As the third edition of the ongoing Qatar Summer Festival (QSF), helmed by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), continues to draw crowds by the thousands, the hospitality and retail sectors are also basking in the warm reception and promising response that the event brings along with it.
QSF packs in offers from close to 60 hotel establishments and retail outlets that give shoppers the chance to win prizes up to QR2mn in total. Meanwhile, it has also helped draw the attention of tourists into the country through events and partnerships with various establishments, including the top hotels of Qatar.
Community caught up with Gianrico Esposito, General Manager, The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa, for a chat about QSF and the hotel industry in Qatar and the region.
 
What do you have to say about The Westin Doha being part of QSF?
This is a great initiative by the QTA to promote the destination during the low season of summer. I believe that hotels should do their part in participating in initiatives rolled out by the country and become more appealing when the demand goes down a bit due to change in seasons.
 
How would being part of QSF make a difference to The Westin Doha brand?
I believe being part of QSF generates more awareness for our hotel and the brand because we would be seen and heard in all the communication that the QTA is establishing with the people, as part of the festival. While there are several other hotels participating, for us, this festival is particularly important because it’s our first year of participation. We are putting in efforts to be more visible to the potential tourists and clients. We are presenting special offers such as three nights for the price of two, and for the guests that book through the QSF website, the choice of opting for late checkouts and their stay inclusive of breakfast.
Over time, how do you plan to engage with potential clients and tourists better?
Our effort now is to become more known as The Westin is still new in Qatar. So we are trying to drive new customers into knowing the hotel, telling them what we are offering and exactly how the product is. Our main focus, currently, is therefore the quality of services. I believe that exceeding the guest’s expectations is key to consolidating the guest. A guest may visit you for the first time because he or she learnt about you. But if you don’t exceed the guest’s expectations, the guest may not return. So it’s important for us to deliver the highest level of quality.
For this, we are investing a lot in our associates (staff) and training. We are putting in maximum effort to know the preferences of our guests and try to give them whatever they ask, in a place that they feel very comfortable in. In that aspect, we are very much helped by the way our hotel has come about.
In this part of the city, The Westin is a place where you can have a really relaxing experience. From the middle of the hotel where we have the garden and the pool, it looks like an oasis of peace, greenery and freshness. If you see the design and the spaces we have, they are very relaxing and comfortable so that guests can enjoy their stay in a very positive way.
Considering this is also part of our brand message, we want guests to feel well. Well-being is a key factor for our brand message.
 
Do you feel that the focus in the hotel industry here in Qatar and also the Gulf, is more on service?
Definitely. Here, the investors of the hotel industry pay a lot of attention on the working of the product in a way that it provides everything to satisfy the guest’s needs; without, of course, forgetting that efficiency and cost-effectiveness should be in place. Here, it’s a matter of providing pure luxury not just in the product, the design, the quality of the architecture or the furniture and equipment that’s provided, but also the service.
 
What is your view on Qatar as a market or the clients that you deal with?
Qatar is a unique market. The quality of the hotel industry in Qatar is one of the best in the world. It’s difficult to find one hotel, especially in the five-star segment here, which is not really impressive. So it’s above what you normally find in other countries; even in the region. As for visitors, it’s still in progress. It’s not consolidated.
The largest contribution for tourism in Qatar is from GCC countries. So we have to adapt to the requests of the local Gulf customers more than in other countries.?