5* Parklane Luxury Resort, A Discussion with Mr.Socratous

Last week we had the chance to discuss with Mr.Kratinos Socratous, the Director of Sales and Marketing at Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Limassol, Cyprus.

We covered the following topics:

• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry

• The Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program

• Limassol as a luxury destination

• Instagram influencers marketing and luxury hotels

Will the middle-lower class hotels disappear due to the pandemic?

- No, I don't think so, this year we see an increase in the affluent class travellers and specifically in Parklane as we have 52 suites which are preferred by our customers in this season. In our suites, we also have 17 park villas of 1,2,3 bedroom villas with a private pool which have increased demand from customers who rent them for 1-2 months which is unprecedented as the nightly rates range from €1,500-3,000.

Do you see a lot of travellers using the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program?

- Yes, and this is one of the main reasons we see an increased demand compared to the other hotels in Limassol as we are an internationally branded hotel and it is sad that there are not many internationally branded hotels in Cyprus. If more of these brands come to Cyprus it will help the tourism industry as when looking for a vacation and there are branded travellers will prefer it. Additionally, business travellers who are Gold or Platinum members tend to redeem their points during the summer holidays with their family and if there is no Marriott hotel for example in Cyprus they will opt for another destination.

Marriott Bonvoy has 30 different brands where 6 of which are luxury brands and one of them is the Luxury Collection which Parklane is included.

Is Limassol a luxury destination?

- We are on the way to becoming a luxury destination. We still have room for improvement as far as road infrastructure and cleanliness are concerned. We lack in terms of luxury lifestyle restaurants which can offer not only exceptional fine dining but also world-class service. Additionally, we must upgrade our beach bars and turn them into lifestyle experiences where customers will be able to justify the high price with improved customer service, experiences offered, and exclusive DJs. It will potentially change in Limassol in the next couple of years as more people invest in Cyprus. The addition of a Grand Hyatt which is expected to be built in Limassol in 2025 will push Limassol further upmarket and encourage more customers from the luxury sector to travel to Cyprus. Additionally, we do not see competition as a threat but as a support to our existing promotional efforts. However, not only the private sector will support this by building more luxury hotels, restaurants, and beach bars but also the public sector. More specifically, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism must also advertise specific niches of our island such as the mountains and wineries showing our culture, and that tourists can do a range of activities in every season when visiting the island, and that Cyprus is not just a 'sun and sea' destination.

Do Instagram influencers play a big part in your advertising campaigns?

- Yes, we have 3 public relations companies that represent us in the UK, Germany, and Russia where we cover influencers and travel writers through them. Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the most famous influencers who came to our hotel for a week last year and shared his experience as well as many other English Premier League football players. The online part of marketing and especially social media is very important, and we invest more into it compared to the past with offline playing a lesser part.