For Part Six of our Deep Dive Series about how the national hospitality crisis has impacted the Isle of Wight, News OnTheWight spoke to Ben Farrelly of Luccombe Hall Hotel.
After reading our Deep Dive series, Ben got in touch with a positive story that he felt would give hope to hospitality businesses who are experiencing problems.
Very low staff losses
Luccombe Hall is part of Garden Isle Hotels, which also includes Luccombe Manor and Shanklin Villas.
They employ around 70 staff (not including contractors) and Ben explained that since Covid, they’ve only lost a couple of team members.
“Being prepared for whatever was around the corner”
Ben started by telling us that following the first lockdown in 2020, things ran relatively smoothly for them,
“Obviously it was all a shock and very worrying, we’ve got a lot of staff and we were concerned for them, but we took it in our stride and from day one started to try and think really advanced, and being prepared for whatever was around the corner, because it was very difficult to read where the Government were going with lifting restrictions.”
“Things were going to be very different for us”
Thinking in a different way was the key to being able to cope with any unexpected changes, said Ben, adding,
“We spent a lot of that time putting our heads together (the managers and directors) and really trying to think outside the box.
“We knew the landscape was changing – it does naturally every four or five years – we knew it was going to be sudden, people were going to be different, and things were going to be very different for us, so we just tried to prepare as quickly as we could.”
Looking after your staff
One of the biggest issues that has come up time and time again for those leaving the industry has been the pay.
After the last Lockdown, Ben explained that returning staff were greeted with an unexpected surprise, a significant pay rise.
“That made a big difference for them, it’s a big financial package and it’s there forever.
“We want them to come in with a smile on their faces, because it’s stressful coming off furlough and straight into a heavy load of work, and they’re probably not as physically sharp as they were before, so that was really important, to think about guests and the staff in particular.”
Investment rather than ‘cash grab’
As part of the Government’s support for the hotel industry, they implemented a tax easing for hotels. Ben told us that the management team decided to look at that as an opportunity for investment rather than a cash grab.
“That financial package that is there has gone on our staff and making things better for our guests, giving them more options, more choices and keeping them active.”
Countering staff shortage
The two hotels weren’t immune to the difficulties of finding staff, particularly as there was a need to have more people working on table service.
They heavily invested in their kitchens, buying pizza ovens and more fryers, whilst broadening their menus to create a ‘fast food’ menu for the gardens, making life easier for the kitchen and front of house staff.
Ben said,
“We didn’t want staff to have a problem with enduring stress.”
“The landscape changed for everyone”
Ben told News OnTheWight,
“We’re a busy hotel – and I’m sure everyone else is feeling this – the Island is very full at the moment.
“You’ve got to really listen to your guests, that’s the thing, the landscape changed for everyone, and there’s a lot of anxiety from guests. You’ve got to listen to them and communicate with them. A lot of the guests don’t like to wait.”
The gardens as an extension to the hotel
Luccombe Manor and Luccombe Hall Hotel are fortunate to sit within about three acres of land, and the beautifully maintained gardens on the side of the cliff are one of the main attractions for their guests.
Ben explained that the management team quickly understood that space was going to be a big issue post the first Lockdown, and that they’d need to make any changes as seamless as possible.
“The gardens were there for the residents to stroll around and enjoy, so we started to look at it a bit differently, how we could use the gardens to create more nooks and crannies for people to relax and not feel on top of each other.
“We thought of it more as an extension to the hotels.”
Thinking differently
With Covid forcing more activity outside, last year the hotels started filling some of the flower beds with lawn to create more space.
They now provide entertainment on the lawn during meal times, with live music seven nights a week: allowing their visitors to head off into the town after their meals to enjoy more entertainment elsewhere.
Understanding your guests
Although the incidents are not widespread, Ben explained that rudeness from some guests has been more extreme.
“People can have a long journey down to the Island and they arrive very stressed. Normally within the first night we can change that, but there’s certainly been a high level of anxiety this time and they are stressed.
“A lot of it is understanding our guests and understanding this new anxiety that seems to be out there, then putting them at ease. And it’s the same with your staff, there’s a lot of communication that needs to happen right now.”
He went on to say,
“You can’t be sensitive to it, because if you do it’s going to hurt you, some quite hurtful things can be said and done, so that’s where we try to sit down and chat with them and explain that things have changed.
“That’s why we did the things like live music, people are prepared to wait a little longer with live music being played.”
Customer care
Anticipating a change in the landscape, after Lockdown they brought the staff back in to the hotel a week before reopening. If there are issues with guests, department managers take the brunt away from waiters or receptionists.
“It’s not fair for our waiters to deal with those sort of things. It’s stressful enough and they work hard.
“We want them to keep a smile on their faces.”
The B word
Brexit has been an issue for many in the hospitality industry, from the loss of European staff, to price rises or difficulties getting products.
The hotel has felt the change too. Ben explained,
“Little things like getting hold of garden furniture is way more challenging now, and we’re seeing an increase in food costs, which over the year is going to have an impact, without a doubt.”
Advice for others
From what Ben has told us, they spend a lot of effort seeking to ensure happy guests and happy staff. We asked what advice he had for others in the industry.
“You’ve got to look at what you have, look at your property and look at changes you can make.
“It’s all about putting people at ease and keeping them relaxed and happy and this was vital for us – top of the list – and work with that.”
He added,
“You can only do what you can do. Don’t be pushing yourself and end up giving a poorer product. Nobody wants to be in that situation. If you have to put a sign up saying we’re full, do it.
“I really sympathise with other venues – I’ve been out in restaurants and seen the staff panicked and stressed. It doesn’t help with the atmosphere. It’s puts everyone on edge.”
“Keep thinking outside the box”
The last piece of advice that Ben had for others was,
“The landscape is rapidly changing and we’ve got to be as prepared as we can for these issues.
“It’s our job to make sure people have great a holiday and happy memories so you’ve got to keep thinking outside the box.”
More to come
News OnTheWight has been telling the story of the hospitality crisis from all angles. Up next we’ll have more solutions to help those in the industry provide a seamless service for their customers.
See previous editions and look out for the next part in our Hospitality Deep Dive series.
