Chairman, Dom Pedro Group
Interview with M. James Ward
Background –
The Dom Pedro hotel group started in 1969 with the opening of the first Dom Pedro hotel on the island of Madeira. The group broke ground in Vilamoura in 1974, opening the first Dom Pedro Hotel in the Algarve in 1976. The number of hotels now stands at 8 within Portugal and Brazil. Three of these can be found in Vilamoura, where the group has recently bought five of the finest Championship Golf Courses in the world.
The Saviotti Story –
A good friend of mine, the CEO of the Lido of Paris, challenged me to start playing golf in 1975. I fell in love with the game and subsequently with the golf business.
Matt Ward: When you get up in the morning what’s the driving force?
Stefano Saviotti: As Chairman of Dom Pedro Golf, my main goal is ensuring we provide a business proposition that not only meets the requirements of the many guests we have staying throughout our hotels every year, but exceeds them. Our guests expect the very best from us, and my aim is to ensure that not only do we satisfy our customers’ needs and demands, but that we go beyond.
Matt Ward: What elevates Dom Pedro beyond your competitors?
Stefano Saviotti: Aside from quality and commitment to exceptional customer service, with the acquisition of five golf courses in Vilamoura, we now offer the finest fully integrated portfolio of golf courses and accommodation anywhere in Europe. We have The Old Course, Millennium, Victoria, Pinhal and Laguna all within a five-minute drive of each of our hotels and are fully aware of the level of facilities and customer focus expected by travelling golfers. For these reasons, I think we stand apart as a leading golf travel destination.
Matt Ward: What lessons were learned from The Great Recession that happened in ‘08-’09?
Stefano Saviotti: To be prepared to face the worst situations – that was how my group went through the recession unscathed.
Matt Ward: How is business conducted now versus then?
Stefano Saviotti: We dedicate maximum attention to our guests. We are working increasingly on our media promotion, diversifying our offer including golf packages, and the country of origin of our clients.
Matt Ward: What is the breakdown of where visitors come from when choosing Dom Pedro for visits to Portugal?
Stefano Saviotti: We have clients coming from 50 different countries. The mix is very different, depending on the location of the hotel and the season.
Matt Ward: Is an effort being made to widen the interest to America, Canada, the Asian area?
Stefano Saviotti: We are always looking for new opportunities to expand our business and pride ourselves in offering the warmest of welcomes to visitors from around the globe. We are working hard to develop strong relationships with tour operators worldwide, which will ensure we remain front of mind with both our current customers and new ones.
Matt Ward: People hear the term “customer service” constantly. Define the term and the manner by which Dom Pedro goes about doing it?
Stefano Saviotti: We care passionately about the small details and providing a personal touch. From the moment a customer enters one of our hotels, we are committed fully to ensuring they enjoy a relaxing stay with us – no issue is too big for us to deal with. The customer is number one and we will do everything in our power to ensure they enjoy their stay with us and want to come back again.
Matt Ward: Golf organisations of all types are pushing aggressively ahead with all sorts of efforts to build the supply of golfers. The focus is on Millennials, women and minorities. What strategies would you recommend be implemented?
Stefano Saviotti: We want to reach out to all demographics – not just the traditional middle aged male golfer who regularly goes away on a golf trip, but also the whole family. We are very fortunate that we have a wonderful array of facilities for the whole family; being located so close to the beautiful Marina with the beach, places to walk and fine restaurants to dine in means that we can target a wide range of people. Being in the fortunate position of operating three hotels also means that we are able to design packages that cater for a wealth of tastes.
Matt Ward: Best advice you ever received – what was it and who from?
Stefano Saviotti: From my father: we use to sail together and he advised me to prepare when on land for any event. I use the same philosophy in business.
Matt Ward: If you could change one thing in golf unilaterally – what would it be and why?
Stefano Saviotti: I would like to see more young people play golf. There is still this false idea that golf is for elders!