W Maldives: how through evolution and development of the W hotel brand customer keep returning

Evolution and development of brand helps appeal to new clients and continue to facilitate customer satisfaction. This is exactly what the W hotel group is attempting to do with the introduction of new ideas and revolutionising the resort.

Recently EP interviewed Idu Ribeiro, general manager of W hotels in the Maldives, to get an insight into the evolution of the brand and how, with help from the introduction of their new pillars, they are looking to improve sustainability and customer satisfaction.

1. How have you seen guest trends change and evolve since the pandemic?
   Absolutely, the way how luxury is perceived and what guests are expecting has completely changed. We see that our guests are looking for an experience that is less formal and more relaxed, they want to be highly engaged with our staff, with the resort’s activations and wants to feel inclusive whilst picking their preferred choice of accommodation. The W brand evolution I believe has come in the perfect time with this shift in consumer behaviour.
2. What are the new touch points and pillars W hotels are trying to develop?
   a. Stance: Standing for something, we are a platform for ideas that bring people together and nurture a diverse community.
   b. Sound: Setting the tone, W hotel has a distinct soundtrack, we can see this from the music activations with cercle and other activations around it very actively across all W properties
   c. Scene: Each W is a world of its own, we fully embrace our unique characteristics and deliver unforgettable experiences
   d. Taste: We consistently use food & beverage to tell stories and create a collision of local cultures that are celebrated and enjoyed by all. We aim to feed the conversation.
   e. Body: Our approach and outlook on wellness, creating a harmonious balance to keep it going
3. Who is this targeting and why?
   We recognize the shift in luxury consumer base, with a focus to millennials and Gen Z. We aim to be all inclusive and meet the needs of our shifting consumer share and base.
4. What can be expected from this new direction at the resort?
   More sustainable efforts throughout the resort’s activations, more experiences with a luxury liberated approach that will create memories, more programming with a 360° approach and where guest experience will be in the centre creating personalized connections.
5. What can guests expect from the resort evolution?
   We aim to spark curiosity, celebrate originality, and constantly thrive to raise the bar and create a steady momentum to where we will go. Guest will be able to expect elevated touchpoints, more interactive activations around our passion points and ultimately getting the most invaluable experience whilst staying with us in the Maldives.
6. What are you looking to develop in the resort in the future?

We are looking deeper into the guest experience and develop future programming that sparks conversations and connections that reflects what our guests love. We investigate initiatives and programs that provides a platform for individuals to be a voice for progressive ideals and fostering a sense of community among travellers. Because unlike previous generations, luxury travel for the new generation of travellers is about personal experience driven by intent, inclusivity and the freedom to be who they are.

It is clear that the luxury hotel industry is changing post pandemic and its interesting to see the adaptations large hotel brands are making to ensure they stay relevant to customers needs in the future. Will we be seeing more trends surrounding hotel sustainability, personalised experiences and sifts to accommodate younger generations in the future?