"Cost saving is one of our major ways to survive in these challenging times"

 

- As a newly opened hotel brand in Nha Trang, Eastin Grand Hotel Nha Trang is still maintaining a good business from domestic market during the Covid-19. How do you develop your products to attract domestic guests during this challenging period?

 

As we were immediately hit with COVID-19 just after our opening last year July, we have been promoting aggressive rates and advertised these heavily online. We intensified our service related to training and we maintained a positive spirit. This was picked up well by guests and now we see regular guests returning. 

 

 

 

 

- What are the key factors that can help the hotel remain your activities in the context of many other hotels in Nha Trang closing to minimize operating costs? 

 

An active approach and daily control of all possible expenses and available data is crucial. From that an action plan has been derived that is checked daily and reviewed in our daily briefings. The executive operations team and heads of departments of the hotel must be conditioned to take initiatives to save cost and make all staff in the hotel aware that cost saving is one of our major ways to survive in these challenging times, and, when time gets better, to maximize our profits. 

 

- Could you share the outstanding operating strategies to maximize profits as well as providing ultimate guest experience?

 

Our operating strategies are based on guest experience as I believe that the guest nowadays is the most important judge of how we are doing, mainly due to the importance of social media. Guest experience is not only about rooms, it is as well created in our restaurants and bars and I am very pleased that the restaurant- and culinary team did so well in that area with our successful year end events and weekly Weekend Therapy on Saturday nights. With the official opening of our Eastin Grand Art Lounge on the 22nd of January we will add another experience.  Strategically we have a local and a national approach. Locally we focus on our food and beverage offerings. On a national level we aggressively put great rates in the market. We have just launched a new promotion with ‘’Economy Class’’ and ‘’Business Class’’ rates. This way we offer a 5 star product where the ‘’Economy Class’’ still offers the same hotel room but slightly adapted so that guests have more space in their budget to do other things during their stay with us. 

 

The ‘’Business Class’’ rooms include breakfast for 2 and free minibar for example. An approach like this is creative, different and I think guests will take up on this offer. What’s not to like about such rates?

 

 

 

 

 

- What are your plans to contribute to market recovery of Khanh Hoa tourism in the near future?

 

We must work strongly together with the available resources such as the Khanh Hoa Tourism Board and we are in the process of developing an exciting event together on which, I am sorry, cannot reveal too much at the moment. 

 

I love to contribute to events by speaking and explaining our approach and offer our help to where ever necessary. I think that a social strategy and cooperation amongst hoteliers will contribute to the recovery. We should not only compete but also work together, like organizing city wide events on a regular basis, give visitors exciting reasons to visit Nha Trang. 

 

 

 

 

- AHS Family with over 13,000 rooms (across all brands) in Vietnam of both operating and under development,  what is the potential that AHS sees in Vietnam in general and Nha Trang in particular?

 

AHS sees Vietnam as their major growth market, this is shown in the large number of projects in the pipeline. In Nha Trang AHS is very proud and pleased to be involved with VNT, shown by last year’s opening of the Eastin Grand Nha Trang and the amazing project Travelodge Arena Cam Ranh of Tran Thai Cam Ranh.

 

 

 

 

- AHS is the technology solution and consulting service company for The Arena in Bai Dai. What do you think about  the tourism trend that is gradually developing there?

 

I think that the Arena is just the perfect project at the perfect time. When one thinks about Arena one should think of the entire Cam Ranh hotel and tourism development scene. What is happening there in terms of creating a great range of holiday developments is of world class quality and will ultimately become one of world’s most liked destinations because of the ocean, the nature, culinary destinations, 300 days of sunshine and the nearby airport and proximity of many great national destinations. It will be a gateway into discovering other areas in Vietnam.