What is the current situation of the hotel and what did its renovation consist of?
The Meliá Jardim Europa in São Paulo has undergone the most significant renovation since its opening 22 years ago, which represents a major change not only in terms of modernizing the structure and equipment, but also in terms of the projects and common areas. We have not improved what already existed, but have made significant changes to the hotel's areas. We have just completed the renovation of all the social areas that began in February last year, with the complete renovation of the convention hall.
We changed the carpet, modernized the equipment and the ceiling, and increased the height of the main room, giving it a much greater perception of spaciousness. We then moved on to the hotel's rooftop terrace, where the pool, gym and wellness area were located, with expansion and modernization.
We went through some difficult times, because we lost business because we didn't have all that space available. People were unhappy, but they finally let go and we completed the most important remodeling: the lobby and reception, and in the restaurant area we expanded and built walls again. We used the lounge as a restaurant, so now that everything is free and the restaurant is open, we are getting it right so that finally this month we will have all the indoor and outdoor areas ready.
We also renovated the tennis court, and the Meliá Jardim Europa is practically the only hotel in the city with this court. We added a bar outside the lobby for drinks and special occasions, and we are renovating the rooms. Little by little, floor by floor, we are renovating them so that by the end of July we will have many new rooms, 280 in total, with more than half of them already completely renovated.
As the most important hotel we have here, we are in the midst of an important relaunch and reopening plan, with a new positioning so that the entire market can learn about its new features.
What are the most important source markets for this property?
The Brazilian market is very important, with most of our domestic customers coming from Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, the capital, and Belo Horizonte. On an international level, the most important ones are Spain, the United States, Argentina, Mexico and Chile. We are in an area with a significant corporate component, and not only that, because around the hotel there is a very important leisure and entertainment area, with shops, restaurants, and also large companies, financial and legal centers; that is why we offer options for different audiences that frequent this region of São Paulo.
What option did you choose for the hotel restaurant, considering that it is an area with a high level of gastronomy?
To be successful, we have to be very good in several aspects due to the large offer. Now we have all the structural and design aspects ready, and we are shaping new menu proposals that obviously have a part of local cuisine, combined with contemporary and Mediterranean cuisine. Here we want to exchange ideas with chefs and festivals. We manage hotels in Latin America, so we have chefs from Peru, Argentina and Latin America in general, and even from outside our region, in the Caribbean and Europe. We intend to generate an exchange between them, as well as to hold festivals with different themes.
What kind of entertainment options do you plan for after a meeting or convention? How do they wait for the guest?
In the lobby lounge area, we have an area designed for events and to promote music, with a more informal and relaxed atmosphere. One of the proposals is to offer Happy Hour from 6pm to 8pm.
Additionally, depending on the time of year, we will work on specific goals, for example, a soup and broth festival when it is colder, and sushi when it is summer. According to the calendar of the year, we are launching moments and phases in which we can explore the gastronomy corresponding to the period.
On the other hand, both Brazil and Latin America really like sports. We are in the middle of the Copa América, the Libertadores will be back very soon, and the National League will be back. We will have dates or days when guests and those around them can come here to drink and watch the games, as if it were a sports bar. The idea is to create a good atmosphere and add more value to the guest who is staying, who can meet people, have fun and enjoy the bar. There are many ideas and we want to make the most of this new phase that we are entering at the hotel.
If you had to highlight why they should consider this hotel in such a competitive area, what features would you highlight?
The first is the environment that was created by this entire remodeling of the hotel. It is extremely cozy, very elegant, very beautiful. We have many loyal and repeat customers. When people came here and saw that everything was already reopened, they were super happy and comfortable to see that after so much time and so many disruptions, we finally have a high-quality product.
Secondly, the hotel is very centrally located. From here you can access offices, restaurants, shopping centers and sports arenas. It is also a place for those who enjoy the nightlife. Being here means being close to an entire society as large as São Paulo.
Then, the service. We are investing heavily in expanding and training our team. We are incorporating a new figure into the hotel, a Guest Experience Manager, who will take charge of interaction with the customer and will be their contact person in the different areas of activity. This will help the customer feel more cared for, have better contact and better resolution of their concerns from a perspective of total attention. The service obviously has to be 100%, along with a good building with construction and decoration.
What can you tell me about Meliá's current situation in the Brazilian market?
Meliá took advantage of the moment when hotels were closed, with virtually no operations and no customers, and made a move to modernize and invest. So, since then, we have done two rebrands, one of which was the former Tryp, which we converted to INNSiDE. And finally, the Higienópolis hotel began renovation and remodeling works and by the end of the year it will become the third hotel of the INNSiDE brand in Brazil, the fourth in Latin America, because the other is in Lima, Peru.
We also created an area that didn’t exist before and that the client needed: the wellness area. Previously, we had a small fitness center that was practically the size of a living room. Now, we have taken advantage of a basement, the garage area that was rarely used, and we have done a tremendous amount of work there. We have opened an 18-meter swimming pool, massage rooms, a much more complete gym and we have also renovated rooms.
The hotel has undoubtedly grown a lot and all of this adds more value. After all this investment, we are looking to return it, to make it all worthwhile. We are doing well, there has been significant growth. We have just closed the first half of the year and we have seen growth of almost 20% compared to the previous year. We are in line with our budgets and if we continue like this until the end of the year, we will be in good shape. We are happy with these results, which reflect the investment in products and improvements that we have made in recent years.
What is the next step?
We have signed contracts with practically all the hotels in Brasília, which is the capital, and we have also carried out interventions and improvements in the two INNSiDE hotels, as well as rebranding. Therefore, the works continue with all the new rooms.
Once the agreements and contracts have been renewed and the hotels have been renovated, the next step is expansion. We have a consolidated portfolio and the goal is to have more hotels.
We have already signed two franchise agreements in Argentina to begin operations at the end of the year. We are working on other products in Colombia and Peru, and also in Brazil itself, both urban and vacation hotels. There is a very strong focus and direction for expansion.