The Director of Marketing and Communications at The Art Hotel & Resort talks art as life.

What is it about marketing and communications that drew you to this line of work?
Childhood plays a vital role in shaping your personality, early personality traits may initiate and sustain particular life paths and I do believe that personality determines your career. I have always been passionate about media and everything that has to do with public speaking, which sparked my interest in this career path.
I’ve been in the marketing communications field for more than 10 years and it is still interesting and challenging. The variety of perspectives and ideas I’m exposed to on a daily basis is a motivation for me.

What do you feel are the best and also the most challenging aspects of your job?
Marketing tools and strategies often change rapidly, along with customer expectations. The trend now is shifting towards the digital space with various platforms and different audiences and the real challenge is selecting the right tool to present your content.
The strategy can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach, especially in hospitality where it is designed to reach new customers and retain current customers – this requires creativity at all times.
The best part about marketing is that it’s fun, there’s no routine involved. Its core is solving problems and creativity. My responsibility as the Director of Marketing and Communications at The Art Hotel & Resort is to plan and oversee communication strategies that best promote The Art as a way or art of living via various communication mediums and to perfectly achieve the maximum exposure and reach for our brand awareness.

You were involved in the migration of The Art from its previous group management to an independent. How did you go about this process from a marketing point of view?
I am proud to have been a part of rebranding to showcase The Art as one of the best destinations in Bahrain, fully featured for business and leisure.
At The Art Hotel & Resort we see and deliver art in everything we do, from dining experiences to staycations to details of design style throughout the hotel. Our main approach is always to meet, if not exceed, our guests’ needs, forming a welcoming environment.
The main focus is positioning the hotel as a family destination and making sure that The Art Hotel & Resort attracts and is seen as unique by highlighting our fun leisure features and activities, it’s also to ensure our promise of an unscripted guest experience at all times.
Everything has to be consistent with the new values that have been defined.

How do you go about formulating a marketing plan to target each specific outlet while keeping the hotel itself in the public’s mind?
A hotel marketing strategy should be initiated to increase the number of guests and revenue for the property and to help the hotel stand out in terms of its brand identity and vision.
Our main focus is to position The Art Hotel & Resort as one of the most desirable hotels in the region that demonstrates art in everything we deliver.
A hotel marketing strategy should be dynamic, changing depending on the season and market trends and, in our case, focussed on all that The Art has to offer to guests whether in room, dining outlets, recreation facilities, conference centres or other venues.

Aside from staying at your hotel, what are three things you would recommend visitors to do when they come to the island?
The Kingdom of Bahrain is the ‘Pearl of The Gulf’, with different attractions to cater for all types of visitors. The authentic Islamic architecture, traditional markets and the night life make this island an ideal touristic attraction.
Bahrain offers a pleasant travel experience with various things to be discovered such as the local culture found through visiting Manama Souq, Bahrain National Museum or the Tree of Life and by trying its traditional food and wonderful beaches. ✤