Bahrain Confidential interviews Hossein Garan, General Manager of Marriott Executive Apartments and Residence Inn by Marriott.
Tell us something personal – how would you describe yourself in one word?
Dynamic. As a hotelier, it is essential to manage the ever-changing environment in the hospitality industry. Every day, there is something new and therefore, you have to be able to change, adapt and move forward setting your business for success.
If you can change one thing about hospitality in general, what would it be?
Hospitality and technology are becoming closer more than ever; guests can book, chat for requests, check in and out using a mobile app which may limit the human touch. I do welcome these changes as that makes it easier for our guests but, I would remind all hoteliers that the core of our business is the guest so don’t lose this core; make that call and ask the guest about their stay and continue the personal touch which is so important.
Can you shed light on your vision for the hotel this 2020?
Well, 2020 is a year for exciting new things for us. We’re all ecstatic about the launch of our new restaurant, “Crossroads” by March. It will feature a bright, modern and cozy rendezvous for everyone who enjoys comfortable dining with an urban flare. We are also in the final stages of our new apartments redesign taking the new preferences and style of our guests into consideration. We will be starting the renovations in 2020.
What have been the biggest challenges and successes of the past year?
Marriott Executive Apartments has always been one of the favorites in the hospitality industry in Bahrain, especially when it comes to the extended stay. It was and will always be our challenge to keep that high regarded position. We achieve it with our great team’s non-stop effort to maintain the excellence we promise our guests and with the support of our globally awarded, loyalty rewards program, Marriott Bonvoy. Another challenge is to keep ourselves up to date with constant change in technology and adapt the same in our operations to serve our guests better. We have had many successes in 2019. Notable successes are that we managed to stay ahead of our competition in our market share. Another great success story is that we ranked number one in Marriott Executive Apartments brand, globally in guest “Elite Appreciation”
Is there a particular saying or motto that guides you?
“Put people first” is a saying that I practice all the time. Our company’s founder J. Willard Marriott said that “if you treat your associates well and they will treat your customers well and the customers will come back”. In fact, this saying has been incorporated as one of the core values of Marriott International.