Sir Stamford at Circular Quay Hotel in Sydney WinsTravellers' Choice Award

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

The Sir Stamford at Circular Quay Hotel in Sydney, Australia has been awarded the TripAdvisor 2012 Travellers' Choice Award. The Travellers' Choice Award is based on the reviews and opinions and is awarded only to a very select and distinguished group of hotels.

Mrs Heather Idoine, the General Manager of the hotel, is a true believer in the power of the people and sees TripAdvisor as part of her business strategy. She actively monitors it, keeping an eye on comments to then in turn ensure she creates the ultimate hotel for travellers by listening to their needs and wants and responding accordingly.

"At the hotel, we use TripAdvisor as a business tool and this has worked for the benefit of the hotel, repeat business and word of mouth recommendations. There are a few key rules to follow to maximise what TripAdvisor allows you to capture and it's a great way to engage internally with staff to get them involved. It's sometimes as simple as reading between the lines to discover what it is a guest is looking for and how we can ensure we deliver that product."

Mrs Idoine explains that TripAdvisor is a perfect platform to engage with travellers by alerting guests to events and festivals occurring during their say. "It is also a great way to reinforce our precise location in the city".

Idoine also believes receiving bad reviews can sometimes be a good thing, "We can all always strive for perfection. We have to give the guests the credit for what they have to say, after all it is they who we are here for, it's their needs and expectations we want to exceed", she said.

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

Stamford Hotels & Resorts Deputy COO, Mr Jon Foo believes that engaging with guests and turning their experiences around has advantages. "The market intelligence gives us a clear indication to anticipate and cater for our guests' needs, allowing us to fine tune details in operations, add elements and upgrade services. Social media has come such a long way it cannot be ignored, we need to engage and connect and use it to our advantage", said Mr Foo.