All About Service

An Interview with David I. Cohen, General Manager, Warwick New York Hotel

EDITORS’ NOTE David Cohen be all about service. our focus has been origins in 1926 in terms of style and ambience joined the Warwick International to put all the emphasis into service and but match it with 21st century technology. this Hotels group in January of 2009 the quality of the product. where a way, whether you’re an experienced traveler or from the position of Regional lot of my competitors may not be re- a younger hip traveler, you have everything from General Manager for the Amsterdam investing in their product and may be glamorous tone, color, and detail to fl at-screen Hospitality Group in New York City. trimming their services back this year, tvs and wireless communication that delivers Prior to this, he served as General we’ve made minimal trimmings in our the speed and access that you need to operate Manager for Le Parker Meridien services and have put all of our energy personally or for business. we just completed a Hotel in New York City, and before into retraining our staff and making $1.6 million project to do three fl oors of the ho- that, he held the position of Resident additional investments in our product. tel, and are planning to continue that with an Manager for the RIHGA Royal Hotel, customers are noticing the difference additional six fl oors, making half of our hotel New York, where he served since between warwick new york and a lot inventory at the premier level. 1997. He is involved with numerous David I. Cohen of our competition. our competitors’ Did you know very early on this was an charitable organizations including luggage tags are showing up at our industry you wanted to be in? How did you Boy Scouts of America, Inside Broadway, and doorstep, and our only goal is to make sure they end up in the business? the Parkinson’s Foundation. He is also a mem- stay as the economy improves. i worked part-time as a dishwasher in my ber of the Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild How did you get the emphasis on ser- fi rst hotel, and i liked the fact that no two days of America and the American Federation of vice across to your people, and did they get were alike, so it got into my blood early. Television and Radio Artists which allows him onboard quickly? i also have a very strong relationship with to pursue his acting hobby. He attended the without question, they have adapted. broadway theater and the arts, so the entertain- Rochester Institute of Technology and graduated some managers in this industry are concerned ment aspect played a role. i use an analogy that in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in about staff members who have been with the hotels are theaters, the managers are actors, the Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Management. He hotel for a long period of time being adverse guests are your audience, you put on a good also has degrees from the Centre International to change, but i get excited about them, be- show, they applaud, they come back; you put de Glion in Switzerland and the University of cause you cannot hire the historical experi- on a bad show, they don’t applaud, you close, Hartford. ence they have when it comes to a landmark you’re out of business, and the actors have no property like the warwick. i look at them as a jobs. Furniture, dishes, and plates are your props, PROPERTY BRIEF Built by William Randolph great positive, because what they bring to the the engineering department takes care of the Hearst in 1926, the historic Warwick New York operation and to the guests is that history. if lighting and the electric, the stagehands are your Hotel (www .warwickhotelny.com) is located you spend time talking to these employees and housekeepers, and wardrobe is the valet depart- in the heart of midtown Manhattan, featuring really listening to them, you gain a historical ment. i’m probably the only general manager in 426 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, perspective of the hotel that you can use from new york city that carries a screen actors guild many of which offer spectacular views of the a marketing standpoint, and the relationships card and enjoys being a part-time actor working city’s skyline from private terraces. Among the between a lot of your regular guests are well- in movies and television. hotel’s additional attractions are the restaurant established with those employees, which is How critical is that relationship be- Murals on 54, the award-winning Randolph’s critical from a service standpoint. in addition, i tween the hotelier and the owner to the Bar & Lounge, seven conference and banquet have learned more about things that are wrong success of the property? rooms, a business center, and a well-appointed in this hotel from those same employees and absolutely critical. my owner is continuing fi tness center. Warwick New York Hotel is one have been able to take that information and to invest in the product where others have cho- of Warwick International Hotels’ collection of make corrections and improvements to benefi t sen not to, because he’s of the understanding more than 40 luxury hotels, resorts, and spas the guest experience. that when times improve, you’re going to have worldwide. You now offer Premier Rooms and a better product than your competition, and Suites. Can you highlight that product, and they’re going to start to invest in their product, As a result of the recession, how much of will there be consistency, or are you look- which means there will be less inventory in the an impact have you seen on the New York ing to offer a varied range of product? marketplace, and we can capture more revenue market and on Warwick New York? our hotel is broken down into four catego- on the other end. he’s built a fabulous company the impact is, without question, citywide in ries: our classic, our deluxe, our new premier with 43 properties around the world, and he new york. but we also have 2,100 new rooms level – including rooms and suites in each cat- sees, hears, and understands what it’s all about, that are coming onto the market between 2009 egory – and our signature suites, of which we which is rare. he’s a very hands-on individual and 2010, and that also is playing a role. you’re have 10 that are extremely spacious and offer so he comes to visit and he’ll point out fl aws he going from a couple of years ago where the sup- unique features like terraces and decorative fi re- sees, like dust on a picture frame – there aren’t ply was low and the demand was very high, and places, and each has a unique history behind it. a lot of owners you can say that about.• now the pendulum is swinging in the complete with the new premium rooms and suites cat- opposite direction, and once again it’s going to egories, we’ve tried to bring the hotel back to its Premier King Room – City view 164 Leaders posted with permission. copyright © 2010 leaders magazine, inc. volume 33, number 1