Nelms
5th August 2006, 05:06 PM
My wife and I are considering a stay at Cabanas Copal. Last year we walked through Zahra, Azulik and Copal, so we're familiar with its layout and ambience, And I've followed the discussion threads on Copal here, on LocoGringo, and on Trip Advisor for more than a year. What mystifies me is wide variation in assessments of Copal, Azulik and Zahra -- much more inconsistent than any other resort discussed in these forums. Some people say the staff are polite, friendly and helpful; others say they couldn't care less. Some people say the food is top notch; others say its mediocre or worse. Some people say the cabanas are well-maintained and clean; others differ. I notice that Holly Whorton, one of the owners, frequently responds to negative reviews on Trip Advisor, and sometimes claims to be making changes, but the negative reviews (and the positive reviews) keep on coming.
My first hypothesis is that the lack of consistent excellence must be due to a lack of consistent on-site management by the owners, perhaps because the demands of operating three resorts has exceeded the informal management style that works with a smaller, single resort. Many of the places in Tulum with the most consistent reports of excellence are small and owner-managed. Does anyone know anything about the senior management of the Eco-Tulum resorts? Are the owners personally involved in management, or do they delegate to hired managers? If so, do they hire experienced managers at competitive pay, or do they try to make do with people new to hotel management, or pay them too little to retain the good ones? Do the owners reward managers for the rate of repeat visitors, or share profits with them, so that they behave like owners, or are they just on salary, so that their compensation does not reflect guest satisfaction?
My second hypothesis is that somehow the marketing of these resorts does not communicate their rustic, informal, low-service style, and that some people arrive expecting a Cancun or Playa del Carmen experience with lots of service, organized activities, antiseptic environments, no bugs or lizards, fine dining, and so forth, and just react negatively when they discover that they are in a cabana in the jungle with just a beach and basic food. This might be a particular problem at Azulik, whose prices are high enough to lead guests to expect more. The problem with this explanation, though, is that in my opinion the web sites for Cabanas Copal, Azulik and Zahra are quite clear in communicating the style of these places and the service that can be expected. But maybe some people book through other means, and never see the web sites in advance?
So why the inconsistency in guest experiences? I'd love to hear Holly's explanation, too, in case she sees this post. -- Nelms
My first hypothesis is that the lack of consistent excellence must be due to a lack of consistent on-site management by the owners, perhaps because the demands of operating three resorts has exceeded the informal management style that works with a smaller, single resort. Many of the places in Tulum with the most consistent reports of excellence are small and owner-managed. Does anyone know anything about the senior management of the Eco-Tulum resorts? Are the owners personally involved in management, or do they delegate to hired managers? If so, do they hire experienced managers at competitive pay, or do they try to make do with people new to hotel management, or pay them too little to retain the good ones? Do the owners reward managers for the rate of repeat visitors, or share profits with them, so that they behave like owners, or are they just on salary, so that their compensation does not reflect guest satisfaction?
My second hypothesis is that somehow the marketing of these resorts does not communicate their rustic, informal, low-service style, and that some people arrive expecting a Cancun or Playa del Carmen experience with lots of service, organized activities, antiseptic environments, no bugs or lizards, fine dining, and so forth, and just react negatively when they discover that they are in a cabana in the jungle with just a beach and basic food. This might be a particular problem at Azulik, whose prices are high enough to lead guests to expect more. The problem with this explanation, though, is that in my opinion the web sites for Cabanas Copal, Azulik and Zahra are quite clear in communicating the style of these places and the service that can be expected. But maybe some people book through other means, and never see the web sites in advance?
So why the inconsistency in guest experiences? I'd love to hear Holly's explanation, too, in case she sees this post. -- Nelms