Prioritizing People as the Key to Success

Grand Pacific Resorts (GPR) earned 20 finalist entries in the 2023 ARDA Award series this year. Resort Trades wanted to learn their secrets and spoke recently to GPR COO Nigel Lobo and Regional VP of Resort Operations Jeff Brock, CCIM.

NIGEL LOBO: As I reflect on the fundamentals of a successful resort management company, I firmly believe that it is rooted in perpetually keeping people, from owners and guests to each of its loyal associates, as its top priority.

RESORT TRADES: Nigel, you recently said your company has been devoted to “creating experiences worth sharing by delivering exceptional results to our growing portfolio of managed resorts for over three decades.” Our team at Resort Trades has been impressed by Grand Pacific Resorts for at least that long. Is there a single factor that you think contributes to remaining a leader in the industry?

Owner Relations

RESORT TRADES: How do you think GPR is different in its outlook?

NIGEL LOBO: Here at Grand Pacific Resorts, we believe that vacation ownership is more than just a once-a-year use week, it’s a year-round lifestyle. In addition to offering top notch heartfelt service to all of our owners, we also provide them with robust enhanced benefits like travel perks, exchange and savings opportunities, incredible amenities, and a community of like-minded people. Through these initiatives, along with a multi-faceted communications strategy and relationship management efforts, we have been able to successfully cultivate a highly engaged and active owner base.

Owners with us enjoy access to the following benefits:

• Discounted additional nightly rates at their home resort and beyond
• Rental programs for those unable to use their weeks
• Grand Pacific Exchange (GPX), an exclusive closed network with no membership fees
• Special rental rates at hundreds of resorts both domestic and abroad
• A savings-credit based program for tours, cruises, rental cars, and more
• Opportunities to make tax-deductible week donation to a cancer survivor
• Annual digital magazine, Time Together, featuring updates and giveaways

GPX is our exchange network that allows owners to view availability without having to deposit their week, featuring stays in popular domestic and international destinations. Owners are able to exchange their weeks at low rates, gift it to family and friends, or request a specific resort or destination. It requires no annual membership fee and offers competitive room rates that are often well below market value. GPX Perks is our newest offering as a credits-based shopping experience that features special vacation offers throughout the year as well as opportunities to earn savings credits that can be applied towards vacations perks like hotels, cruises, tour packages, and rental cars.

Necessary Renovations

RESORT TRADES: How do you get buy-in from owners when you explain your budget for renovation?

JEFF BROCK: As one of our Southern California Coastal properties approaches 30 years of age, we implemented a robust multi-touch point communications plan, including closed caption videos along with the 2023 Operating Budget, explaining that the proposed budget reflected the Board of Directors’ and Grand Pacific Resort Management’s commitment to minimizing operating costs while preserving the quality of the resort and its exceptional services. We laid out in detail the California state law requiring resorts to inspect all balconies, walkways, and stairs to verify their structural integrity and complete any necessary repairs by 2025. We concluded by saying that the renovations will ensure that the resort remain a safe and secure place for owners to continue to enjoy for many years to come. We also included an informational video inviting them to learn more about the proposed 2023 Budget along with any upcoming projects. Our proactive approach to this communication has allowed our owners to feel fully informed and more at ease throughout the renovation process.

Enhanced Service

RESORT TRADES: How is your company managing the evolution of technology in managing your properties?

NIGEL LOBO: Grand Pacific Vacation Services utilizes advanced customer relationship management software, mobile-friendly websites, and help desk articles in our online Owners Community to serve owners and guests.

We’ve expanded our service enhancements to include an upgraded booking engine; support questions via SMS text; after-hours communications for voicemails, emails, and Facebook messages, which are acknowledged and resolved within 24 hours; a live Agent Chat function to prioritize chats and calls in order to minimize owner wait times; and how-to videos for owners to help reduce high call volumes and wait times.

We prioritize owner feedback through surveys and social media communications. We offer a post-stay survey and also launched a pulse survey, which we send to owners halfway through their stay in order to identify as well as remedy any service issues within 12 hours. As a result of each of these tools, we have witnessed tremendous improvement in key performance indicators, service scores, and owner and guest satisfaction rates.

Associates

RESORT TRADES: Having known you and others among your staff, we are always impressed with the positive attitudes of your staff. How do you achieve this so consistently?

NIGEL LOBO: Here at Grand Pacific Resorts, we understand that a company is only as successful as the people who compromise it, and we apply this belief as we work diligently to attract and retain top talent by providing room for growth, robust benefits, and merited recognition.

Related: Buddy to Boss: Ensuring the New Manager’s Success

Celebrating Success

Grand Pacific Resorts is thrilled to have reaped the rewards of this philosophy. This year, we earned an incredible 20 finalist positions at the ARDA Awards taking home 4 trophies. We also won Best Management Company and Best Overall Company at the 13th annual GNEX Vacation Industry Awards (formerly Perspective Magazine Awards) held in March, marking the 5th consecutive year that we won Best Management Company and the 2nd year that we have won Best Overall Company.

Here at Grand Pacific Resorts, we celebrated our Makai Club Resort for being “Best in Class” along with our deserving General Managers at both RiverPointe Napa Valley for Best Large Resort and Wave Crest Resort for Best Small Resort.

Growth Opportunities

We strive to provide all of our associates with career roadmaps, conveying the ample opportunities for growth from within. We developed a BE EPIC Trailblazer Program to help promote future General Managers, boasting multiple graduates who have been promoted to General Manager positions at their resorts. Describing these potential career paths to incoming associates helps them to envision viable pathways to their futures with us.

Related: How one resort company managed to keep … and in some cases grow … its on-site team.

Continued Learning

At Grand Pacific Resorts, we encourage, promote, and facilitate professional development at every level, placing tremendous value on associates who are committed, focused, and excited about providing the best vacation experiences possible. Docebo is our internal learning management system with over 65 courses and new content constantly being added to educate and empower over 300 active enrollees. Associates find these learning modules especially valuable since they are able to go back and reference them at any time. Our Marketing & Communications Team recently added new training videos for incoming General Managers, significantly streamlining our onboarding process. We also utilize Zenarate, an AI Coach that uses customer engagement simulations to assist with both new hire training and tenured agent upskilling. This tool helps develop top-performing teams to increase proficiency and conversion rates while decreasing operating costs.

Finally, we launched a Housekeeping Enrichment Program, which helps our housekeeping associates strengthen their English as well as learn computer and financial skills. We also created a benefits package for room attendants, offering complimentary meals at work along with a new pair of work shoes from Shoes for Crews. Our teams have expressed their appreciation for these efforts, further cementing their loyalty to our company.

Continued Growth

RESORT TRADES: It’s so refreshing in an era of consolidation within the public companies in our industry to see PGR continue to grow and develop. What do you tell candidates applying to work in your company?

NIGEL LOBO: If you’d like to grow your career, be empowered to tackle challenges, and are passionate about providing heartfelt service every day, we invite you to join our award-winning team where we put people first! Learn more at GrandPacificResorts.com.