There’s space for everyone
The Hyatt Regency in Da Nang is a large property: 700 meters wall to wall;it takes about 15 minutes to walk from one side to the other. The resort comprises of a four hectare spa area, 200 hotel rooms and suites, 182 one to three bedroom residences and 27 private ocean front villas, with direct access to the beach, which can accommodate up to 9 persons.At its full capacity thousand guests can be accommodated: “And you wonder, where are all these people? It’s so quiet!” said Eric Foss, Front Office Manager at the resort, more than 20 years with Hyatt in Japan; one year ago he moved to Da Nang looking for new challenges.
A resort like the Hyatt Regency in Da Nang attracts many people from different countries with differing visions on how their holiday should be like. Families with children, honeymooners, groups of friends, elderly couples, they all come with one idea in their mind: relaxing. How to ensure a delightful stay for all the clients? Mr Foss shared about some daily challenges and some special features of the resort.
Q: “Hyatt: a name that carries with it certain expectations?”
EF: “Yes, indeed. And that’s one of the biggest challenges here in Da Nang. Hyatt is very popular in Korea, in Hong Kong, in Japan, I would say in Asia in general. People from places such as Hong Kong and Korea have high expectations because our hotels there have a stellar reputation; they are our premier hotels.
There is a standard of service that we have to achieve because it is the level that we guarantee in all our hotels: every Hyatt can go above that standard but never fall below it. Here tourism has practically just started so one of the challenges is to find experienced staff to work with that can provide that level of service.”
Q: “When full, one would expect the hotel to have a crowded feel?”
EF: “No, on the contrary: you might find that the breakfast room is a bit crowded but for the rest of the day there’s plenty of space for everyone to move.”
Q: “It means there’s been a smart designing and planning of the property?”
EF: “Absolutely. If you are staying in one of our ocean view villas, you do not see what happens on the other side. And even if you are staying right in the middle in one of our hotel rooms or suites, there’s always a sun bed available in the place you want it to be.”
Q: “When it comes to sharing a location between families with children and couples looking for a romantic getaway, how difficult is it to accommodate everyone’s needs? I have heard of some hotels and resorts struggling to find the ‘golden middle way’. Children and relaxation don’t usually go hand in hand: is this an issue here?”
EF: “It can be indeed a problem but there’s plenty of space here at the Hyatt Regency. We can differentiate and separate people according to what they want from their holiday. Let us look at the map: as you can see, there is an area in the west wing,which is virtually independent, kind of separated from the central part of the resort where the bigger pools, the main access to the beach and the restaurantsare. This part is designed for the entertainment of our younger guests. Here you can find a pool with shallow water and a proper snack bar for kids. We also have the rock-climbing wall and, most importantly, the Camp Hyatt, our own concept, with toys, video games, board games, activities etc. to keep the young ones entertained.”
Q: “So it is all about planning wisely?”
EF: “It certainly is. If families with children stay in this area,the parents can literally sit on their balcony, relax and look down to this area and see the children playing without having to worry. It is a family-oriented part of the resort; parents feel on vacation too, it has a private feel to it. Of course a lot of planning is needed but that doesn’t only apply to families or couples: different nationalities mean different needs as well. People from one country prefer to stay all in the same area, whereas others want to be on their own; some people do not speak English or Vietnamese, they might need to stay closer to main area and so forth.”
Q: “How important are families for Hyatt?”
EF: “Families are very important to us and our resort is definitely family oriented. We offer top class facilities, variety and excellency in F&B. Everything is planned to serve a family’s needs. From here it is easy to go to the cultural sites, to reach the airport, to go on a cycling tour or just for a dinner out of the resort.
We always try to improve our offer: we’ve almost finished our water slide and our beach is superb: we offer kayaking, beach soccer, surfboards but no motorized activities. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you are here with your family or just as a couple or with a group of friends: we cater for people who are looking for a serene environment, who want to take their shoes off, relax, take walks on the beach, feel the sand squeak between their toes. That’s why we also do not offer any motorised activities to limit the level of noise.”