Together with
If you want to learn about leadership, there are few better people to turn to than David Jurcak, President of the iconic Grand Hotel on Michigan's Mackinac Island.
The complexity of a huge resort hotel like this makes systems thinking and operational excellence crucial - but above all, leadership is key. Keep reading to learn how David does this. There are many counterintuitive principles and approaches, from asking guests to engage in certain ways to enhance their immersion in the experience to why focusing on "exceeding expectations" isn't actually the best way to truly delight guests.
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Leading The Stewardship of Timeless Traditions
David Jurcak
Today, David Jurcak, President of Grand Hotel, shares insights into leadership, hospitality, and creating transformational guest experiences. You can listen to us here on the podcast, and I’ve summarized a few of my top takeaways below.
Building on their unique location
Grand Hotel’s location on Mackinac Island, where cars are not allowed, creates a unique, slow-paced environment that immediately transports guests back in time.
Photo: Josiah Mackenzie / Hospitality Daily
The absence of vehicles, along with the island's historic charm, enhances the guest experience by encouraging relaxation and face-to-face interactions - something David and his teams actively build on.
Everything slows down with vehicles out of your life. It creates a far more personable experience.
Takeaway: Leverage the unique aspects of your location to create memorable, distinctive experiences for guests.
Put this in action:
Highlight and promote unique local features and traditions to your guests.
Design activities that make the most of your environment and encourage guests to engage with it.
Provide information and storytelling about your area’s history and what makes it special.
The value of traditions and rituals
Grand Hotel preserves traditions and rituals from its history, such as dining experiences with dress codes and evening dances.
“There are traditions and rituals that we hold throughout the course of the day to allow people to understand what people would have been doing in 1887 in our first season, or in 1900 or the 1940s.”
Photo: Josiah Mackenzie / Hospitality Daily
David acknowledged that asking guests to comply with a dress code is rare in hospitality. “Usually, you don't dress up to go on vacation, but it is something special to get dressed up and experience this beautiful dinner.”
I've been thinking a lot about timeless hospitality recently. We're obviously in a quickly changing world, but for me, there's something about history and legacy and traditions that feels appealing. David says he’s sensing this from his guests as well.
Guests will tell me that this is an opportunity they don't get anywhere else.
Takeaway: It’s OK to ask your guests to show up in a certain way. Many travelers are craving timeless traditions.
Put this in action:
Where appropriate, establish and maintain rituals that reflect your hotel’s heritage.
Educate guests and staff about the significance of these traditions.
Create special events or activities that celebrate this.
David's approach to guest expectations and transformational experiences
According to David, “exceeding expectations” isn’t necessarily the right approach to providing exceptional hospitality. Instead, he trains his teams on the importance of meeting guest expectations and then creating connections. By focusing on engaging guests in meaningful interactions, the guests end up loving the experience!
You have to meet their expectations, but you then have to create a connection.
Takeaway: Focus on creating moments of connection instead of just “exceeding expectations.” (I find this a lot more practical and actionable.)
Put this in action:
Train your teams to engage guests in real, genuine conversations.
Encourage them to learn about guests’ preferences and personalize their experiences.
Celebrate small gestures that show attention to detail and guest preferences.
Photo: Josiah Mackenzie / Hospitality Daily
Accelerated career growth opportunities
The complex operations of resort hotels like Grand Hotel provide rapid career growth and development opportunities. Team members gain a wide range of experiences in a short time, accelerating their career progression.
“The skills that you develop, and the number of opportunities to serve that you have at a resort are boundless and far more than you’ll ever receive at virtually any other hotel in the country or even in the world. Resorts offer that greater opportunity to you.”
Takeaway: Leverage your property’s uniqueness to create opportunities for faster career development to attract and retain ambitious talent.
Put this in action:
Provide opportunities for your team members to take on new roles and responsibilities.
Encourage cross-training to build a diverse skill set among the people on your teams.
Photo: Josiah Mackenzie / Hospitality Daily
Effective mentorship and leadership development
David highlighted the importance of time in mentorship:
The number one element of mentorship is time. You must make time for the person that you're mentoring.
These are just a few of the things we covered in our conversation. I highly recommend you listen to our full conversation today:
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Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you here tomorrow.
-Josiah
