A day in the life of guest experience stagers: The Saffire
Freycinet experience
Abstract
This case study illustrates a day in the life of hosts and guests at Saffire Freycinet, a luxury
lodge in Tasmania, Australia. It highlights key aspects in the co-creation and management of
high quality accommodation experiences in a luxury lodge. The case study allows students to
reflect on and apply the concepts of guest experience, experience quality, staging, management
and co-creation of luxury accommodation experiences.
Keywords
Guest experience; Luxury lodge; Boutique accommodation; Service blueprint; Experience
quality; Luxury accommodation; Co-creation
Introduction
Staging, co-creating and managing guest experiences is a business imperative for hoteliers
(Gilmore & Pine, 2002). This case study allows future hospitality professionals to explore the
guest experience from the perspective of both guests and hosts. Firstly, it encourages students
to reflect on the complex and multidimensional concept of guest experience. Secondly, it
allows students to analyse the guest journey holistically and the various operational levels
embedded in each experience touch point. Thirdly, it provides a platform to understand how
guests evaluate the quality of their experience. Lastly, the case study allows students to
critically reflect on the crucial role operators have in staging, managing and co-creating quality
experiences with their guests, and the challenges entrenched in this process.
Luxury hotel experiences are co-created through the input and participation of guests and hosts.
Guests use their own set of personal characteristics (such as personality, level of sensitivity,
travel experience, expectations) as a lens to perceive and evaluate their experience. Hosts stage
and manage the conditions for experience consumption (Gilmore & Pine, 2002). These
conditions refer to a carefully curated physical environment, which stimulate emotional
reactions and behaviours in the guest, and the management of a personalised interaction
between guests and staff (Harkison, 2018). This interactive process and the environment where
experiences take place is also influenced by trip-related factors (e.g. purpose of the trip, travel
party, weather conditions), which affect the guest’s experience and increase the challenges for
hosts to meet the guests’ individual needs (Walls, Okumus, Wang & Kwun, 2011).
Central to luxury accommodation experiences is the concept of personalisation (Ariffin,
Maghzi, Soon & Alam, 2018). Personalisation entails responding to guests’ needs in a
customised way. To do so, hosts need to encourage their guests to participate in the creation of
their own accommodation experiences as co-creators (Harkison, 2018). This means
encouraging guests to participate in the design of their experience, facilitating guests in sharing
information, and using this information to personalise the guest stay in all its touchpoints
(Harkison, 2018). Co-creation also enables guest to achieve learning and emotional-related
experiences (fun, entertainment, surprise, immersion and escapism) which guests seek in their
accommodation experiences (Alnawas & Hemsley-Brown, 2019) though their interaction with
staff and other guests.
This analytic illustrative case study narrates the lived experience of two regular lodge guests,
Charles and Karen, through the eyes of the staff working at the luxury lodge. The story is set
at Saffire Freycinet, a small, multi-awarded luxury lodge located at the gateway to Freycinet
National Park in Tasmania. Since its
opening in 2010, the 20-rooms luxury
lodge has been renowned for its
contemporary yet organic design, and the
unique experiences connecting guests
with the Tasmanian nature, culture and
produce. Voted “World’s Best Boutique
Hotel” and “World’s Best Luxury Hotel”
in 2014, Saffire Freycinet strives every
day, through the efforts of its staff,
blessed by its unique location, to set the
scene for memorable guest experiences.
Jonathan, the General Manager of the
property, and the staff at the lodge know,
nonetheless, that behind the scenes, just
like in a theatrical play (Hemmington, 2007), great effort and resources must be employed to
create memorable experiences for their guests. This process is not always easy, and it requires
staff to understand how guests perceive and evaluate their experience, what factors influence
these experiences and how to personalise and co-create experiences that engage each guest in
an inherently personal way (Harkison, 2018).
The Saffire Freycinet Experience – Instructions and case study
Throughout the story narrative, students are encouraged to explore all the elements shaping the
Saffire Freycinet experience and to investigate how this is staged and managed by the staff at
the lodge. Students are also tasked to reflect on how experiences are co-created during the
interactions between all experience participants (staff and guests). This case study provides
opportunities to evaluate personalisation and co-creation practices adopted by Saffire Freycinet
staff, and highlights the numerous challenges they encounter while staging and managing high
quality guest experiences.
Before arriving – Getting guests excited
That morning, like every morning at 9am,
Jonathan was heading to the staff
departmental meeting. During these
meetings, held twice a day, a member of
each department met to discuss the
“Saffire Today”, a report used to keep
track of arriving, in-house and departing
guests. This report was constantly updated
to follow up on guests’ stays, their
thoughts, feelings and needs. During these
meetings, the staff shared information they
had discovered about each guest and
Saffire Feycinet aerial view
Saffire Feycinet staff
circulated it to other departments for them to create effortless and organic guests’ experiences.
That day, among the arrivals, was Charles, a regular guest. Since his first time at the lodge, he
had been so impressed with the care and attention given to every experience detail that now,
every time he and his wife had a small break, they would jump on a plane and take the
opportunity to spend some time at the lodge.
Charles was the typical Saffire’s guest: a managing director of a medium-size firm in Sydney.
He was very time poor and loved, from time to time, leaving behind his busy life, suit and tie,
his phone and laptop, and heading to a place where he could be himself, able to wear jeans and
a t-shirt, connect with nature and enjoy the finer things in life. Jonathan knew that Charles was
a “True Luxury 2” guest. To better understand their guests’ needs, the lodge had conducted a
survey and created guest categories based on their psychographic traits. Out of the survey, six
guest categories had been created: Special Occasion; True Luxury; True Luxury 2; Indulger;
Adventurer; Escapist. This had greatly assisted the staff in anticipating guests’ thoughts,
feelings and needs and personalising their experiences accordingly. The “True Luxury 2” guest,
for example, was used to describe a high-net-worth individual who held a position of great
responsibility. Generally middle-aged, “True Luxury 2” guests were often people at the very
top of their profession. Whatever their background, they were used to the finer things in life,
but also the value of a dollar.
Charles had built a close relationship with Jonathan and would never leave the lodge before
catching up over a drink. This was not uncommon considering the small capacity of the lodge.
Many guests, over the years, had grown to be friends not only with Jonathan, but also with
some of the staff and with other guests. Knowing Charles was arriving, Jonathan made a mental
note to free some space to have a glass of wine with Charles while his wife, Karen, paid a visit
to Spa Saffire for her usual arrival massage.
Stay details, of course, had already been organised. As Charles was a returning guest, all
departments had already been informed and an itinerary had been curated for Charles and
Karen’s stay before their arrival. This would have been different if Charles had been a first
time guest. The lodge would have made contact with him sixty days before arrival to get him
and Karen excited about their upcoming stay and to send a questionnaire to ask about their
preferences. This information was vital to understand what the guests wanted out of their visit.
Every Saffire guest arriving in
Tasmania had access to a dedicated
private airport lounge. Once they
arrived at the lounge, the guests were
offered refreshments and direction to
reach the lodge. Most of the guests
would decide to drive up to the lodge
to take advantage of the scenic road.
That day, Richard, the lounge guest
service manager, saw Charles and
Karen approaching from the airport
gate. Even though a car had been preorganised for them, Richard noticed
they both seemed very tired and
Saffire Airport lounge
offered to arrange a driver to take them to the lodge. Charles declined: “Driving up there always
relaxes me.” Richard bid them farewell and, once the two had left, rang Russell, the guest
service manager at the lodge. “Charles and Karen are departing now. They are driving up with
a white Ford and should be there at 2pm. They both look very tired. Make sure the check-in is
fast. I have the feeling they just want to relax.” “Thank you, Richard – Russell replied – this
should be fine. We have a few first-time guests today and I am sure a quick check-in will come
in handy at peak time. I will let Jonathan know we are expecting them by 2pm.”
Welcome to Saffire Freycinet
That afternoon, as planned, a white Ford approached the lodge from the 500m driveway that
led to the property from the national park. At the same time, both Jonathan and Russell received
a photo on their phones from the driveway camera of
the car approaching. Jonathan, walking toward the
entrance, saw Russell sitting in the lounge with a
couple of American first-time guests who had just
arrived and were on their honeymoon. They seemed
very excited and ready to tackle as many activities as
possible. Jonathan thought they fell right in the
“Adventurer” category, also known as guests who
“collect memories”. These guests typically wished to
fit as much into their itinerary as possible, so Russell
ensured that they met Saffire’s head guide to discuss
various activities. Russell also knew that generally
“adventurers” would not use the spa, so offered that
the spa credit (included in their rate) could be spent
on paid experiences and activities.
The couple had arrived an hour earlier. When Russell
first saw them, he felt they were a bit disorientated.
After a few questions to ascertain the reason for their
feelings, Russell had realised that this was the very
first time the couple was staying at an Australian
luxury lodge and that they were still adjusting to the
new location. He had spent the last hour organising a
very busy itinerary for the couple and trying to make them feel more comfortable. The fact that
it was lunch time when they had arrived, and that all other lodge guests were returning from
their excursions, had surely contributed to make the couple feel more at home. The lodge guests
were dirty, in their active wear and eating the casual, yet well-presented, and generous buffet,
balancing plates on their laps. Russell stood up and escorted the couple to their suite while
Jonathan walked outside to greet Charles and Karen.
Charles and Karen stepped out of the car and were welcomed by Cory, the landscaper, who
was watering the Australian native bushes around the property. “Welcome back Charles and
Karen! It is so nice to see you again. How was your drive?” “Great as usual, thank you Cory
– replied Charles – Make sure you save some time tomorrow to take me back to that fishing
spot you showed me last time.” Charles and Cory shared a passion for fishing. The two had
built a very special relationship since, on a previous visit, Cory, seeing a car approaching and
no senior members of the team in sight, had stepped in and gone through the arrival experience
Saffire lunch buffet
with Charles and Karen until Jonathan had been free to take over. All staff at the lodge, in spite
of their role, were trained in every guest
journey touchpoint and how to
acknowledge guest’s thoughts, feelings
and needs through all moments of truth. No
spiels were mandatory and this meant each
interaction was as authentic as it could be.
During that time, Cory and Charles had
bonded under their shared passion for
fishing. While the two were talking,
Jonathan looked at them from the entrance
of the lodge, and noticed that both, as
Richard had observed, seemed very tired.
As they approached Jonathan, Charles’
face seemed to already relax. Jonathan exclaimed “Charles! It is nice to have you back with us.
Welcome home!” “It is nice to be back here – Charles said – It surely feels like home. Every
time I drive through the national park and I see the lodge in the distance I instantly relax.”
Jonathan knew this all too well. The lodge’s shape, and the special location overlooking the
Hazards Mountains, away from
everything but the azure waters of great
Oyster Bay, pink granite and bushland,
evoked a special connection to the
surrounding pristine nature. This
spectacular first impression had already
made many visiting guests feel as if they
had somehow been transported to a
parallel universe.
With an
impressive entrance, the whole building was meant to
disorientate. The lodge was built around the view, meaning
that the guest would naturally look straight out at the majestic
mountain range as soon as they entered. Once the guest
became accustomed to the view, they would look at the rest
of the interior and notice curated furniture and fittings, with
no immediate indication of a hotel lobby. This was a
deliberate design feature. As many of Saffire’s guests spend
much of their lives in hotel rooms, instead of evoking a
feeling of “work”, the main entrance aroused a sense of
escape to all who came through. Jonathan took Charles and
Karen to the private jetty hovering the water feature and a
glass of Charles’ favourite Chardonnay and a tonic water for
Karen, who was very health-conscious, appeared magically.
Entrance
Lobby details
Private jetty
In the meantime, Russell was on his way back to the lobby. As Richard had suggested, the
couple looked tired, so Russell had stopped briefly to make sure Charles and Karen’s room was
ready. He wanted to also ensure that the housekeeping team had remembered to remove all
orange juice from the minibar. Both Karen and Charles hated orange juice as the staff had
discovered during their first breakfast at the lodge. These small details were what made the
guests’ experience feel so effortless.
The private pavilion
Jonathan saw Russell approaching the
lobby and left Charles and Karen with him
to be escorted to their suite. He was going
to run back outside as another photo of an
approaching car had just showed up on his
phone screen.
After their past visits, the team knew that
when Charles and Karen were visiting,
they had some specific room requests.
After their very first night at the lodge, the
staff had realised that Karen and Charles
did not want to sleep in the same room.
Russell, who was a guest service agent at that time, remembered the tired face Karen had the
morning after. When he had approached her to see what the problem was, she jokingly had said
“I am surprised you have not been woken up by my husband’s snoring last night too.” From
that moment on, there was no discussion: the couple was always assigned to one of the four
private pavilions, which had separate bedrooms. This was also the most expensive of Saffire’s
suite categories, but Charles and Karen were happy to pay whatever rate was required as long
as they both were able to get a good night’s sleep.
The private pavilions were spacious 140m² rooms with a dining area and kitchen, which
allowed guests to have an in-suite private chef. Charles and Karen, however had never used
that option. As business people, one thing that they were very good at and enjoyed doing was
to socialise. They would often have dinner at Palate Restaurant with some other regular guests
of the property and spend hours chatting and even making business deals. This meant the staff
had to be ready to accommodate sometimes unexpectedly large groups in the lounge or the
restaurant.
The private pavilion had also a spacious
private courtyard with plunge pool
overlooking the bay. This, in Karen’s
words, was “her piece of heaven on
earth.” Karen was a very active person.
She would take advantage of all the
inclusive activities the lodge offered to the
guests, including bike-riding, hiking,
kayaking and bushwalking. Additionally,
the housekeeping team would always
make sure a yoga mat and a set of
Pavilion bedroom
Pavilion courtyard
dumbbells were in her private room as she trained every morning at 6:30am in the private
courtyard.
Russell opened the private pavilion door and let them in. He would have normally gone through
all the features of the room with new guests however, he knew this was Charles and Karen’s
“second home” and there was no need for this. Charles and Karen were two very down to earth,
independent guests. They appreciated the
special attentions but also did not enjoy
being suffocated by it. They highly valued
their privacy and were happy to do things
themselves to maintain it.
Before leaving, Russell indicated a bottle
of Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir sitting on the
dining table with a note. Jonathan had
asked to arrange it for Charles earlier in
the morning. Knowing Charles’ passion
for wine and whisky, Russell had made
sure in the morning that Charles’ favourite
Tasmanian wine was available both at the
bar and at the restaurant. He had gone to the winery himself the day before to make sure he
could get his hands on a particularly good vintage of that wine. He was sure Charles would
have appreciated it. Charles smiled and said “You guys never forget! Tell Jonathan I will join
him in the lounge in an hour”, and went
on to unpack his luggage and finally slip
on a comfortable pair of jeans.
Over a whisky
Jonathan was in the foyer observing the
lounge from the jetty. He would do this
a couple of times a day to soak in the
atmosphere of the lodge. Some days, the
lodge felt peaceful and bright, while
some other days, the atmosphere was
buzzy and chatty. That day, the lodge
was radiating warmth and the scent of
baked cheese tarts was hovering around
the main lodge building. The chefs were baking their famous Pyengana aged cheddar cheese
tartlets for the evening drinks. The lounge staff had changed the music to an easy-listening
lounge mix, dimmed the lights and lit the fireplaces. Late afternoon was when the sunset
colours of the bay and bushland really came to life and flooded through the floor to ceiling
windows of the lodge.
Guests relaxing in the private pavilion
Lodge at sunset
Jonathan saw Charles coming from his
private pavilion suite. With a nod,
Jonathan started walking down to the
lounge where Charles had positioned
himself in his usual seat next to the
fireplace, in front of the beautiful
eucalyptus wooden chessboard the lodge
had for the guests to use. Charles loved
chess. He would sit for hours, sometimes
with other guests (and sometimes staff),
playing in front of the fireplace. He
always said that this was a good escape
from his “always connected” life, taking
him back to when life was much simpler.
Around him, other guests had started to arrive for evening drinks. Some of them were taking
photos of the stunning sunset, others were sitting and chatting. Russell was also around,
mingling with guests.
“I saw in the room a bottle of Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir. Your staff never forget. Every time I
am here I wonder how you and your staff can possibly remember all these details.” Charles
said, repositioning the chess pieces so that Jonathan could join the game. “You know, we receive
training as mind readers before commencing our employment” Jonathan joked. Yet, he thought
“Just glad for the Saffire Today and all those
‘cheerings’ staff write to each other”. Every
time they interacted with guests and found
out something about them, the staff shared it
with the guest service manager, who, in turn
updated the Saffire Today and disseminated
the information to all departments. All the
details were then imported in a guest profile
management system to be used in the future
to customise each guest’s stay. Every time a
staff was “getting right” the guests’ thoughts,
feelings and needs, another staff member
would write a “cheering”, an
acknowledgment of their good job. This had worked very well to keep the staff attentive to
their guests and to maintain that guest-centric culture and level of engagement needed in such
a high-pressure environment.
Lounge details
Evening drinks at the lounge
“Charles, it is so nice to see you again.
May I bring a glass of your favourite?”
“Dear Camille – Charles also knew the
staff by their first name – I think I will
need something stronger this time to take
my mind off work. What about a whisky?
Do you have anything new on the list?”
Camille proudly replied “We have just
introduced an incredible locally distilled
whisky, which has just been released.
Lawrenny single malt. It is a limited
barrel release. I am sure you will
appreciate this. The head distiller, Jon
Dinsmoor, worked at Lark Distillery and then became head distiller at Archie Rose in Sydney.
He surely is one to watch!” “I am sold, bring us two of those” said Charles, impressed. Jonathan
was also impressed. Clearly, all the resources and time invested in training their food and
beverage team, and the annual Tasmanian distilleries staff trip, were paying off.
Camille organised and delivered the whisky, while a member of the kitchen team came out
with an aperitif platter of Pyengana cheese tartlets and freshly shucked oysters from the
Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm. Those oysters were so well-regarded that one of the experiences
the lodge offered was to explore the Marine Farm. Guests would stand knee-deep in the water
and taste freshly shucked oysters directly from the water on a table set up in the middle of the
Marine Farm. All this while sipping a glass
of Tasmanian finest sparkling wine. The
experience had become so popular that it was
one of the most “instagrammable” moments
of the guests’ stay.
“The seafood here in Tasmania is fantastic –
Charles said looking at the oysters – Just look
at these oysters! And I still cannot believe
how you managed to put together that
impromptu outdoor seafood barbeque last
time we visited.” That time Charles had really
set up a challenge for the staff. It was over the
Christmas festive season and the lodge was at
full capacity. As they often would, Charles
and Karen had arrived for dinner at the
restaurant exactly at peak time with eight of
their Tasmanian friends, who were lodge
guests. The lodge, being all-inclusive,
allowed guests to arrive at any time for their
all-inclusive dinner without a reservation.
That day, all guests had arrived at the same
time and the staff could not find a reasonable
solution to fit the ten people together in the The Oyster Farm Experience
Food and beverage staff member
restaurant. A little brainstorming among the chef, the restaurant manager and Russell and a
decision was made to organise a last-minute bespoke seafood barbeque outdoors, under one of
the wings of the main lodge. The chef had rushed down to the Freycinet Marine Farm, which
was just ten minutes away from the lodge, to pick up the seafood for the group. In less than
thirty minutes, a beautiful table for ten was set up, adorned with Christmas decorations made
of native Tasmanian berries. It had taken the effort of every single employee at the lodge, but
saying no to a guest just was not an option.
Charles and Jonathan continued chatting about business and life, while Camille kept an eye on
the table. She was sensible enough to understand when her interaction was needed, and when
her presence was just enough.
“Is Cory on duty tomorrow? – Asked Charles to Jonathan – I’d love for him to take me back to
that fishing place he brought me the first time I visited. I can really do with some peace, quiet
and nature.” Jonathan recalled the episode. During his first visit, Charles had asked Cory for
some recommendations on the best fishing spots around the lodge. Cory, out of his own
initiative, had organised to bring Charles to one of his “secret local fishing spots”. In the
morning, while he was off-duty, Cory picked Charles up with his own car from the lodge and
took him to Maltings Lagoon for some quiet fishing time. Jonathan remembered Charles raving
about the experience. He had thoroughly enjoyed it, and Jonathan had been pleased with Cory’s
sense of initiative. Jonathan, however, had to sit down with Cory to remind him that everything
done at the lodge had to be filtered through the three main Saffire’s pillars: authenticity, luxury
and surprise. Although showing a piece of “Cory’s authentic Tasmania” had delighted Charles,
Cory should have used the hotel car and not his own car to ensure the experience was aligned
with the luxury standards of the lodge. “I am sure he will be happy to. Let me also organise a
car for him to take you down to Maltings Lagoon” Jonathan replied.
It was by now time for dinner and Karen joined Charles. They asked Jonathan to join them, but
he politely declined the invitation.
Goodbye until next time
During the morning meeting, Jonathan was pleased to hear that no incidents had occurred
during the night. Among the arrivals, many guests that day were first timers, coming to
celebrate some special occasion. Others, like Charles, were familiar names. This was the beauty
of this job, every day was different, every customer was different and so were those moments
that the staff staged to create unforgettable memories for guests.
While going through the arrivals list, Jonathan saw Cory and Charles approaching the hotel car
for their fishing trip. He felt grateful to be able to rely on his staff to go the extra mile with
every single guest.
Between his daily duties and the constant
interaction with lodge guests, Jonathan had
to remember to find some time to bid
farewell to Charles and Karen. After all,
creating and nurturing strong relationships
with guests was what made the lodge
successful. Jonathan had also organised a
small gift for the couple to take home: a jar
of honey, made by the very own Saffire
Freycinet’s bees, which was another
favourite activity of the guests. The staff
had one rule only when it came to departure
amenities: nothing quick to eat or drink.
Every amenity, whether it was a jar of
honey, local jams, spirits or wine, was
meant to last the trip back home, so that,
one day, on a rainy and conventional
Monday, guests would wake up at home,
use the Saffire honey on their toast and
bring back the memories of their
experience to brighten their day.
Just before noon, Russell was approaching
the entrance with Charles and Karen’s
luggage. Jonathan joined the couple to escort them to their car. “I hope your stay was as
relaxing as you hoped it to be” Jonathan said. “If it wasn’t you probably wouldn’t see us again.
But I am telling you, you cannot get rid of us so easily – Charles replied with a smile, and
turned around looking back at the lodge – You can never get tired of this. Tell Cory I will be
expecting to explore another fishing spot next time.” Both smiling, the couple stepped in their
car and slowly drove away, back to their daily lives.
Discussion and Conclusion
This case study tells a story, a day in the life of guests’ lived experiences, and of staff who
stage and manage the quality of those experiences. The narrative explores what is an
experience, how experiences are co-created and what is the role of both guests and hosts in
creating luxury accommodation experiences. Although many elements and factors vary from
hotel to hotel, it is crucial for future hoteliers to understand the determinants of accommodation
experiences and how these are co-created and perceived by guests and staff.
The mature stage of the hospitality industry, characterised by higher levels of customer
expectations, increased competition and low product differentiation, has accentuated the
importance of staging and managing personalised, high quality guest experiences. This allows
to create and sustain a business competitive advantage. Operators in the industry are now
required to understand and apply key customer experience concepts in the design and
management of service experiences. The themes proposed in this case study relate to guest
experience, co-creation, experience quality, and total customer experience management.
Bee-keeping experience
