Tafer COO: Third-party management a logical way to expand business

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Last week, Puerto Vallarta,
Mexico-based Tafer Hotels & Resorts announced it was launching its own
hospitality management services. Chief Operating Officer Sasa Milojevic said
the decision was a logical extension of the company’s strategic expansion
strategy and plays into its strength of managing its own properties.

“This move allows us to partner with independent developers
and hotels, expand our presence in top-performing markets and bring our
renowned service excellence to a broader audience,” Milojevic said.

Tafer has signed on to manage three properties so far: the
440-key Palmar Azul Beach in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the 360-key Garza Blanca
Resort & Spa Miches and the 50-key Kairi Club Miches in the Dominican
Republic. Milojevic said it took almost two years to sign the Palmar property
and six months to sign the other two properties, which are both new builds in
Miches, Dominican Republic.

The Palmar Azul Beach Resort Riviera Maya by Tafer will
reopen in November following an extensive renovation, while the Garza
Blanca Resort & Spa Miches by Tafer and the Kairi Club Miches by Tafer are
scheduled to debut in late 2026 following construction.

Tafer currently owns and operates eight hotels throughout
Mexico, with more than 4,000 keys. It also has several other hotels in its pipeline in Mexico
and the Caribbean, which equals another 2,000 keys.

Milojevic said Tafer will be adding some of its own hotels
to its management business and plans to add at least one to two new properties to its third-party management
business every year.

Tafer also owns 50% of all Villa Groups Resorts & Spas,
including the Villa del Palmar Puerto Vallarta, Villa del Palmar Los Cabos,
Villa del Palmar Flamingos, Villa la Estancia Nayarit, Villa La Estancia Los
Cabos, Villa del Arco and Villa La Valencia in Los Cabos.

Hotel Investment Today asked Milojevic questions via e-mail
about expansion plans, lessons learned from managing its own properties and
leisure travel trends. 

Hotel Investment Today (HIT): Are there any plans to expand ownership or
management outside Mexico and the Caribbean?

Sasa Milojevic: While our plans over the next several years
pertain to Mexico and the Caribbean, we’re excited about the possibility of
expanding our services and portfolio into new markets worldwide. 

HIT: What trends are you seeing in the first half of
2024? What are you projecting for those hotels for the second half of 2024?

Milojevic: We have grown by double-digit numbers yearly
since 2021, and 2024 is no exception. We see this trend continuing in the
second half of 2024 and in the years to come. 

HIT: What did you learn from managing your own hotels
that made you want to pursue third-party management?

Milojevic: Managing our own properties has provided us with
invaluable insights and firsthand experience in every aspect of hospitality
operations, from architectural and concept design to resort management,
marketing, and guest services… By pursuing third-party management, we can
extend our standards of excellence to new partners and markets, ensuring
high-quality, memorable stays for more travelers and achieving greater
operational efficiency and profitability for property owners.

HIT: What trends are you seeing in leisure travel at your
properties? Group and business travel? What do you see in business transient?

Milojevic: Both leisure and transient guests are
increasingly seeking unique and personalized experiences, including engaging
activities, a continual interest in wellness and culinary experiences, and
accommodations tailored to multi-generational families and groups.
Additionally, companies are prioritizing venues that offer flexibility,
advanced technology, and safe, spacious environments. We’ve also noticed
notable interest in combining business trips with leisure stays as travelers
continue to take advantage of remote work opportunities to extend their stays
and fully enjoy the destination. Lastly, travelers are looking for
accommodations that offer convenience, connectivity and comfort.

HIT: What are the biggest trends you are seeing in F&B
right now? What changes have you made that have brought you the biggest ROI?

Milojevic: We’re noticing a growing trend in guests seeking
attentive service and personalized dining experiences at our resort and
restaurants, and healthy dining options. To meet this demand, we’ve invested in
staff training to ensure a high level of attentiveness and customized service,
including the recent introduction of our dedicated Tafer Meat Sommelier
program, a bespoke wine program and more interactive dining offerings like our
dynamic Gourmet Hall at Garza Blanca Cancun.  We continue to increase guest
satisfaction at all our dining outlets by offering locally sourced produce to
support our communities and give diners the highest quality, farm-to-table
meals.