John Logan, CEO of Mirbeau Hospitality Services, will open the Mirbeau Inn & Spa in Plymouth, Mass next spring—a sister property to one in Skaneateles in New York’s Finger Lakes. The company has already developed a new computer platform to link the two hotels and put in place task forces of employees from the hotel in Skaneateles to train the new staff in Plymouth. The company has also developed a marketing and public relations strategy.
“In terms of marketing and getting prepared to take reservations, we have already begun co-marketing. We are in the process of redeveloping our computer platform so people can use their computer, tablet, handheld or smart phone to make reservations. We’re setting up a central call center here in Skaneateles for both properties. We are developing our infrastructure. The ‘behind the scenes’ is pretty complex for operations to run smoothly,” he said.
Their website will launch in October this year for the spring opening because, he said, the booking window isn’t too far out-- a couple of days to a couple of months. They’ll have a general manager on board by October as well so the GM can build the executive team. “We have various initiatives to hopefully create a buzz. Our GM will get involved early in the marketing plan. We’ll get out and meet the people in the Pinehills community (in Plymouth) to bring awareness to the property. It’s never too early. After we hire the GM, the chef is a big one for us. That’s the first person the GM will hire. Food and beverage is always a big challenge; you have to reinvent the wheel every night.
“We need to train our reservationists in advance on room type and the services we provide to improve the experience for the guests. The front desk employees also need to know these things in case all the reservation agents are busy,” says Logan. “We like guests to commit to a package including spa services and meals. That way, it saves them money and saves us time by booking everything at once.
“Every piece of the puzzle has to fit for the opening date from the construction—so work with a good contractor--to the opening. We have seasonality. We rely on peaks in the Season. My biggest fear is I’ll miss a month,” says Logan.
