UJ #13 - Health & Wellness

This is the scenario in Peru today; nevertheless
we should also remember that a few months
ago you became part of the world’s largest hotel
group. How do you see this new panorama?
Luis: Well, we’ll have to see how to take advantage of
it and what impact the merger with Starwood will have
on us. It is a world player that could open very interesting
distribution channels for us, and it is a much
bigger company with 5,800 hotels all over the world.
Let’s say that hotel chains have always had a value
proposition; in recent years this has been distribution;
so that is the direction we are going in.
Greater distribution and also a new public, no?
Luis: Well, another challenge is reaching the millennial
generation, as well as the arrival of the digital world in
more clients bypass the intermediaries when looking
for hotels. These are factors we believe we can and
must take advantage of, through digital media marketing,
and a digital sales strategy. But without neglecting
our traditional advantages: a clearly defined
group strategy, a significant corporate contribution,
care for the regular clients who always return to us
and for whom we provide a geographical advantage.
Because the greatest barrier to a client deciding against
a hotel is the geographical one; then comes service,
and after the hotel installations as such.
Can you give us a brief explanation please.
Luis: In other words the first thing you look for in a hotel
is its location; secondly you want quality services,
and thirdly good installations. That is the perception
that exists according to a person’s scale of values. If
you have a hotel next to your office, but its service isn’t
very good and it is not well maintained, you might use
it because of the savings in travel and driving time. But
if there is a hotel close to you with good service, that
makes a higher barrier to entry; it may have problems
with equipment and infrastructure, but the rest is important.
Finally, there are the facilities. With these three
factors we have a clear value proposition that can, as
a strategy, be suited to our target.
Daniel Silva / PROMPERU
The Westin Lima Hotel
& Convention Centre is
also one of Lima's main
convention centres.
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