Andrey Abramov, General Manager of Radisson Resort & Residences, Zavidovo, shared his plans for the development of the hotel in the near future. This year, the resort is ready to offer its guests a lot of interesting things - from new dishes in the restaurant menu, to a variety of leisure options. In 2020, Radisson Resort and Residences, Zavidovo will become one of the first Russian hotels to completely eliminate plastic in bars and restaurants
About the speaker: Andrey Abramov - General Manager of Radisson Resort & Residences, Zavidovo, has over 16 years of experience in the international hotel industry, has opened and launched hotels in various segments: luxury, upscale and mid-scale, has a master's degree in Business and Management "of the Turan University in Almaty.
“I have been running the Radisson Resort & Residences, Zavidovo since November 2018,” says Andrey Abramov. - Conducted various projects in the hotel business. In 2003, as part of an internship program, he went to Las Vegas as a student, it was a touch to the American travel and hospitality industry. Returning from the United States, being a third-year student, studying full-time, I decided to try to apply my knowledge in practice and went to work in one of the international hotels in the city, our teachers were very loyal to this. I started my career as a telephone operator in an international hotel in Almaty, it was an excellent hospitality school, according to the highest world standards. I learned a lot there, learned a lot and grew to the position of the head of the reception and accommodation service, which helped in the future to transfer to a hotel of the same chain in Moscow, where I worked for another three years. Then there were several interesting projects: I opened a 5 * hotel of another already international chain in Almaty, after which I opened several objects of the same chain in Krasnaya Polyana and Sochi, and then opened and managed the Park Inn by Radisson hotel in the beautiful city of Yaroslavl. In November 2018, I happily accepted an offer to become General Manager at Radisson Resort & Residences, Zavidovo.
“We have more and more individual tourists”
Radisson Resort & Residences, Zavidovo has been successfully operating for the sixth year. Please tell us if you see changes in the audience of the hotel? Who is coming to you now?
- We have 426 rooms in two buildings - a hotel and apartments. We are one of the largest hotels not only in Tverskaya, but also in the Moscow region. Initially, the hotel was designed and built mainly for business events - conferences, meetings, meetings, receptions. But over time, the resort "Zavidovo" began to transform, provide recreational services, the hotel has become interesting for individual guests who come here even just for the weekend. In the middle of last year, the last section of the M-11 toll road opened, and now, thanks to convenient transport links, you can reach us from Moscow by car within an hour.
Two main audiences prevail among individual guests - families with children and couples, in approximately the same proportions. Often, the goals of these audiences may contradict each other in some way, and our task is to satisfy the needs of both audiences.
The Radisson Hotel was the anchor for the Zavidovo resort. Does he stay with them?
- Now, when people choose where to go, they first of all choose a hotel. After all, the Radisson Blu brand is a guarantor of a high level of service quality, which is widely known in Russia. And, of course, the hotel remains the anchor of the resort. But globally, the task is for people to start arriving purposefully at the resort. After all, Zavidovo is an all-season resort. This means that we have something to offer guests all year round - a spa with pool and saunas, PGA National Golf Club, several excellent restaurants, a kids club, a variety of outdoor sports activities including almost any kind of water sports and stretching at 900 m. the beach is all surrounded by the stunningly beautiful nature of Zavidovo. What is not an ideal country vacation?
We strive to ensure that guests think like this: "I will go to Zavidovo and stay at Radisson Resort & Residences, Zavidovo, because it is cool there, there is something to do there." I think that with this type of thinking, all the facilities in the resort get additional benefits and more guests.
How is this goal achieved?
- Together we are moving towards this. Other accommodation facilities appear within the resort - these are two buildings of the Yamskaya hotel, a camping. The point of attraction is the sports complex "Aquatoria Leta Zavidovo", they hold their own and mass festivals every year, for example, Wake Weekend. There are other sports activities on the territory of the resort - golf, fishing, ski slopes, there are several potential partners who will appear here, they will offer what guests will come to us for. Therefore, we, of course, have a complex product.
Through which sites do guests book the hotel?
- A very significant proportion of guests come from our site: when a person knows a brand, a company, he knows what he wants and can safely book through our site. The site can now provide even more favorable conditions. We also form interesting marketing moves that can be viewed through social networks, for example, closed sales for loyalty program members, special conditions for late check-out of guests, sales for certain dates, and so on. And of course, OTA channels traditional for our industry.
How can a guest get into the loyalty program?
- It's very simple, just a couple of clicks on the site. This can also be done at the placement counter. Upon registration, the guest is automatically entitled to exclusive promotions, special offers and various privileges that are only available to members, including discounts on food and drinks, free upgrades and others.
What is the percentage of guests who come back to you?
- As a rule, they return almost always. There are practically no guests who have come only once. The question is, after what time will the guest return. In the season that we have from May to October, there are many such guests. We make the vacation as comfortable as possible for both couples and families, for business travelers, for participants in congress events. Our hotel team does the same for everyone, creating an atmosphere of home away from home, thereby gaining loyalty to the hotel and the brand, and receiving guests who are happy to return and advise us to friends and family.
Quite often now large hotels are switching to active work with Chinese tourists. Other hotels, on the other hand, are abandoning the Chinese tourism market. How do you feel about this direction?
- This is the demand that is on the market and everyone decides for himself how and for whom to position his product. Of course, each market and target audience has its pros and cons, its own risks and opportunities.
We work with a limited number of foreign tourists, as a rule, these are transit tourists who travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg by bus, they stay with us for the night. Of course, major events of international companies gather, among other things, an international audience.
The main target audience of our hotel is represented by compatriots, about 95 percent of the guests are Russians. We understand who our audience is, we know their needs and the value of our product, and we strive to make the main contingent as satisfied as possible.
It is valuable when people get impressions and share emotions together
Apart from comfortable accommodation and a high level of service, how else do you attract guests? And what are your plans for organizing leisure activities for guests in 2020?
- I joined the team in November 2018, and initially the task was to increase the number of guests, increase the occupancy of the hotel as an anchor facility. We understood that in the current market conditions there are two possibilities: attracting additional large events to the facility and working with individual guests. If the needs and expectations of the group segment and how we can increase it were more or less clear, then from the point of view of the growth of individual guests, we had to think.
One of the main stages in attracting this segment has become and continue to be various options for spending leisure time not only in the hotel and resort, but also in the region. We want to draw the attention of our guests to the sights located on the territory of the Tver region and show the local flavor. Those places visited by Ostrovsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Afanasy Nikitin, some anchor objects of the region - places associated with historical figures, small private farms, cheese dairies, etc. For example, in Zavidovo next to us there is a temple and museum complex "Tsar's Road", a very interesting place where you can learn a lot about the history of Russia. Not far from us is the village of Spas-Zaulok. And why exactly this name? There is an interesting story connecting this name with Catherine the Great. In the village of Gorodnya there is a wonderful 14th century church and a cliff, which, they say, Ostrovsky was inspired by when he wrote the tragic story of Katerina in his play The Thunderstorm. In Tver, the Tver Imperial Palace is an outstanding monument of Russian architecture, built in 1763-1778. Currently, the art collection of the Palace gallery has about 32 thousand exhibits, by the way, there are original paintings by Arkhip Kuindzhi, Robert Falk, Igor Grabar, etc. That is, we have a lot of local chips, unusual places that will be interesting to visit. Nearby, in Klin, there is the Klinskoye Podvorie Christmas tree toy museum, we want to provide our guests with the opportunity to see all these original, wonderful places.
Our plans are to hear from the guests what they are interested in, and to develop these areas. Nearby, in the village of Mednoe, there is a private cheese dairy created by an Italian living in Russia, and we can arrange a transfer there. There, our guests will be able to take a master class on cheese making and attend a cheese tasting. Likewise, hotel guests will be able to go on interesting excursions to the sights and museums of the region, which will be organized by museum staff and local guides. We have already discussed this possibility with museums, now everyone is interested in a constant flow of tourists.
How can guests have fun on the territory of the hotel itself?
- New Year, February 14, February 23, March 8, etc. - holidays that are the reason for guests to come to us. Usually weekends lasting several days are always in high demand and during these periods we organize animation programs for guests. For example, on February 23, we will have a field kitchen, we can go to the opened shooting range, we can offer our guests paintball.
The beautiful Crystal Spa is located on the territory of the hotel. We offer our guests: an indoor pool overlooking the river, hammam, jacuzzi, steam room, we also have programs aimed at body shaping, hand care, relaxing baths, nail service. The Crystal Spa has an excellent 24-hour gym and a range of post-workout recovery rituals.
Several gazebos with barbecue facilities are available upon request. Barbecues are always a great idea to get together with friends, colleagues or loved ones.
On the territory there is a basketball and tennis court, rental of all kinds of equipment, from a ball to bicycles. Our fully equipped beach, which stretches along a blue sparkling river in the sun, is just made for relaxation.
Does the hotel offer leisure activities for certain categories of clients: for men, women, for children?
- On the contrary, we deliberately do not divide our audience by gender. We see how important it is for people to experience together. Let's say I spend 12 hours a day at work, I mostly see my colleagues, and of course I want to spend the weekend with my wife. We think that a shared weekend is enjoyable for our guests as well, so we think of leisure activities as a whole for a couple or a family. We find it valuable when people get impressions and share emotions together.
We have a nightclub - karaoke bar, which is open on Friday and Saturday from 22 pm. Next year we want to implement a project for a living room, where a library, billiards will be organized, and guests will be able to spend a pleasant time with a cup of chach or coffee, and in the evening drink cocktails, listen to live music, it will be a kind of private cozy area where in a pleasant company and the intimate atmosphere, guests can spend time.
Children's room provides services for children from 3 years old. Our animators organize various workshops and other activities for children to keep them entertained as parents enjoy each other's company in one of the hotel's restaurants or spa.
The hotel really has a wonderful spa area, but it is clearly not enough for a large flow of hotel guests. Are there plans to increase the possibilities for such leisure activities?
- Yes, we are trying to resolve this issue by attracting additional partners. For example, a bath complex will open in our resort in the near future. We also understand that there is a high demand for our spa on weekends, holidays and off-season. In the summer season, guests enjoy using the resort's beach, which is 900 meters of clean sand.
We try to take into account the demand and taste preferences of our guests
Your restaurants delight guests with the quality of food and service. Are there any plans for some kind of renovation in the kitchen, in the work of the food sector?
We use menu engineering: at the end of the year, we study sales, analyze demand, summarize what was in greatest demand, and leave these dishes in the main menu. In April, before the start of the spring-summer season, the chef updates the menu. For a better knowledge of the menu and understanding of the dishes, we organize tasting sets for our waiters.
Also, within the framework of the year, we have several seasonal proposals, and if we see that some dish was especially interesting to guests, we include it in the main menu. After the season, we discuss what the guests will like, and based on the results of this discussion, we form an updated menu.
Summer cafes open in summer, where we serve grilled dishes, juicy sausages, pilaf, delicious kebabs, and the freshest fish. At any time of the year, our guests can cook barbecue themselves in the gazebos along the coast, there are barbecues, and many are happy to use this opportunity.
As a country hotel and seeing a large flow of guests, we plan to turn lunch and dinner into a buffet, just like we have breakfasts. The buffet format will allow you to give a greater variety of dishes, guests will be able to save their time, and there will be greater flexibility in nutrition. We plan to organize themed buffet dinners so that our guests can taste the cuisines of the world.
Also in our plans is the reconstruction of the kitchen. We see the need to serve large flows of guests, our capacities are now working at their limit. We want to serve food faster, work more efficiently, and provide the highest quality service.
Are there any ideas to use organic products in the menu?
- We are already using organic products at full speed. These are the products of the AgriVolga combine in Uglich: the holding produces products under the Ugleche Pole and Iz Uglich brands. "Ugleche Pole" - organic products, "From Uglich" - environmentally friendly products. This company supplies us with milk, sour cream, butter, as well as meat. In particular, we serve organic meat dishes in our grill restaurant "The Lake".
Obviously, this is so, besides, many guests come to you who are fond of a healthy lifestyle. For example, the Zavidovo resort hosts the IRONSTAR triathlon competition, and the hotel accommodates athletes for whom healthy nutrition is important
- Yes, absolutely. By the way, speaking of development, we understand that more major events should be attracted to the resort. IRONSTAR, Wake Weekend gathers a certain contingent of guests, and there is a load volume that these rather massive events give.
The most important thing is the principles of the philosophy of hospitality
Who is your staff, who comes to work at Radisson Resort & Residences, Zavidovo?
- To a lesser extent it is Tver, to a greater extent - the city of Konakovo. Now, with intensive business development, we see that this labor market is too small for us. We are opening a recruiting office in Tver and launching a shuttle from the hotel to Tver to make it convenient and easy for employees to get to work and home, which will increase their interest in work.
Our salary is slightly higher than the market one. For example, the income of a front desk employee is not limited. In addition to his salary, he receives bonuses for offering various services to the guest. For example, if an employee offered a guest to include breakfast in the services (if this option is not included in the room price), he receives a bonus. Or, for example, if you offered a guest to upgrade the room category. Included a guest in the loyalty program. Etc.
By what principles do you select personnel?
- A person with a desire, ambitions, and certain skills can come to work for us. We prefer to take people who want to work for us, they may be without experience, we can teach them everything we need. We have a whole training program that lasts 90 days for a new employee. In the first week, a detailed plan is drawn up. In the first month, he undergoes mandatory trainings - on-the-job training, orientation for a new employee, training in our Yes I Can philosophy, training in responsible business. These are the principles of the onboarding system - welcoming the team, accompanying and ensuring an easy start and entry into work - it is established in all hotels of the Radisson Hotel Group chain, this is a lot of work, and this is important, because our business is for people.
What do you teach employees in the framework of the direction of "responsible business"?
- What is a responsible business? These are three directions: think about people, think about the planet and think about society. For example, as part of this program, we invite guests to reuse their towels after one use, avoiding unnecessary washings: this way we can use less powder and water, thereby reducing the negative impact on the environment. As part of Green HouseKeeping principles - we plan to motivate guests to refuse additional cleaning in the room. For this, we award guests additional points as part of the loyalty program.
For 2020, we have planned to eliminate all plastic in the food industry. All plastic dishes, plastic straws, cup handles and so on will be replaced with products made from environmentally friendly materials. It is either thick cardboard or special fast-degradable material. In the conference hall, we have already abandoned plastic water bottles, purchased special cleaning systems that make carbonated and non-carbonated at home, and purchased small glass bottles. While getting rid of plastic is an expensive process for us, it is imperative for us to find a balance, we want to take care of the planet and the place where we live and work.
Once we handed over waste paper, scrap metal - and it was right. Now we live in a consumer society, we care little about the environment. Nevertheless, the phase out of plastic is a global goal for the Radisson Hotel Group. We want to be pioneers in this, so that of all hotel companies we are the first to move away from plastic, so that other hotel chains can match us. The purchasing department as a whole has been given an ambitious task - to work with suppliers who can reduce the amount of plastic packaging and cellophane. This year we will take serious steps to meet this challenge.
What kind of work is being done with the personnel in the framework of the development of socially responsible business?
- If we are talking about employees within the framework of a responsible business program, then we encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, we are trying to induce them to quit smoking, although we have not yet found the right mechanisms in this direction, because awareness is important in this matter. In the fall of 2019, we organized a running club for employees, jogging trails run through our forest. We are now 10 people, but we hope to expand this year. We have organized such jogging for hotel guests, developed routes, and our fitness instructor invites everyone to join the jogging. We have also created our own corporate basketball team and want to compete in cross-industry competitions. By doing so, we show that we support a healthy lifestyle and want our guests and employees to take care of their health.
Our team also includes an employee who plays the role of a “responsible business coordinator”. This employee conducts trainings in this area, organizes various activities with guests and promotes a culture of responsible business both among the hotel team and among guests.
At your hotel, you can see how senior staff take on the functions of subordinates. For example, a senior restaurant manager might help the waiters clear the table. Is this an exception or a common practice for you?
- We consider such mutual support to be correct. You are my guests. And at home you and I would do the same, sincerely take care of each other. I think that we should often return to the basics and basics of our business. Why are we here? For guests. On the one hand, the hotel business is simple - we want to offer our guests all the best at home: the best bed, the best food. But organizing this process correctly in the hotel is very important. And it seems to us that such involvement of the management in the processes is correct. This also increases the confidence of our guests in us. No one is surprised when the owner of a hotel comes out to you in Italy and personally brews coffee for you, we take it positively, but in Russia we are accustomed to hierarchy, to still old concepts, when the management link is unattainably high. But we want to overcome these stereotypes. At our hotel, it is not customary for managers to just sit in the office, the hotel business is a team effort, we are all here for guests, we fulfill their wishes and act in the spirit of the legendary Yes, I Can!
We believe that sincere concern for guests and employees, coupled with the international practical experience of the Radisson Hotel Group, will allow us to create a home away from home atmosphere in the hotel, as well as help provide guests with a qualitatively new level of hospitality.
