A Renaissance Man

Lisa Plummer -- Tradeshow Week, 11/14/2008 1:13:00 PM

As executive director of market strategy at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel, 19-year hospitality veteran Fred De Sota knows what sets one resort apart from another – customer experience. Although his hotel has reaped the benefits of neighboring the Las Vegas Convention Center, De Sota doesn’t believe in taking anything for granted. TSW Contributing Editor Lisa Plummer asked De Sota what made the Renaissance unique from other convention center-adjacent hotels.

Question: Was the Renaissance built with conventions in mind?
Answer: That was part of the main vision. The ownership (also) wanted the hotel to stand out among any typical Renaissance Hotel in the country, to be top in customer satisfaction and set the standard.

Q: In the 11 months you’ve been at Renaissance, how has business been?
A: We saw a fairly strong first quarter based on the convention calendar and our proximity. We’re one of the key choices of conventioneers for the major shows, so during January through March we fared very well. Like other resorts here, when we get into the summer months we have to be a little more creative, offer more values as far as packages, more discounts on weekday rates versus weekend and try to work on getting leisure travelers. As we’ve seen in the economy lately, there’s been a bit of drop-off in convention traffic. Now, it’s a matter of what we can do to attract groups that aren’t necessarily convention-related, that maybe just want to have a meeting inhouse.

Q: What is your mix of group versus leisure?
A: We’re about 60 percent business or leisure and 40 percent group.

Q: What are the advantages of being right next door to the LVCC?
A: We’re the hotel of choice when it comes to conventions … a hundred yards away and within easy walking distance. From a conventions standpoint, there’s only one other hotel that’s as close in proximity (Las Vegas Hilton), and both of us have the location advantage.

Q: What’s your relationship like with the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority?
A: We have to work very closely with the LVCVA and try to partner with them in everything we do. They are the key factor in our success.

Q: What’s your occupancy like during big shows such as Intl. CES, MAGIC Marketplace and World of Concrete?
A: For the top five shows, we can sell out up to six months to a year in advance. With (Intl.) CES, they essentially take over (the hotel). It’s great for us, and we don’t take it for granted.

Q: How so?
A: Location is one advantage, but if they don’t like the experience, they’re not going (to be) coming back. We don’t want to be known as the hotel next to the convention center that (conventioneers) use because of proximity, we want people to come back because we treat them well and they want to be there.

Q: What is your strategy to keep occupancy rates up in such a challenging financial climate?
A: For this and next year, we’re not just in print media, we have to make sure we’re visible in all the e-commerce channels. We (also) want to make sure we keep our hotel visible and in front of meeting planners at major events that take place across the country. It’s really a matter of continuing to build relationships and keeping ourselves visible in front of key clients, not only in Las Vegas, but also in the regions where we know we attract business.

Q: Are you offering any special rates or group discounts any more than you did before the downturn?
A: Rather than lower rates across the board, which I don’t think is really the solution, we’ll offer extra amenities … we’ll (approach) clients and say ‘here's what we’ll do instead.’ In Las Vegas, the casinos have the ability to drastically drop rates, but we simply can’t play in that arena, so we have to come up with very creative solutions.

Q: Since you’re a non-gaming hotel, what is your primary draw?
A: Outside of convention business, we have guests that stay with us based on brand loyalty, past experience, recommendation or the client or meeting planner that wants a non-gaming and non-smoking venue. They’d rather have a very concentrated group effort in the hotel and not worry about the distractions of the casino. When it comes down to it, it’s about customer needs and what the customer needs to have a successful meeting. … We have to make sure we’re successful at making our guests happy.