We ascend to the most luxurious suite in the hotel, the Triplex Suite David Penthouse, which is spread over three levels with a total area of 380 square meters. At the beginning of the tour, Guy Kliman, CEO of the new luxury hotel David Kempinski , Tries to maintain discretion regarding the price per night. He later hints that the amount is around NIS 50,000, but each case on its own. “Some people come on their private planes and pay $ 150,000 just for a New York-Tel Aviv flight, so what’s it for them?” He replies when I wonder who the target audience is.
Reservations for this specific suite (which includes a living room, two bedrooms, a private gym, a dining room for eight diners, two bathrooms one of which includes a dry sauna, an alcohol bar, an eight-meter infinity pool and an elevator between floors) are made exclusively in front of Kliman himself. “Think how long it takes to clean this suite due to its size,” he says. “We did not approve bookings for this suite more than we did because of the price or because of the quota of days or because they wanted to have a party there. It is very important to us that this will not be a suite for parties and all kinds of parties.
David Kempinski Hotel, photo from the suite (Photo: Sivan Askio)80% occupancy
The David Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv opened on April 12, 2022, two days before Pesach. It is the 80th hotel in the number of the award-winning hotel chain, which marks its 125th anniversary this year. Built over ten years, the hotel rises to a height of 34 floors and offers 250 rooms (a night for a couple per room – starting at NIS 1,900, including breakfast), including 56 suites – 14 of which are considered “very special” and have panoramic sea views. One of them, for example, is the Royal Suite, which is spread over about 150 square meters and includes many luxuries, such as a sauna (average cost per night – $ 8,000 + VAT).
All hotel rooms and suites are decorated in a modern-classic style, with huge sliding windows in the center, stretching from floor to ceiling, bringing the sea and natural light into the room and giving a sense of space and flow.
For those who are interested, the pillows in the rooms and suites are made of 100% goose feather made by the German Muhldorfer, the guests have a luxurious spa in an area of 1,000 square meters, on the lobby floor there is a whiskey bar and a cigar room. From purchasing flowers for the anniversary to babysitting services that include a stroller ride along the Tel Aviv promenade.
Suite, Kempinski Hotel (Photo: Sivan Askio)In the middle of the week, at noon, David Kempinski’s lobby is full of guests. “Today we are at about 80% occupancy. For a two-month-old hotel, which is already reaching such occupations, it is a very big achievement,” says Kliman, who has been in the hotel world for 34 years while focusing on international luxury chains. He was in the Hilton chain for 30 years, launched the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem, served as CEO of the Ritz-Carlton in Herzliya, and most recently landed in Kempinski.
In about a week, the Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv will close its first quarter of activity, and Kliman is satisfied. “In the post-Corona era, Tel Aviv has exploded in the number of tourists. If you want to compare, then I know from other colleagues that April this year even surpassed April 2019,” he notes. “I start by comparison from scratch, but this period, from the opening of the hotel in April, is a simply unusual period. The tourism world of luxury hotels in Tel Aviv is flourishing. You really see that people have held back for a long time.”
The corona is now raising its head again. Are you not afraid?
“To be hoteliers in the country, you have to be optimistic, not people of pessimism. You always have to be properly prepared. In Israel, it is so difficult to be hoteliers: there is Operation Peace Galilee and Operation Cloud Pillar, there is corona, there are stabs, tramples, explosions and shootings. “And that we will have a contingency plan ‘What happens if …’. Therefore, I can not live every day in fear of what will happen to the corona.”
Guy Kliman, CEO David Kempinski (Photo: PR)The tourist mix in Kempinski is diverse. “There are a lot of Americans who usually come for a longer period than Europeans, for ten days. Europeans can get to a long weekend or five days,” Kliman says.
“We now have a lot of Australians ahead of the Maccabiah. There has also been a change following the opening of the line through Dubai – Israel is more accessible to them. Australians also come for a longer period than Europeans. We also have Canadian, Russian and Mexican tourists. One of our biggest markets today is Mexico. “Israeli guests too, but they are not the majority. In hotels in Tel Aviv in general, Israelis are not the majority. We see more couples than families, but families with children also come. It is impossible to separate the Jewish market from families. It is a market that basically travels with children.”
What is the main challenge for you today?
“The first challenge stems from the fact that there are not enough luxury hotels in the country, and then the ‘pool’ of people, of employees, is very limited. Others. While here you have to start and instill the corporate culture from scratch. In addition, like everyone else, we also face a shortage of manpower today. It’s a challenge for everyone. But the more prestigious the hotel, the more people need it because the guest pays more, Both because of the brand, and also because it is a different service from that in other places. “
The personal assistant
As mentioned, the main challenge today is to find the right manpower, with a character suitable for hotels. “First of all, to work in a hotel you have to love a person,” Kliman explains. “If someone does not like a person, he will not get the satisfaction from work, and it will be very difficult for him to be accepted for the job. It is a very demanding job 24/7. It has good and less good moments, and a person has to be very mentally flexible to fit the hotel world.”
How do you actually deal with the issue of manpower?
“We have new immigrants from different countries, including a lot of workers from Russia who have made aliyah. We also employ workers with disabilities, for example ten deaf people who work in the household. There is also one homeless person we took from the street and started training. He works in the kitchen and now sleeps somewhere neat. Our Nada is very supportive of the community. “
At the hotel I meet Alex Bibas, 27, originally from Costa Rica, who immigrated to Israel six months ago. He came to Israel from Spain, where he worked for five years in hotels in international luxury chains. “I studied hotels in Switzerland, Chicago and Spain,” says Bibas. “I was looking for a challenge in my life, I started looking for work in all sorts of places. I had the option to stay in Madrid and work at one of the luxury chains, but I decided to make an aliyah to work at Kempinski.”
Alex Bibbs The Butler (Photo: Sivan Askio)Today Bibas is defined as the personal assistant of the guests of the 14 special and prestigious suites in the hotel and also as responsible for the customer experience. “I take care of everything the suite guests need,” he says. “Before the guests arrive, I ask them all sorts of questions about preferences: if they have allergies, if there is anything specific I need to know or do before arriving. It could be even a simple thing like extra pillows in the room. There were no complicated requirements yet. Someone just “He asked for a Passover Seder in a room or a helicopter flight to Caesarea. Everything they want and need and is legal – I will do.”
Suite, Kempinski Hotel (Photo: Sivan Askio)What is your job satisfaction?
“First of all, the hotel here is like the United Nations. There are workers from every country imaginable: Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Argentina, France and more. I am alone here in the country, and they are like my family. Also, hotels are my passion – This is what I learned, this is what I like to do. I like to meet different people, cultures, different backgrounds, and every other work day. This is not an office job where every day is the same. The hotel has different guests, so the experiences change all the time. This is not a routine. “
“As of today,” says Kliman, “we have between 280-300 employees, 40 missing. Our situation is relatively good in this respect, because we really do a lot of activities to get employees. We were in all kinds of associations of +50 and we did recruitment campaigns. We have A lot of people over the age of 60 and 70 who work in all kinds of positions, whether it is a shift manager or a doorman. We also do a lot of activities with new immigrants. We have new immigrants from 18 countries. We have become a kind of international group like this. “And we provide excellent and excellent conditions for our employees.”
Like what?
“The employee who earns the lowest with us earns 30% above the minimum wage. Employees have yoga, Pilates, extreme sports once a week. They have a dining room that does not embarrass any high-tech dining room. The turnover in the hotel world is great. Therefore it is very important for us to retain employees and take care In the hotel world the employee should be satisfied, because the guest feels it. The employees we hired underwent two months of training by people who came from abroad from the network. The biggest feedback we get from the guests is on the mix of employees, on the service. “To Tel Aviv: You see Tel Aviv. We gave a lot of space to the large windows, to the view. The guest feels Tel Aviv – on the one hand the beach, and on the other the urbanity.”
Respect for competitors
Kliman, who these days spends most of his day at the hotel, sees importance in the small details. On a tour of one of the suites he pauses for a moment and photographs a small crease in one of the sheets. “I get up every morning to improve things. Obviously there is something to improve, especially in the opening,” he notes. “It takes a long time until we reach the bottom line that we are happy with, and from which we have to keep getting better. Also, what is very important is to produce a model that the guests want. I always say to my chef: ‘Cook what the guests want to eat and not what you like to cook. “We see reactions, change, do not settle on a certain thing. We are very flexible and want to see that what we thought was right – is really true and relevant.”
Kliman adds: “The more international chains come to Tel Aviv, the higher the level of service and the city will receive a better tourist seal in the world. There is no hotel culture in the country. There are academies abroad, there are places where students study and combine work with studies in the field. But here in Israel, hotels are casual work, not permanent work, as in Italy. “
Do you feel competitive with the luxury hotels in the area?
“I always respect the competitors, and there are competitors: Hilton who is very dominant, De Jaffa, De Norman and Stay. You have to respect and know the competitors. It is very important.”