Eric Slater
HFT 3799
Before even stepping onto the resort, I knew this place was going to be special. We arrived at the airport in Turks and Caicos and immediately were shown the way to the cars that Beaches & Sandals had for us to get towards the resort. The drivers were professional and even handled our luggage for us before stepping into the van to be taken away. Once we arrived at Beaches & Sandals, we were welcomed with a song in our honor to welcome us to the resort and our stay. I was really touched at how appreciative they were for us once we arrived. We sat in the lobby, getting ready for our rooms to be selected. One team member even brought out complimentary drinks for us to have before getting into our rooms. The entire process was smooth and relaxing. This made me very intrigued at how the rest of our stay would go. Once our rooms were ready, they took our luggage and even brought them to our rooms without us having to say anything. The bags had been tagged which made it easier for staff to know who was which during the process of entering our rooms. Overall the first impression they made was very eye-opening to say the least. They precisely did everything to a tea, and cared for us before even entering the resort. This made me realize the luxury that this resort had set forth and the team members brought the magic out of it. From a managerial perspective, the arrival moments, and first interactions influence guest expectations/perceptions of the brand by showing what the brand or in this case resort is known for. Beaches & Sandals is known for exceptional service and they showed this before getting into the resort. Guests will take notice of this and more than likely appreciate the service given. It shows that luxury such as this goes a long way, and for guests they have the expectation now that this is how things are done. If they end up at a different resort in this case the expectations may be there but service could be lacking. They will associate this to Beaches & Sandals when they go to book a stay at a resort. The article helps to explain the importance of first impressions in hospitality by going into detail about personalization. When guests are given a personalized experience such as the one at Beaches & Sandals, they may expect it at other places as well. Some places will fall short of delivering such expectations but when they go to book a stay in the Carribean, they know that Beaches & Sandals will deliver on this promise. This will also help to increase revenue as understanding the customers patterns will allow for more upselling/cross-selling as well. If I were managing the arrival experience at this resort, I would prioritize the guest experience and personalization that is already being done. By being so personalized already, it won’t hurt to really focus on this aspect within the future. This will only create more revenue and interest within the resort and can be sustainable for many years, even forever until the resort decides to close its doors. It will just be important to focus and realize what the future holds and keep up with the times as AI and other digitalization is taking place.