Page 23 - February 2022

Anantara New York Palace Budapest, Hungary

Continuing to build a more sustainable future is a fundamental strategic
value that has been integrated into the NH Hotel Group business
model and company culture for many years. The company believes
they have a responsibility to build an operating model that ensures a Anantara New York Palace Budapest, Hungary
sustainable future, and they feel they have a unique opportunity to do
so because of the sector in which they operate, which allows them to
have an impact on so many lives and to make them, and the world, a
better place.
When discussing the key drivers of the success the company has
enjoyed over many years, Aragonés feels it is their people and their
culture of innovation that has driven the company forward.
“In NH we started to implement it back in 2014 under the patronage
of the Company’s Management Committee and since then, it’s been
ingrained across all our functions and throughout all our hotels.”
Technology has been a massive part of the growth of the brand,
and recently they have implemented additional digital solutions to
facilitate service and minimise the risk of contagion that has proved
very successful. This includes FASTPASS, which offers the possibility
to check-in, choose the room you want and check-out from the
customer’s mobile device, a Mobile Guest Service platform, with which
the customer can manage hotel services such as Room Service, request
extra amenities or book a table in the restaurant and a Smart Tablet in
Reception, a new proposal that reduces physical contact elements and
time spent at hotel reception, thus improving the customer experience
by digitising all phases of the processes during check-in and check-out.
“In our sector, technology and digitalisation must be viewed and
promoted as a facilitator to improve what our employees love most
and do best, which is to care for our clients. It must complement their
work, freeing them from administrative tasks so that they can offer a
more personalised service to guests.”
When discussing the future, Aragonés feels that they still have many
challenges ahead but he feels recovery lies ahead and is certain that
they will prevail.
“We will not forget what we have learned throughout these past two
years. Nothing is ever guaranteed and complacency is not an option.
We must always strive to be a step ahead and continuously innovate,
create, redefine and anticipate.”