David Kurland

HIDDEN AMIDST THE LUSH VEGETATION, LIES THE ST. REGIS BAHIA BEACH RESORT & RESIDENCES IN RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO.

The new resort, located on the Island’s northeastern shore, is bordered by the Espíritu Santo River State Preserve. The Espíritu Santo River is the Island’s only navigable river and is home to a plethora of plants as well as an incredible variety of wildlife. The hotel is nestled between the sea and El Yunque National Rainforest, a 28,000 acre preserve that is the only tropical rainforest on U.S. soil. More than 100 billion gallons of rain fall there each year, making it the ideal home for over 240 species of trees, 50 species of ferns, 20 varieties of wild orchids and a large diversity of flowers.

Nature is as much a part of the St. Regis Bahia Beach experience as the resort itself. A feeling of peaceful tranquility envelops you from the moment you step past the gates and into the complex. A former coconut plantation, the hotel is set on 483 acres of land and is the Caribbean’s first and only Certified Gold Audubon Signature Sanctuary. Audubon International works with golf and resort communities around the world to promote environmentally sustainable developments. The Gold and Silver Signature Sanctuary Certification Programs are aimed to integrate environmental protection and improvements, focusing on wildlife conservation, natural landscaping, water conservation and quality, waste management, energy, and pollution prevention, and matching them with the economic and social objectives of the Resort.

This five-star luxury hotel is, most definitely, a world unto itself. David Kurland, General Manager at the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort
& Residences believes that “we need to be taking advantage of our natural environment and allowing our guests, not only to have all of the five-star expectations fulfilled, like great swimming pools, great rooms, beach experiences, tennis and golf; but we should also give them an opportunity to leave metropolitan areas and come out and enjoy the natural beauty that we have to offer.”

This sustainable development is committed to the preservation of the environment. Its design took into consideration the surrounding foliage in order to blend in seamlessly. “Creating a world-class destination with The St. Regis Bahía Beach Resort and Residences, makes us proud of what it represents for Puerto Rico to enter the world market for five-star resorts,” said Federico J. Sánchez, President of Interlink, local developers of the complex. “The spirit of this community is nourished by our respect of the breathtaking nature of the site, complemented by the legendary style and service
of St. Regis.”

Given that nature is at the heart of The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort & Residences, it is only logical that outdoor activities and sports take center stage. Over 65% of the resort is preserved as green areas, sanctuaries and nature trails where residents and guests can view wildlife in its natural habitat. “We have our own bird sanctuary for which we have identified 46 different breeds of birds within Bahia that we have since registered, so our guests can go bird watching,” states Kurland. There are bike trails and pre-selected picnic spots for bird watching. Fishing will be permitted but only of the catch and release type. The hotel has retained the services of a marine biologist, who will oversee the fish and marine wildlife population in the property. In addition, the property has its own nursery where hydroponics plants, as well as vegetables, herbs and spices are being grown for use in food preparation.

Along the exclusive two-mile beach, guests will find an 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and managed by Troon Golf. It was listed in the June 2008 issue of Robb Report among the Best of the Best golf courses in the world. In 2009, it earned the prestigious Green Award from Golf, Inc. The golf course has a Silver Certification from Audubon International.

The St. Regis Brand and the Five-Star Experience

The first St. Regis New York opened in 1904 on 55th Street and Fifth Avenue and was founded by Colonel John Jacob Astor IV before his death aboard the Titanic. He fulfilled his vision of creating a hotel where guests and their families felt as if they were guests in his own home. To create the homey ambience, fresh flowers were brought in
daily, an English-style butler service was brought in, tea service was implemented and exclusive midnight suppers were added to delight its guests.

Nowadays, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts offer their clientele the exact same experience, intending to make them feel as if they were personal guests in the Astor’s own home. Kurland agrees that providing the best service possible is an exhilarating challenge. “Coming back to Puerto Rico with the opportunity to open the first fivestar property in the Island is a very exciting project for me,” states the General Manager. “It is an opportunity to strive to try to be the best you can. And for those of us who are customer oriented and service oriented in general, it is very hard work but it is very rewarding to know that you are really at the top of your profession and that the team that you have an opportunity to work with is also very much a part of this desire to be the best.

Pleasure and luxury will surround guests and residents at the property. Aside from enjoying an afternoon playing golf on a course that overlooks the ocean or relaxing at the Rèmede Spa, they will be able to dine luxuriously at internationally renowned chef Jean Georges’ first restaurant in the Caribbean: Fern. Georges has restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, London and Spain. “For the first
time we have a lot of great restaurants on the island, which provide the opportunity for different tastes and desires. Jean Georges is adding to that portfolio. His desire is to do here a lot of what he does so well in the mainland, using a lot of natural ingredients. It’s a nice combination of the two. Those people who get excited about great dining experiences will undoubtedly come out to experience Jean Georges’ food.” Also, the hotel facilities will have the capability of hosting outdoor events of up to 400 people, right next to the beach.

A resort that is so focused on providing its guests and residents with the ultimate in luxury services, the staff needs to be up to the task. This is one of the most important tasks for the General Manager. “I spend a lot of time trying to find the best people that I can possibly find in each of the areas, whether it is the chef, the housekeeping manager or the front desk manager, etc. I believe that my job is to allow them to do their job, to be there for whatever support I can offer and then try to put all the personalities together in a very cohesive working environment, where it is not only a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun,” Kurland says.

Throughout the years, Kurland has become an expert in the luxury hospitality market, having worked at several other luxury hotels which include Acqualina in Miami, El San Juan Hotel and Casino, and the Palace in New York. He believes that what makes a hotel successful is its staff and looks for certain qualities that he believes to be essential to his employees. “There needs to be a balance. With a lot of great mutual respect, understanding, caring, and again that desire to be the best, it ends up making me look like I am a great manager. It is really just being a part of something bigger than the individual,” states the executive. “My expectations are quite simply to try our hardest to become the best of the best; to raise the bar on hospitality.”

Starwood Throughout the World

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort & Residences, which is set to open in November, meant a significant investment for the company
at $172 million. It is part of a concentrated effort by Starwood Hotels, a worldwide leader in the tourism industry, to extend its global reach. Starwood has already opened two hotels under their Sheraton and W brands in Puerto Rico. Opened in November 2009, The Sheraton Convention Center is the first new hotel built in the San Juan area in more than ten years, while the W Retreat and Spa – Vieques Island began receiving visitors this past March. Starwood
already has three other properties on the Island: Puerto Rico Sheraton Old San Juan, Four Points by Sheraton Caguas Real Hotel
& Casino and Four Points by Sheraton Resort & Casino at Palmas del Mar.

Starwood’s expansion in Puerto Rico is part of a global effort. On January of the current year, Starwood officials stated that they
hoped to open between 80 to 100 new hotels in 2010. “Over the past two years Starwood has opened more than 160 new hotels, and we are well positioned for another year of meaningful growth… that will
be representative of our best,” said Frits van Passchen, President and CEO of Starwood. “In 2010 and beyond, we will continue to focus on opening great hotels, signing high quality new projects and conversions and taking critical steps to ensure Starwood and our development partners are positioned to own the upswing, as we increasingly see the global market turn into positive territory.” Of these new hotel developments, more than 70% will be outside of North America, the region to which Puerto Rico belongs under corporate governance, and more than 60% will fall within the upper, upscale and luxury category. The North American market represents half of Starwood’s current portfolio.

Starwood has nine brands under its corporate umbrella which cater to different customers: Le Méridien, Aloft, The Luxury Collection, Westin, Four Points, Element, Sheraton, St. Regis, and W Hotels. At the end of 2009, the company’s hotel portfolio included 979 owned, leased, managed, and franchised hotels with approximately 292,000 rooms in approximately 100 countries. Starwood also generates revenues and earnings from the residential units in mixed hotel projects operated under its different brands. Most of these 22
vacation ownership resorts and residential properties are located in the United States, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Locally, the St. Regis will also be home to several residential compounds. The first 25 St. Regis Residences, Las Estancias, opened in 2008. The complex hosts the Las Verandas golf villas as well as the Las Olas oceanfront townhomes and Las Ventanas.

Tourism and Hospitality Today

The current economic situation has affected all industries and the hospitality and tourism industry is not the exception. However,
Kurland believes that Puerto Rico is in the same predicament as the rest of the world yet he is optimistic about the future of the industry. “I think these are challenging times for all destinations. As the economy improves, so does tourism, not only in Puerto Rico but everywhere else in the world,” he states.

On the local front, Starwood’s increased presence on the island has increased competition for other hotels. “Whenever a new hotel or resort is built, it is always built with the latest technology - the latest bells and whistles so to speak - so it raises the bar for everyone. For everyone else to compete, they now have to look at what we will do here. If they want to compete with us, they will have to do better,” says Kurland.

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort & Residences’ General Manager believes that the future of the tourism industry in Puerto Rico shines as bright as a beacon in the night. The startling difference comes from the loveliness of the Island’s people. “I think we get a lot of things right. One of the things we do so much better than other places is, there is a friendliness to our island; there is a friendliness
to our people that is second to none, especially in the Caribbean,” he declares. “Whatever we might do wrong, whatever those things might be, they are very much overshadowed by the friendliness of our staff and the welcome approach of our people.■