MIAMI—Amaury Piedra, who was appointed general manager of the iconic, oceanfront Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach last fall, has nearly 20 years of hospitality experience. He came from the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort & Spa and Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, and has held managerial positions at W South Beach and Westin Hotels & Resorts and Sheraton Hotels at Our Lucaya in Grand Bahamas Island. Here, he chats about everything from current hospitality trends to hotel amenities to how Airbnb is disrupting the hotel industry.
—Christina Trauthwein
What are your predictions for South Florida’s travel/hospitality industry in 2016? 2016 should prove to be another solid year for South Florida’s tourism industry. Miami Beach has seen a large increase in inventory over the past year, and it will take some time to absorb but, compared to others, the market remains very strong.
What amenities are offered at Shelborne that set you apart from the competition? Our soon-to-open restaurant, Sarsaparilla Club, has made numerous lists as one of the most anticipated openings of 2016. Also, the Drawing Room Bar features a staff of talented mixologists, who create craft cocktails. Our air-conditioned private cabanas feature an entertainment center, private bathrooms, spa services and the option to have your own mixologist. Furthermore, in conjunction with Art Basel Miami 2015, Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach introduced six large-scale paintings and five of Bosco Sodi’s glistening gold rock sculptures, and put them on permanent display for the enjoyment of our guests. The pieces were commissioned by the hotel’s owners Paul and Dayssi Kanavos, who are serious art collectors, to be a part of the hotel’s permanent collection.
Sustainability is gaining traction in the hospitality industry. What types of green practices or solutions does the Shelborne offer to answer to environmental issues? Currently, the Shelborne Hotel utilizes LED energy-efficient lighting in guestrooms, as well as throughout the property. In every guestroom, there is a recycle and trash bin, along with VFD-controlled air handlers. We also reuse our keycards, as a positive step toward decreasing the current environmental issues. This year, we have plans to enhance our “go green” initiatives to increase our environmental awareness.
How does technology play a role in your property? I believe concierges will use technology to further strengthen their relationships with customers. Whether it’s communicating through the various apps available or being able to fulfill requests faster through the use of technology, the end result is faster response time to customer needs.
How is the rise of mobile/digital impacting your business strategy and design strategy, and also technology in the room? It’s amazing how fast tech continues to evolve. Keeping up with sufficient bandwidth for multiple devices people utilize is always challenging. From a strategy perspective, it’s more important than ever to have a strong social media presence. The best thing is you have so many new ways of communicating and reaching out to your customers on digital, even on an hourly basis, allowing you to build strong relationships.
How do you think services like Airbnb will disrupt the hotel industry? It’s a fact that Airbnb and services like it have created new competition for hotels for a certain type of customer. This is why building relationships with your customer is key. People still want the warm greeting upon arrival; the concierge who knows their preferences and takes care of their needs; the signature on-site restaurant; and the ability to be served their favorite beverages by the pool or on the beach.
What are your top feeder markets, and where do you see future travelers coming from? The top feeder market for South Florida always has been and continues to be the domestic market, especially the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tri-state area. Internationally, South American countries like Venezuela and Colombia always had strong visitation. The U.K. was always a strong international feeder. Over the last several years, visitation from Eastern Europe has really grown, along with Brazil for South America. In addition, increased airlift for the Middle East, such as Qatar Airways, allows the destination to continue to broaden its reach to new customers.
What is the key to a hotel’s success? In my opinion, it is the people. It’s the staff who make a hotel a success. Assuring a properly renovated, clean and maintained hotel, it’s the staff who travelers will remember. At the Shelborne Hotel, we are blessed with a group who truly embrace the meaning of hospitality and, in our case, Wyndham Hotels’ “Count On Me” service spirit. While we receive positive comments on our facility, the truly passionate comments are always driven by the actions of our team members.
What other trends are impacting the hotel world? Millennials will continue to be a faster growing segment of the trend population. The way hotels market to, communicate with and serve this growing segment is a key to success over the next several years. In addition, we must all continue to find the best uses for technology and how it can allow hotel and hotel brands to further strengthen their relationships with customers.