Interview: Roy Davies General Manager, Vineyard Hotel and Spa
17. Aug, 2009
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Can you introduce yourself to the readers?
I am Roy Davies, have worked in a few SA hotels, starting at the Mount Nelson Hotel, a short stint at Sun International, then opening The Bay Hotel in 1989 and spent nearly 10 years there. Spent 7 years doing the entrepreneurial thing having started a software development company with some friends in Cape Town and expanding that project to the UK and beyond.
Returned to South Africa in 2006 wanting more excitement in my work life and took up a position at the Vineyard Hotel and Spa as GM. Wow, am I glad to be back and having a great time. I live locally and am able to walk to work, which sure beats the commute most folk have.
Before your current position, what were you doing?
Worked for a software development company
What is your educational background?
Have a matric and studied the PDP course at Cornell University in the USA
Please tell us about Vineyard Hotel & Spa and your future goals?
The Vineyard Hotel and Spa is a wonderful hotel of variations, from an unimposing entrance through the ‘Old Lady’ (the main house of Lady Anne Barnard) to the gardens with a fantastic panorama of table mountain that unfolds as one emerges from the house. The hotel is fast concluding its construction of new rooms and soon we will have 207. The pool area boasts a deck area that is tranquil and in summer have a green base, Table Mountain and blue sky for a view.
There is also an amazingly fitted out gym with the Angsana Spa as a neighbour. Future goals include getting the new rooms on stream as soon as possible and growing our wine interest beyond our cellar and vineyard to infect our guests with the collective passion for wine. We have regular wine events and strive to ensure that they each have a twist that creates interest for our guests, visitors and local supporters. This year we’ve included a rugby legends dinner with Schalck Burger, Jan Boland Coetzee and Hempies Du Toit. We will also be doing a dinner with David Frost which is preceded by a putting clinic on the front lawns.
What three blogs do you read daily, to stay abreast of the industry?
I occasionally read eHotelier News.
Say an unhappy guest, published a negative review on twitter about your hotel, how would you handle the damage control?
While I am not on twitter, if something like that was noted by us, I would try establishing the incident and identifying the guest, and then post our remedial action. Alternatively if I was unable to identify the guest would ask them to make contact with me at the hotel and try remedying the situation from there.
Social media is the current buzz word, is your hotel active in that space?
Facebook, soon Ning.
Is your hotel listed with any booking engine?
Yes, on a number. Gulliver’s, Expedia.com, Booking.com, Transhotel, HRS, Easy Africa
Do you share notes with your peers in competing hotels?
We get together once a month to share experiences and exchange ideas. We also use it to discuss problems and issues common to us and the industry.
Say Travelwires.com arranged a Travel Distribution Summit, would your hotel be open to offering venue?
Yes
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
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