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July 7th, 2008
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King of the hill

MaMaison takes Golden City by storm

By Curtis M. Wong
For The Prague Post
February 20th, 2008 issue

Jan Přerovský/THE PRAGUE POST
J.J. Doran, the new director of sales and marketing at MaMaison Hotels and Apartments, has big plans in store for the hospitality giant.
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MaMaison Hotels and Apartments

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They say if you want a lesson in resilience, it’s best to ask a New Yorker. While MaMaison Hotels and Apartments may not have had that in mind when they chose J.J. Doran as the company’s new director of sales and marketing, it’s safe to say that philosophy has since been realized.   
A native of Staten Island, New York, Doran served as director of international business development for Marriott New York City Hotels before joining MaMaison last August. Two decades worth of experience in various marketing and management positions have made Doran especially well-suited for his latest role.
He was on hand for MaMaison’s first 2008 success story — the company was nominated for three TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards in January, which were determined by individual traveler ratings. One of the company’s three local properties, the Riverside Hotel in Prague 5, was awarded third place in the ‘Best Service in Europe’ category and also came close to making the final cut in the ‘Best Luxury Hotels’ category internationally. Additionally, Budget Travel Magazine, also powered by TripAdvisor, named MaMaison’s Andrassy Hotel in Budapest a Best Value Hotel.
Recently, Doran caught up with The Prague Post, offering some insight into the future of MaMaison as the company continues to expand its name throughout Europe, and sharing his outlook on the Prague hospitality industry’s next stages of development.
The Prague Post: What would you say your number one professional goal was when you decided to join MaMaison?
J.J. Doran: Really, to have a challenge. I see all the capacity and all the potential here. I knew I was going to do one expat-type post, but I thought it was going to be something like China or the Middle East. I was pleasantly surprised when this opportunity arose. When I evaluated the opportunity, I saw there were some gaps in brand awareness. That’s a natural focus on your home market, so I thought I could add something for the U.S. and the UK markets, which are two very important markets. I thought I could develop some intricacies that would help in building brand equity. Those are the things we have to build upon. In five years, the objective is that, if someone is traveling from Liverpool or from Tokyo or from Brisbane, I want them to be able to ask the question “Is there a MaMaison in the town I’m traveling to?” This is a great opportunity to work with a relatively small group. It’s like a blank tableau. In a large organization, your ability to impact business is much less than in a smaller organization, and that is very intriguing to me. Good marketers and salespeople have to come into Prague and create the demand — especially for off-season business — now.
TPP: So has living and working in Europe always been a personal goal for you?
JD: No, but I’ve always been open to it. I’ve previously worked in London, Paris and Hong Kong. There are people who should never be expats, and then there are people who are naturally born with an attraction to it. I’m a New Yorker, so I’ll always have some base in New York, but I do enjoy the overseas assignments. I particularly like this one. … It’s a learning experience. As long as it’s learning experience, and as long as my brain is stimulated during these assignments, then yes, I am excited. I wasn’t necessarily looking for that, even though I’ve previously lived overseas. Sometimes living in New York is a bit like living overseas. I have a passion about New York, but I have a passion about Prague, too. I had experiences here during my university days and those were interesting.
TPP: In moving from New York to Prague, what has been the biggest professional adjustment for you?
JD: I have to say, it’s been a relatively easy adjustment. This is an easier city to live in than New York even. The metro system is not as extensive, but just as advanced if not more advanced than the New York’s subway. It’s a cosmopolitan city. It’s smaller, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.    
TPP: In what ways is the Prague hotel market unique?
JD: For one thing, a lot of the types of business that we’re seeking are relatively new to the market. Aligning with the business travel purchasing systems is relatively new. Moving from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market is relatively new as well, and it’s something that we all have to be keenly aware of and work very hard to excel in. It only makes it more competitive and that makes it more interesting.
TPP: How do you think it will continue to evolve?
JD: I think more players will want to come into the market. If you’re talking about Prague in particular, it’s so attractive on its own. Prague is on everyone’s travel lists, so we’re trying to push it to the top. We’re somewhat less susceptible to international recession because we’re a luxury market. We’re preparing for a great 2009, and we’re still going to have a good, if not great, 2008.
TPP: Two of MaMaison’s properties in Prague and Budapest were recently honored with TripAdvisor awards. Will the company feel any pressure to top itself in the future?
JD: It’s mostly just an indication of us getting out there and getting known. TripAdvisor brings a whole new dimension. Now if a guest has a bad experience, it’s out there to the planet, and you have to be even more careful about the level of service you provide. The power of the consumer has increased, and they can either make or break you. We have to be on our toes every day, every minute. There’s always going to be pressure to top ourselves in terms of quality. So I’d like to see us do that. Our strategy is very basic, and that’s just to provide the best level of services so that more people write about us and more people think of us in a positive way.
TPP: In your opinion, what sets MaMaison apart from its competitors in the Central and East European hotel industry?
JD: I think it’s a combination of factors. There are a lot of hotels that provide very good services. We strive to provide a very good local experience in the moment. If a customer says to us, “I really need a modern facility in Prague that is going to have a large swimming pool and so forth,” we’ll say, quite honestly, that it’s probably not the best hotel for them. But if a customer wants to be at a UNESCO heritage site, close to Old Town, in a place where W.A. Mozart was in residence, and have a true Prague experience, that’s what MaMaison can provide. We’re really focused on the local experience, and that’s what sets us apart. Our hotels may not be right for everybody, but we like that. It allows us to differentiate ourselves. We just have to make sure we’re going after the niche that we’re seeking.
TPP: Would you like to continue to expand to other regions and countries, and if so, where?
JD: We have more than 100 pipeline projects, many of which are here in the Czech Republic. I would anticipate that we’ll have another Czech property in development within the next 18 months. We have three properties in Prague currently, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more soon. Internationally, I have a personal interest in St. Petersburg, Kraków and, to complete the so-called Golden Triangle, it’d be great to have a property in Vienna. More properties in Russia and Poland are very likely. With 25 countries in “New Europe,” we’re in a candy shop of sorts, and we’re just getting started.
TPP: On a more personal level, what are your goals for your time here?
JD: (laughs) First of all, I’d like to learn enough Czech to utter a sentence! I want to enjoy my time here, not just in the region, but especially in Prague. I want to have a better connection with Prague. Instead of snapshots, I’d like to actually have a movie of Prague in my mind. I’m still very early in my experience and my only regret is that it’s going by so rapidly.  
TPP: Finally, for investors who are interested in the Czech hotel market, what advice would you give to them?
JD: Do it yesterday, meaning as soon as possible. All the long-run indicators show that despite whatever hiccups we have in the next year or two, there aren’t that many places that will provide the level of returns that the Czech Republic will provide. For any who thought that the growth rates weren’t going to continue, I think that they’re wrong.  

Curtis M. Wong can be reached at specialsection@praguepost.com


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