E-marketing identified as key for Abu Dhabi Grand

Francesco Borrello, general manager of Abu Dhabi Grand, has identified e-marketing as one of the hospitality industry's key tools for success. As part of the rebranding of the hotel to Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi later this year, Borrello has earmarked 15 per cent of the hotel's marketing budget to online initiatives.

"Where else can you guarantee such an individual marketing tool," he asks. "As part of a fully integrated marketing campaign, e-marketing gives hoteliers the flexibility to deal with day-to-day sales needs.

"I truly believe that the growth of online initiatives is essential to ensure continued success in the developing tourism and hospitality sector, to the extent that 15 per cent of our marketing communications budget is set aside for this very purpose."

Borrello pointed out that knowing your customer and market is key to successful targeted marketing, and emailed collateral was an excellent example of this. "One of our key target markets is luxury business travel,  and experience tells us that our guests appreciate receiving intelligent marketing communications such as newsletters and emails."

With the tourism and hospitality sector often accused of being slow to react to change, the developing use of e-marketing is a positive point, acknowledged Borrello. "We can act immediately on periods of slower  occupancy, both for the hotel and for the outlets, with a response time that is near-instantaneous."

Borrello is currently overseeing a multi-million Dirham project to upgrade and expand the property prior its rebranding as Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi later this year.