Make it better
An eye for the daily details isn’t enough. Stewart says you have
to grow with that meticulous nature and drive to do better.
“We have never wanted to be No. 2, and we need to look over
our shoulder,” Stewart says. “We don’t spend our time copying or
imitating, we bring out product after product that, in three years
time, the rest of the gang catches up to in their own way.”
Sandals and Beaches continue to reinvent the brand, re-evaluating what the customer wants in luxury accommodations. Instead
of settling for something that hasn’t failed you, Stewart says you
have to be looking for something that will really catch the attention of the customer.
That push for innovation has led to a list of firsts in the resort
world. Sandals was the first Caribbean resort to use Jacuzzis, the
first to offer satellite TV and the first to use swim-up pool bars.
All of them have since become commonplace, so Stewart wants
to keep pushing the envelope to stay ahead of the curve.
“That’s a natural tendency,” Stewart says of making improvements. “You finish something and it’s better than the one you did
before, so there’s an excitement to do something better than that.”
Similarly, Stewart has no problem spending money to grow out
a resort that’s already successful.
In August 2005, for example, Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort &
Spa underwent a $100 million expansion to create the Italian
Seaside Village. The resort was doing well; however, the expansion
added not just 168 rooms but also included a water park and playground to improve on the family atmosphere.
“I think we have a formula, a way that we do things to ensure our
success,” Stewart says. “We have had so many situations that we
have rooms in a place or a product or buildings that really could grow into something more, and we are inclined to do that work to
update it and make it better for our customer.”
And that philosophy can be pushed to your staff. Sandals and
Beaches constantly update standards and use technology to measure performance. It’s not enough for Stewart to push a culture
where the little details are the focus, but he also wants to ensure
that it’s being done by looking at the measurables.
“We have put more accountability into standards in the last seven
or eight months than we’ve done in the last 10 years,” says Stewart.
“We use technology that generally rates the standards, and it breaks
down all the different standards of the hotels from the cleanliness to
restaurants. We measure every detail we can, from rooms to swimming pools, staff, it rates service, and it breaks that down in every
part of the hotel.”
