FITUR: Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is positioned with a strong investment and growth commitment for 2025

In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Finn Ackermann, Chief Commercial Officer of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts.

What are the expectations and objectives with which visitors come to FITUR?

After having closed a record 2024, the outlook for this year is frankly good. Everything we see in the books promises another good season, especially very notable in the Argentine market where we managed to increase a lot last year. We also see double-digit growth, but it is very early, we are in January, so there is still a lot to sell and fill. At the moment, globally as a company we are doing more than 10% better than last year at the same time. 

What are the main new features that you are presenting here at the event or that you are looking to highlight at the start of this season?

We have just opened two hotels in Miami Beach, in South Beach: the Iberostar Waves Berkeley Shore and the Iberostar Waves Miami Beach. 

On the other hand, just before Christmas we opened the JOIA Aruba by Iberostar, which is a completely new hotel. We built it on the island of Aruba, in a fantastic location on Eagle Beach, one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. We see a very positive commercial performance. This January, which is the first full month that we are operating the hotel, we are reaching very healthy occupancy rates. In fact, better than I thought we could reach. And for February, March, April, the outlook is just as good. So, we are very happy with the launch, we believe that the product has turned out very well. 

Without a doubt, in my opinion, it is the best hotel in Aruba, because it is brand new and many hotels on the island are not, so we have a competitive advantage there. In addition, we already have a lot of positive feedback from the first few weeks of operation. It will be a resounding success, and for us it is a very strong bet in a new destination.

Which properties will be renovated or expanded this year? What opening plans can you mention that are in the works? 

We are going to invest a total of more than 200 million euros this year. It is a very powerful investment plan that consists of renovations but also the construction of new assets on the land we have. Therefore, it is a very strong commitment to the product. Specifically, in Bávaro, Dominican Republic, we are going to renovate the Iberostar Dominicana, and we are going to renovate part of the Iberostar Waves Punta Cana, to dedicate it more to the family segment, generating a differentiated product in the destination with very interesting facilities, such as the construction of an adventure park for children, with water elements, and jungle, etc., which reflect a bit of the essence of the destination. 

In Jamaica, we have just finished a phase of room renovations at both the Iberostar Selection Rose Hall and the Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach. There we are doing a refresh of the rooms that guests will really appreciate.

We have several reform projects in Europe in the Canary Islands, but I believe that they are not as relevant for the American segment.

What is your feeling about this year that has just begun?

Last year we didn't really know what would happen given the geopolitical climate, but I think we've learned to trust that consumers still want to travel. And I'm honestly confident that we're going to see exactly the same thing this year. I think it's a paradigm shift that's here to stay. 

What we also see is that they value the experience a lot. It's not about going on holiday, but rather about wanting to personalise the stay as much as possible, choosing a product that will satisfy that desire, which is why we as a brand feel very comfortable with everything we do.

How does the chain work internally to always have human resources that are capable of leaving Iberostar in a good position?

The most important thing about our customers' satisfaction is the staff, the workers we have. We are a company with a family spirit, and I think that the customer perceives this through our staff, because deep down we are a big family. That feeling of belonging makes us perhaps more resilient than others in the labour market. We see that our sustainability agenda is something that motivates many workers to choose Iberostar as a place to work. It is curious that when we opened and looked for staff for the Aruba hotel, the JOIA, we were a little worried because it is a small island with a shortage of workers, however, we are overwhelmed by the number of people who have applied. I think that is a result of the strength of the brand as an employer. 

How do you work to have tempting offers in such a competitive market?

We rely heavily on data. We have a Customer Insights department that is dedicated every day to researching what our customers say, where the potential weaknesses in the offer are, what we do well, etc. We are a company that has the customer at its heart. We have changed internal processes to improve our product definition from the start. When we do a new construction or a renovation, we clearly base ourselves on these needs identified by our colleagues at Customer Insights. In other words, we don't invent something that we like, but rather the customer. This is the only way to really remain competitive in this difficult environment.

Traditionally, as a company, you have relied on operators, agencies, and trade in general. What message do you have for them this season?

We have always defined ourselves as a company that relies on travel agencies. In fact, our DNA is that of a travel agency, since the company was founded by buying an agency. This does not mean that we obviously have to work with all sales channels and be modern in our approach. 

It is important to highlight our huge investment in advertising as well. The budget we are dedicating to all of this in 2025 is higher than ever. It is a big bet, and we know that we have the support of the agents, because we are who we are because of them.