With the recent discovery that his great-grandfather was a hotel waiter in London in the early 1920s, it seems hospitality runs in the blood of Stephen Gould.
Like many, he fell into hospitality and was instantly hooked by the positive energy and endless possibilities. Now, he is the Cluster General Manager of two of the best luxury properties in New Zealand—SO/ Auckland and Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour.
As the Cluster General Manager, Gould's role is to drive the commercial performance of the hotels, support all team members in their roles and deliver exceptional guest experiences aligned with their brand promise.
Prior to this role, he served as the General Manager at Sofitel Wellington and boasts a wealth of industry experience, including senior leadership positions at Shangri-La, Conrad, Sofitel, and SO/ brands in Thailand and Fiji.
Located in the heart of Auckland in downtown Britomart, SO/ Auckland is a luxury lifestyle hotel, a new concept in New Zealand that distinguishes it from existing hotels in the competitive hospitality landscape
"More and more lifestyle hotels are coming on the scene, but achieving this at the luxury level and collaborating with award-winning designers and fashion icons is still extremely rare."
Over the years, luxury travel has become accessible to larger groups of travellers. With this, the demand for unique, memorable and personalised experiences has grown.
"Travellers are now looking for boutique hotels that can connect with them, tailoring the experience to their preferences," said Gould. "The increase in social media usage also means that these great hotel moments can reach wider audiences than ever before, which is ideal for hotels like SO/ Auckland, which is an Instagram users paradise."
Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour's point of difference is its long history of delivering French luxury, where guests are encouraged to 'Live the French Way' with an array of sophisticated and lively offerings.
As businesses navigate a COVID-19 pandemic-fuelled society, there has been a need for fewer specialists and more generalists to adapt to the changing demands.
At SO/ Auckland and Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour, they have heavily prioritised cross-training and multi-skilling in their teams. According to Gould, this has led to faster responses to guest requests and a more motivated team with broader career development.
The hotel industry is ever-changing as technology and consumer trends shift. With future guests in mind, both hotels are always on their toes, tweaking their product and service offering to guarantee guests the best service.
