Omni's Dan Surette on the Select Guest Program and Big Industry Trends
Omni Hotels & Resorts Chief Sales Officer Dan Surette talks about how the Dallas-based brand offers a change of pace from other major hotel companies, from its unique ownership model and meetings and events offerings to the new Select Guest Program and dedication to employee growth and retention.
[Related Podcast: Omni's Big Brand and Customer Experience Refresh, With Dan Surette]
Surette also delves into recent and upcoming openings as well as what the hotel sales veteran sees as macro trends impacting an industry getting its stride following the dark days of the pandemic.
[Related: The Massive New Omni PGA Frisco Is a Golf Resort Game-Changer]
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Transcript:
Editors note: The following transcription was facilitated by AI program Otter.ai and proofed by our editors. Although it is very accurate, there inevitably will be some mistakes, so please consider that when reading. Thank you.
Tyler Davidson
Hello, and welcome to this Meetings Today Podcast. I'm Tyler Davidson, Vice President and Chief Content Director for Meetings Today. And today we're are blessed to be joined by a person who has been on our podcast more than a few times before and always very knowledgeable about the meetings and events industry and the hotel industry. Dan Surette, who is the Chief Sales Officer for Omni Hotels and Resorts. Thanks for joining us, Dan.
Dan Surette
Tyler, great to be back on with you. And I always learned
Tyler Davidson
so much, not only about Omni, but just the industry in general from talking with you and I right before we kind of hit the switch and started recording this. We were talking about what makes Omni sort of a different brand for meetings and conventions, maybe than some of the main competitors. And you know, that's probably it's sort of, I guess, relatively unique private ownership aspect. Why don't you kind of fill us in on that?
Dan Surette
Yeah, Tyler, I think it's it's so unique. You know, my history is, I came up through the big brands, I was at Hyatt and Starwood. And, and when you think about Omni, and I actually was considering coming to Omni, my first question was... [how many] hotels, and how many franchises and tell me more because I, I knew Omni and I knew the reputation I just didn't understand the size. And at the time, it was 55 hotels, and it kind of threw me 55 hotels. Oh, yeah. And we're only in [how many] markets around the country? Wow. Oh, but hang on. It's a family owned business. And I was really turned out to understand this brand that I perceived as being much bigger than it is really fights above its weight ...
Tyler Davidson
...and to think it's a privately owned, I mean, you just would not associate that with a global company....
Dan Surette
And I think what's what I've come to really appreciate is not only is it family owned, but it's all of the businesses are within we run them. And a lot of companies are not in that, right, let's lease the restaurants and the bars and in the spas, the golf all those all, are owned and run by us. And so what's this to name tags that really aren't ours in the building? And that's valet parking nav.
And what's great about that, so I'm like, Oh, I'm not on every corner. But the corner is awesome on in the buildings that we've designed, because we design our own, and we have our own construction team. So we're we're owner, we're manager, we're developer, we're brand it's like, wow. Because when you do that, now you really can control the experience. And sure, do we do? Would we want to be on another 20 corners in different cities? Yes. And we can talk about that where we're growing.
But what's really amazing and what our customers love in the meeting space is they've gotten to know us and they that if all those 20,000 associates work for Omni, and the training and the core values and the culture and kind of that those are our associates, then there's then there's then there's a trust there.
And when you think about when you run it all our food and beverage is an incredible strength. And and the buildings that we created are different, right? They're not cookie cutter, they're all built and designed into that city with those inspirations and what do we need it, every hotel that we build will always have function space and meeting space, and most likely, great outdoor spaces. So now I'm sitting here seven years later going, what an advantage, where I thought maybe it was a disadvantage.
It's an advantage to be in 43 markets and have 50 hotels and resorts. And these collections of properties where you can control the meetings experience and the culinary and the programming and and you can do things when you're the owner, you can do things that other brands may not or companies may not want to do, you know, changing out the colors to be the brand of the meeting coming up, having people repel off the side of the building wrapping buildings, fire trucks and ballrooms. I mean, what's really cool is, hey, customer, what are you trying to solve? And I think we can be probably the best partner in most cases, to try to solve that because of that structure.
So I find it a huge advantage and our customers Tell us that they, they, they know us. And they and they trust how we execute on those meetings. So to answer the question, it's so unique. And I have really grown to really appreciate the fact that maybe smaller in this case, and we play above our weight is better.
Tyler Davidson
Yeah, and I just always thought too, that the brand consistency is just amazing. I mean, I've been to a lot of Omni properties, and there's, there's a ton of brand consistency, you can always feel assured that you're gonna get a very high quality experience there, wherever you go, and whatever destination it's in.
Dan Surette
And I think, a great example of that real quick is, fast forward, you know, COVID happens and, and people are like, Hey, we're traveling again. But we're not as every company. We're trying to bring people back, right, we're trying to, to build back our team. And what what happens is, you know, in 2001, we were all kind of short staffed. And then it was how do we get back and build our teams back. And some people left the industry and found other ways.
But the other thing Tyler is, is you brought back a lot of people that were new to our industry, or hadn't worked in this capacity, and all the front line and back of the house, all those all those departments. So we knew after after 22, it was like, hey, we need people are starting to pay more and expect more value, right?
There was a demand was high. Our teams, our operation and HR team styler took every front of house associate, whether you'd worked here before or new to the industry, because at the time, they were just jumping in to try to get the job done. created this program called power of engagement, eight modules all of last year was we had to get every frontline associate older new through that program.
And this year, it's all about engaging with the customer is one thing but but jobs skills, understanding how to deliver and food and, and that's this year, our service scores haven't been this high in six or seven years. And this is the investment you can make when you own and manage, is we put everyone through it. And our customers and our guests are telling us, you know, getting commenting on how engaged our frontline associates are.
So just another example of hey, you know, we could have just figured it out. But no, we need to create that value for the guest and and we're going to invest in training and onboarding.
Tyler Davidson
And he mentioned, you know, some of the activity brand wise new builds expansions. I mean, I we've written about your amazing, Frisco PGA National property, I was just at your Carlsbad, California, La Costa property have just unveiled a giant renovation.
[Related: Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s Major Renovation Carries a SoCal Tradition Forward]
And of course, you recently announced a new headquarters hotel in Raleigh for the convention center. You know, why don't you to kind of just start at the top with all the stuff you're up to because you're up to a lot.
Dan Surette
Well, it ties back to what I just said. We we we needed to get our team back. So now we've got our team trained and ready to accept and capture the and create that guest experience at Omni hospitality.
At the same time, a year ago, we rolled out a new branding, we needed to refresh the Omni look and feel. But it tied to where we were going, right? We got our associates, right? Are we're investing in our properties, which I'll talk about in a second. And so we needed to think about how we our visual identity and how we were, you know, going to market so the brand work and then all along to your point was hey, COVID we get it.
Our owners thankfully have the resources. We continue to open Omni PJ fresco which, which opened in in 22, which was amazing. We all continue to open Omni Boston at the seaport 1100 rooms, a credible convention hotel, Omni Tempe down it in our Arizona state.
So we continue to invest in new but we're in the middle right now of 20% of our portfolio, going through renovation. 20% of our keys under renovation. You mentioned the Costa. Wow. The Golf the rooms the meeting space all incredible. We just finished San Diego. Wow. Last fall was Scottsdale in Homestead.
And then you look at right now it's Grove Park in New rooms. It's the North town Our at Omni Centennial Park and then three markets that really had to be had to be touched, because they they needed that love Indianapolis Omni Severin Omni Interlocken. And now we've got Omni Parker house in Boston. So those are just investments in reimagination, which are tremendous. And then new fort lauderdale 800 rooms at the causeway. They're at the cruise port 100,000 square feet of space that opens late next year in q4.
We have not been in South Florida in years. So cannot wait for that property to open. And then we're we've got to a resort just outside of Punta Mita called Omni panto gay 250 rooms, it'll be the largest guest room in our portfolio, the most luxurious destination resort. And that opens in late 26. And to your point, we were just awarded the rights to negotiate in Raleigh, which will be 500 feet what a great new hot market.
Yeah, so excited to be in Raleigh, North Carolina. And then we're just also awarded the ability to negotiate in New Orleans 1000 room hotel right across from Hall C, which is the entrance to the center in the back, but right behind us is the warehouse district.
So we are we are thrilled with where we've taken the brand and the service. And now it's renovating and reimagining and continue to add to the portfolio. So it's, it's a, it's a really good time and Omni right now and where we're going, and the meetings and events, space and conventions, it is where we, you know, sweetspot that's, we think we're best in class there. Every one of our assets will always have indoor and outdoor space, very, you know, very flexible space. And so hopefully you can hear it in my voice. It's It's really exciting time right now. We're we're taking the brand. And
Tyler Davidson
you mentioned of course, your commitment to convention centric hotels in a variety of destinations. And yeah, that New Orleans, the whole area there, I got a tour of that. And all that's gonna be a hot area there once that's all the different entertainment options and such.
So, there's the big convention offering, but how do you also, you know, how do you really perform well in that aspect, but then also cater to something like maybe an intimate board meeting or a smaller meeting?
Dan Surette
Yeah, I think it's really unique because we are one brand. It's not like they're multiple brands. It's Omni, and we have these very unique collections. We have a dozen great convention hotels, like the Omni Dallas, right, that convention center is expanding. Omni Nashville, you've got Centennial Park in Atlanta and Boston now and San Diego Fort Worth, like we've got this great convention collection, which you talked about.
Then we have this incredible resort collection that you know, Grove Park in the oldest resort in the country at Homestead. La Costa Barton Creek Omni PJ Frisco, Mount Washington veterans, Amelia Island. I mean, it is incredible in Orlando. And then you've got kind of this city suburban, these great hotels for small meetings, Omni Berkshire, you've got the Omni Omni Atlanta at the battery in Atlanta right there. And right centerfield. At the truest Park for the way the Braves play San Francisco, Chicago, Frisco the other Frisco hotel, San Antonio with LaMonte on I mean, to your point, we can cover all the different ends, where have got 2,000 people, I've got 200 people and I got 20 people.
And I think that the neat thing about that is we need to own all of that we need to be really good at all of that. And it can't be that, hey, we're just going to play in the big space. No, we need to be taken care of the 20 person as much as the 2000. And that's how our team thinks is we're consultants, we're here to solve. We're here to help you, you know, achieve all the goals of that small meeting, large meeting, conference, incentive kickoff, whatever it is, but with our brand, you've got to be able to, you know, cover all the ends and quite frankly, the vast majority of our meetings are 50 to 75 rooms.
So it's we love the large meetings and we love the incentives and all that Tyler, but you've got to be really good at that, that small meetings or you know, kind of We're not going to survive as a brand. And
Tyler Davidson
what have you seen? I mean, we're in the, I guess, hopefully post pandemic period, the nature of work has changed. I mean, there's remote work, we're, I think we're still struggling to see how that situation will carry on into the future. What are you seeing out there as someone who is keenly monitoring, meetings and conventions,
Dan Surette
I think it's interesting, there is a lot of leisure, right. So you've got when you think about people going to meetings, I'll talk about our associates next. But customers, you know, are planning these events, and we're finding a lot of come early and stay late. And those are people that don't need to be kind of back where in the home office and maybe can can stay a little bit work remote where they are.
And that's important for us, right. And, and it's helped us in our resort, length of stay. And what we're seeing from attendees that's helped us, I do think people are accompanies are pulling back a little bit on that, and, and sort of expecting a little more in office than they were, I know, I was, you know, in Charlotte recently, and checking out their brand new space. And it was a Monday and it was a little light.
And the team was like, Yeah, Mondays and Fridays are, you know, and that's a busy banking, finance energy market. And so that's a market that's kind of trying to figure it out. Right.
So, yeah, I think there's a little bit of that, that, that that business leisure component, on our side, we want to make sure that we're allowing that flexibility to for our teams. And we have programs and, and and, you know, offerings set for our teams that even come into the conference planning, right? You can detail you don't have to be in the office to detail and get ready for the next group. And you don't need to be there all day and night.
Like, you know, that job is a tough job. How do you make sure that those handoffs happen, so that is, you know, good balance for our service teams, we were at a resort this week that, hey, we're, we're thinking of doing remote catering, remote social catering, doing the selling, you know, from afar, and then the detailing in the in the on site, this person would travel, but that that wouldn't have happened years ago, where now the catering, weddings, and the social has to be right there. And you'll see a lot more of that.
So I think it's, we found our footing on on, you know, the remote side, and on both ends. And I do think it's it's coming like New York is this, you can tell more people are in the office than not, I don't know that it's going away. And I don't know that it should. I think Flexibility is the key. But we need to be able to adapt to that. And I think we've done a really nice job with that.
Tyler Davidson
Why don't you tell us about your loyalty programs, I believe you're you launched your select guests program. And we did January. And you also have a select planner loyalty program. What are, you know, maybe just gonna describe the benefits of both of those programs?
Dan Surette
Yeah, I'll give it to you real quick. What we had was a very unique program, but it was frequency based, frequency based, meaning you had to stay a certain number of nights. And if you have those nights, and those added up, and then you received free night certificates, and it was the program I'll talk about is very rich. But the way the program was set up, if you went to one of those great resorts that I mentioned earlier, and spent at those resorts, you only got those few nights of credit versus the spend.
So what we did was we added frequency and spend together. And now it's even better meaning you could be a guest that is a frequent business traveler. And that's that, that program runs really works well for you. But you might be somebody who's, hey, I love to visit your resorts and I want to play golf and I want to take the family. Well, that wouldn't add up, it would only be the three nights or the four nights and you would you probably wouldn't get very far from a credits earning.
Now, what we've done is not only changed from gold and platinum and black level and etc. But we changed the name. So then the names went from that to member, insider champion and icon. But what they also did was, hey, let's not make it so hard to get over those hurdles. Like now it's $1,000 and you're an insider, or X number of stays.
So all of a sudden, the program has gotten even more valuable for you as the traveler because they're not only taking your nights, but they're taking your folio spend and they're adding it together. I'm amazed at the amount of already almost instant tear moves while people are in house. So what's really cool is insiders, 1000, champions 4000. And then icon is 8000, you would think back in the frequency days, hard to get there, we're already seeing a lot of insider and champion moves.
And we're not even, you know, just started July. That's the program. And the cool thing about the program is, you get all these great, you know, you get your free Wi Fi you're getting, you're pressing in your shoe shines, which is kind of, you know, a little old school, but people still love those kinds of things.
But it's our beverage service, we have this beverage service that you either want it in your room, at the time you want it, knock, and drop, or knock and wait. And in order, by the way, I don't want to coffee, I'm going to go to the bar, and I'm going to use my, my, my hanger, I'm going to go to the bar and get any drink I want not just the low, low level, beverage at the bottom, whatever drink I want. Our guests love that program.
Now you flip it over to planter, which is the b2b program. And so we've made this program very easy. So it's, it's for every, every $1,000 is five credits and 100 credits as a night. But you quickly can move as a planner that signs up for $2,500. Now you're an insider for $50,000 in meetings, which maybe one or two, or multiple meetings, now you're a champion $250,000 In that period, now you're an icon.
And what's great about the credits on the meeting side, Tyler, very unique. Most programs you have to wait to the meeting ends to get your kind of where do we actualize? What did we end up? Well, that might be six months from now, that might be a year from now that might be two years from now, which is fine. At Omni, within a week of signing your agreement, we will settle up on what was the value of the program, your credits will be in your account within a week. So the great thing is, you could book a program Tyler with us and say I'm going to PJ Frisco this November or next spring. And by the end of the week, you're already figuring out where do I want to go and use my credits and stay at Omni?
Here's the other great thing. This is so unique. One night with us means one night anywhere, okay, versus programs where we'll have 100,000 points in my account or a million points. But it's this brand is 10,000 points and this brand is 50,000 points. When you earn a night with us, Tyler, that New York, PJ Frisco, Scottsdale, Mexico, you get to use it wherever there's no additional exchange. Does that make sense?
So it's a very cool program. I would say the the benefits are, it's easy. You get the credits upfront in your account. And the room night is a room night anywhere you want to stay with me.
Tyler Davidson
Right. Well, thanks for joining us, Dan. Anything else you want to share about Omni and what you guys are up to and what the future outlook is?
Dan Surette
No, I think I think we're really excited about kind of things have settled down post COVID. And now this is the new normal. I do think in election year, things are getting a little funky. And people are a little maybe anxious about where things are. And we're still having a great year and our pace looks good.
What I'm really excited about is 25, six, and seven have all continued to grow. That tells us that corporate sociation all those segments are having confidence to have gatherings and meetings again, which is really great for our for our business.
So appreciate you checking in with Omni and you know, you're always welcome to come and visit. Thanks for being at La Casa just recently, but we're real excited love to talk to you when Fort Lauderdale opens up and we're ready to announce some of our new hotels but Tyler, appreciate you checking in and have a wonderful summer.
Tyler Davidson
You, too, Dan, thanks for keeping us in the loop. Appreciate it. That was Dan Surette, Chief Sales Officer for Omni Hotels and Resorts. I'm Tyler Davidson, Vice President and Chief Content Director for Meetings Today.
Thank you for joining us for this Meetings Today podcast. If you're interested in other podcasts we've done with the meetings and events industry thought leaders just head on over to meetingstoday.com And check out our podcast section. Thanks again for joining us and no matter what you're up to with the rest of the day. Go out and make it great one.
