00:00 For some Filipinos, special occasions mean staying in and enjoying the luxury of a hotel
00:05 room.
00:06 But how well have hotels bounced back since the onset of the pandemic?
00:10 Let's speak now with Grand Hyatt Manila AVP and General Manager Gottfried Bogens Perja.
00:17 Thank you so much for joining us, Gottfried.
00:19 Thank you, Ericko, for having me.
00:20 My goodness.
00:21 It's a pleasure.
00:22 You must be so busy with all of these FIBA World Cup national teams storming into the
00:26 Grand Hyatt Manila.
00:27 We are indeed.
00:28 We are indeed.
00:29 I must say, I must say, what a bounce back after a pandemic like that.
00:32 But of course, what really bounced back or gave the hotel industry new life were staycations.
00:40 A lot of Filipinos wanted to stay in hotels and travel across the archipelago.
00:46 What is the trend like right now, Gottfried?
00:48 I think we have seen a lot of the Filipinos that they really refocused their life and
00:52 it became much more about lifestyle and enjoying life and spending their money closer to home
00:58 rather than to travel abroad.
01:00 So what we really saw is that people enjoy their lives much more, spend a little bit
01:06 time for their well-being.
01:08 What they have also done is investing in experiences rather than just having a plate of food and
01:15 going somewhere, enjoying the moment and enjoying the people they are with.
01:19 But of course, apart from enjoying the staycation, are we now seeing a mix of foreign travelers
01:25 coming in droves into the country?
01:28 Well, we have seen some bounce back.
01:30 We are still not back 100% where we used to be before the pandemic, but we have seen a
01:35 good portion of foreign markets traveling back.
01:38 Business has recovered substantially.
01:40 Leisure is slowly but surely returning.
01:43 A lot of these things may have to do with flights available or flight itself has become
01:48 more expensive in general.
01:50 So people are a little bit more cautious, most likely on long distance travel.
01:55 But we have seen a good progress in the terms of people saying, "Ah, I may experience what
02:02 I have experienced before abroad and now experience it at home.
02:06 And I utilize the facilities which we have in the country."
02:09 And what will also give the Philippine tourism industry and hotel occupancy rates a boost
02:15 are the arrivals of these national teams participating in the FIBA World Cup.
02:20 They'll be basically talking about the experiences at hotels, the Philippines, Manila, in their
02:27 social media accounts.
02:28 Absolutely.
02:29 And they bring their families along with them, which is a wonderful thing.
02:32 I think what we have seen also, I think people believe that food is being consumed and it
02:38 comes to an end.
02:40 A stay comes to an end, but memories, they last for a lifetime or last forever.
02:46 And those experiences, they will bring back home and they will become ambassadors of the
02:51 Philippines and will say, "The Philippine people are warm people and they are very much
02:55 hearty people."
02:56 And I'm sure they will talk positively about the country.
02:59 But of course, Gottfried, the bottom line is you may be staying in a wonderful hotel,
03:06 but is the consistency and the sustainability of the services that you offer?
03:11 I think we do.
03:13 At Cranheight, we have wonderful experience in terms of the rooms, the view.
03:16 We have 461 wonderful rooms, unobstructed view of the city and skyline of Manila.
03:23 And we heavily invested in the youth of the Philippines.
03:27 Underprivileged youth is in the forefront of us to developing the local skills so that
03:32 we have people available also for the service sector and for the service industry.
03:37 This is a crucial aspect of maintaining the Filipino hospitality and showcase that we
03:43 in the Philippines are not just exporting labor, but we also can develop labor here
03:49 in the local markets for the local community.
03:51 And keep that local talent here.
03:54 That is a must and a calling for us.
03:57 All right.
03:58 Apart from occupancy rates, restaurants, what about the mice industry, meetings, incentives,
04:05 conventions and exhibitions market?
04:07 You have quite a number of outlets at the Cranheight Manila.
04:13 How is the mice market?
04:15 Yes, we have indeed eight F&B outlets all together.
04:19 But the mice market, we have seen an interesting development and we are very well positioned
04:23 in terms of what we can offer to the mice industry in general.
04:27 The hotel has one of a kind ballroom with a full show kitchen where we do shows and
04:32 we do entertainment, which is part of the mice experience, so to speak.
04:38 They are not coming here just for a meeting, a seminar, but also the dining experience,
04:43 being entertained and living the life beyond just receiving basically information.
04:49 But is the mice market back in business?
04:51 Are we seeing more events and conventions taking place?
04:55 I can confirm that mice has returned.
04:58 People are back in business and even foreign mice incentive groups are coming back into
05:03 the country.
05:04 Absolutely, and we are very happy to be in the forefront on this.
05:09 We've seen President Bongbong Marcos travel the world promoting the Philippines and he
05:15 has attracted billions, tens of billions of dollars in pledges from foreign investors.
05:22 Are hotels like the Grand Hyatt already feeling the influx of foreign investors looking for
05:29 opportunity in the country?
05:32 We have seen interests.
05:33 We have seen people who are coming into the country exploring the opportunities which
05:37 are out there.
05:39 Obviously we cannot talk about details which are on the drawing board, but there is interest
05:43 from interest groups which are interested to invest in the Philippines as they have
05:47 beautiful resorts and resort areas.
05:50 And I guess they are scouting for opportunities which are out there.
05:54 Yes, we have seen it and we are excited about the opportunity.
05:58 Correct me if I'm wrong, the Grand Hyatt is a five-star or a six-star hotel?
06:02 I think we are five-star with a six-star service.
06:05 Okay, five-star with a six-star service.
06:07 That's what the Filipinos do.
06:08 But of course, Godfrey, there's a lot more competition now, especially for the business
06:13 traveler.
06:14 I mean, you have the Shangri-La Makati reopening.
06:18 How does this balance now the competition in the Bonifacio Global City and in the Makati
06:25 market?
06:26 We have a strong belief that…
06:28 Where you complement each other?
06:30 It's a complementing.
06:31 It's not a competing with each other.
06:33 I always say we have to develop the industry and we have to care for people.
06:37 Ultimately, that's what it is all.
06:39 Often we're talking about hospitality, but ultimately we're talking about the human
06:43 resources sector and about the people who deliver the services and the products itself.
06:48 So even when we say hospitality, we mean human resources.
06:52 Human aspect becomes crucial in the aspect of hospitality.
06:56 All right.
06:57 Let's focus a little bit on your rise to becoming a general manager of the Grand Hyatt.
07:05 You started out as a chef at the Hyatt and rose through the ranks to become a general
07:11 manager for several of the Hyatt properties.
07:15 How did this come about?
07:16 What is your motto in life, in work, and in running a multinational hotel chain?
07:25 I believe one of the main things is keep on learning.
07:29 Challenge yourself your lifelong.
07:31 I'm a strong believer, a saying of mine is always, "It's all a state of mind."
07:35 If you put your mind behind things, you can achieve it.
07:39 I was never too happy with the status quo.
07:41 So even when we operate currently, I always try to challenge myself for new things, for
07:47 new developments.
07:50 That includes your own career and your own development.
07:52 You should not be afraid of looking forward into the unknown.
07:57 And also helping other people.
07:58 You just didn't develop yourself as what you call this, a chef, but also a general manager.
08:05 But you also developed six general managers, several food and beverage directors, and chefs.
08:09 You helped other people grow in their careers.
08:11 And I think they helped me to grow myself.
08:14 And that is really ultimately.
08:15 We are supporting each other and we are working not as individuals.
08:19 We are working through teams.
08:21 And I believe that hospitality is all about team efforts.
08:24 And the stronger the team, the more success you will have.
08:27 So I would say, yes, I'm honored to be the head of a team, but ultimately it is about
08:34 the team effort.
08:35 And the waiter is equally as important as you as a general manager.
08:38 So we don't see our structure as very vertically, so to speak, like a locomotive.
08:45 Yes, you may pull the train, but everybody is on the same platform and everybody has
08:49 a job to do.
08:50 That's right.
08:51 The success of a product is not just about one person, but the team itself.
08:56 Absolutely.
08:57 Thank you so much for joining us on The Final Word.
09:01 The general manager of the Grand Hyatt Manila, Gottfried Bokens Perger.
09:05 Thank you so much, Rico, and I hope to see you all at the Grand Hyatt one day.
09:09 Thank you so much.
