Benchmark Hospitality is a premiere corporate hotel and training center located in Westlake, Texas. The center is owned and operated by Deloitte, the leading multinational professional services company headquartered in London.
BT: Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in the hotel industry.
DV: I started off as an Overnight Bellman at a large property and moved to Benchmark Hospitality about 11 years ago. I have slowly progressed through multiple roles and divisions and today I am the Director of Housekeeping.
BT:How much experience do you have creating and managing hotel budgets?
DV: I have been creating and/or managing budgets for five to six years.
BT: What factors do you consider when developing a budget for a hotel? How do you gather the necessary data and information?
DV: I consider things like length of stay, quantity of occupied rooms, holidays, weekend occupancy levels, and the number of day guest participants who will not require a sleeping room.
BT: Guest satisfaction can be influenced by the quality of hotel robes and towels. How do you ensure your budgetary decisions align with guest expectations and enhance their overall experience?
DV: We base this heavily on the quality of the product and direct feedback from our management team and our guests.
BT: Why is it important to have a trusted partner such as Boca Terry? How does this relationship assist in the hotel budget process?
DV: Communication is a HUGE piece to our operation, as we forecast well ahead of a traditional open market property.