can’t see you, but it’s harder to feel - and therefore sound - professional if you’re wearing your gym kit.

If you are being interviewed over your landline, don’t forget to switch off your mobile phone and disable the call-waiting feature on your telephone. Never use speaker-phone. If you use a cordless phone make sure the batteries are charged but always avoid using a mobile phone as poor reception can ruin what might otherwise have been a good interview. It’s also important that you choose a room that is free of distractions.

At the start of the phone interview, confirm the caller’s name and company and jot down their telephone number. It’s a good idea to create a phone interview log as a record and keep a notebook handy. Only use first names if they ask you to.

In short:

•Smile because it makes you sound more positive
•Give short, clear answers and never interrupt
•Don’t use a mobile phone and never put the interviewer on hold or speaker phone
•Find a comfortable area away from distractions


Use notes

Of course, the great advantage of the interviewer not being able to see you is that you can spread out your notes and pull up the hotel or resort website. Use memory aids such as flashcards to remind you of key achievements, questions, and so on. Jot down some short phrases in bullet point form to remind you of a particular challenge. Make sure you can talk about how you dealt with it and what results you achieved. It’s not a good idea to rehearse too much, though, as you will sound unnatural.

Keep a copy of your CV close, too, so you can look up details of past employment, training or work experience.

In short: Pull up the company website on your computer in advance of the call and spread your notes around you – including your CV




Dealing with tricky moments

Perhaps the most uncomfortable telephone moments are silences. If you’ve finished answering a question, but the interviewer hasn’t asked you another one, don’t be tempted to fill the gap with garbled chatter. If it does drag on, you could always ask the interviewer a related question about the job.

Try not to cough or sneeze during the interview. If it’s unavoidable, say ‘excuse me’. It goes without saying that you don’t eat during the interview and if you need water, sip it silently.

In short: Keep your answers concise and relevant – don’t fill in awkward silences with waffle

If you are hearing impaired
You need to email the employer beforehand if you are hard of hearing. Most interviewers will be happy to make alternative arrangements to accommodate your condition.



At the end…

Don’t forget to ask what the next step in the process is and thank the interviewer by name. It’s also a good idea to follow up with a thank you letter, to confirm your interest in the job.

Another handy tip is to quickly job down some notes about what you were asked and how you answered as soon as you put the phone down. That way, you can learn how to improve your telephone interview technique.

If you follow this advice and stay calm, you will sail through even the toughest phone interview.



Interview tips and advice


How to handle an interview



It’s what you’ve been working towards - you’ve written the perfect CV and cover letter and you’ve made it through to interview stage.



Now what?



Well, now is your chance to show your prospective employer exactly why they should give you the job. Obviously, as you are applying for a job abroad the stakes are high. It could be that the employer has flown over to the UK to do a series of interviews. Or maybe they have flown you over to meet them. Either way, there is a lot riding on how well you conduct yourself, so read on for some useful tips on what to do – and what not to do…


Dealing with nerves



Unless you are a stunningly cool person, you will inevitably feel nervous before an interview. Unfortunately, none of us perform naturally or creatively when we are anxious, but the good news is that there are techniques you can use before and during the interview to combat nerves.


Just before the interview, clench your left fist for 30 seconds or more. This activates circuits in the brain's right hemisphere that enhance your ability to reach decisions and calm unpleasant emotions.

Then, visualise what you want to achieve in two years' time. This will help you to crystallise what your ambitions are and you’ll find that your anxiety will lessen and your confidence will increase.



It also helps if you rehearse giving answers to questions that relate to your attributes, limitations, preferences and values – but visualise the person asking the questions as being someone you trust and like.






Get your body language under control



Yes, it’s true. Actions speak louder than words. If you gesticulate wildly, twitch, avoid eye contact, jut your chin or behave in any other exaggerated way you will undoubtedly create an unattractive – and possibly unfair – image of your self.



Body language is used to express both conscious and subconscious thoughts, and can be as warm as a friendly glance - or as rude as turning your back on someone. It’s crucial, therefore, that you understand how to use your body language to positive effect.



One trick is to ask a friend to identify any peculiar habits you might have – watch out for tapping feet, drumming fingers or playing with your hair. If you’ve got time, get your friend to video you giving a mock interview. That way you will see how your body language changes when you are under pressure or answering tricky questions.



Confident people tend to have an open, friendly manner so another technique is to observe their behaviour – and then emulate it. Usually this method helps you to avoid sending mixed messages, too.



During the interview, you can create rapport with the interviewer by maintaining good eye contact and looking interested and alert. Don’t stare, though, as you will end up coming across as mad, bad or dangerous to know. Some experts also advise mirroring the way your interviewer is sitting and breathing but you need to be careful that you don’t get caught out.



Above all, don’t sway, tap your feet or hands, or touch your face, and avoid playing with pens, paper or anything else unnecessary as these all betray your nerves.



Last but not least, practise your handshake. You need to aim for a cool hand, firm grasp and good eye contact to create the best impression.



In short:

•Smile when you enter the interview room and maintain lots of eye contact throughout the interview
•Give a firm handshake as this shows you are confident
•Wait to be offered a seat and allow your interviewer to sit first
•If you are offered a drink it is wise to accept water as you can sip it if you dry up and it’s less fiddly than tea or coffee
•Look and sound enthusiastic and alert
•Maintain an open upright sitting position and lean forward slightly
•Speak clearly and loudly
•Think before answering questions. Listen carefully and don’t talk too much
•Keep a comfortable distance from your interviewer
•Do not slouch, fidget, scratch you ears or cover your mouth with your hands or fingers - or cross your arms in front of you


Dress to impress
Although the interviewer is assessing you on your CV, experience and skills they will nevertheless form an opinion almost immediately based on your dress and body language. We’ve already shown you how to improve your body language, but it’s crucial if you are going for a job in the hospitality industry that you are well presented with crisply ironed clothes, combed hair, polished shoes, clean nails and so on. If the journey to the interview is likely to be long and sticky, check out in advance if there is a public facility nearby where you can wash and change before the interview.



Take note that no matter how casual the operation is, you should always dress smartly and professionally for the interview. If you dress to show respect you will be respected in turn.

In short
•Dress professionally. An interviewer will respond more positively to you and an employer is more likely to recruit someone who will best represent their company
•Ensure you have clean shoes, hair, nails and so on


Plan your Journey
You really don’t want to arrive late for your interview. If you are nervous beforehand, just imagine how stressed you’ll be if you can’t find the address or miss that vital train – which is quite likely in an unfamiliar country or city. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to make sure no such disaster occurs.

The main thing is to get clear directions either from checking the hotel or restaurant’s details on the internet or from the HR department. Then plan your route, factoring in extra time for any potential delays.

It will also help if you aim to arrive at the interview 10 minutes early, this will prove your punctuality and time-keeping skills, as well as giving you time to freshen up and gather your thoughts.

Make sure you have the name and contact number of the person you are reporting to for interview. This avoids any unprofessional confusion when you arrive and also means that if for some unforeseen reason you are delayed, you can immediately ring to apologise and explain. Should it be obvious that you will arrive very late, you may need to reconfirm that they still want you to keep the appointment. If they don’t, suggest other dates and times when you are available.

The interviewIt would be very unusual if the interviewer didn’t spend a few minutes asking you about your journey, the traffic, the weather or other pleasantries before kicking into the formal interview. Be aware that although it helps you both to relax, this informal chat is still part of the interview and you will be assessed on the way you answer.

A big mistake many people make at this stage is to become over familiar or over friendly. You’ll also get off to a bad start if you they ramble on about how you got lost or stuck in terrible traffic. It’s much better to give short, friendly answers that hint at how well organized you are. For instance, by all means mention that the traffic was bad, but add that you had already factored that into planning your journey so it worked out well.

As you are applying for an international job, it is likely that you are being interviewed for a senior position. In that case, it is not unreasonable to address the interviewer by their first name if they use yours – or at least ask them how they would like to be addressed. If in doubt, don’t address your interviewer by their first name even if they use yours. The culture in many countries outside the UK - not to mention in large hotel groups – is formal, so it can be safer to use Mr, Mrs or Ms or any other relevant title depending on the nationality of your interviewer.

Be reassured that an interview isn't all about giving the right answers - in many cases there isn't a one. What’s more important is that you come across as confident, genuine and, of course, talented.

In short

•Be confident and sell yourself without being arrogant
•Let the interviewer lead the interview
•Remember to switch off your mobile




Typical interview questions



No matter how senior you are, it pays to do some preparation before the interview. To help you consolidate what you can offer your prospective employer, compile a list of your strengths and weaknesses, skills and achievements. Another smart move is to draw up a list of answers to typical interview questions and rehearse them.



If you don’t understand a question, ask them to rephrase it - most interviewers understand this. If you are asked a question you do not know the answer to, or if you don’t have experience in that area you could explain that it is an area where you are developing your skills. Usually the interviewer will respect your honesty.

Those of you applying for decision-making role may be asked your opinion on relevant issues. For instance, a hotel may have a policy about being environmentally sound, while a restaurant may have policies on sourcing local produce or using Freetrade suppliers. This is where your company research and interview preparation will save the day.

Read on for examples of questions they might ask and how you could best answer...



•What can you offer this company?Use this as a chance to tell the employer about your relevant skills - but remember to keep your answer short and succinct. If you are applying for a sales director role for a hotel group expanding in Asia, for instance, you might tell them: "I have a proven record in sales and considerable experience of developing new business for luxury hotels, so I am looking forward to bringing my expertise to Asia.”



•What do you know about this hotel/restaurant? Make sure you have done your research using the internet and by reading industry publications such as Caterer & Hotelkeeper. Find out about the hotel or restaurant’s size, type of customer, style of cuisine and so on.



•Tell me a bit about yourself
Don’t wax lyrical about your views on US foreign policy, stay professional. They are assessing your communication skills and ability to think fast as much as your personality, so impress them by preparing a list of your responsibilities in your most recent job, your skills, and a summary of your career and how your experience will benefit the job you’ve applied for. Don't be limited by the information you provided in your CV. There may be things that you didn't include but could be relevant to the role.



Why have you applied for this job? They really want to hear what value you can add to the role and why you want to work for the company, so do some research on the internet and re-emphasise your suitability for the position.
· What do you enjoy about your current job? The knack is to link what you enjoy with the key skills needed for the role you are applying for. Go one better and mention that you want to expand your experience in these areas.



· Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? This time-honoured question requires a well-thought-out answer. Demonstrate that your long term goals are a natural progression from the position they are offering – and underline your commitment to them.



Other questions you may be asked include:
•Why do you want to pursue an international career?
•Have you experience of living and working away from home?
•How do you respond to working under pressure?
•Do you like to work in a team or by yourself?
•What are you looking for in a company?
•What do you do in your spare time?
•How did you get on with your other colleagues
•What do you think you will do if you do not get this job
•What other jobs are you applying for and why those jobs
•What makes you tick
•What motivates you


Watch out for tricky questions

The key with difficult questions is to put a positive spin on your answers – and to be honest but discreet. Remember that many countries don’t have the same laws on equal opportunities so you may also be asked about your age, family life or other personal details. Here are some commonly asked questions:

•Why did you leave your last job? Always respond positively along the lines of: “I wanted to advance my career,” or I am looking for better opportunities for promotion,” or “I want more responsibility and variety in my job." Make sure that you can give positive explanations for any gaps in employment or where you have only stayed in a job for a short time
· What would you say were your weaknesses? Everyone knows that this is an opportunity to turn the question into a positive. Think of something that relates to your experience of work that is plausible as a weakness but is not really a negative point. For instance, "Some people think I am too obsessed about giving perfect service", or "I get too absorbed in sourcing seasonal produce for new menus".

· A request for confidential information about your previous employer Never get drawn into this as your discretion and professionalism will then be under question. You can always lightly point out that they would expect you to be equally discreet about them.

· Describe how you have dealt with conflict in the workplace This type of question aims to find out how you behave under pressure. Describe a difficult experience from a past job, but keep it professional and positive – try to illustrate how you learned from the experience

· Were you forced to leave your last job? If you’ve had a bad experience such as redundancy, sexual harassment, or clashes with colleagues, you will be asked about them either at the telephone interview stage or later in the formal interview. Always be honest, positive, and avoid criticising former employers or expressing grudges.

Prepare your own questions
Remember, the interview is a two-way process. This is your chance to find out if the company and job is the right fit for you, so you are entitled to ask a few questions at the end. It also underlines that you are taking the interview seriously and confirms your interest in the job.

Now is a good time to mention any relevant strengths that you feel have not been revealed through the interviewer’s questions. You could, for instance, ask if it would it be helpful to expand on, say, your knowledge of wine if you are applying for an F&B role. Use the time to show that you have researched the company.

It is a good idea, therefore, to have a few questions prepared. If the interviewer has already covered areas that you were going to ask questions about, you can ask for confirmation on certain points – which at least shows you are interested and paying attention.

To help you, here’s a list of possible questions:
•Could you confirm my understanding of the main focus of this role?
•Will the position also involve liaising with the kitchen brigade/front of house team/sales team?
•What level of budget is allocated to the department and how is it controlled?
•How does the department fit into the company as a whole?
•How long was the last post-holder in the position?
•Can you tell me more about the company culture?
•What sort of training or career development is on offer?
•When will I become eligible for further training
•What opportunities are there for promotion?
•How long has the interviewer been with the company?
•Why is this such a good company to work for?


Questions to avoid

· Don’t ask about the salary, benefits or holidays at the first interview but be ready to discuss these if your interviewer brings them up.

In short

•Be prepared. Research the company and prepare some questions
•Give clear and concise answers
•Think about the question before answering
Red alerts
It is important that you don’t:

•Arrive late
•Lead the interview
•Show a lack of knowledge about the company and the role
•Start to waffle if there are periods of silence
•Lie or exaggerate about your experience and qualifications
•Be vague in any of your answers incase it makes you look shifty
•Give over-long answers - if you feel the interviewer is not satisfied with your answer ask them if they want you to expand
•Discuss the salary at your first interview unless it is specifically discussed with you
•Criticise previous employers or jobs
•Get into an argument with the interviewer
•Give answers to questions that are not asked
•Lose concentration or fidget
•Leave your mobile phone switched on




Telephone Interviews
Telephone interviews are frequently used when applying for jobs abroad as they can help to eliminate people in the early stages before arranging potentially costly face-to-face interviews. For detailed advice, click through to XXX

Panel Interviews
This might sound daunting if you haven’t experienced one before, but if you remember a few key points you will be fine.

On the whole, it isn’t much different to a one-to-one interview. When you are introduced to everyone, make a mental note of their roles and identify who you would be working for. Then just remember to try to address everyone when answering each question. Stay calm, answer clearly and honestly and don’t forget to include illustrations of your skills in your answers.



After the interview


It’s clearly up to the interviewer to wrap up the interview but don’t forget to ask what the next stage is and when you can expect a decision.



Hospitality is a small world so if you decide you do not want the job it is important either to let the interviewer know during the interview or to write immediately afterwards.



Similarly, if you are still interested in the job you should send a note explaining that you enjoyed the interview and confirm your interest. Incidentally, this is a good opportunity to draw attention to any skills that perhaps you forgot to mention in the interview. So, you could say: “I have given some thought to what you said about handling budgets and …”



If you haven’t heard within a few weeks, by all means make a follow-up phone call to check progress - but don’t seem to be pestering.



In short:

•Allow the interviewer to wrap up the interview
•Thank the interviewer and confirm your interest in the company and the role
•Alternatively, thank the interviewer and politely explain that you don’t feel the position is right for you


If you don’t get the job

It’s hard to believe that you won’t get the job if you’ve got the right skills and you follow this advice. If the unthinkable happens, however, use the experience to assess where you could improve your interview technique.



Try to identify any factors that may have contributed to the outcome, such as lack of preparation or nerves. You can ask the interviewer for feedback and use any tips they give in future interviews.

If you would still like to work for the hotel, restaurant or contract caterer there is no harm in sending them a letter explaining that although you have not been successful on this occasion you would like to be considered for other related roles.

What you mustn’t do is become depressed or take it personally – let’s face it, there’s a lot of competition for international hospitality jobs so you have done very well to get to interview stage.

If you don't want the job

You might be in the happy position of getting several job offers, you might be given a job offer that you decide you don’t want, or you might change your mind about the company before you hear back from them. In each case, it is important that you get in touch immediately, ideally by telephone or email, explaining politely and professionally that you won’t be able to accept the position.



Top tip
If you get called to second interview or accept a job offer, it might be useful to ask some questions about your colleagues during the process. This will help to prepare you for the first few days in the job when you will need to be sensitive to who does what in the department and be aware of other issues.

You could, for instance, find out how long each team member has been at the company, what positions they’ve held, where they’ve worked in the past and what the hierarchy is. If you are at managerial level, you may also want to know if there is any romance or bad feeling between members of the team. Try to be subtle by slipping questions into the conversation rather than sounding that you are launching an inquest.

Good luck …





Source: Caterer Global

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Reinventing the Grand Hotel—Fairmont Style

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Parent Company: Fairmont Raffles Hotels International

Headquarters: Toronto, Canada

Holding companies: Kingdom Holdings, Colony Capital and Voyager Partners Limited

President: Thomas Storey

Director of Global Accounts, Consortia, Retail Leisure & Luxury Sales: Leslie Dodson

Hotel Portfolio: Fairmont has 60 hotels in its global portfolio with many more on the way.

Website: www.fairmont.com

When is The Savoy going to open and what exactly is Fairmont doing with it? These are two questions receiving a bit of buzz in the luxury travel industry these days. The iconic London hotel has been shuttered for more than two years for renovations, longer than originally anticipated, thanks to a number of unforeseen construction issues that are bound to come up with a 121-year-old property.

That there should be such concern over a hotel’s reopening may seem odd, but in the case of The Savoy, like so many other hotels in Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio, many guests have an emotional investment in the place, having enjoyed an important family event or a memorable date there.

Fairmont executives are ensuring they protect such emotional assets by remaining true to the hotel’s history while making the product even more modern and luxurious. It’s a practice they follow with all of their iconic hotels. In fact, Tom Storey, president of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, says the real challenge in reopening a grand hotel is maintaining the loyalty of those in its community, “because many people have had the most important times of their lives in these places.”

The Fairmont portfolio is filled with iconic historical hotels that have served generations. Consider the stately Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, which opened in 1893 in Quebec, and its sibling fortress hotels in Banff Springs; New York’s Plaza hotel, which once again carries the Fairmont flag; the Fairmont Copley Plaza, which has been at the heart of Boston society since it opened in 1912; and the Fairmont San Francisco towering dramatically over the city atop Nob Hill.

But Fairmont is also about the new; by 2013, 40 percent of its inventory will be less than 10 years old. The company’s portfolio has grown from 35 in 2001 to 60 today and its pipeline is extremely robust (see sidebar).

The goal, however, is not to be big, Storey says, but about taking the company’s unique method of providing customer service and finding more places to do it.

“Of course, the physical aspect of the hotels upon first arrival can be very inspiring but it’s actually how the individual colleagues interact with our guests that really builds loyalty of the brand,” says Storey, who has held his position since 2008. That flows from a specific behind-the-scenes strategy. “At Fairmont, our colleagues don’t look down on the guest and they don’t look up to the guest, they look the guest right in the eye,” says Storey. “That’s the spirit of the relationship we want our colleagues to have with our guests.”

Fairmont employees are selected and trained to provide personalized service, he explains. “We really encourage our colleagues to find ways to surprise the guests in a way that’s authentic to them, but to do that, you have to have colleagues that really know their job, the hotel and the community they are in.”

So, who is the Fairmont guest? Research shows that it is likely someone in their mid-40s, making $150,000-$200,000 a year and married with kids. They’re usually a business professional or an entrepreneur, a doctor, lawyer or consultant.

“Our customer is probably a little less than the CEO, who has a particular persona and approach to the business,” says Storey, who likes the fact that “you can come into a Fairmont in jeans and a T-shirt and still get luxury service and feel comfortable.”

Which brings it all back to intuitive service and recognizing that luxury isn’t always about the finest clothes and the nicest car, rather, “about attention to detail, responsiveness and anticipating guest needs,” says Storey, who holds the view that the word “luxury” is often misinterpreted.

“A lot of people think about luxury as being about price, but what we have learned over the years is that luxury is in the eye of the beholder. More than anything it’s about recognizing the individuality of the person,” he notes. For example, someone coming from a secondary city to the Le Chateau Frontenac may not be staying in one of the top suites, but the experience of simply being at a grand hotel defines luxury to them. The hotel company recognizes this and operates with the simple mission to “turn moments into memories for our guests because at the end of the day, what’s a greater luxury than a fantastic memory?” asks Storey.

Those moments can be created by staff who recognize that guests travel for different reasons, hence, their luxury needs are constantly changing.

“For example, I go on a trip with my family and we are getting up for breakfast for a big day out. Luxury for me is how quickly I get the food on the table and feed my kids because they’re soon going to get cranky and start the day off badly. If I’m on a personal golf trip, however, and I come in after a round of golf, I don’t want someone rushing me through my experience. I want somebody to take their time, bring me a beer and chat me up on my golf game.”

Being able to read the guest can create luxury moments that can’t be scripted, says Storey, and that takes personal initiative from a hotel staffer. The hotel company’s commitment to service is fierce; in 2009, even during the recession, it rolled out the Fairmont Service Promise program, the most comprehensive service training program in its history.

When Storey asks guests for their definition of luxury, he says they never mention “consistency,” rather, it’s always “scarcity” and “surprise.” He goes on, “So, if you ever homogenize or commoditize what you are offering, by definition, it can’t be luxury.”

Fairmont has other important standards of luxury; its Fairmont Gold floors provide a “luxury lifestyle offering” where Gold Managers become virtual personal assistants for guests; they are usually members of Clefs d’Or. Of note, Clarence McLeod, the Gold Manager at Fairmont Washington, D.C., actually got ordained so that he could marry a couple; he also secretly tracked down and framed a photo of a guest’s son in his Halloween costume because he couldn’t be home in time for trick-or-treating. Some concierges have even gotten calls from guests who were staying with another hotel in another city, but knew they could be counted on for assistance.

Tom Storey is a true hotelier, enjoying 10 years thus far at Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. He previously enjoyed high-level positions at Marriott, Radisson, Doubletree and Hilton.

“For a company that is still relatively small in the grand scheme of things, it’s really been an exciting place to work,” he says of Fairmont. “There’s a little bit of a mentality in the company which I like. It’s little bit David and Goliath. We like being who we are; we like being small.”




Top Suites

There is also a physical side to Fairmont’s luxury offerings that comes in the form of its iconic suites. In the newly restored century-old Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, which opens this spring on the Bund, there are nine Nations Suites, with names such as the China Suite, the Canadian Suite and the American Suite. Each is designed to evoke the spirit of the respective country.

At The Savoy, there will be nine suites named and themed after personalities who have stayed there, including Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich and Katherine Hepburn. Likewise, The Fairmont Copley Plaza has a Boston Pops Suite and a Kennedy Suite. “You can almost go hotel by hotel throughout our system and a significant number of them have that touch and that makes Fairmont, Fairmont,” says Storey.

Community Pillars

Because Fairmont hotels, as in the case of The Savoy, often draw from the community, hosting major society events, celebrations and weddings, the general manager plays an especially important role in each hotel. As a result, a general manager’s tenure in each property averages about eight-and-a-half years, which isn’t bad for an industry where turnover can be high.

“It takes very skilled seasoned general managers to be able to operate and interpret the Fairmont value system of turning moments into memories, and doing it in a way where our guests can go from hotel to hotel and say, ‘I know I’m in a Fairmont but I also know that here I’m in San Francisco, and in New York and in Shanghai,’” says Storey.

Fairmont, whose parent company Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, is owned by Kingdom Holding Company, Colony Capital and Voyager Partners Limited, has evolved its business model over the years; where it used to own about 85 percent of its hotels, it today owns fewer than five and manages the bulk of its portfolio. At the same time, the company still is involved from the beginning of a hotel’s development, such as assessing its location.

Fairmont seems to be finding success in its partnerships; the seven hotels it’s adding to its portfolio of 60 this year represent significant growth. Its pipeline remains strong with five to 10 hotels expected to be added annually. “They’ll likely be new-builds,” Storey says, “because there are not as many existing hotels out there that make good Fairmonts.”

The Savoy is apparently an exception to that rule and, so, Luxury Travel Advisor couldn’t resist asking that burning question, “When is The Savoy going to open and what is Fairmont doing with it?”

The grand reopening is currently set for late summer/early fall of this year, says Storey. The hotel, which Fairmont has invested in along with owner Kingdom Hotels and the Halifax Bank of Scotland, has literally been under wraps as it’s undergone a two-year-plus, $100-million-plus restoration program.

Leading the design team is Pierre-Yves Rochon, the man behind the refurbished Four Seasons George V in Paris. Everything has been redone from top to bottom; its 268 guest rooms and suites, its public spaces, including its courtyard and the famed American Bar. New will be a Royal Suite and a completely remodeled River Restaurant. The Savoy Grill, which opened in 1890 with one of the first-ever celebrity chefs, Auguste Escoffier, now returns under the operation of Gordon Ramsay. A glass-domed winter garden gazebo will serve as the venue for afternoon tea.




An Art Deco Guest Room at The Savoy, which reopens later this year after an intensive restoration project.


Delays have stemmed from the historical nature of the building. “When you start making one change you realize that it affects something else and that affects something else,” says Storey. Nevertheless, it has to be done right, since all eyes will be assessing what has become of the iconic Savoy.

“We can never lose sight of the fact that in the minds of the people in London, it’s their hotel,” says Storey, adding that the situation is the same with New York’s Plaza hotel and Shanghai’s Peace Hotel.

“As far as they are concerned, if you had your wedding at The Savoy and 25 years later you are a prominent person in British society and The Savoy has not been renovated in a way that you are comfortable with, that can be very challenging,” says Storey, who believes Fairmont is definitely striving to do the right thing with all the various components of the hotel.

The obstacle with The Savoy in particular is that it originally wasn’t one grand hotel, rather, it’s a structure that came up in bits and pieces over its 121-year history. Original room sizes varied widely because larger suites were built for the traveler and much smaller units were meant for the traveler’s attendants. So, the structural changes have included reconfiguring the entire hotel. Engineering overhauls were necessary because the hotel at one point had added bathrooms onto the outside of the guest rooms overlooking the Thames River. Bathrooms have since been moved back into the guest rooms for unobstructed views of the river.

Moving all the plumbing and risers from the outside to the inside was complex enough, but things got even more challenging. “When we started moving the bathrooms, we realized that they had essentially built the rooms on girders that stuck out like a balcony, that were buttressed,” says Storey. “Over the years all of those beams were essentially compromised, so we had to re-buttress the entire facade at the front of the hotel.”

The prolonged construction process has actually allowed Fairmont the luxury of extra time to re-staff the property up to high-end standards.

“The great thing is that we have some senior Fairmont people who are from London, so they were trained there. They’ve gone back and re-energized their network,” says Storey. “So, we have a team there which is a great blend of Fairmont expertise as well as the cultural sensitivity of what it means to be operating The Savoy.” As a result, under the direction of General Manager Kiaran MacDonald, Fairmont has already signed contracts with a number of key people who will be brought in when the hotel is ready to begin its reopening process. Determined to run the hotel at a high luxury standard, the management has also resurrected its Training Academy (The Savoy was the first hotel to actually train professionals when it opened in 1889). All rooms at The Savoy will have access to butler service, and the head butler, Sean Davoren, will be brought over from The Lanesborough.

Luxury service will be key, since The Savoy’s competitive set will be The Dorchester, the InterContinental Park Lane and The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.

An equally important iconic hotel for Fairmont is the landmark The Plaza in New York. The hotel company regained management of the now 360-room hotel portion of the century-old property following a three-year, $350 million renovation that turned a good portion of its inventory into condo units. Storey says the refurbishment created some of the best hotel rooms in the city in terms of size and quality of materials used. The hotel’s famous Oak Room has reopened (often a venue where boldface names are spyed celebrating), and so has the Palm Court, which just reopened in April. It now sports a re-creation of the original 1907 stained-glass lay light, which was covered up during the Conrad Hilton years in the 1950s. Also back is its classy Afternoon Tea service; it’s also serving breakfast and lunch.




The Plaza’s Royal Plaza Suite is accessed via a private elevator and has views over Central Park South.



The executive management of The Plaza has people from some of the top Fairmont hotels around the world as well as from other world-class properties, says Storey. “It’s an interesting mix of people and, from a guest perspective, they have a challenge because the type of person who goes to The Plaza is like the person who goes to The Savoy. They are extremely demanding. They have a very high definition of what luxury means to them. Our team at The Plaza has to meet that standard.” That guest could be either, for example, Saudi royalty or an extremely successful entrepreneur from the United States—each demanding, with very different expectations of luxury service.

Defining Luxury

“We have to please some of the most demanding guests in the world but we have to do it in a manner which isn’t intimidating to many other people who view luxury differently,” says Storey, noting that Fairmont looks at luxury service differently from its competitive set.

For example, he says, that those at other luxury brands “might be more oriented toward saying, ‘I know that this fork is supposed to be this far from this fork.’ In their minds, if that doesn’t happen then that isn’t luxury. Whereas for us, whether one fork is the right distance from the fork next to it is not as important as whether we smiled at the guest and asked them how their stay was so that we could understand how to enhance their experience. Those are two very different definitions of excellence.”

Therein lies the Fairmont culture, which is deeply entrenched in its Canadian roots, says Storey. In fact, Fairmont was recently named one of the top 10 corporate cultures in Canada. “Our investment in service is really about helping people develop their brand loyalty with us based not on what we say, but what they experience,” Storey says. “And that’s very Canadian; it’s a culture that under-promises and over-delivers. It’s understated and that’s the way we do luxury. It’s not flashy. It’s scarce, it’s personal and it’s important to you. It’s not so that somebody else can look at it and say, ‘wow look at that, aren’t they driving around in a nice car?’ People don’t care about that.”

In The Pipeline

This year, Fairmont opens seven hotels worldwide. The Savoy in London reopens in early fall (see story) and the century-old Fairmont Peace Hotel, in the heart of Shanghai, has a soft reopening in May. This historical hotel has been resurrected to recapture the glamour it enjoyed during its heyday.

The remaining five properties are new, and include the 858-room Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel in Saudi Arabia, opening late summer/fall. The focal point of the Abraj Al Bait Complex, it has seven towers and is adjacent to the Masjid al Haram, Islam’s holiest site. The 76-story hotel tower will be among the world’s tallest and features a 130-foot tall clock, which will announce daily prayers to the Muslim world.

Fairmont Pacific Rim has opened in Vancouver. The oceanfront hotel is adjacent to the Vancouver Conference Center expansion. Fairmont Pittsburgh is open and is housed in Three PNC Plaza—a mixed-use building complex, which has applied for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. Fairmont Beijing is in its soft-opening phase. It’s set near the city’s major cultural, shopping and business areas, including The Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Fairmont Zimbali Resort, on South Africa’s east coast, sits between a forest reserve and the Indian Ocean. It’s expected to open in time for the World Cup in South Africa, which runs from June 11 to July 11.

Fairmont’s pipeline is also robust for 2011, with two hotels opening on The Palm in Dubai; Hyderabad, India; the Philippines; Muscat, Oman; Al Fajer, United Arab Emirates; Sanya, China; and Marrakech, Morocco. Planned for 2012-13 are Vail, CO; Palm Desert and Monterey Bay, CA; Roco Ki, Dominican Republic; Corfu, Greece; and another hotel on The Palm in Dubai.

Fairmont Famous Agents

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has a long-term commitment to the travel advisor community, particularly in the form of its Famous Agents education and recognition program. The educational aspect of the program involves a short online lesson module and multiple-choice questions. After submitting an online application form, agents receive a personalized membership number, which can be used immediately to track client reservations and earn points that can later be redeemed for free room nights for themselves. Points are earned for reservations in all room categories and for wholesale bookings. Those involved in the program also have access to discounted agent rates, starting at $69.

Fairmont is connected to the luxury travel advisor industry in many other ways. Leslie Dodson is Fairmont Raffles Hotels International’s director of global accounts, consortia, retail leisure & luxury sales. She has been with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for 10 years, managing accounts that include Virtuoso, Signature, American Express, and Ensemble. Dodson’s team also includes individuals who service VIP accounts.

As part of an effort to learn and develop a better understanding of travel professionals around the country, Fairmont’s entire North American sales team has completed specialized training with the Travel Institute to become Certified Travel Associates (CTAs). The team will continue to enhance their knowledge with additional accreditation through The Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) program this year and the Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) program in 2011.

Source:

Luxury Travel Advisor

www.luxuryta.com

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Generation Y’s Green Hotel Demands

Generation Y’s Green Hotel Demands

A new study of the workplace preferences of Generation Y (people born between 1981 and 2000) reveals some striking information - and provides an important heads up for green hotels that hope to attract this up-and-coming demographic.

Not surprisingly, Gen Y'ers want their workplace to have the latest technology and to be set up to allow for greater teamwork, creativity and multi-tasking. But an overwhelming number also expect their employers to provide an eco-friendly work environment that not just meets but exceeds minimum compliance standards.

For example, 96% of those surveyed said they demand an "environmentally-aware or friendly workplace," and close to 60% said they expect their employer to go above and beyond the regulatory requirements. They want more than just strategically-placed recycle bins - they want real water conservation efforts and the highest level of energy efficiency to be standard operations at work.

The report recommends that employers bring their green initiatives front and center, and that they make sustainability policies a meaningful part of day-to-day operations, because the eco-savvy Gen Y'ers are clearly on the lookout for environmental-friendliness in all aspects of their daily lives.

"[Gen Y] preferences for an environmentally focused working environment are very strong; not only in the physical aspects of the workplace, but also in their way of working: flexible working, travel patterns, etc.," said the report.

Are you listening, green hotels? Clearly, if the members of Gen Y are that determined to make eco-friendliness an integral part of their work-lives, they're probably equally determined to exercise that same level of sensitivity when making travel and lodging decisions.

And there will be no fooling this knowledgeable bunch. They've grown up alongside the environmental movement. They know green-washing and lax or phony eco-standards when they see them.

Source: Ehotelier.com

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RECLUTAMIENTO EN ROSARIO - MIERCOLES 30/06

Estimados candidatos de la Ciudad de Rosario, Santa Fe,

El día 30/06 en el horario de 10hs a 19hs, el equipo de The Seventh Star Group va a estar realizando un RECLUTAMIENTO ABIERTO, en la ciudad de Rosario, Santa Fe; con el fin de seleccionar candidatos para Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts.

Dichas entrevistas se realizarán en el Plaza Real Hotel, ubicado en la calle Santa Fe 1632, Rosario, Santa Fe.

Este RECLUTAMIENTO ABIERTO, no requiere pre-acreditación, por lo que los candidatos interesados pueden presentarse directamente ese día en el lugar sugerido, con su CV en inglés.

Les recordamos que The Seventh Star Group no solicita ningún tipo de tasa de entrevista por participar del proceso de reclutamiento.

Por otro lado, continuamos hasta el día 9 de Julio con las entrevistas regulares en BUENOS AIRES, MENDOZA y MONTEVIDEO.


Cualquier consulta quedamos a su disposición.

Saludos Cordiales,

The Seventh Star Group :: Hospitality is Changing
www.seventhstargroup.com
cv@seventhstargroup.com

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RECLUTAMIENTO DE JUMEIRAH EN ARGENTINA

Estimados Colegas,

Tenemos el agrado de comentarles que en el mes de Julio visitará Argentina, el equipo de Reclutamiento de Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, con el fin de realizar un reclutamiento masivo para todas sus propiedades en Dubai (UAE), incluído el mítico hotel 7 estrellas, Burj Al Arab.





The Seventh Star Group es el agente de reclutamiento oficial de Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts en Latinoamérica.

Por este motivo desde The Seventh Star Group estamos coordinando las entrevistas previas para definir los candidatos finales que van a participar de dichas jornadas de reclutamiento con Jumeirah.



Les enviamos el listado de las posiciones a seleccionar:


F&B

Assistant Outlet Manager
Team Leader (F&B)
Waiter/ Waitress
Bartender
Restaurant Hostess



Front Desk + Otros

Guest Services Manager
Guest Services Assistant Manager
Guest Services Executive (Receptionist)
Team Leader (Guest Services)
Butler
Spa Therapist
Fitness Professional

Kitchen

Sous Chef
Chef de Partie
Demi Chef de Partie
Commis


Todas las vacantes ofrecen atractivas propuestas salariales + Paquete de Beneficios + Alojamiento incluído.


En nuestro site, se encuentran alojados los descriptivos de puesto de las distintas posiciones.


Vías para postularse:

www.seventhstargroup.com/starmaker
cv@seventhstargroup.com


Es importante aclarar que The Seventh Star Group no solicita bajo ningún concepto una tasa de reclutamiento o derecho de entrevista a los candidatos.

Saludos Cordiales,


The Seventh Star Group :: Hospitality is Changing

Más Información; www.seventhstargroup.com

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Vatel lanza curso corto en Gestión Hotelera

Vatel Buenos Aires, la escuela líder en Administración Hotelera, ha realizado el lanzamiento de un curso corto que profundiza la temática de Gestión Hotelera.

“CURSO CORTO DE GESTIÓN HOTELERA”

Objetivo General:

· Facilitar las herramientas teórico - prácticas para potenciar los conocimientos y

aptitudes de los participantes en todas las actividades de la gestión hotelera.

· Ampliar sus conocimientos de gerencia hotelera, optimizar su inversión y

conocer las nuevas herramientas utilizadas en el sector hotelero.

Metodología de la clase:

Clases teórico – prácticas complementadas con análisis de casos reales, experiencias laborales concretas, debates y trabajos de aplicación que permitan desempeñarse con

idoneidad en el puesto de gerente de todo emprendimiento hotelero.

Contenido temático:

Módulo 1: Operaciones Hoteleras: Front Office, Housekeeping. Administración

Hotelera: Recursos Humanos, Marketing de Servicios y Gestión de Calidad.

Módulo 2: Administración de Alimentos y Bebidas. Gestión de Servicios

Gastronómicos. Compras y Abastecimiento. Sistemas Informáticos de Administración.

Marketing para Alimentos y Bebidas.

Módulo 3: Finanzas, Costos y Presupuestos. Contabilidad y Costos Hoteleros.

Management de Proyectos e Inversiones Hoteleras.

ENTRENADORES

Reconocidos profesionales con amplia trayectoria en la industria hotelera.

Especificaciones del Entrenamiento:

Día y Hora

Sábado de 09:00 a 13:00 horas

Inicio

15 de Mayo de 2010

Cantidad de Encuentros: 12 (Doce)

Inversión :$ 1400 - Incluye material

Se entregará certificado de asistencia.

Contacto:

E-mail: cursos@vatel.edu.ar

Teléfono: 4813-0015

Web: www.vatel.edu.ar

Vatel - Worldwide Hospitality Award en la categoría “Mejor Programa de Formación”

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Demand Turns the Corner in Central/South America

London: Demand has returned to key Central and South American destination during the first two months of this year, according to data from STR Global, the leading provider of market information for the world's hotel industry.

Improvement in hotel demand, in terms of occupancy, tends to precede changes in average daily rate (ADR). This is good news for the region's hoteliers who shared tough market conditions during the last year as the global recession, the H1N1 (swine flu) virus and the recent Chilean earthquake dominated the headlines.

"We are predicting a year of recovery rather than growth", said Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR Global. "This is especially true for Brazil, which is ramping up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was the only city of the seven reviewed cities to report monthly demand growth last year. Buenos Aires, Argentina (October 2009), Mexico City, Mexico (November 2009), and Sao Paulo, Brazil (December 2009), started to report demand growth during the last quarter of 2009. Panama City, Panama, San Jose, Costa Rica, and Santiago, Chile, saw demand improving only during the first two months this year.

Demand (occupied hotel rooms, percentage change year-on-year)

Source: STR Global

The returning demand boosted occupancy levels in most destinations. Only Panama City (-3 percent) and San Jose (-2 percent) reported occupancy declines compared with the first two months last year. The increasing supply of hotel rooms in these two markets partly influenced this trend. Panama City (+8 percent) and San Jose (+5 percent) showed the highest supply increases of the seven cities for the first two months of 2010.

ADR continue to be under pressure with only Rio de Janeiro (+17 percent) and Sao Paulo (+28 percent) reporting growth in terms of U.S. Dollar. The appreciating Brazilian Real influenced the ADR growth as the exchange rate altered (e.g. from 2.37 Real to the Dollar in February 2009 to 1.86 Real to the Dollar in February 2010 (Source: Oanda.com)).

RevPAR percentage change year to February 2010

Source: STR Global ( www.strglobal.com)

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Rogério Fasano: O Bom é ser clássico

Entrevista: Rogério Fasano

O bom é ser clássico

A estrela do clã que mudou o padrão da gastronomia brasileira critica os modismos na cozinha e diz por que alguns restaurantes morrem, enquanto outros nunca envelhecem.

A história da alta gastronomia brasileira é a história do grupo Fasano, fundado em 1902. E a história do grupo Fasano, nos últimos trinta anos, é a história de Rogério Fasano, de 47, ex-punk, ex-estudante de cinema e atual nome por trás de nove entre dez empreendimentos retumbantes no universo dos hotéis e restaurantes do país. Devem-se a ele tanto a expansão do império da família, pelos mais caros metros quadrados do Brasil (e agora também do Uruguai – o próximo hotel será em Punta del Este), quanto a preservação do espírito da estirpe. Os prédios erguidos sob a iniciativa de Rogério Fasano não emulam o formato de bichos nem de frutas: são clássicos e elegantes, assim como o são os cardápios dos restaurantes que ele administra com obcecada dedicação. Lá, espumas e outros "modismos de estação" jamais terão lugar. A VEJA, o empresário falou da mudança de hábitos dos brasileiros à mesa, de comidas que vêm com iPod e explicou por que um pãozinho com manteiga pode, sim, custar 27 reais.

Desde os anos 80, o senhor abriu ou participou da abertura de quinze restaurantes de luxo no Brasil. No que diz respeito aos hábitos e gostos do brasileiro mais abastado, o que mudou?
Muita coisa. Na década de 80, quando abri meu primeiro restaurante em São Paulo, o hábito de reservar uma mesa, por exemplo, era visto como frescura, esnobismo. Os clientes também mandavam no cardápio. Diziam ao garçom: "Pede para fazer um filé à parmigiana". E o garçom não podia responder: "Desculpe, senhor, não fazemos isso". O cliente não estava perguntando se a casa fazia ou não. Ele queria comer aquele prato e pronto. Hoje, os cardápios dos restaurantes se impuseram. Outra diferença: 70% dos meus clientes jantavam com uma garrafa de uísque na mesa e, agora, 90% jantam com vinho. São Paulo, claro, já era uma metrópole, mas não tinha mais do que cinco ou seis restaurantes frequentados por pessoas de poder aquisitivo alto – entre eles, precursores como o Ca’d’Oro, que teve a ousadia de fazer uma culinária do norte da Itália nos anos 50 e, infelizmente, fechou no mês passado.

"O problema é o sujeito que pensa, como naquele lema do cinema novo, que basta ter uma ideia na cabeça e um sifão na mão para ser um grande chef. Para ser um grande chef, não basta ser considerado ‘moderno’"

Quando uma culinária deixa de ser clássica para ficar velha?
É uma linha tênue. E não foi o caso do Ca’d’Oro: ele não fechou porque a culinária envelheceu, mas porque foi engolido pela dinâmica da cidade e acabou ficando no lugar errado. Aliás, o mesmo ocorreu com o meu avô – nos anos 50, ele concentrou todos os negócios no centro paulistano, uma área que entrou em decadência no fim da década de 60. Para uma culinária se manter clássica sem ficar velha, é preciso que o preparo de certos clássicos seja atualizado. Nós mudamos a maneira como fazíamos os nossos risotos, por exemplo. Hoje, eles praticamente não levam manteiga nem parmesão. São servidos mais molhados, estão mais delicados. Continuamos dentro do clássico, mas de uma forma mais contemporânea. Agora, se um dia eu tiver de fazer espumas, como aqueles europeus, vou me sentir um derrotado.

O senhor se refere à "cozinha molecular".
Cozinha para banguelas, como diz o (escritor e colunista de VEJA) Diogo Mainardi. Mas nós ainda temos dentes! Eu costumo comparar esse assunto ao rock: você tem um David Bowie, um Talking Heads, que seriam os equivalentes à cozinha clássica. Aí aparece a música eletrônica, que eu comparo às espumas, e as melodias com letras passam a ser consideradas antigas, tolas. Mas chega um Radiohead, e o que ele faz? Faz uma música que consegue ser um rock clássico, com letra, só que mais atual e moderno do que o que era feito nos anos 80. Ou seja, assim como a música eletrônica não tem futuro, as espumas vão desaparecer sem deixar vestígios – ou saudade.

Os chefs de cozinha hoje têm status de celebridade. Isso é melhor para eles do que para os donos de restaurante?
O problema não é esse, e sim quando o sujeito pensa, como naquele lema do cinema novo, que basta ter uma ideia na cabeça e um sifão na mão para ser um grande chef. Para ser um grande chef, não basta ser considerado "moderno".

Até que ponto o sucesso de um restaurante está atrelado ao chef?
Olhe, pelo Fasano já passaram quatro chefs. Pelo (parisiense) La Tour d’Argent passaram dez...

O senhor já declarou que Claude Terrail, o proprietário já morto do La Tour d’Argent, é um de seus ídolos. O que o senhor admirava nele?
Passei três aniversários lá quando ele ainda era vivo. Quando entrava no salão, eu me arrepiava. Um sujeito que criou um ícone como o La Tour d’Argent! Sem contar aquela história de como ele escondeu, durante a II Guerra, mais da metade da adega do restaurante para que os alemães não achassem as garrafas. Emparedou tudo e passou noites com os empregados colando teias de aranha nos tijolos para parecer que elas estavam lá havia muito tempo, caso fossem encontradas. Até morrer, ele continuava indo de mesa em mesa, com a bengalinha: "Vous avez bien mangé?". Os três degraus que eu mandei construir no salão do Fasano, em São Paulo, são uma homenagem a Terrail. São como os do Tour d’Argent. Mas são uma inspiração, não uma cópia. Cópia, eu acho o fim. Um restaurante não é um comedouro. Tem propriedade intelectual por trás. Copiar é menosprezar o trabalho de quem concebeu aquilo.

"Nunca entendi esse termo ‘cozinha honesta’. O que é isso? O bifinho estava duro, mas o preço era bom? Comida é boa ou é ruim. Em relação aos bons ingredientes, não há milagre: custam caro"

Diversos ex-funcionários do Fasano abriram restaurantes que são muito parecidos com os seus. O senhor considera isso uma cópia?
Eu fico orgulhoso por saber que o Fasano é uma grande escola, mas acho que muitos desses ex-funcionários poderiam ter dado um toque pessoal às suas casas. O sujeito se apropria até do meu passado, chega a falar "buon giorno", ‘buona sera", como se tivesse origem italiana! Uma coisa é você ter tido uma escola, outra é sair de lá e copiar até a cestinha de pão. Tem proprietário por aí que apresenta o restaurante dele dizendo que é um "Gero 30% mais barato" (um dos restaurantes de Fasano). O que é isso? Inclusive porque ninguém faz nada 30% mais barato impunemente. Aliás, se existe um termo que eu nunca entendi é esse da "cozinha honesta". O que significa? O bifinho estava duro, mas o preço era bom? Em comida, isso não funciona. Comida ou é boa ou é ruim. E uma boa cozinha depende muito de bons ingredientes. Em relação a eles, não há milagre: custam caro.

Mas um couvert no Fasano custa 27 reais e é só um pãozinho com manteiga. O que justifica esse preço?
Isso é uma coisa que eu gostaria de esclarecer, porque ninguém no Brasil sabe o que é couvert. A palavra francesa vem do italiano coperto, que quer dizer, literalmente, "cobertura". É aquilo que o restaurante cobra para garantir a reposição do que ele considera importante oferecer ao cliente. No meu caso, o copo de cristal Riedel que custa 30 dólares e que cedo ou tarde vai se quebrar, a porcelana importada, a toalha de linho egípcio etc.

Mas isso já não está embutido nos preços do cardápio?
Não, o que está no preço da comida é o custo da comida. Couvert é diferente. É o valor cobrado para que o restaurante mantenha sempre a categoria do material oferecido. E esse valor vai depender se os talheres são de prata de lei ou de inox, se o guardanapo mede 60 por 60 centímetros ou 20 por 20 centímetros. Couvert não tem nada a ver com pão de queijo, manteiga, parmesão... Por isso é um erro essa recomendação que certa crítica gastronômica instituiu no Brasil: a de não pedir couvert. É um absurdo. Na Itália, não existe "não pedir couvert". Se você não quiser comer grissini, não come, mas o coperto está lá e custa, sei lá, 10 euros. E vem só grissini, nem manteiga vem, porque italiano come três pratos e é contra empurrar antes para o cliente uma porção de coisas que só vão desvalorizar a comida a ser servida.

O que faz de alguém um grande maître ou um garçom perfeito?
Sobretudo, o timing: a hora de saber chegar e a hora de saber sair. Nós somos um pouco contra o excesso de serviço.

Um exemplo de excesso de serviço.
Você pedir um café e a pessoa trazer uma carta de café. Você tem de parar, olhar, perguntar. Aí, sua conversa foi para o vinagre. A gastronomia é o ponto número 1 de um restaurante, mas você não pode esquecer que é lá também que as pessoas pedem as outras em casamento, se conhecem, fecham negócios, põem a vida em dia. O garçom que a toda hora pergunta se está tudo bem é infernal. Eu estive recentemente num restaurante considerado muito moderno na Inglaterra em que cada prato vinha com cinco minutos de explicação. Quer dizer, parece que você vai lá com um único propósito: aplaudir o chef – isso se você gostar da comida. Nesse restaurante, eu não consegui comer sorvete de bacon, entre várias outras coisas. Chegaram a me dar um iPod entre um prato e outro para que eu ouvisse música durante a degustação. São exageros que me dão ataques de riso. Não gosto desse excesso de modismos. Mas pior do que sorvete de bacon é o que eles chamam de fusion food. Cozinha tem fronteiras, sim. Espaguete italiano com molho asiático? Estou fora.

Que ingrediente jamais entrará num restaurante Fasano?
Azeite de trufas. Simplesmente porque não tem trufa. Eu amo trufas, mas as de verdade. O azeite de trufas é um dos modismos mais idiotas da gastronomia e tem gosto de petróleo. Outra coisa que não farei jamais é trazer chefes modernistas para fazer um jantar autointitulado "jantar do século". É muita pretensão.

O que você acha dos chefs ultrapopulares que fazem sucesso na TV, como o inglês Jamie Oliver?
Eu tenho resistência a programas de TV que mostram um crítico provando uma comida e dizendo: "Vocês não sabem como isso está bom". Acho um completo despropósito. Agora, quando ensinam a fazer comida, acho bárbaro. E ninguém tem o ritmo de televisão, a simpatia e o carisma do Jamie Oliver. Eu me identifico muito com a forma como ele vê a gastronomia. Para ele, um sanduíche pode ser de rara categoria, não é só a alta gastronomia que é interessante.

Alguns críticos dizem que ele não sabe o que é alta gastronomia.
Os críticos dizem também que o restaurante dele é muito ruim. Amigos meus que foram me disseram o mesmo. Nunca fui, inclusive porque não quero desgostar dele. Acho que o Jamie Oliver não deveria ter um restaurante: ele deveria concentrar-se em falar sobre gastronomia. Já eu jamais saberia fazer um programa de TV, até porque sou gago.

Qual é o grande prazer de ser um restaurateur?
Bom, antes de ter o prazer, vem a parte ruim: você não tem horário para chegar em casa, não tem fim de semana e sua vida familiar é complicada – tanto assim que os donos de restaurante que conseguem manter um casamento são raríssimos. Eu mesmo já me separei algumas vezes. Meu maior prazer é jantar às 2 da manhã no meu restaurante, abrir a última garrafa de vinho da noite com o salão absolutamente vazio, sabendo que esteve abarrotado até pouco tempo atrás. Há um quê de teatral nessa cena, é como se eu tivesse participado de um espetáculo ao vivo. Quando vejo que tudo deu certo, a noite foi bárbara e todo mundo saiu contente, o prazer é muito grande. Quase sempre fico até a última mesa se esvaziar e sei pelo "tchau" que me dão se foi tudo ótimo. Quando passo quatro, cinco dias sem isso, começo a ficar nervoso. Eu preciso desse último "tchau".

Source:

Revista Veja

Edição 2146 / 6 de janeiro de 2010

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Can we trust hotel reviews on TripAdvisor?

If websites like TripAdvisor are riddled with fake reviews, where will the traveller go for authentic advice, asks Charles Starmer-Smith.

By Charles Starmer-Smith
Published: 4:49PM GMT 01 Feb 2010
The Telegraph (London,UK)
www.telegraph.co.uk

I used to wax lyrical about TripAdvisor. It represented citizen journalism at its best. Instead of glossy brochures and toned-down guidebook reviews, travellers suddenly had access to real warts’n’all accounts, from real people, paying real money. It certainly shook up the hotel industry. Hoteliers no longer had only to impress the undercover columnist, AA inspector or health and safety officer that would come knocking once or twice a year, but everyday visitors, every day. It worked – it really did.

Some alarming photos had warned me off a dodgy hotel in Brighton that seemed desirable on first appearance. It had helped drastically narrow my selection of hotels for a holiday in Nice and I had even consulted it to ensure that my choice of honeymoon resort had been given the public seal of approval.

But TripAdvisor is in real danger of becoming a victim of its own success. With some 25 million-plus users a month, it wields enormous power and the hotel industry knows it. Many within the industry are now doing all they can to manipulate its anonymous reviews. And who can blame them? A series of bad TripAdvisor reviews can ruin a hotel’s business. No wonder then that European hoteliers are seeking to persuade the EU Commission to overhaul the rules governing website reviews to ensure that they have been posted by genuine guests.

A report by the travel website, Travolution, this month, confirmed my suspicions that hoteliers are being approached by companies promising to post positive reviews on websites in return for monthly fees. The report claims that such companies can avoid the protection measures that websites have put in place, by posting the reviews from different locations around the world. The report even claimed that one hotel had received a number of reviews before it had even opened.

TripAdvisor says all reviews go through a screening process prior to posting, adding that it has installed technology aimed at detecting those who try to circumvent this process, as well as receiving regular reports from the TripAdvisor community alerting them to any suspicious activity.

We can all spot the obvious “fakes”: from the gushing “to die for, paradise revisited, greatest, most romantic” hyperbole to the liberal use of the exclamation mark and the minute details about every in-room furnishing. But do we ever report them? Who has the time?

To be fair to TripAdvisor it has already begun imposing disclaimers – in bold red type above the name of the property concerned – when reviews have come under suspicion of being fake. It admits that it is aware of several companies offering paid-for positive reviews and claims that they have been penalised appropriately.

But I fear that if it was possible to unearth all the fake reviews, there might not be enough red pen to go around. Like drug users in sport, the people committing the offences are nearly always one step ahead of those trying to catch them.

Ed Hasbrouck, the US journalist, reported that at the PhoCusWright marketing conference in 2006, one leading advertising agency was already boasting that it had an entire division “devoted to seeding online forums and bulletin boards with targeted content”, adding that its employees would spend months creating profiles and posting “neutral” messages to establish a credible background from which to post their "paid-for" messages. That was four years ago, you expect that the game will have moved on and up a level since then.

If that is the case, who can you really trust? Are some hotels being wrongly maligned or even going out of business at the hands of a few miscreant posters?

The key to TripAdvisor’s success is that it appeals to the average Joe who does not necessarily trust what he reads in brochures or guide books. But if people lose faith in the authenticity of TripAdvisor reviews then surely that would take away its raison-d’etre.

Arthur Frommer, the guide book publisher, may have had a rather big axe to grind when he claimed that TripAdvisor “contains within itself the germs of its own undoing”, but he might just have a point.

Please, Give us your opinion.

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