Page 38 - July 2022 ATM Special Issue 608

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Saeid Heidari Ela Ergin
(General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest): (General Manager The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul):

Even in the world of technology led advancements – for a Everything became technology-based in the
hotel like The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest – excellence in last 2 years and we are expecting 90%
personal service will always be the top priority occupancy rate during 2022

aeid Heidari, General Manager at The n a region known for its
SRitz-Carlton, Budapest, is a well-known Ipalaces, mosques and Spice
professional and a highly qualified hotelier, Bazaar, The Ritz-Carlton,
recognized for having exceptional
Istanbul emerges as a symbol
leadership skills and business acumen with
of modern Turkish luxury. Set
over 20 years of experience in the luxury
segment. Through his deep-seated on the banks of the Bosphorus,
knowledge of luxury brand management, The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul
he has successfully led teams in all aspects seamlessly integrates
of operations. His area of expertise include European style with Turkish
Food and Beverage, Spa, Sales, Revenue tradition, where guests can
and Yield Management. Under his experience local customs, from
leadership, the Team at The Ritz-Carlton, welcome drinks like sahlep in
Budapest continues to provide legendary the lobby to Anatolian cuisine
service and uphold the traditions that hall-
at Atolye, and then relax in perfect luxury. This five-star hotel
mark The Ritz-Carlton brand.
features redesigned accommodation, an indoor spa, nearly
Al Bayan Magazine met Heidari on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market and
conducted the following interview. 26,000 sq ft of event space and three restaurants (besides Nobu
Restaurant and Vakko L’Atelier) and bars, all with Bosphorus
• How do you evaluate the Arabian Travel Market Show for this year?
views.
- It is a pleasure to return to Dubai and see that business is booming again. In the past
two years due to the various measures caused by coronavirus, we had limited oppor- On the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market show, Al Bayan
tunity to welcome guests. Being a hotelier, personal relationships are crucial to the Magazine met Ela Ergin, the experienced name from the hotel
success of business so I am delighted to see so many hotels participating in the management sector who has been recently appointed as General
Arabian Travel Market Show and supporting their property and destination through Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul. She evaluated the ATM
this opportunity. The show was smaller in size and this gave us the opportunity to show, gave us an idea about the hotel’s occupancy rate as well as
have more time with our partners.
their offers for the summer season. Below is the Q & A.
• Did you make any refurbishments during the pandemic period?
- As our recently debuted hotel closed down for a short period during the pandemic, • How do you evaluate the ATM show for this year?
we aimed to make the best possible use of the time. Firstly, we utilized these weeks
to provide trainings to our employees and stimulate them through exercises related to - I think this is my 12th time participating at ATM and it is
the reopening, as their engagement is our greatest asset. Secondly, with the support always great to be back especially that in the last two years,
of the property owner, Al Habtoor Group we refreshed our outlets namely our restau- we were not able to do this kind of shows. I am very excited
rant, which underwent rebranding. The newly operating Italian restaurant, OTTIMO and it looks like the show this year will be very busy and up to
has since become a hotspot in the city due to its atmospheric interior and signature
dishes. The outlet is receiving a much-anticipated winter garden to channel a well- our expectations because everybody missed to be together
rounded authentic taste of Italy as part of their dining experience. Through the com- again and meet face to face. As The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul
bination of these efforts, we have secured the position of being the leading luxury being in the city center, we are expecting many guests from
hotel in Budapest. the Middle East and even then passed two years, it was our
In Addition Budapest was one of the a few cities where the restrictions were very low top destination and I guess this year will be a very busy sea-
since the government was very supportive to business. In numbers, our occupancy
rate in Budapest is currently over 2019. The Ritz-Carlton Budapest is performing son so our expectations are really high.
around 20 percent over 2019.
• How do you keep pace with smart technological devel-
• What does the Mena region represent for The Ritz-Carlton Budapest? opment and what is its impact on the travel and tourism
- The market is familiar and has great significance to us as Al Habtoor Group is based
in the UAE. We have a significant amount of travelers from the area especially from sectors?
Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. The type of business we receive - The last two years everything became technology-based
from the Middle East region is mostly family stays in connecting suites, which our and we see that it will be more beneficial and a priority espe-
hotel can comfortably provide. cially with the Covid restrictions. We are doing the mobile
check-ins and focusing more on applications so we are going
• How do you keep pace with smart technological development and what is its
impact on the travel and tourism sector? in that side more and more.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest is housed in a Heritage Building with a history reaching
back over one hundred years. To foster its authentic charm we are careful with choos- • How much was the occupancy rate in your hotel?
ing which technological developments to implement. On property, we have digitalized - Last two years, we were about 60 percent and this month we
all information, brochures and contact opportunities both to protect our guests and are expecting 90 percent so it is really getting higher. The first
employees, fulfill our endeavors towards sustainability and to cater prompt communi- three months of 2022 were a little bit slow but since Ramadan,
cation and accessible solutions such as QR scanning opportunities. Our meeting facil- our occupancy was about 65 percent and it will range
ities are operating with state-of-the-art AV equipment and our guests can connect with
us at any time through the brand mobile application. Above all, I still firmly believe that between 85 to 90 percent throughout the summer period until
the personal touch of our employees is what wins over our guests repeatedly. October.
• Do you have any summer packages? • What are your offers for the summer season?
- We await with an EID Holiday promotion uniquely catered to the needs of larger fam-
ilies ensuring home-like comfort for both short and long stay periods. Our connecting - Since it is very high occupancy, we don’t have any special
family suites and personalized services guarantee all-around accommodation while packages but we are combining some offer with our sister
discovering Budapest, the hidden gem in the heart of Europe. hotels in Bodrum such as honeymoon packages.

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