Matanzas – In the processes of the leisure industry, innovation to seduce market segments goes beyond mere necessity and becomes an indispensable requirement for those who bet on competitive success in terms of customer satisfaction, revenue growth and quality of offerings.
This concept characterizes the performance of hotels in Varadero such as the Meliá Las Américas, which is determined to offer an experience similar to that of any other hotel in the world managed by this Spanish chain. This means maintaining standards within the constraints of the Cuban economy.
«After the Covid-19 pandemic, all international destinations have been reactivated. The difference is how difficult it is to do this with scarce resources… In Cuba, we had to be very creative,» explains Sahily Alzola Martínez, deputy director of experience with 18 years of work at the facility.
«Circumstances lead us to reinvent ourselves, to understand human, natural and other values, so that what is exclusive, what is our own, can be found here, something that must continue to be improved».
And that’s exactly what Meliá Las Américas is doing. When factors such as COVID-19 reduced the number of Canadian visitors, the top issuer, Russians and Germans came to lead the market segments, and «we had to redesign the products,» says Sahily.
That’s how the idea of strengthening alliances with a key player like the Varadero Golf Club came about, taking advantage of the fact that Meliá Las Américas is the only hotel with direct access to this facility. The idea, says Sahily, was to include European clients in this type of experience, which had previously been considered only for Canadian clients, and which would also be a source of income as part of the economic recovery.
The challenge was great. Although there are several golf courses, the sport is not very popular in Russia, in fact it is quite elitist, says Reynaldo León Díaz, the hotel’s sales manager and the person in charge of golf for the Meliá chain.
«We noticed that Russians like to take pictures on some holes of the course, which are located in front of the sea… We decided to surprise those who come to enjoy the sun and the beach with a golf tournament. Swing y sabor, a Thursday event, was born. After the competition, we give way to a tour in the carts, a photo session and then we finish with a lunch in the hotel gardens».
For the Russians, the initiative has been excellent, says Reynaldo, who is as passionate about golf as he is a golfer.
The acceptance of the so-called white nights on the beach, wedding celebrations, yoga sessions, among other proposals, speak of a hotel in constant evolution, something logical for a 30-year-old facility, completed last July 29.
«We are adapting to the demand for development that tourism requires,» says Sahily proudly. «We are constantly innovating so that improvements are appreciated. The new terrace offers beautiful views, and there is a progressive process of remodeling rooms.
«In response to the connectivity problems identified by the tourists themselves, a comprehensive investment was made in all areas, with repeaters in the most vulnerable points.».
Every creative act supports the goal of meeting and exceeding customer expectations. The attitude is rewarding. The hotel boasts a high occupancy rate and excellent repeat business from those who consider Meliá Las Américas their second home.
No one knows this better than Boris Guevara González, the employee who is fluent in several languages and has been working at the front desk for three decades. «From here I’ve met presidents like Putin and others from China, and I’ve seen the excitement of people meeting again at the hotel.»
Fidel Castro’s visit during Hurricane Michelle in 2001 is remembered by other founders, such as the salon captain Freddy Díaz González and Ivón Lluis, from the Customer Service Department, all united by the honor of being part of the Las Américas family, which remains an undisputed benchmark today, says Maite Artieda, Communications Director at Meliá Hoteles Cuba.
Recipient of the National Vanguard Award for its results in 2023, the third of the first three Meliá of Varadero is a clear example of the tourism needed by the country, and perfectly possible when it is understood that the main resource of a hotel, its golden customers, are its workers.
