Getting your hands dirty is the best advice Hilton Brisbane general manager Martin Kendall can give hospitality management students from The University of Queensland.
Mr Kendall told about 50 students from UQ’s School of Tourism recently to be prepared to take on all manner of tasks while working their way up in hotel management.
The talk was part of a tour of the city hotel, which included a look at recently-renovated rooms, conference facilities and the restaurant.
“My first job was at Hayman Island, before it was a five-star resort, scrubbing bar floors,” Mr Kendall told the students.
“It was great grounding. It taught me the value of the basics. I did that for 18 months.
“My advice for you is, be prepared to get your hands dirty. Everyone wants to do the sexy stuff: marketing and human resources and business development.
“The heartbeat of the hotel is what happens in other places, such as the laundry. Without that, there would be no sheets on beds and the hotel would fall apart.”
Mr Kendall said the hotel was entering a period of tough decisions, with much debate among management about room occupancy and pricing.
While some sections of the Australian hotel industry had grown, room rates had fallen, putting pressure on management to keep occupancy rates high, he said.
Signs of economic recovery could result in some hotels looking to raise room rates, but this should not price some customers out of the market and allow occupancy rates to drop, he said.
“We may be hitting the bottom of the curve. How do we raise rates and not decrease occupancy? The Hilton has an 85 per cent occupancy year to date. Our occupancy is good, but our rates are not going up. Price versus quality is the key. Pricing is what you think your product is worth.”
Leisure customers had reduced because Federal Government stimulus payments had stopped and mortgage repayments had gone up, Mr Kendall said.
“We need to ensure we are highly-targeted and we use the power of our brand. Hilton is sponsoring the Grammys so we get to new markets. We want to move the brand without damaging it.”
Hilton hotels were also the first to introduce check-in using iPhones, ensuring quick and hassle-free arrivals, he said. This was among the most important things for customers, along with quiet rooms and WiFi facilities.
Student Yi Fan Ying said the tour and speech from Mr Kendall were invaluable.
“It is good to hear from leaders in hospitality who can provide us with insights into the industry and their own professional advancement,” she said.
Media: Martin Kendall (3234 2000) or Erik de Wit (0417 088 772)
