In anticipation of the bidding season for 2003 negotiated rates, Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts this month named 18-year industry veteran Brian Jones as vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas. Chief among Jones' responsibilities is building relationships with corporate buyers, which he said are more important than ever in these days of depressed business travel volume. "Business is coming back slowly," he said, "though results have been inconsistent industrywide. Many hotel companies had a better-than-anticipated first quarter, but that was followed by a softer-than-anticipated second quarter—the last half of the quarter in particular."
As the year progresses, Jones expects Le Meridien to "gain back a lot of the ground we lost, assuming there are no other events that would cause a dramatic drop in business travel confidence."
Prior to joining the chain, Jones was vice president of national sales for Loews Hotels and, earlier in his career, held sales positions for Hilton Hotels Corp., including at the property level.
At London-based Le Meridien, present market conditions created an opportunity to renew its focus on the customer. "This means paying more attention to corporate buyers, not only at major companies, but at small and midsize companies as well. On the one hand, the strategy is to develop a more diversified list of partners. Some industries are doing well in this economy after all, while others have stumbled. A challenge, therefore, is to call on the right segments at the right time," said Jones, who is based in New York. "At the same time, everything is cyclical, so we want to continue to support all our clients through both good times and bad."
As it happens, the 2003 bidding season is crucial for Le Meridien. The requests for proposals the chain receives will be its first since new CEO Juergen Bartels last winter rolled out his marketing approach, including the new Art & Tech guest room
(BTN, Dec. 3, 2001). "We have 145 properties in 55 countries and in every destination where the Art & Tech room has been introduced, it's been well received," Jones said. Included are upgraded beds and bathroom showers and plasma screen televisions. In some properties, every room is being renovated into the new, more contemporary style. In other cases, only a certain percentage are being redone, depending on the market and profile of the property. "Business travelers especially have responded to Art & Tech, because it's both functional and fashionable," he said, intentionally avoiding the word trendy. Le Meridien's U.S. portfolio includes hotels in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, among others.
"Certainly, there are going to be some pressing issues in the 2003 negotiations," he said. "But having worked with buyers closely over the years, I still know and appreciate the value of the long-term relationship."