In today’s challenging hospitality sector putting in the hard yards in order to know your market is vital for success, writes general manager of the AC By Marriott Glasgow Hotel Craig Munro

AS somebody who’s been involved in opening hotels for longer than I can remember, I know how difficult it can be to get a new launch right. A big brand attached to a hotel sets a standard, but isn’t a guarantee of success – particularly in the modern climate.

In some ways, it can make things more challenging, as you need to be even more creative to make yourself stand out.

When you bring a new hotel to a location, particularly a major city amid significant competition, you must do more than just understand the market, you have to immerse yourself in it. It takes a huge degree of planning, preparation, and due diligence to ensure that what you’re proposing adds something that isn’t already there, and more importantly there is demand to sustain it.

There have been some very successful openings in Glasgow recently, from our own to respected operators such as Dalata. Others have not gone so well. Glasgow is a very particular city with a mix of every sector of business – air crew, leisure, corporates, visitors, tourism, events, and more.

You need to cater for each or at least most or you’ll miss the mark. Repeat business is a massive part of it, and to achieve that you have to garner fans – and that means stepping up another notch.

When preparing to open the AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow, we knew we were bringing a reputed brand to the city, and working with the right one was critical. A significant amount of our business comes through the Marriott partnership, but we were also acutely aware it’d take more than the name alone. We had to weave the city, its story, and what matters to people who live here into the hotel’s DNA.

One of the most important aspects was regeneration, particularly in a city centre that, like so many across the UK, was in need of change. Another non-descript hotel building wasn’t going to add anything, nor would it help us stand out. 

The Herald: Craig Munro

As has now been widely publicised, the hotel is a blend of a high-end, attractive, new building filling a long-term gap site, and the sensitive restoration of a stunning Victorian former Parish Halls. Straight away provided solutions to challenges in the city centre and you can’t underestimate the impact of that in the minds of the public. You are immediately viewed as a contributor to the city you want to be a part of.

Regeneration 
Story matters. It helps create connection, but it has to be authentic. Ours was right there in the fabric of the building. An old but beautiful stained-glass window featuring the Glasgow coat of arms inspired Hazel – the hotel’s sister restaurant, which contains nods to the legend of St Mungo in its name and design. 

The Liberty Suite, the centrepiece of the sensitively restored heritage building, sees historic features brought back to life to symbolise that regeneration. We are part of a development at Love Loan that is breathing new life into a section of the city. It goes beyond story, of course.

The careful and creative restoration of this beautiful building is part of a new chapter in its history, and that’s been significant in the way the hotel and Love Loan development has been embraced by the public so far.

Making a contribution is central to that connection with the city – and Scotland – and it’s reflected in partnerships with local suppliers and brands. Again, it has to be about more than token gestures or picking a brand because it’s based in a particular postcode. We wanted to open a place that speaks about Glasgow and its history and the stamp. Not Tunnocks and Irn-Bru, more about what the city really means.

It’s more what your partnerships say about what you and what you offer. Whether coffee, beauty and wellness products, drinks, and even chocolate, you need brands that reflect your values, but also that say something about who you’re supporting and what you are contributing to the ecosystem.

It’s a hotel too, of course, and you want to offer your guests the best of what’s available locally – and around Scotland.

We partnered with brands like Crossbill Gin, West Brewery, and Rapscallion, or from further afield like Quirky, Machina, and Ishga. It’s a curation, a unique combination of the best Scotland has to offer. It’s where you show your individuality. This is what worked for us, for others the partnerships would be totally different.

Building a culture

People are possibly the most important element. There’s a famous slogan about people and Glasgow, and it’s born out of truth. Your people have to share your vision, reflect your values, and care just as much as you do. It takes time and effort to select a good team and build a culture that your customers will recognise and appreciate – but you feel the return tenfold. 

Our staff care to the extent that they take it personally when something is spilled in the hotel. Customers notice that level of care and passion, and so do staff. We’ve retained more than 90 per cent of our original team members since opening – unheard of in the industry.

This is a model we’re seeing more elsewhere – where there’s an expectation from customers to be reminded of where they are. We’re not unique in pursuing it, but we have been very effective in delivering it and pushed the boundaries to achieve even more.

No market is easy in the current climate, but success is possible in all of them. These are the times when the hard work, preparation, due diligence, and going above and beyond really 
pay off.

Craig Munro is general manager of the AC By Marriott Glasgow Hotel, which is operated by RBH Hospitality Management