Luciano Scelza, Group Hotels General Manager of the Kanika Hotels & Resorts – one of the most versatile and luxurious hotel chains in Cyprus – reveals what it takes to create and manage a hotel like the Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos which accommodates the needs of every guest, and discusses both the Cypriot tourism industry and the company’s well-earned victory in Luxury Lifestyle Awards.

Scelza, it’s so great to hear your insights. Let’s start our discussion with finding out about the unique concept of your hotel: it perfectly fits both families with children and couples. Why was this particular strategy chosen for this location?

Paphos is a unique destination in Cyprus, which offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy a holiday of pure relaxation and leisure, combined with the discovery and exploration of cultural and historic attractions of the western part of the island.

The Olympic Lagoon concept is designed to fulfill all the needs of families and adults only, with specialized areas in the resort as well as in the restaurants and bars, and in its entertainment. Restaurants have dedicated time slots for families only, as well as areas reserved for families and children, along with a special kids’ buffet. At the same time, adults have their own section in the main restaurants, along with a fine dining Italian restaurant, the ‘Garibaldi’, which is for adults only. The same concept applies to both the bars and our entertainment options: our professional entertainers provide a mix of shows and musicals for adults and children. In our ‘Xperience Arena’, for example, we offer a variety of shows: the earlier ones are for children and teenagers, while the later ones are a composition of musicals, shows and concerts which will please both adults and families with kids.

The daily animation also follows a similar concept, whether it takes place at the pools, on the sports fields, at the ‘Teenz Club’ (our club for teens) or at the Little Monsters Kids’ Club – which also offers a crèche for little ones aged 6 to 36 months. All programs are professionally designed to include numerous indoor and outdoor activities throughout the day and into the evening.

Meanwhile, the Fisherman’s Village and Adults Only Wing is our ‘hotel within the hotel’ concept for adults only, offering upgraded services and an exclusive pool and bar with waiter service directly to the sunbeds.

These are just a few of the features our Resort offers its guests, always guided by our mission statement: “We are the leading luxury all-inclusive holiday resort in Cyprus”.

Is there a lot of competition in this mixed “adults only – family” concept in Cyprus, or are you the only ones?

Our concept was the first one launched in Ayia Napa in 2010, a one-of-a-kind in Cyprus. Over time, it has evolved into what you see today: Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts offering 5-star services, products and experiences, which evoke wonderful feelings of love, happiness, excitement and rejuvenation. While there have been various attempts to emulate our concept in Cyprus, we are still unique in presenting a Resort which hosts both families and adults, while offering each group dedicated spaces and tailored services.

This year Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos was named the best Luxury Hotel in Paphos, Cyprus according to Luxury Lifestyle Awards. What are the key steps a company needs to take to become top-rated in its field?

This award is a testament to my dream team, every member of which has contributed to the current level of excellence. And this has earned us such a prestigious award.

Our approach to the business is guided by our values: our ‘SPIRIT’, which stands for Service, Professionalism, Innovation, Respect, Integrity and, finally, Teamwork. Every single member of our team lives these values in every moment of their day at work, be it in an interaction with a colleague or a moment of engagement with a guest.

In today’s evolving market, what makes an impact on the success of a company is, I believe, its ability to attract and retain the talent which aligns with the company’s vision. Clear objectives and common goals should always to be the main focus of the whole organization; a focus which is communicated to each employee, whose contribution and success, along with their team performance, are rightly acknowledged.

How challenging is it to maintain the exquisite level of services you are providing to your guests? What is the main thing you are looking for in your employees?

One of my favorite inspirations is the famous quote from Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit.”

While reaching such a high level of service excellence is extremely demanding, maintaining that level can be even more of a challenge. In our Resort we strive to achieve service excellence for all guests, enhancing their experience with service that is genuine and yet unobtrusive, and creates relationships with our guests that last a lifetime. We have hugely increased our number of returning guests, and offer a recognition system of internal incentives to team members who provide exceptional service.

We hire people who have a naturally cheerful and positive reaction to challenges and service, and those who bring a unique talent to the position. Working with millennials, for instance, is something I both enjoy and value: it’s a great opportunity to keep abreast of society’s ever-changing trends! Another important factor is integration and diversity, and I believe the latter to be the key point for a successful team. We have identified leading team members who are mentors and trainers for each newcomer, providing even those who are new to the hotel industry with an opportunity to learn the majority of technical skills.

I’d also like to highlight the importance we place on employee development and our succession plan. These crucial aspects both improve staff engagement and prepare our second line to step into a new role when new opportunities arise… And we have plenty of opportunities in view of the exciting expansion of Kanika Hotels and Resorts!

Tourism is one of the most intense industries in Cyprus in terms of competition. Do you have a feeling of being snapped at the heels, or are you firmly set in your leading position? If so, does this mean you always need to be a few steps ahead?

You are right! Tourism is the key industry here, and there are still plenty of opportunities for further development. Cyprus is a country which combines natural beauty with culture and history, offering over 250 days of sunshine a year, along with exquisite food and superb wines. The island actually boasts the oldest manufactured wine in the world, Commandaria, a sweet wine which is believed to have first been made 5,000 years ago – just one of the uniquely fascinating aspects that attract visitors from all over the world! I am glad that the Cyprus government has recently appointed a Minister of Tourism with a strong background in hospitality and hotel business.

Despite our outstanding results, we never settle, but continue to invest in service upgrades while providing our guests with the highest quality products available. As previously mentioned, our ethos of Value, Innovation, is the base for our R&D division, where ideas from both guests and staff are developed and implemented. We should never stop listening and acting upon our guests’ suggestions.

Speaking of moving forward: do you have any interesting new activities / features planned for your guests in 2019?

As of April 2019, completely new shows will be added to our entertainment offering, with a number of signature shows performed only at the Olympic Lagoon Resort. This will help consolidate our benchmark position in entertainment.

Later in the year, we will launch the Sunbeds Allocation System, wherein the same sunbeds will be guaranteed to each guest from the beginning to the end of their stay, eliminating the daily search for availability.

As part of our Food Development, a new breakfast program will be launched, and our collaboration with the Michelin-starred Chef consultant will enable us to present new menus in all our specialty Restaurants.

Finally, we are now studying ways to simplify guests’ requests and optimize the delivery using IOT (internet of things) systems. Guest Services will be integrated through a special application designed according to our guests’ needs. As with everything that seems to be simplicity itself on the surface, this is a very complex and structured system, that is why we are working hard to be able to launch it by summer 2019.

All this is part of our commitment to continuous improvement!