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REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE - THE SAXON
The
Saxon in Johannesburg has recently been declared one of the
world's leading boutique hotels for the second year running.
Susan Reynard reports.
 Corrine
Harrison, GM of The Saxon, believes it is not enough to be
good by African standards - you must be good by world standards.
"A hotel may be beautiful, but it's just bricks and mortar
without the people. When it comes to staff, I always ask myself,
'Do they stir the air '" With people making the key difference
between a good hotel and an exceptional one, Harrison believes
you train the "head juices" but inspiration must
be inherent.
It
takes about three years to bed down a team of staff, and Harrison
admits that not just anyone could work for her. She is exacting
and demands 100% of her staff at all times and complete accountability.
No gossiping is allowed in the corridors, with all disputes
sorted out within the confines of her office.
However,
her management style pays off in the success of the establishment.
When guests are happy, she is happy and this is the message
her staff carry with them.
The
Saxon, part of the Mantis Collection, opened in June 2000
and is built on six acres of gardens situated just outside
the Sandton CBD in Johannesburg. Originally home to Douw Steyn,
the residence was designed by Neill Powell Neill Architects
in 1990. Ridler Shepherd Louw Architects redesigned and extended
the existing residence from 3650m2 to 7990m2. Stephen Falcke
and his team did the interior design, creating a modern minimalist
décor featuring African artefacts and furniture.
 The
Saxon is well known for its famous resident, Nelson Mandela,
who stayed there for six months, editing his autobiography.
The
Saxon prides itself on offering a luxurious "home away from home"
environment for its prestigious guests. More than great service,
management and staff work to anticipate guests' needs. With
business travellers, this often means giving them extra space
and privacy.
"The
best hotels can often be pretentious, and this makes some
guests uncomfortable. We aim to create a home environment
- luxurious, but comfortable," explains Harrison.
To
do this, management and staff are adept at "reading"
their guests, assessing their needs and responding to them.
At the same time, staff are never familiar, but keep a respectful
distance when guests require privacy. For example, sometimes
guests enjoy extra attention during dinner and staff will
constantly attend to the table and top up wine glasses. At
other times, after a gruelling business meeting, the same
guest may prefer to have the wine close at hand and enjoy
his or her meal in peace.
To
be completely comfortable, guests need to know how to use
a hotel. Having the means to afford a luxury hotel is one
thing, but you need to know how to use it to get the most
out of the experience, Harrison says.
"It takes time to room a guest properly," she says,
adding, "The TV, DVD, CD player and the high level of
present day technology is complex. You don't want to be caught
out in the middle of the night turning on bright overhead
lights when a specially designed night light is a switch away."
Having
spent 30 years in the business, Harrison believes outsourcing
is death to true 5 star delivery and having all one's own
staff is important in lifting and constantly maintaining standards.
 One
of the major considerations when planning a boutique hotel
is the huge set up costs. At The Saxon, they use only the
best of everything. This is obviously expensive but adds to
the unique experience guests have in the hotel.
Given
the opulent surroundings and continuous striving for high
standards of service, things can still go wrong. While staff
are empowered to deal with problems, Harrison insists on being
the first to know when it comes to guest complaints. When
she sees the guest later that day, she will make a point of
asking whether a particular problem has been sorted out and
apologise for the inconvenience.
"It's
impressive to guests that a general manager knows about their
little problems. This is how you turn a bad situation into
a good one. It can be as simple as saying, 'I trust the end
of your day has gone better than the beginning'. It shows
them someone cares."
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