With a potential recession in the U.S. economy still looming, a Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts executive said the company’s variety of options would insulate it from taking a big hit.
Claudia Infante, chief data officer at Margaritaville, said in an interview with Hotel News Now at the 2023 Hotel Data Conference that the company's plan is to make its hotels “available and accessible” to those who will travel regardless of the economic conditions in the country.
“The recession always hits different levels of the economy in different ways,” she said. “We saw it during the pandemic; the people who have a need and a desire to go out and adventure and be outdoors, they do anyway. ... We are concerned with a potential recession, but we are also very optimistic and we know that we have a brand and a product for every need that you want to meet.”
Margaritaville’s brand recognition for “outdoor fun and escapism” means summer is the brand's peak season, and this year was no exception despite most of the industry running into year-over-year dips in demand, Infante said.
“We actually did really great this summer compared to even the last three years. And mind you, we had an excellent ’21 and 2020. Most of the companies are going 2019 versus 2023. For us, 2020 was better than 2019, so the fact that we’re beating all of our records from the past years, it’s been phenomenal,” she said.
As for the rest of the year, Infante said Margaritaville’s goal is to continue to keep its promise to provide guests with fun, relaxation, adventure and escapism.
“Reputation is a big focus for us …. We are living our daily promise, and that’s our remaining [goal] this year — living that promise to be No. 1 in customer service and customer satisfaction,” she said.
For more from Infante, watch the video above.