Transforming hospitality for all: Cross Hotels & Resorts vies to be ‘relentlessly relevant’

Being relevant is of vital importance in the hospitality sector. Cross Hotels & Resorts work on all the factors that contribute for it to stay agile and innovative for all stakeholders.

TD spoke to Paul Wilson, executive vice president, Cross Hotels & Resorts, who oversees both commercial and operations for the hotel management company, about the changes the company are making to support its global aspirations.

Travel Daily (TD): Can you give a short background of your company? What sets you apart from your competitors?

Paul Wilson (PW): We, Cross Hotels & Resorts, owned by Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), are the transformative hotel management company that wakes up every day and asks itself, “How can we remain relentlessly relevant to our owners and guests?”. We remind ourselves that while we are in the hospitality industry, we are a lifestyle business.

Whether we are creating and delivering new hotel experiences for our guests, supporting the work/life/play balance of our colleagues, or driving owners’ profitability, we know that every interaction with us matters and should have a positive effect on their lifestyle.

We are negotiating in the sweet spot owners are looking for, by providing a truly consultative approach and exceeding in our delivery. This has given us huge signing success.

“The goal is always to push past these basics and deliver something transformative.”

TD: How do you ensure that Cross Hotels & Resorts is socially-responsible? How do you integrate ESG factors in your hotels?

PW: This is not just dear to our hearts, ESG is intrinsic to our business and owner strategies. All our hotels are designed to be digital-first, you will be hard pushed to find any paper or disposable plastic anywhere on the property. Bottles are glass, sheets are bamboo, and technology helps our chefs optimise food production and reduce waste. You will find organic farms on many properties, and we don’t see our ongoing tree planting program as a sales promotion, but as an investment.

These considerations are basics for Cross, and they are part of our decision-making process with all potential new owners. The goal is always to push past these basics and deliver something transformative.

TD: What is a common problem faced by hotels nowadays and what is the hospitality solution that you offer?

PW: Hiring and retaining the right kind of employees is a major problem faced by our industry. We actively seek out people who fit into the Cross culture first, their hotel experience comes in second. Our inclusive management style encourages colleagues to put their heads above the parapet. Our people love the chase, the negotiation and the freedom to solve a problem.

We have built a team of independent thinkers unencumbered by traditional hotel processes. None of our digital team comes from a hotel background, they cut their teeth in social and online retail; our F&B teams ran successful independent restaurants; our marketeers honed their skills in fast-paced, innovation-led start-ups. We have built a culture we all want to be a part of.

TD: What are the hospitality trends you think we will see this year and next year? How do you plan to capitalise on those trends?

PW: With tourism coming back after COVID, guests are more strongly inclined than ever towards wellness. We have made sure that our properties are maximising their indoor and outdoor space with spas and health clubs, jungle gyms and other experience zones, providing vegan and detox menus as well as other wellness programs.

I also see omni-channel marketing becoming even more mainstream, enabling us to better manage our guests’ journeys across channels. While guests are captured from top to bottom, we invest in each stage to ensure our hotels are bookable throughout and communicate messages consistent with each guest’s needs.

We thrive on staying agile and innovative, our marketing is one of the best barometers to ensure we’re on-point. The industry average engagement rate for a hotel page is 0.05% – 0.31%; we maintain 10% group-wide, and our Line account was #1 in the Travel category three times last year.

TD: What is your goal for next year? How will you get there?

PW: Our long-term vision is to “Transform hospitality for all”, with a short-term KPI of >3,000 operating keys by 2024.

Last year, we made one hell of a summit push, climbing to #33 in the Thailand Top 100 Brands list. Our philosophy is clearly working, and we want to climb even higher this year. I understand that this will not be easy. However, with our independently-minded, dedicated team that believes in our ‘relentlessly relevant’ philosophy, I am confident that we will achieve our goals.