Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 9

47 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 9 markets. Although the primary focus is North America, especially the East Coast, a good influx of interest is coming from the Caribbean and Latin America regions, particularly from South and Central America. Nieves notes, “The great thing about being part of the Marriott brand is that it allows our on-property sales team to connect with our global sales team, so all the marketing efforts are being done in sync with the global brand team. It exposes us to a wide variety of markets that, perhaps if we were focusing locally, we wouldn’t be able to reach.” A complement of 60 select employees form the Aloft team in San Juan and company culture is all about being friendly and welcoming. Nieves explains, “Because our target guests are self- expressers – individuals that are not shy, that are bold and confident in the way they express themselves – I was looking for employees who would fit into that mold. The hotel is focused on building great experiences through genuine service. That was my main goal when we were hiring people. We focused on their personality, because we knew that based on their unique interests – whether music, art, technology – by hiring individuals that were passionate about their touchpoints, they’d be able to create better experiences for our guests. The brand allows them to be who they are; we have standards that we want maintained, but they are free to simply connect with the guests on a personal level. When you come to Aloft, you see people smiling because they’re happy to be here.” The hotel is also proud to support community culture. Its program ‘Live at Aloft’ allows local artists to use the lobby venue to showcase their talent. “We have to be very careful in how we do it with the pandemic,” Nieves admits, “but we definitely open our doors to many different local artists to come and play in our lobby and use us to promote themselves in their social media. In essence, the Aloft platform can help jumpstart their career. It brings local flavor to the hotel because all those artists have their crowd that follows them, so whenever they come into the property it becomes another synergy. They love the hotel, they love the environment where their favorite artist is playing, and that is good for everyone.” ALOFT SAN JUAN